Looking for something to spice up your weekend? Go to the Staten Island Yankee Craft Beer fest! Not in NYC? Why not host your own tasting party?

I’m sure you’ve been to a beer-tasting event, whether held at your local beer shop or bar or at a beer festival, where hundreds of different beers are at your fingertips, and you most likely don’t have the time (or physical endurance) to taste them all.

But what about hosting your own?  Maybe you’ve acquired unique bottles on your summer travels and haven’t had the opportunity to try them.  Or you pick up a rare bottle one day because you are feeling adventurous and are “saving it for a special occasion” (like my bottle of ‘Hops N’ Roses’ from Captain Lawrence that I haven’t gotten around to opening yet).

Trying new beers is always exciting, especially for us beer geeks, but sharing them with other craft beer connoisseurs is even better.

Recently we were invited to our friends’ apartments to put a dent in their pretty impressive beer selection.  What was even better: Many of these beers (or rather, most) aren’t even available for purchase in the NYC area.

So how do find a community of fellow craft beer lovers to share your beer with?  If you’re as lucky as me, then all your friends have good taste (in beer at least) and it’s not hard, but joining a local craft beer appreciation society (like my local Richmond County Beer Club) or joining your local craft beer bar’s beer club is a good start.

Also, in past years, I’ve turned birthday parties into beer tastings.  Put some records on (yes I have a vinyl player) and put some snacks out—along with a bunch of your favorite brews.  Give your guests a glass and taste away.  Sure beats pizza, soda and cake (ok, well don’t skip the cake if it’s a birthday party).

And cheese pairs beautifully with beers—pick up some stilton and some brie from a local dairy and you’ve got yourself a party.  Crusty bread and crackers are necessary too.  Use some of your beer to whip up some beer cheese or mustard and serve with pretzels.

At this recent tasting I was lucky enough to sample Kentucky Dark Star, an Imperial, bourbon-barrel aged oatmeal stout from Fremont Brewing Co. in Seattle (where my friends hail from).  It was an impressive bourbon barrel aged beer, creamy and oaky, with hints of vanilla, chocolate balancing with a roasted bitterness.

We compared this to an Imperial Schwarzbier also aged in bourbon barrels, from restaurant/brewery Flossmoor station outside of Chicago.

The nice thing about hosting your own tasting party as you can try any beer you want at any time, but to really enjoy all flavors you’re experiencing, it’s good to start with lighter styles (we started with some sours) and move from there.  Save the palate-wrecking IPAs for last.

Or maybe you just want to stick with one style: Everyone seems to be really into sours these days but perhaps have not tasted a lot or even found one they like.  Have everyone bring one or two examples of their favorite sour beer and drink away.

You can make your upcoming Halloween party a pumpkin beer party.  Have your guests bring their favorite pumpkin beer (you could even include some ciders in here since its cider season and drinking it is more fun than bobbing for apples).  Offer some sweet treats and pair them with your pumpkin beers—even better than trick-or-treating.

Hosting (or attending) a beer tasting party can make your usual weekend plans a little more exciting.  Watching the alumni football game with the guys this weekend?  Bring a six-pack or a growler of your current favorite session beer.  Sure beats choking down “The King of Beers,” in the back of your buddy’s fridge.

And if you want to get fancy, you can make your next dinner party revolve around beer and food pairings.  Your guests will be impressed.

 

Coming this October: Staten Island Yankees Brewfest and “Two Girls One Pint:” A match made in Beer Heaven

The forgotten Borough is no longer forgotten by beer aficionados.

That’s right, Staten Island will host not one, but two beer festivals this October.  The Richmond County Beer Festival on Sunday October 7^th will take place at Killmeyer’s Old Bavarian Inn, located on the Island’s south shore, while the north shore will host the Staten Island Yankees Brewfest two weeks later at the Richmond County Ballpark, home of the SI Yankees.

Eat that, Brooklyn!

Ok, I still love you Brooklyn, but it’s time for another borough to shine.

What’s even better is that “Two Girls, One Pint” will be hanging out at the Yankees Brewfest, offering up some swag and drinking along with the locals at the Saturday October 20^th event.

Don’t let the location deter you—Richmond County Ballpark is conveniently located mere steps from the St. George ferry terminal, where a big orange boat will offer you a free ride to and from the Island’s north shore and lower Manhattan. If you needed a reason to come to Staten Island, well now you have several.

This thoughtfully planned fall beer festival will feature a homebrewing competition, tasty bites from local restaurants, music by Island bands, artisanal vendors, raffles, a VIP ticket option, a Sam Adams stein-hoisting competition (it’s harder than it looks, kids) a corn hole tournament (get your mind out of the gutter) and of course, beer.

Tickets are $30 for advance purchase and $40 for the day of.   The General Admission session will run from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

There is also a $60 VIP ticket option which will include an extra hour of imbibing (from noon-1:00), access to a special section where wine and spirits can be sampled, a Staten Island Yankees cinch bag, souvenir pint glass, an event T-shirt, and a selection of unique and specialty beers that will not be available to the general admission ticket holders.

Around 20 breweries will be represented, offering pours for all ticket holders, including Empire, Ithaca, Stone, Harpoon, and Founders, giving beer-drinkers a chance to revisit favorites as well as maybe try a few unfamiliar ones.

“We want this to be a festival for everyone.  We want everyone to enjoy the homebrews, enjoy the craft beer, and get a great view of the New York City skyline,” says Kerry Haley, manager of sponsor services for the team.

I was able to sit down at the scenic stadium with both Haley and Jillian Wright and discuss the upcoming Brewfest.  Both are managers of sponsor services for the SI Yankees who have been working hard to organize this event.

“We want to involve the community,” Haley added.

And they’re doing so by reaching out to local restaurants and inviting them to set up a table with tastings for the Brewfest guests.  Forget footlongs and Cracker Jacks–Island restaurants such as Pier 76, Jimmy Max, Daddy O’s BBQ and about a dozen others will provide samples of their food to hungry beer-drinkers and represent the best the borough has to offer.

“The food is an additive and I hope that people take advantage of it,” Wright told me.  The samples offered to festival-goers are included in the price of the ticket.

In addition to local eats, homebrewers will be offering their unique brews for both festival attendees and a judging panel to sample, all while competing for a first and second place cash prize.  This component makes the festival different from other fall beer fests, in that it is both a craft beer festival and homebrewing competition.  I can’t wait to taste what my neighbors have brewed up for us!

The soundtrack to your afternoon beer drinking will be provided by The Bandulos and Man Down, two local bands I am genuinely fond of and who always provide some sweet tunes.

The ladies also emphasized that a portion of all the revenue generated from the Brewfest will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, so you will be drinking for a cause.

If you like music, food, fun, and of course, beer, come hang out with us on October 20^th at the Staten Island Yankees Brewfest.  And if you don’t like any of these things, than I am not sure we can be friends.  Would “Two Girls, One Pint” ever steer you wrong?