Brewfest NY 2008

[Mambwe]

Has anyone been to Brewfest before? I came across it on Eater. Looks like they have beer, music, and food. Seems like it could be fun, but its kind of expensive at $50 a ticket.

Here is the info:

Brewfest NY 2008

South Street Seaport

Friday - September 12 - 5-10 pm

Event Website

[feedmec00kies]

Has anyone been to Brewfest before? I came across it on Eater. Looks like they have beer, music, and food. Seems like it could be fun, but its kind of expensive at $50 a ticket.

I personally haven't. Unfortunately, you can't tell from the participating brewery list how good the beer is - there are breweries going that have put out some great new and/or draft-only stuff (like Ommegang Rouge... mmmm...), but there's no way of knowing if they'll actually bring it. I don't think this festival has been that amazing historically, but who knows? You could try and contact them and see what beers they're anticipating.

From experience, $50 is a pretty standard price for a beer festival. However, you can try to contact the organizers to volunteer to try and get in for free for a few hours of service.

[erha2]

Has anyone been to Brewfest before? I came across it on Eater. Looks like they have beer, music, and food. Seems like it could be fun, but its kind of expensive at $50 a ticket.

I personally haven't. Unfortunately, you can't tell from the participating brewery list how good the beer is - there are breweries going that have put out some great new and/or draft-only stuff (like Ommegang Rouge... mmmm...), but there's no way of knowing if they'll actually bring it. I don't think this festival has been that amazing historically, but who knows? You could try and contact them and see what beers they're anticipating.

From experience, $50 is a pretty standard price for a beer festival. However, you can try to contact the organizers to volunteer to try and get in for free for a few hours of service.

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looking at the list of breweries, it's hard to imagine that the beer won't be great. you have a good variety of best craft breweries from all over the country like victory, great divide, green flash, arcadia, weyerbacher in addition to some of the big belgian (or belgian style) brewers.

[feedmec00kies]

looking at the list of breweries, it's hard to imagine that the beer won't be great.  you have a good variety of best craft breweries from all over the country like victory, great divide, green flash, arcadia, weyerbacher in addition to some of the big belgian (or belgian style) brewers.

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It's true, the breweries listed are pretty solid overall. I guess I'm actually speaking from my own priorities; my boyfriend and I go to beer festivals to try and get beers that are hard to find, whether they're retired, draft only, etc. However, for someone relatively new to craft beer (or even just someone who isn't of the collector mentality like my boyfriend) a list of beers that are usually available in bottles isn't a bad idea either. It's a good way to try as many things as possible.

[ColNJ]

I haven't been either, but here's a blurb from Amy Acer, Marketing & Operations (and wife of brewmaster/owner Neill Acer), Defiant Brewing, Pearl River (Rockland Co) NY:

3rd Annual New York Brewfest

New York State Brewers Association is sponsoring the third annual "NY Brewfest," taking place Friday, September 12, 2008 at South Street Seaport piers 16 & 17, from 5-10 PM. NY Brewfest is New York City 's premier beer festival, drawing 5,000 people from around the country. Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased at www.nybrewfest.com or at any of Heartland Brewery's five New York City locations. To ensure entry, prospective attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets early (the event has sold out its first two years).

As part of the festivities, attendees will get to sample more than 300 craft beers (including Defiant Muddy Creek and Golden Nugget ) from 100 New York State, East Coast, U.S., and international breweries; nosh on authentic BBQ from Spanky's; and hear live music from the Bagpipe Dudes (4:30-5 PM), Los Blancos (5-6:30 PM), Bernie Clarke & The Rhythm Sharks (6:45-8:15 PM), and Donna Jean & The Tricksters (8:30-10 PM).

If you attend, be sure to stop by The Defiant Brewing Company area and say “Hi” to Neill and Jeff!

I love the Defiant beers, but my office is just one town over from Pearl River in NJ, so I don't really need to go to South Street Seaport just for Defiant.

In case you're out this way ...

The Defiant Brewing Company

6 East Dexter Plaza

Pearl River, NY 10965

(845) 920-8602

P. S. I love Green Flash ... they have a nice hoppy beer.

Edited September 12, 2008 by ColNJ (log)

[Mambwe]

Did anyone get a chance to attend the Brewfest? I'm curious how it was.