Ellicottville Brewing to Open Bemus Point Location April 24
In a surefire sign of spring and summer in Western New York, Ellicottville Brewing is opening their Bemus Point location on April 24. The taproom, located on Chautauqua Lake, will be open Friday, April 24 (4-9 pm), Saturday, April 25 (12-9 pm), and Sunday, April 26 (12-4 pm). And in honor of opening weekend, there will be live music with Jade Giambrone (6-9 pm on Friday), a bar-exclusive Happy Hour from 4-6 pm ($5 draft beer and wine) and EBC Seltzer tasting on Saturday (2–4 pm, 6–8 pm). EBC Bemus Point is located at 57 Lakeside Drive.
Limited Tickets Remain For This Weekend’s CollaBEERation Festival
One of the most unique Western New York beer festivals, CollaBEERation, takes place this weekend, Saturday, April 25, at The Powerhouse, and a limited amount of tickets still remain. The event features craft beer, cider, mead and more created by members of the Buffalo Beer Geeks community, who teamed up with more than 50 participating Western New York craft venues to create innovative beverages for the event. A number of those collaborative brews have been announced and can be found here. You can also find out more about the event on the official preview podcast with WNY Brews. General admission tickets ($70, includes unlimited pours and commemorative glass) can be purchased here.
Thin Man To Brew New Blue Raspberry Minkey Boodle
Thin Man Brewery recently held a March Madness-inspired tournament to choose the next variant of their popular Minkey Boodle fruited sour and Blue Raspberry was the flavor that reigned supreme of the field of sixteen possible flavor combinations. Blue Raspberry beat out Raspberry Grapefruit, Raspberry Blackberry, Raspberry Kiwi, Raspberry Vanilla, Raspberry Kumquat, Raspberry Blueberry, Raspberry Lemon, Raspberry Peach, Raspberry Cherry, Raspberry Plum, Raspberry Strawberry, Raspberry Apricot, Raspberry Mango, and Raspberry Guava. Blue Raspberry Minkey Boodle will be available on cans and in draft at Chandler Street Breweries in May.
Cabin Fever Beer & Wine Fest This Saturday
The Cabin Fever, Beer and Wine Festival returns to the Buffalo Ski Center/Tamarack Lodge in Colden on April 25 (4-7 pm). The event features tastings from breweries such as Resurgence Brewing, Hamburg Brewing, Big Ditch Brewing, 42 North Brewing, Southern Tier, New York Beer Project, Ellicottville Brewing, Pressure Drop Brewing, Rusty Nickel, Mystic Hills, First Line Brewing and more, as well as meaderies, wineries and distilleries, live music from The Young Relics, raffles, giveaways, auctions, food and more. Tickets are $40 presale and $50 day of and include a commemorative tasting glass, access to all tastings and more. Tickets can be purchased here.
Zwanze Day Returns to Buffalo at Moor Room April 25
As if there wasn’t enough great beer happenings on Saturday, April 25, Zwanze Day, the ultimate day of appreciation for the Lambic beer style, is making a return to Buffalo at Moor Room (3 pm). The event was created by world-renowned Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon, who are featuring two very special brews this year – Artemis La Blanche, a blend of gentian, coriander, rhubarb root, juniper, sage, Angelica, wormwood and more, blended with Lambic, and Artemis La Rouge, a blend of verbena, marjoram, rose, apple, curry plant, wormwood and other herbs, blended with Kriek. Both beers will be available at Moor Room, along with Cantillon’s Classic Gueuze, Cuvee Saint-Gilloise, Saint Lamvinus and Vigneronne, along with other special brews from around the country. Tickets still remain for $75, which includes a large pour of both Zwanze beers, a 5oz pour of Cantillon Gueuze and Cantillon Vigneronne and a Zwanze day glass.
Five & 20 Brewing Drops New Beers, Launches Mug Club
Westfield’s Five & 20 Brewing has released a trio of draft-only releases at the their taproom, including a Mint Chocolate Cookie Imperial Stout, Spring Fling, a Berliner Weisse with melon-infused black tea, and (I Like It When You Call Me) Big Hoppa, a hazy 5.4% East Coast IPA brewed with wheat and oats, as well as Cascade, El Dorado, Jaryllo and Galaxy hops.
The brewery has also launched a new mug club – open to 50 members. The club costs $75 (plus tax) and you can sign-up online or in the taproom. Perks include discounts on draft beer, 16oz. ceramic mug, extended hours, discounts on packaged beer, spirits, and wine, Mug Club Party invitation, special club renewal price and more. The Mug Club will kick off on May 28.
Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the 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 brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on X (@buffbeerleague), Instagram, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
