Fun & Free (Or at Least Relatively Painless): Episode Four

This week's episode of Fun & Free covers Azeroth's best holiday, Brewfest! Whether you're looking for a new vanity pet, a hat with a feather on it, free booze, or just a chance to ride the fastest rams in the world, there's something for everyone at Brewfest.

On the Horde Side:
The Main Event: Orgrimmar
While every capital city has its own beer garden (and each of these gardens plays a different authentic goblin polka song), Orgrimmar is where the best brewers have come to ply their wares and show off their trade skills. The Brewfest main event is set up just off the road heading to Razor Hill.

And On the Alliance Side:
The Other Main Event: Ironforge
In snowy Dun Morogh, home of the dwarven ram, dwarven brewing is at its finest, and both the Thunderbrew and Barleybrew breweries have come to join the festivities. The main Brewfest activities are set up just below the cliffs of Ironforge, along the road leading to Kharanos. You can hear other authentic dwarven drinking tunes by visiting each capital city of the Alliance.

For Anyone:
The Best Vanity Pet Ever!
A mere 50 silver (less with faction discount) will buy you a Wolpertinger, the most unusual and easily the most fun pet around. Get yours before the holiday is gone! Or, if you just want to relax and enjoy the sights of wild wolpertingers at play in their native environment, knock back a few drinks and wander around the Brewfest grounds. Chances are you'll see plenty of these lovely little guys frolicking to and fro.


Ram Racing
A time-honored Brewfest tradition, ram racing is available to all players this year, no matter their level. Before you begin, take a look at wowwiki's informative guide on Brewfest and ram racing strategy - a must-read if you want to maximize profits during your races.
Players must complete at least the basic ram racing quest ("Now This is Ram Racing...Almost") before becoming eligible to pick up this year's Brewfest souvenir, the handy, refillable Blue Brewfest Stein.

Barking for the Breweries
Akin to Ram Racing, but with a twist...these quests will give you a rental racing ram and send you into either Orgrimmar or Ironforge to advertise for the brewery of your choice. The catch: there are no apple barrels inside the city limits. Therefore, you'll have to budget your time wisely to ensure that you can "bark" at all four quest locations without tiring your ram out. Here are a couple tips:
Don't Gallop - keep your ram's pace between a trot and a canter, and keep an eye on that fatigue debuff. When you see it get too high, lower your speed.
Plan Your Route - the four quest locations are scattered throughout the city, so it helps to have some idea of how you'll get to all of them before you head out. Ironforge is a circular city, so you can start with barking at the Bank and go either way easily, as long as your ram doesn't tire. But Orgrimmar's Valley of Honor lies off the beaten path, and the Valley of Spirits isn't that easy to get to either - make sure you give yourself extra time to get there.
Lastly, remember that you can only bark for one of the two faction breweries per day. Choose wisely!

Free Booze
Each faction boasts two noble breweries, each of which is vying for your custom and favor. The Ogres have set up their wares at both faction festivals, though their beers are much more powerful, and low-level characters might find themselves unable to hold their drink! For your free drinks, either complete the first ram racing quest to get your Brewfest Stein, or take a sample from one of the many tables around the Brewfest main event area.

Dark Iron Dwarf Invasions
Every half hour, Dark Iron Dwarves will crash the party at the Brewfest main event, sending up legions of dwarves intent on destroying the kegs of free ale! Players can thwart these miscreants by quaffing the mugs of ale on the free sample tables and throwing them at the dwarves. Every time you throw, a Brewfest attendant will throw you another. Every so often, one of the dwarves will leave a large silver tankard on the ground. If you run over the tankard you will get the "Drunken Master" buff, which will turn you into a whirling dervish, capable of incapacitating multiple dwarves at the same time.

Brewfest Tokens
With each quest you complete, you'll receive Brewfest tokens, which can be redeemed for all sorts of fun prizes, including a complete Brewfest costume, your own pony keg of Brewfest Ale, or a voucher to join the Brew of the Month Club. Note that this year, Brewfest tokens only last 21 days, so make sure you've spent them before the festival is over!

Edit as of 9/29: Brew of the Month Club
Who wouldn't want to be able to celebrate Brewfest all year long? With a 12-month membership to the Brew of the Month Club, you can do just that! Membership costs 200 Brewfest Tokens. Once a member, you have access to a limited-edition brew which will be mailed to you each month. Like what you're drinking? You can purchase more from licensed Brew of the Month Club vendors in Orgrimmar and Ironforge. And oh - one more thing, each brew may give you an unusual little buff, like the ones shown below.

Drinking some brews can cause squirrels to fall madly in love with you!

Brewfest runs from September 20th through October 4th. Have fun!