This Friday, September 24th, NY Craft Beer Week begins. A week to celebrate local beers produced by small breweries. With deals, dinners and events, the festival spans throughout the 5 boroughs. The festival is only in it's third year and last year received lackluster media coverage, let's hope the word gets out this year because it's a great festival to celebrate something we all love.
How it works: For $10 a "passport" is purchased which allows you to try one of three featured beers at each bar for $3. There are more than 80 bars participating and each bar features beers from breweries such as Captain Lawrence, Brooklyn, Goose Island, Coney Island and Victory.
This festival is not only about drinking beer. It is also about paring beers with food. During last year's festival, then Chef de Cuisine of Per Se, Jonathan Benno, hosted a seven course dinner and instead of wine, every dish was paired with a beer provided by Brooklyn Brewery. They did some really interesting and amazing stuff including "bacon beer." This year, as the festival expands, many more restaurants are taking part. Eleven Madison Park, applewood, Craftbar and Hearth are just a few of the more than 30 restaurants that are offering special "beer menus." Each restaurant will feature a unique menu meant to be paired with beers.
In recent years beer had something of a renaissance. You are more likely to find beers from smaller and lesser know breweries than ever before at bars and even some supermarkets. And speciality beer markets, bars and restaurants are opening more than ever making it easy and effortless to taste and enjoy new and diverse beers. This festival is a clear reflection of that.
There are so many fantastic beers out there too many to mention here. However what I think is probably the best beer I've ever had: Brooklyn Breweries "Blue Apron Ale". A beer I had at Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville, CA. It is (or was) made especially for Thomas Keller's restaurants. I was lucky enough to try it once and I have not found it since. Was it because I had been wine tasting for hours? Maybe.
Here's to hoping you find a favorite during beer week. Time to order another...
