ASBURY PARK - The great poet Homer said it best: "Mmm... Beer."

The thousands of beer enthusiasts who filled Convention Hall this weekend for the 2015 Asbury Park Beerfest agreed.

Now an annual tradition hosted by 95.9 WRAT and the Asbury Park Boardwalk, the Asbury Park Beerfest expanded to three four-hour sessions over two days this year and featured more than 40 brewers.

"There is the whole gauntlet of beer flavors here. They have a Japanese beer, the classic Pabst and the Forgotten Boardwalk Funnel Cake Ale was great," said Steve Rivera, 27, of Trenton. "The fact that they even had a flavored alcoholic seltzer beverage was surprising. But it was delicious, better than Mike's Hard."

Rivera came to Beerfest dressed in a beer bottle costume. This wasn't the first time.

"I'm reprising the role of Beer Man," boasted Rivera, who wore the same outfit to last year's Beerfest. "This is just a fun event. The entertainment, food and beer are all good, the crowd is great and any time of the year is a good time to come to the boardwalk, especially in Asbury Park because they're doing a lot to revitalize the city."

Saturday's afternoon Beerfest session was the first beer festival experience for 31-year-old Manalapan resident Jay Sterling.

"I've been to wine festivals before, but this is a lot more exciting and I think people are a little wilder, but in a good way," he said.

No one in Sterling's group wore a quirky outfit like Rivera, but Sterling did have on one of the fake mustaches that many other Beerfest visitors donned. Though halfway through the Saturday afternoon session, the fake mustache was already sliding off his face.

"I actually wanted to dress up in an 80's costume, but my wife wouldn't let me," Sterling joked.

However, it's not the outfits that draw more than 3,000 people to the Asbury Park Beerfest each year.

"There's such an incredible variety of beer, every stand you go to there's a little different taste," Sterling said. "There's the IPAs, the lighter beers, some that are more hoppy and some that aren't, it's just great."

The Masskrugstemmen, or beer stein holding contests, are also a popular part of each Beerfest session.

In the Saturday afternoon session, Howell resident Rob Beam outlasted one of the Asbury Park Beerfest's 2013 champions. It was his first time competing in a competition like Masskrugstemmen.

"It's all about perseverance," joked Beam, adding that being an experienced beer drinker also helps with technique and endurance.

Toms River's Christine Esposito took home the women's trophy during the Saturday afternoon session. It was also Esposito's first time competing in the contest, but she said it wasn't surprising that she won.

"I actually trained for three weeks just for this," said Esposito, who informed her personal trainer of her desire to win the contest nearly a month ago. "I said: 'I need to work shoulders and this is why.' I was told that I was insane, but also that it was awesome."

Was that effort worth it?

"I'd say so," Esposito said while walking off the Convention Hall stage. "I won Beerfest!"

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.