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Yes, we know. You picked up tickets to the Great American Beer Festival because you are a beer connoisseur. You plan to get slowly buzzed on really rare pours, and you've plotted out a course through esoteric barrel-aged styles from breweries that don't distribute in Colorado. But here's the thing: At some point, you're going to be drunk. It's inevitable. And when that happens, you may as well go live one of your '90s teenage dreams, and go share a beer and a selfie with Zac Hanson of — that's right — the band Hanson.
Remember the Hansons? About them, Bree Davies wrote in 2015:
To some, Hanson will be forever frozen in time: The 1995 hit “MMMBop” was the first for the band’s young Tulsa-bred brothers, and a bit of a novelty. But eight albums later, and under the care of their own label, 3CG, the three have built and sustained a devoted fan base, successfully touring their neo-soul sound around the globe over the past two decades. Once credited with creating a space in pop radio for a resurgence in teen musical acts, Hanson grew with the times, carving out a place for its accessible soft-rock harmonies and reappearing in the Billboard Top 40 with “Get the Girl Back,” from 2013’s Anthem. Whether the band is writing music, appearing in Katy Perry videos or even crafting its own beer, Hanson has found a way to endure in the often-tumultuous modern-day music industry.
You'll be forgiven if you missed this news, but the brothers Hanson got into the beer business a few years back with Hanson Brothers Beer Co., releasing a pale ale called Mmmhops. The Oklahoma City-based company has since expanded into other styles, and this week at Great American Beer Festival, it's pouring Mmmhops plus an amber, an imperial stout and the Hop Jam Festive Ale saison.
And when we say the company is pouring, we actually mean Zac. Zac Hanson, the youngest member of the Hanson trio, is pouring. He's posted up at booth C15. And once you're a few pours deep, we bet you won't even feel shy about asking for an autograph.
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