By KEITH UPCHURCH

kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612

DURHAM -- Good times flowed freely for an estimated 8,000 beer lovers at Saturday's 2009 World Beer Festival -- especially for Kathryn Schenk of Greensboro, who was celebrating her 25th birthday in a most tasteful way.

Tasteful in the literal sense. Sampling dozens of the 350 beers from all over the world. Not huge mugs, but modest, 2-ounce "pours" as the festival organizers call them. Or even less than 2 ounces in Schenk's case, so she could sample as many as possible without becoming liquid herself.

It turned out to be a high-quality day for Schenk as gorgeous weather and smell of smoked turkey legs, barbecued chicken and grilled onions blended into a rich aroma at the historic Durham Athletic Park downtown.

Emily Liner of Raleigh has been to four other beer festivals in addition to Saturday's, and has loved them all.

"It's fun,'' she said. "The best part is the people. After a couple hours, everyone is so fun to be around.''

Her favorite beer of the day? ''Number 9, with an apricot taste,'' she said.

Pete Hildenbrand, 27, of Delanco, N.J., was at the festival with his ''significant other'' and loving it.

"It's very fun,'' he said. "Nice people. Good food.'' He was thinking about ''one of those giant turkey legs. I think I'm going to have one of them.''

Hildenbrand said he'd sampled about 20 beers by midafternoon. "I'm feeling good,'' he added.

Jason Warner of Cary said he liked the dark beers, ''but I'm interested in pretty much anything. You get to try so many beers in one location, so you can compare and contrast.''

Joe Vincent, 32, of Durham said he debated about whether to go boating on Jordan Lake or attend the festival, and the festival won out.

"I'm having a great time,'' said Vincent, originally from Boston. "It's a gorgeous fall day, almost a summer day. It's a very pleasurable atmosphere.''

Vincent said he's loved beer -- ''since the age of 21,'' he added with a grin.

Saturday's festival was organized by All About Beer Magazine, based in Durham.

Editor Julie Johnson said it's the 14th festival in Durham and was sold out, as it has been for the past few years.

"We've capped it [at 8,000], because we don't want more people,'' she said. A large crowd would change the atmosphere, she said.

"This festival is not about beer drinking; it's about beer tasting,'' she said. "We want people to take time to learn about beer, sampling a wide range of small amounts and come out knowing more than they did when they came in.''

She said 130 breweries offering about 350 beers were represented at the festival -- including Triangle Brewing Co. in Durham and 21 others from North Carolina.

"The beer community in this area has grown in sophistication and in what brewers provide,'' she said. "North Carolina is finally a good place to be a beer drinker.''

Johnson said what she likes most about the festival is when someone approaches her and says: "I didn't know beer could taste like this.''

"That's what I look for every year,'' she said, ''and it always happens.''