A glass for (most) every style.

Beer EssentiALES are a new product from Social Ave., distributed by long-time glassware producer Luigi Bormioli. I  wouldn’t review beer glasses without something to make them interesting and in this case there were two things. First, I have a couple sets of Luigi Bormioli cocktail glasses and really like the look and feel of them. Second, they are targeted to craft beer drinkers.

Note the set of glasses I used was provided to me by the manufacturer. The beer consumed was provided by me.

The glasses are made of borosilicate glass. This does two things. First, it makes them very light. More importantly though, it makes you feel like you are using a lab beaker to drink your beer and gives you a satisfied mad scientist feeling. I’ve had a couple friends use them and both commented on how light they were and their surprise that it felt good when they were used to heavier glassware. The style-specific shapes are a modern touch on the classics.

I’d recommend these if you you’re looking for some interesting, nice looking beer glasses. As of 5/29/12 the only place I can find these online is Everything Kitchen ($29.99) but they should be on Amazon soon.

Since I’ve only lived here for a bit over a year, I’m still inclined to think this isn’t a problem unique to New York City. Is this overarching definition a symptom of any city which could be termed a concrete jungle? Or is it playing to perceptions instead of reality? Just a cheap way to get article views? Something else completely?

Top Hops Beer Shop:
Merchants and Advocates of Great Beer
Part Bottle Shop, Part Tasting Room, Part Classroom

New York, NY [January 19, 2012] – Top Hops Beer Shop is now open at 94 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. A retail store and tasting bar designed to showcase great beer from around the world, Top Hops offers a selection upwards of 700 brands, both American craft and import, available for purchase and on-premise imbibing.

Top Hops encourages people who are passionate about beer to come together to share their enthusiasm and gain a better understanding of the magic that is hops, yeast, barley and water. And to make Top Hops a true hub for dynamic beer experiences, Top Hops will host guest brewers, visiting beer writers and beer pairing seminars.

Don’t know a Double IPA from a Dopplebock, or Saaz hops from the American Cascade variety? Not to worry, Top Hops welcomes beer drinkers of all knowledge levels, from the geek to the novice. Owner Ted Kenny has created a welcoming, unpretentious environment that encourages experimentation and — most importantly — fun. “It’s beer, after all,” says Kenny. “Hopefully we will introduce our customers to beers or styles they have never heard of or tried before.”

Serious beer drinkers, however, are in for a treat. A 30-foot custom-built wood and polished aluminum bar invites customers to belly up and enjoy a tasting flight or a glass of any of the 20 beers on tap, as well as any bottle available in the store.  Five of the 20 taps are dedicated to regional breweries including Greenport [Long Island], Kelso [Brooklyn], Captain Lawrence [Westchester, NY], Troegs [Hershey, PA] and River Horse [Lambertville, NJ]. Rotating taps will feature seasonal beers, limited editions and other hard to find selections, both domestic and imported. Growlers are available in 64-oz and 32-oz sizes for take home.

Never one to discriminate, Kenny has dedicated a tap line to Budweiser. “When served properly and stored and treated the way the brewer intended, Bud is in fact a good example of its style of beer, American Lager,” explains Kenny. “Most places don’t treat it properly, which is the issue.”

Here’s a fact that will make beer geeks smile, and give everyone the chance to taste the beers as they were meant to be tasted: Top Hops cleans their own draft lines and never goes longer than two weeks between cleanings. They are fanatic about clean draft lines. A blackboard behind the bars lists the date that each line was cleaned along with other pertinent details, including the date the keg was tapped, IBU, style, brewery, brewery location, and a description of the beer.

The bottle selection consists of nearly 700 brands and spans the globe with unparalleled breadth and depth. Top Hops works tirelessly to offer an unprecedented selection, with possibly the best selection of Belgian beers in New York City, including DeuS, Glaven Toren Saison and Contreras. Approximately half the inventory is dedicated to American craft beers, including offerings from cult gypsy brewers like Brian Stillwater of Stillwater Artisanal Ales.

A small menu of beer-friendly items is available, including a rotating selection of cheeses, charcuterie, olives, Mast Brothers chocolate and German-style pretzels, all sourced from The Essex Street Market around the corner. A small selection of wines by the glass, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, are also available for non-beer drinkers.

A native New Yorker, Ted Kenny spent 12 years in finance before seeing the light and moving to the beer business in 2006. He worked for the Anheuser-Busch/In Bev brewery and then distributor, learning something every day about beer. Kenny is a Certified Beer Server from the Cicerone Certification Program and is on his way to becoming a Certified Cicerone.  Similar to the process of becoming a Master Sommelier, a Certified Cicerone undergoes an exam that demonstrates a vast knowledge of beer, from its history, its different styles and how to pair them with food, as well as a working knowledge of draft beer equipment and proper storage.

All Top Hops employees are required to become Certified Beer Servers.  This commitment to knowledge and education is paramount to Kenny, “What’s the point of offering 700 beers if my staff can’t answer questions about them or pour them in the correct glass?”

Architect Russell Glover has created an inviting space using a palette of concrete, wood and aluminum – all the materials commonly found in a brewery. The heart and soul of the store are the two 26-foot long glass refrigerators that hold the cold bottles (organized by place of origin) and kegs that hug the right and left walls of the store, underneath an arched white-washed ceiling designed to look and feel like a beer cave.

###

Top Hops is located at 94 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002; Telephone: 212-254-4677; Website: www.tophops.com. Top Hops is open seven days a week: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2:00pm-10:00pm; Thursday 2:00pm-11:00pm; Friday 2:00pm-12:00am; Saturday 12:00pm-12:00am; Sunday 12:00pm-8:00pm.

Shmaltz Brewing celebrates its 15th year of brewing with the Limited-Edition release of Genesis 15:15®. Happening Tuesday, November 15, 2011, beer bars across NYC will partner with Shmaltz for a one-night-only affair! The following 15 bars will have a keg of Genesis 15:15® on draft, starting at 5:15 pm: Queens Kickshaw, MexiQ, Rye House, Rattle N Hum, George Keeley’s, Valhalla, Tap Room, Dive 96, Swift, Blind Tiger, Puck Fair, Mugs Ale House, Black Swan, 4th Avenue Pub, and The Double Windsor.

What is the Genesis 15:15? Apparently it involves a bunch of ®s:

A bold and decadent 13.4% ABV Harvest Barleywine aged 9 months in Sazerac 6-Year Rye Whiskey Barrels, Genesis 15:15® is the 5th release in Shmaltz’s Limited-Edition Barrel Aged series. Genesis 15:15® incorporates fruit juices from the Sacred Species listed in the Torah: figs, dates, grapes, and pomegranates. Harkening back to HE’BREW’s® original Genesis Ale® – a beer brewed with pomegranates that were hand-squeezed in Shmaltz owner Jeremy Cowan’s San Francisco apartment – Genesis 15:15® symbolizes the evolution of Shmaltz from a humble, self-distributed start-up to one of the most creative and respected craft brewing companies in America. Genesis 15:15® was also inspired by Genesis 10:10®, a 10th anniversary, 10% ABV pomegranate strong ale whose popularity led to the subsequent commissioning of Origin®, a year-round Imperial Amber Pomegranate Ale.

Sounds like a good reason for me to stop by Blind Tiger after a meetup tonight.

• The ultimate prize of a trip for two to Naples, Italy – the home of Margherita pizza- that includes a pizza-making class
• Free pizza for 1 year sponsored by Birra Moretti to give away to a selected number of participating customers
• Tickets for the invitation-only finale party held at New York City’s Italian foodie mecca, Eataly, and curated by East Village Radio
• A variety of Birra Moretti consumer giveaways

Moretti and East Village Radio hosted an event a couple weeks ago here in NYC to announce this and were kind enough to invite me. They were also kind enough to give us free beer, pizza and a schwag bag. The last time I had a Moretti was years ago at a coffee shop so I didn’t really have a strong memory if I like their beer or not. I tried their lager first (on draught) and wasn’t terribly impressed. Not bad, but nothing worth telling anyone about. Next I had the La Rossa (also on draught) which they describe as a double malt. This was the beer I remember having in the past and it was pretty tasty. This sentiment was typical of the 4 or 5 people I talked to at the event.

248 medals awarded; 18 first-time entering breweries earn medals; Indiana claims winningest entry rate

Boulder, CO • October 1, 2011—The 2011 Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) competition drew an impressive field of competitors, with 2011 topping last year’s entries by 11 percent. GABF remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world, with 3,930 beers vying for medals (compared to 3,523 entries in 2010).

A total of 248 medals were awarded. View the 2011 winners or download a PDF list of the winners.

Competition entries were received from 526 breweries from 48 states plus Puerto Rico.

This year’s GABF competition attracted 167 beer judges from nine countries. The competition was aided by the efforts of 107 volunteers. Award-winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in 83 beer categories covering 134 beer styles (encompassing subcategories), establishing the best examples of each style in the U.S.

2011 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards

Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management

Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, Wash.
Will Kemper

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, Calif.
Matthew Brynildson

Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Pabst Brewing Company, Woodridge, Ill.
Bob Newman

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.

Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, Calif.
Yiga Miyashiro

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Brewers Supply Group

Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, Calif.
Pizza Port Brew Guys

Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Country Malt Group

TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, Calif.
Victor Novak

Overall Competition Highlights

Among the highlights of the 2011 GABF competition results:

• Medals were won by 18 first-time entering breweries (seven gold medals, five silver medals, six bronze medals).
• Indiana had the most winning rate of medals compared to entries by state, with a 19.2 percent winning rate. Specifically, Indiana won 10 medals out of 52 total entries.
  • Minnesota won three medals out of 21 entries for a winning rate of 14.3 percent.
  • New Mexico won four medals out of 31 entries for a winning rates of 12.9 percent.
  • Wyoming won five medals out of 39 entries for a winning rate of 12.8 percent.
  • Alaska won two medals out of 16 entries for a winning rate of 12.5 percent.
• The top five entrants that won the most medals are:
  • Sun King Brewing Co., 8 medals
  • Firestone Walker Brewing Co., 6 medals
  • Pizza Port Carlsbad, 6 medals
  • Rock Bottom Brewery, 6 medals
  • Boston Beer Co., 4 medals
• The most gold medals were won by :
  • Sun King Brewing Co., 4 gold medals won
  • Firestone Walker Brewing Co., 3 gold medals won
  • Pizza Port Carlsbad, 3 gold medals won
  • 21st Amendment Brewery, 2 gold medals won
  • Boulevard Brewing Co., 2 gold medals won

Style Categories

The most competitive category was again American-Style India Pale Ale with 176 entries, representing brewers’ and beer enthusiasts’ persistent love for hop-forward beers. This category has been the top-entered at GABF since 2001.

The top five entered categories were:

1. American-Style India Pale Ale – 176 entries
2. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 118 entries
3. American-Style Pale Ale – 105 entries
4. American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 103 entries
5. Imperial India Pale Ale – 102 entries

The top 5 winners in the most-entered (that is, the most competitive) categories were:

• American-Style India Pale Ale, 176 entries

Gold: Elevated IPA, La Cumbre Brewing Co, Albuquerque, NM
Silver: Deviant Dale’s, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
Bronze: Head Hunter IPA, Fat Heads Brewery, North Olmsted, OH

• Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer, 118 entries

Gold: Melange a Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co, Papillion, NE
Silver: BBJ (Bourbon Barrel Johan), Sun King Brewing Co, Indianapolis, IN
Bronze: Barrel Aged Naked Evil BBW, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co, Akron, OH

• American-Style Pale Ale, 105 entries

Gold: Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, CA
Silver: Mission St. Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Ute Trail Pale Ale, Amicas, Salida, CO

• American-Style Strong Pale Ale, 103 entries

Gold: Pako’s Eye P.A., Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY
Silver: AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Brewing Co, San Diego, CA
Bronze: Hop Knot, Four Peaks Brewing Co, Tempe, AZ

• Imperial India Pale Ale, 102 entries

Gold: Citra Double IPA, Kern River Brewing, Kernville, CA
Silver: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, CA
Bronze: Imperial IPA, Epic Brewing Co, Salt Lake City, UT

Four new beer styles were judged at the 2011 GABF, including Fruit Wheat Beer (48 entries), Chocolate Beer (30 entries), American-Style Brett Ale (31 entries) and International-Style Pale Ale (20 entries).

2011 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition

Gold, silver and bronze medals were also awarded in the GABF Pro-Am competition, which pairs amateur brewers with professional brewers, who scale up the award-winning homebrew recipes. The medal winners, including the winning professional brewers and American Homebrewers Association (AHA) member homebrewers are:

Gold: Before Capone, C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Brewery, Westminster, CO
Brewmaster: Dennis O’Harrow, AHA Member: Tom Gardner

Silver: Schwarzherz, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT
Brewmaster: Uinta Beer Team, AHA Member: Travis Grimm

Bronze: Kriek, Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO
Brewmaster: Dry Dock Brewers, AHA Member: Ted Manahan

The GABF Pro-Am Competition is sponsored by Brewers Supply Group, Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., Hopunion and White Labs.

Summary: 2011 Great American Beer Festival Statistics

• 466 breweries in the festival hall
• 2,375 beers served at the festival
• 49,000 attendees
• Approximately 3,300 volunteers
• 526 breweries in the competition from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico
• 3,930 beers judged (includes 86 Pro-Am competition entries)
• 83 style categories judged, plus the Pro-Am competition
• 167 judges from nine countries
• Average number of competition beers entered in each category: 48
• Category with highest number of entries: 176, American Style India Pale Ale

2011 Great American Beer Festival Official Sponsors

DRAFT magazine
Microstar Keg Management
KBCO 97.3 FM
103.5 The Fox
AM760
CraftBeer.com

Sat, 10/1: SingleCut Beersmiths tasting at Earl’s Beer and Cheese (East Harlem)

I’ve been wanting to go to Earl’s for a while and this is the perfect reason since Rich Buceta (who I met on a recent homebrew tour) will be there with his tasty beers in tow. Earl’s has a good beer selection with food to match.

This Saturday from 1-5ish PM, Earl’s Beer and Cheese will be hosting a SingleCut Beersmiths Tasting Event. Earl’s (Park Ave bet. 97th & 98th) is one of our favorite craft-beer pubs – they’ve gotten glowing write-ups in just about every NY-based publication not only for their choice beers, but superb food as well (NYTimes, New York Mag, Time Out NY, NY Field & Stream, etc.)

We’ll have our usual wide-variety of SingleCut beers for you to try, and will be happy to answer questions about the status of the brewery and what promise the future holds (Spoiler Alert: it’s all good).

Thurs, 10/6: Kelso Beer Dinner at 5 Napkin Burger (Astoria)

Beer:

• Pilsner
• 5 Napkin Lager
• India Pale Ale
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Recessionator Doppelbock
• Brandy Barrel Aged IPA
• Kellerfest
• Flemish Red Ale

Cocktail Hour Appetizers:

• Crispy Chicken Nuggets with 5NB Brew BBQ Sauce
• Brandy Barrel Aged IPA Pulled Pork Sliders with pickled veggies, cilantro, sriracha and lime
• Kellerfest and Cheddar Soup with Candied Bacon

Entrees (choice of):

• 5 Napkin Burger
• Lobster Mac N’ Cheese

Dessert:

• Flemish Red Ale Moon Pie

The dinner is $60 (including tax and tip) and includes seven full beers, 6 different appetizers during the cocktail reception, choice of entrée and dessert. Buy tickets.

Tues, Oct 11: Endless Belgian Beer & Sausage Fest (Chelsea)

Celebrate Oktoberfest with a French twist this year as the Tour de France Restaurant Group launches its savory Sausage and Suds Festival at all nine of its Manhattan restaurants from October 12-21.    A host of beers from Brewery Ommegang and Duvel – all hand-selected by Tour de France’s master beer sommelier Gianni Cavicchi – will accompany and enhance each flavorful sausage dish.

BUT the best part…Endless Beer and Sausage on October 11th!  There is a kick off celebration happening on October 11th at 404 (404 10th Avenue @ 33rd Street) where each restaurant is making one sausage from their menu paired with a beer also from Brewery Ommegang & Duvel.  There is a VIP hour starting at 6:30 where guests will have the opp to mingle with brewers and tap the special Aphrodite beer and then General Admission begins at 7:30.  The cost to attend is $53 for VIP from 6:30-10pm and $38 for General Admission from 7:30-10pm. To purchase tickets, please visit http://rewards.thrillist.com/deal/2828/tour-de-france/ny

Some pairings are below that will be served at the Endless Sausage & Beer Fest:

Nice Matin- Grilled Venison Sausage
creamy polenta with red currants plumped in maple syrup

Paired with- Ommegang “Abbey Ale” Dubble, Cooperstown, New York
Inspired by the centuries-old brewing practices of the Belgian Trappist monks.
This dubble has notes of figs, clove, toffee, caramel and licorice

French Roast Uptown- PEI Mussels with Chorizo
Spicy Tomato and White Wine Sauce

Paired with- Ommegang “Hennepin” Saison, Cooperstown, New York
A refreshing style originally brewed for the farmers on the Wallonia country side in Belgium.
Notes of lemon grass, gingersnap and floral hop aromas

Cafe D’Alsace- Duck Sausage
In Puff Pastry with Green Peppercorns

Pairing-  Brasserie d’Achouffe “Mc Chouffe” Scotch Ale, Achouffe, Belgium.
Adventurous and experimental Brasserie d’Achouffe perfects the Scottish style.
Notes of Chocolate, doughy dark malts, raisins and coffee

Le Monde- Boudin Blanc
With Braised Leeks & A Truffle Cream Sauce

Pairing- Duvel “Single” Strong Blonde Ale Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.
A new lighter version of Belgium’s favorite ale.
Notes of pilsner malt, white pepper and lemon peel

Sat, 10/22: Victory Brewing Tour and Pig Roast (Leaves from Midtown)

Bought my ticket for this the other day.

On Saturday October 22nd at 10am, join Rattle N Hum on a booze bus to Victory Brewing Company for a private brewery tour and pig roast. The bus departs from Rattle N Hum (14 East 33rd St) at 10am sharp on October 22nd and returns in the evening.

This is a very special chance to get a private tour of Victory Brewing Company, which is not currently offering brewery tours to the public.

What’s included

• Bus ride from Rattle N Hum (14 East 33rd St) to Victory Brewery.
• Beer and sandwiches will be provided during the trip down. The beer will come straight from a keg that will ride with you.
• Private brewery tour of Victory Brewing Company.
• All you care to eat and drink Pig roast at the brewery.
• Bus ride back to Rattle N Hum.

Sat, 10/22: Das Best Oktoberfest (Chelsea)

Das Best Oktoberfest, sponsored by The Trigger Agency, is returning to NYC for the second year in a row! Das Best Oktoberfest will take place on Saturday, October 22 at La Venue and The Tunnel in West Chelsea at 608 West 28th St.,  (between 11th & 28th). Adults ages 21 and over are invited to experience an amazing fun-filled day of music, contests, food, and suds!

Over 150 international and craft beers, plus wines and schnapps are available to ticket holders who will receive a sampling glass upon arrival for an all-you-care-to-taste sampling. It’s das best day of beer sippin’, sausage tastin’, music listenin’, lederhosen wearin’ on this side of the Atlantic! Hot sauces, beer accessories, and even an outdoor cigar area will be available for all guests.

The best German-inspired foods available in New York City will be in abundance and offered ala carte from several vendors from sausages to side dishes while guests enjoy foot stomping live music from authentic oompah and polka bands. What’s an Oktoberfest without a few competitions? Enter the Best Beer Belly in NYC competition and take a shot at winning $100 and bragging rights or, the Miss Oktoberfest contest where one lucky fraulein will also win $100. Dress in authentic German garb for a FREE lanyard! And the individual wearing the most creative designed pretzel necklace just might win a Heavy Seas Gift Basket and $100.

Tickets are available online at www.nyoctoberfest.com
Session One:  Noon to 4:00 p.m. (Last call at 3:45 p.m.)
Session Two: 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Last call at 9:15 p.m.)

Each session:  $65 in advance or $80 at the door.
Admission includes a souvenir tasting mug, unlimited sampling of beer, wine, and schnapps, plus live entertainment. German food will be available ala carte.

Grand Oompah Tasting Session – Limited to 100 people.  Tickets: $150
Valid from Noon-9:30 p.m. (both sessions) includes admission, souvenir tasting mug, lanyard, Oktoberfest hat, T-shirt, unlimited sampling of beer, wine, and schnapps, plus a special German Tasting Seminar hosted by Festival Founder, Greg Nivens, special guests plus the Oompah girls and guys. Tasting session includes authentic German Oktoberfest foods, sausages, chicken, pickle platters, pretzels, and much more.  Menu will include over 100 specialty beers and 4 different schnapps.

Tickets are limited and purchases made online will be available at WILL CALL at the Festival. Proper identification required. Applicable NY taxes and fees will be applied to the order.

On this intimate homebrew tour, you and 25 strangers—soon to become drinking buddies and friends—will venture inside the homes of three of the city’s finest amateur brewers. Part voyeuristic excursion, part bar crawl, part educational class, the brewers will display their set-ups, discuss their craft and, most importantly, open up their stash of superlative beer.

In his welcome email organizer Josh Bernstein notes “There will be lots of beer today, so I heartily recommend eating a sizable breakfast/lunch”. With three stops and at least four beers to sample per stop with multiple samples per beer for most beers, having an entire pizza for lunch turned out to be a good idea.

The first stop was at Tommy Furnari’s apartment where he poured an English bitter, a pale ale, a Bavarian hefeweizen, and a nut brown. All were delicious and there was some great conversation, questions, and knowledge sharing going on with the other homebrewers on the tour. Tommy was fairly new to brewing and did a great job on all his beers despite what, even by Manhattan standards, is a small kitchen.

Next up was Chris Weik who is a friend of Tommy’s and got him started in brewing. Chris has been brewing for about four years and recently was named the Whole Foods Bowery Beer Room and Kelso of Brooklyn Homebrew Hero for his Saison du Stiff (RB) recipe. We tasted two saisons–including Saison du Stiff–a porter, a pumpkin ale he bottled last year and a bottling from the original Saison du Stiff.

The final stop was Rich Buceta’s. Rich is in the process of opening up a brewery, SingleCut Beersmiths. In the mean time, he’s brewing an assload of awesome beer in his apartment. Rich had a tasting menu that spanned pages with about twenty brews on it. His fridge was a force to be reckoned with. We were able to sample the beers he is planning on launching with as well as anything else he had brewed up. He was more than gracious and kept pouring beers until late into the night and gave some of us there at the end beer of our choice to go.

This was a really fun tour. Josh was a knowledgeable and personable guide and Tommy, Chris, and Rich were all great hosts that are brewing some excellent beer. If you’re in Manhattan or Brooklyn after Josh takes a break from recent tours and GABF–where he’ll be debuting his new book Brewed Awakening–you should go on a tour.

View all the pictures from the Manhattan home brew tour.

Coincidentally, I just moved to NYC. Unfortunately, I’ll be back in FL most of next week so I just have the weekends. So, in that spirit, I’ll be doing the Manhattan Homebrew Tour tomorrow and spending the rest of the day planning my weekends around beer.

Full press release:

September 16 – September 25, 2011

New York City’s Top Craft Brewers, Celebrity Chefs, Beer Bars and Acclaimed Restaurants
Celebrate Beer Week with an Array of Delicious Events & Promotions

Special Events in Four Boroughs Featuring

4th Annual Freaktoberfest Boutique Beer & Music Festival, Zagat Sponsored “Beer Pairing Menus,” The Food Experiments National Championship, The Ultimate Brewmaster’s Degustation, Garrett Oliver’s “Oxford Companion to Beer” Launch Event, Thrillist’s Manhattan & BK Craft Beer Crawls, The NY Craft Beer Week Blow-Out “Have Beer Will Travel,” Brewer’s Brunch, Celebrity Chef Food & Beer Pairing Dinners, Meet The Brewer Events, Beer Tours, and Much More

Plus a New Official Beer for NY Craft Beer Week: Geektoberfest,
and iPhone & Droid Apps for NY Craft Beer Week

New York, NY – September 14, 2011 – The 4th Annual NY Craft Beer Week rounds up the state’s premiere breweries, local celebrity chefs, over 100 beer destinations and 30 renowned restaurants across the City for an amazing line-up of special events happening in all five boroughs from Friday, September 16 – Sunday, September 25, 2011. Celebrated events such as the 4th Annual Freaktoberfest Boutique Beer & Music Festival, Brewer’s Choice, and Zagat Presents & NY Craft Beer Week’s “The Ultimate Brewmaster’s Degustation” Beer Dinner will return as part of this year’s Beer Week. The week will also feature newly conceived boutique events, specialty food and beer pairing menus, educational tastings and tours, and the release of the official beer of the Week: Geektoberfest. Brewed by Shmaltz Brewing, Captain Lawrence Brewing, and Ithaca Beer Co., Geektoberfest includes a special blend of six barrel-aged beers, and will be available on draft at select Beer Week events and participating craft beer bars across New York City.

New York City beer enthusiasts and foodies alike will have the opportunity to enjoy over 100 craft beer destinations with the much-anticipated NYC Beer Passport 2011, the official NY Craft Beer Week program and resource guide. Passports are $10, and patrons will receive promotional deals and discounts on selections from their favorite craft breweries at participating venues. Each venue will feature one specific brewery, and instead of paying $7 per glass of beer, it’s only $3 for the same beer through the Passport program (Passports have an offer for one serving at each bar). A majority of the bars will also offer a one-time $2 off a NY State produced beer through Labor Day 2012 to extend the Passport’s value for those consumers unable to visit every bar during the Beer Week (offers may vary). Passports are now available for purchase at www.nycbeerweek.com. Starting September 16, Passports will be available at each participating Beer Week venue, a handful of retail outlets including the Strand Bookstore and others TBA, and in a new digital format as iPhone and Droid apps.

Passports include a calendar of all the featured events with a detailed description of each event, special editorial sections written by influential beer writers and industry insiders, FAQ’s about NY Craft Beer Week, a list of all the establishments and Zagat Rated restaurants running “Beer Pairing Menus,” a list of all the bars and retail outlets involved with NY Craft Beer Week, and much more.

Premiering this year is the NY Craft Beer Week mobile app for the iPhone and Droid, developed by technology partner Seed Labs. Both the free and paid apps will include: instant access to all updated content on nycbeerweek.org, a dedicated page for each venue (highlighting their brewery of choice, special offers and events schedule), a GPS powered map allowing users to find venues by distance, proximity to subway stops and featured brewery along with subway and walking directions, a searchable list of beers, and Foursquare-like functionality that will allow users to compete for fame, glory and prizes by “checking in” at venues and “checking off” beers they drink while simultaneously updating their Facebook and Twitter social networks on their activity. Badges that can be earned through “checking in” range from champions of various beer styles and beers from given geographic areas to conquering the full range of participating venues in each neighborhood. The free version of the app will serve as a companion to the printed passport, while the paid version will sell for $10 and allow users to redeem all of the deals offered in the printed passport.

Please see the initial list below highlighting the special events and promotions happening during the 4th Annual Craft Beer Week. More events and additional detailed information will be announced soon.

*NYC Passport 2011
-Passport holders have access to special promotions at 100+ craft beer venues all over New York City (during the Beer Week and throughout the next year)!

*Zagat Sponsored “Beer Pairing Menus”
-Happening throughout Craft Beer Week, Zagat will present three or four-course beer pairing menus at more than 40 exciting restaurants and bars. The prix fixe menus include a series of unique beers that complement each delicious course. Prices will vary depending on the restaurant.

*4th Annual Freaktoberfest Boutique Beer & Music Festival (Southpaw, 125 5th Avenue, Park Slope: Friday, September 16, 7 pm, $50)
-Sponsored by Shmaltz Brewing Company, Southpaw, Smuttynose and Beertender Brooklyn, more than 20 brewery owners will pour specialty beers while famous sideshow performers host the event and offer special performances alongside local indie-rock bands, burlesque dancers, and DJs. Freaktoberfest is the official “Opening Night Celebration” of NY Craft Beer Week. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketweb. More info is available at freaktoberfest.blogspot.com.

*Thrillist’s Manhattan & BK Craft Beer Crawls (Breukelen Bier Merchants, Mugs Alehouse, Idle Hands Bar, Rye House: Saturday, September 17, $25)
-Thrillist has teamed up with NY Craft Beer Week for a Saturday of grand consumption at an epic roster of taverns across Manhattan & Brooklyn. Explore either borough, bar by badass bar–or go down in beering lore with a $34 pass that covers BK and Manhattan.

The bar full list for Brooklyn:
The Gibson * Banter * The Counting Room * Mugs Ale House * Huckleberry Bar * Breukelen Bier Merchants * 4th Down Sports Bar

The bar full list for Manhattan:
Blind Pig * Idle Hands * Rye House * Against the Grain * Craftbar * Culturefix * Gravy * Taproom 307 * Professor Thom’s

*The Food Experiments National Championship (Brooklyn Brewery, 79 N 11th Street, Williamsburg: Sunday, September 18, 1 pm – 4 pm, $35 ticket includes all food samples and unlimited beer)
-The Food Experiments culminate its 2011 multi-city tour with The Food Experiments National Championship. After Nick and Theo launched their first national cook-off tour this year with Brooklyn Brewery as the Presenting Sponsor, they are coming full circle bringing the Food Experiments back to Brooklyn, along with the winners from each stop, for the championship round.

The Food Experiments hit such foodie havens as Austin, New Orleans, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Boston. Each city’s audience winner will be flown to NYC courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery to compete against Brooklyn’s ultimate home chef all-stars hand picked by Nick and Theo. The only rule of the day is to create, “The Perfect Bite.” After the dust has settled, only one champion will emerge victorious and secure for themselves “Culinary Glory.”

Transportation Alternatives Bike Valet will be onsite for safe bike storage during the event.

*Zagat Presents & NY Craft Beer Week Host “The Ultimate Brewmaster’s Degustation” Beer Dinner @ Resto (111 E. 29th Street: Monday, September 19, 7 pm, $125)
-Resto will present an epic six-course beer dinner: a night of food and beer pairings at the restaurant built for just this purpose. This farm-to-table feast will feature their house-made charcuterie and unique Belgian-inspired offerings, set to two beer pairings per course! Each of the paired beers hail from seven of the country’s most notable breweries, and were chosen to offer you two distinct (and possibly opposite) interpretations of matching great food with great beer.

*Just Food: Let Us Eat Local Annual Fundraiser (The Altman Building, 135 W. 18th Street: Wednesday, September 21, VIP 6 pm, GA 7 pm)
-Just Food will offer a unique tasting session featuring foods from the City’s top restaurants that have local food vendors and suppliers providing ingredients to their daily menus. Also on hand will be beer tastings from eight local breweries, all of which who are located within 150 miles of NYC, including Brooklyn Brewery, Six Point, Ommegang, Shmaltz, Captain Lawrence, Kelso, Harlem Brewing, and Southampton.

*Brewer’s Choice (City Winery: Thursday, September 22)
-15 Brewmasters present their best beers and favorite food pairings in an intimate walk around tasting event for more than 400 people. More info at www.nycbrewerschoice.com

*NY Craft Beer Week Blow-Out “Have Beer Will Travel” (Hudson Terrace-Rooftop Deck, 621 West 46th Street, NYC: Saturday, September 24, Session 1: 12 pm – 3pm ($40); Session 2: 5 pm – 8 pm ($45); Session 2 VIP: 4 pm – 8 pm ($60))
-Consider this the ultimate staycation, but also the inspiration for your next actual vacation–a beercation if you will. Beers generally unknown to us city folk have been gathered from throughout NY State, with a few add-ons from nearby Ontario and Quebec, and choice extras from areas further afield. Come sample them and dream up your next beer adventure to ward off the shock of NYCBW winding down. Expect 50 beers to be poured at all times with unlimited 2 oz pours. The full beer list will be released with the start of NY Craft Beer Week. Small snacks are included in the ticket price, and more complete food items will be for sale curated from the menu of Little Town’s New York specialties.

*Official Closing Event: Brewer’s Brunch (Hudson Terrace-Rooftop Deck, 621 West 46th Street, NYC: Sunday, September 25, $40, 12 pm – 4:30 pm)
-We’ve all tailgated with fond memories of the great game to follow. Now imagine a pregame where really good beer and really good food anchor the memory. It’s time for dreams to come true with Kegs & Eggs done right! Join all of your closest beer friends to watch the Giants-Eagles with a menu of: incredible beers, waffles, eggs to order, bacon, sausage, potatoes, fried chicken and sauteed veggies.

*Garrett Oliver’s Oxford Companion to Beer Launch Event (Brooklyn Brewery: Monday, September 19, 7:30 pm – 10 pm, Private Event)
-Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster and award-winning author of The Brewmaster’s Table (2005), Garrett Oliver will host a special event celebrating the launch of his new book, Oxford Companion to Beer. This event is invite-only, but Brooklyn Brewery is giving away tickets to 10 lucky NYCBW Passport holders. Simply email info@brooklynbrewery.com, with the subject line, “Passport” for a chance to win. If chosen, you’ll have to present your NYCBW Passport at the door to gain entry.

*”Meet The Brewer” Events
-Occurring at several participating beer bars throughout Beer Week, top NY craft brewers will offer extensive selections from their beer line-ups, and will offer tasting notes.

Josh Schaffner, Director of NY Craft Beer Week, comments about the upcoming craft beer extravaganza, “Over the past four years, the concept of a Beer Week has progressed from non-existent to the most exciting series of events for the year in every beer drinking city throughout the country. NY Craft Beer Week is no exception; travelers come from throughout the world just to engage with the beer community, while local consumers eagerly anticipate the special events and the arrival of new Passports. It is with great excitement that there are now more beer-centric bars, restaurants and stores participating in the Beer Week than ever before, and a new set of smart phone apps will make the offerings even more accessible to all.”

Brooklyn Brewery’s Brewmaster Garret Oliver says, “NYC Beer Week is a great opportunity for people to check out the creativity and talent of New York’s brewers. New York City is famous for having the best of everything, and NYC Beer Week is going to show off America’s most diverse and exciting beer scene.”

NY Craft Beer Week is proud to have Brooklyn Brewery, Shmaltz Brewing Co, and Empire Brewing Co as sponsoring breweries, Zagat Survey as a food partner, Just Food as a charitable partner, and Ace Hotel as the official hotel partner. Ace Hotel is a 12-story boutique hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan with 260 rooms and is offering a Beer Week rate of 15% off on their normal room reservations during the Beer Week. Reservations can be made using this link: http://acehotel.com/beerweek .

About NY Craft Beer Week
NY Craft Beer Week is a ten-day celebration of all things craft beer in the five boroughs of New York City. It is as much about civic pride as it is about appreciating the splendors available to us and celebrating the people who make it all happen. NY Craft Beer Week’s focus is to fuse libation education with community appreciation, providing opportunities to discover new favorite breweries, beers, bars, stores and restaurants for enjoyment throughout the year. Learn more at: www.nycbeerweek.com.

About the Official Beer of NY Craft Beer Week: Geektoberfest
Brewed by Shmaltz Brewing, Captain Lawrence Brewing, and Ithaca Beer Co., Geektoberfest will feature a blend of six barrel-aged beers. All of the beers are originally brewed in the state of New York, and Geektoberfest will only be available on draft during NY Craft Beer Week. The beer represents each brewery and the folks at NY Craft Beer Week’s exuberant appreciation of the mecca they call home, New York.

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Bourbon County Stout and vanilla among others. This is the first time I’ve had the stouts on draft. Just as awesome and a bit more carbonated than the bottle. Still pure heaven in a glass either way.