Consider me as your Beer Sherpa, because I’m here to make things easy for you as you navigate every offering from each brewery, ciderery and meadery at this year’s Buffalo Brewers Festival, which takes place tomorrow (4-7p) at Canalside. I just want to make sure that all of you get the absolute best bang your buck. Or make that the best beer for your buck. Either way.
I’ve done painstaking research and multiple deep dives to formulate a list of the top 11 beers you can’t afford to miss at this year’s Buffalo Brewers Festival. These are beers that you need to target early, and perhaps often, to ensure you imbibe before the kegs run dry, because, let’s face it, those kegs aren’t bottomless – as much as we can pray and dream that they were. They might be someday (the future is a crazy place), but not today.
Here are my can’t-miss, must-drink beers at the Buffalo Brewers Festival:
Four Mile / Resurgence The Pilz Have Eyes Imperial Pilsner – An Imperial Pilsner just sounds fun, doesn’t it? Especially one that’s from these two breweries. Looking forward to this one for sure.
Buffalo Brewpub / 12 Gates Passionfruit Mango Kolsch – This might be one of the most refreshing beers available at the festival. I expect this one to be thirst quenching. You can probably find me in line for a few of these.
Woodcock Brothers Kumquat Berliner Weisse – Speaking of refreshing, holy goodness. The first of a few Berlinner’s on my list, the addition of kumquats just has me really exciting for this beers prospects.
Steelbound Brewery EVL Double IPA – I had to shoehorn a Double IPA onto my list. But in all seriousness, I’m looking forward to drinking Steelbound’s first DIPA, because if their other IPA’s I’ve had are any indication, this one should be pretty solid.
West Shore Brewing Experimental Berliner Weisse – Owner Josh Dziomba told me that he is doing some fun stuff with fruited sours right now, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us at the Brewers Fest with this one.
Eli Fish Brewing Awry Rye Saison & Brewers Wife Blonde Ale – In the case of ‘new is always better,’ I’m really looking forward to my first pours of Eli Fish’s beer. From what I have been told from people who have been up there, these are two to look forward to. See you all in line.
Ellicottville Brewing Foggy NEIPA – Like City Hall, you can’t fight the haze craze, so of course this list had to include a New England IPA. It should be good.
Flying Bison Larkin Lager – One of my top five favorite Buffalo beers of all time, the idea of drinking a few of these down on the water is pretty perfect.
Brickyard Brewing Company Saison des Fleurs – While I’ll be drinking my fill of White Bronco, I will not sleep on this one. It’s brewed with Dandelion pedal, so that sounds intriguing.
Windy Brew Dim Lager IPL – The only India Pale Lager, a really underrated style IMO, at the Brewers Festival is definitely going to make my list.
In addition to the People’s Choice Competition, a number of Farm-to-Pint beers, made exclusively from local ingredients, will be available, food vendors include Lloyd Taco and Ru’s Pierogi, and new this year, you can purchase pints of your favorite beer right at the festival (limited availability, prices may vary). An after party will be held at Clinton’s Dish at Canalside following the festival’s conclusion. There will also be a number of local vendors on hand, including Smokers Haven Cigars, Travelling Growler, NY Craft Malt, Crooked Creek Hops, Trocaire College and Bavarian Nut Company.
Don’t drink and drive! Let Lyft do all of the driving for you, so all you need to focus on is having fun and celebrating all things Buffalo on the waterfront. New users can download the Lyft app and use the code ‘BNBA’ to receive special discounts off your first few rides.
Tickets can be purchased at BuffaloBrewersFestival.com and Ticketfly as well as at all 17 Consumer’s Beverages locations. For more information, please visit, https://www.facebook.com/events/992859620880355.
Brian Campbell is a co-founder/Brand Manager of the BNBA’s enthusiast arm, Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at buffalobeerleague@aol.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague) and www.buffalobeerleague.com.