Disclaimer: This isn’t the actual poster for the Denver Beer Fest—it’s just a project.
The design follows a mostly symmetrical layout along a vertical axis. Although there are elements of asymmetry within the design. I divided my poster horizontally using the Golden Ratio. I started with an 11×17 sheet and divided the height of the page by 1.618. The area beneath that line contains the beer mugs and festival information. The dividing corresponds roughly with the curved horizon line (not exact, but close).
As for the design itself, I went for a vector/hand-drawn look with a simple color palette of layered elements and some negative-space shapes (the mountains in particular) to create the composition. The beer mugs are the focus of the design with a stylized banner and typography anchoring the bottom of the layout. Finally, I distressed the image in Photoshop, using a variety of brushes. I like adding such touches to my work when appropriate because it adds or enhances that hand-made look created by the vector designs.