Where The Beer Flows Like Wine
A few weekends ago, I went with a group of friends to Brewtopia, the Great World Beer Festival, in NYC.
Brewtopia really is a great concept. You pay about $50 to taste as many beers as you want for four hours. When you walk in, they hand you a small “tasting” glass (which you get to keep), and then you are unleashed into a big room full of over 100 booths and tables, which are occupied by breweries from around the world. There are imports, domestics, and a wide variety of microbrews. There are even some of the big name brands. Most of the breweries have several different beer varieties to try, and as a result you have the opportunity to taste over 400 different beers.
This year there were three four-hour sessions over a two day period. We went to the session on Saturday, from 12pm-4pm. Due to ferry delays from the uptown Hoboken ferry terminal, we didn’t get across the river until about 45 minutes into the event. Even though we arrived late, we had more than enough time to accomplish our mission.
This was my second time attending the event; my first experience was three years ago. I have been trying to learn about beer for quite some time, and beer tasting events have definitely educated me and helped me develop a taste for what types of beer I enjoy most. It’s great to be able to try different styles of beer right next to each other, as well as talk to the people at the booths about how their beer is made.
I have realized that Belgian and Belgian-style beer is probably my favorite type. I also like some German beer such as Hefeweizen or anything with the word “Weiss” in the name or the description. I also like most wheat beers. I am not particularly fond of IPA’s (India Pale Ale), Pilsners, or anything described as “hoppy” (adding too much “hops” makes beer taste too bitter in my opinion). Some flavored beers (blueberry, pumpkin, etc) are ok, but they tend to be hit or miss. I feel the same way about stouts.
The beer selection this year was not nearly as good as I remembered it from last time, although it is nearly impossible to avoid packing on a pretty serious buzz after only about an hour of tasting beers one after another, so perhaps my memory is a bit blurred. There were several beers we particularly enjoyed though. One of my favorites was Hennepin, a domestic Belgian-style brew with a 7.7% alcohol content. I also enjoyed a couple of the beers from Heartland Brewery, a local brewery with restaurant/pub style brewery locations around New York City. One of my friends really enjoyed Cricket Hill and kept getting in line to taste it over and over again. Original Sin hard apple cider was a big hit with everyone in our group. Lindemans was supposed to be there, but their booth was empty for some reason, so Ashley didn’t get a chance to have any of her Framboise Lambic.
I was a little disappointed that Samuel Adams wasn’t there this time. Last time they had a big table where you could try their whole line of selections (except their famous “Utopia”, which is pretty expensive), and they gave out Sam Adams visors to everyone who tasted their beer.
Come to think of it, while I came home from my last Brewtopia experience with all kinds of bottle openers, coasters, keychains, and other beer memorabilia, this time I came home empty-handed. For some reason, barely any of the vendors were handing out promotional materials this time. Also, last time, the 4oz glasses they gave us to use for tasting, which we were able to keep, were made of real glass. This time the “glasses” were actually made of plastic. I would guess they switched to plastic because of people dropping the glasses on the floor and shattering them. Still, though, it was nice to get a real glass the first time–it’s more nostalgic as a keepsake than a flimsy plastic cup.
Food was limited, and sadly not included in the $50 ticket price. I paid $8 for a bratwurst sandwich. It was greasy and fatty and gave me a stomach ache within 15 minutes.
There were a few non-beverage vendors worth mentioning. Thrillist is a free email list that tells you about upcoming events, new restaurants, new shops, trends, and other topics of interest in the NYC area. Thrillist, which I subscribe to, is a great way to be alerted about next year’s Brewtopia and other simialr events. Another vendor called Beer Chips was selling small bags of their potato chips for $1 each. The chips are kettle-cooked and have a bit of a sweet and salty flavoring. They were so good I went back for a second bag.
Although this year’s Brewtopia wasn’t quite as amazing as my original experience, I will continue to attend the event in the future–it really is too much fun to pass up, especially with a group of beer-loving friends.
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