Upon seeing the more than 120 wines, beers and spirits that will be at Sippin' by the River on Sunday, you may be tempted to drink as much as you can as fast as you can.

But such an approach defeats the purpose of a tasting, which is to try to appreciate the subtleties of the drinks and figure out what you like (as well as to raise money for the local chapter of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation). So say all three "ambassador"/educators working one of Philly's largest and most popular alcoholic beverage sampling events, now in its 11th year.

Getting the most out of Sippin' by the River requires a clear head and a battle plan.

"The first thing I like to do is scope things out. Walk around. See who's there and what's of interest to me," says John McNulty, the Temple University wine instructor who will be leading tasting sessions in Sippin's tented VIP area. "Those are the places I go first because later on, it gets crowded and there can be lines."

McNulty also recommends starting with lighter drinks (like white wine) before moving on to more complex ones (like reds), and giving your taste buds an occasional beer, water or food break.

Ardmore wine seller Robert Peters, who will be answering wine questions in the general tasting areas, suggests focusing your tasting on a type of wine or grape, or a producing area you'd like to learn more about. Or check out Blue Mountain Vineyards, which he calls "one of the state's best," or the sake traditionally poured by Assouline & Ting.

Most of the 30-plus breweries at the event are local. And that's not surprising, says Sippin' beer "ambassador" Gary Monterosso, considering that "ten of the 100 top breweries on the Web site Ratebeer.com are from the tri-state area." These include Victory of Downingtown (Monterosso recommends their Golden Monkey, Hopdevil Ale and Prima Pils), High Point (their award-winning Ramstein wheat beers) and Troegs (he likes their Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale).

If your usual brew is Bud, many of these beers will seem strong or even unpalatable. The same will go for a fair amount of the unfamiliar wine. Notes McNulty: "If people learn nothing else at this event, it should be how to use a spit cup."

Sippin' by the River, Sun., Sept. 25, 1-5 p.m., $25-$30, $175 VIP (includes focused tastings, table seating and free food), Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, Columbus Blvd. at Spring Garden St., 215-396-9100, www.sippinbytheriver.com.