The world of beer tasting is a funny one. There are so many different brews available that it can be hard to find one you like enough to invest money in. And even if you come close, most people are (wisely) hesitant about dropping $5 to $7 on a beer that they might or might not like.

This Saturday, however, is the annual Brewgrass Festival in Asheville, N.C. Though sold out, this festival is one of the most popular, most impressive festivals you can attend.

Held at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Brewgrass invites 30 or so brewers from all over the country to provide samples to hundreds of people who remembered to get their tickets early. These brewers include local and regional micros like Highland Brewing Company and Thomas Creek as well as Northeast brewers like Brooklyn Brewing and even Mountain region brewers from as far as Colorado and the Pacific Northwest.

For just $30, you get to sample as many beers as you want from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Personally, I am looking forward to this festival more than any other I have attended since moving here. Each year I have missed the Brewgrass Fest because I completely forgot when it was. By the time I learned about it, I was too late to get tickets and had to wait until next year. When next year came, I was too late again.

But not this time. This time I got my tickets months in advance, made sure my parents wanted to go to the festival (my Dad is geeked; my Mom got a designated driver ticket) and have been counting the days until the festival comes.

I can almost taste the myriad of brews and concoctions that await me. I can smell the hops and barley and malt. I can feel the anticipation as I walk up to the first brewer and have the first pour of the day.

This is an event that is nine years in the making for me. I will tell you all about it and the beers I tried in next week’s column.

I just hope I remember to get the tickets early enough next year.