Buffalo Beer Buzz: Donovan Orchards Cider Dinner, CBW Acquires Thin Man, Buffalo Olde Giveaway, People Tap Awards, NYS Craft Brewers Fest, CBW Water Pong, One-Eyed Cat Charitable Beer

Cider Dinner Pairing at Donovan Orchards Estate

Donovan Orchards Estate Ciders and Calhoun’s Pub and Kitchen are teaming up for a five course cider dinner, Mar. 8 (7pm) at Donovan Orchards. The pairing dinner will feature the Welcome Course paired with Semi Dry Orchardist’s Reserve Cider, Salad Course paired with Green’s Inn Dry Hierloom Cider, Soup Course paired with Goldrush PetNat Dry Cider, Main Course paired with Sparkling Black Rock Kingston Black Dry Cider and Dessert Course paired with The Apple Highway Sweet Cider. Each cider course will be introduced by one of the cider making staff. Tickets are $103.22 (taxes and fees included) and can be purchased here.

Community Beer Works Agrees to Purchase Thin Man Brewery

Community Beer Works has agreed to a deal in principle to acquire fellow Buffalo brewery Thin Man Brewery. CBW will acquire all of the assets of Thin Man, pending approval, including brand rights, recipes, distribution rights, and capital assets at 166 Chandler Street. CBW is set to continue brewing, marketing, and distributing both CBW and Thin Man catalog of beers. Upon final regulatory approval, future brewing production will be split between CBW’s existing facilities at 520 7th Street and Thin Man’s former production facility at 166 Chandler Street. Thin Man at 492 Elmwood Avenue, which closed its doors in July, will remain closed and is not part of the sale.

Kissing Bridge to Hold Inaugural People’s Tap Awards

The inaugural People’s Tap Awards at Kissing Bridge will take place on February 24 (3-6pm). Fill up your glass and vote on your favorite brewery to get them on tap at Kissing Bridge next season. Tickets are $30 and include samplings from Wayland Brewing, East Aurora Brewery, Mystic Hills Brewing, Steelbound, Marquee Brewing, Eli Fish Brewing, Boston Hills Brewing, Johnson’s Landing, Big Ditch Brewing, One-Eyed Cat and Brazen Brewing. You can purchase tickets here. Buffalo’s Best will have snacks available for tasters and additional food is available for purchase at Willie’s Smokehouse and Lake Effect Saloon.

New York State Craft Brewers Fest Returns to Canalside June 22

The New York State Craft Brewers Festival: Buffalo returns to Canalside on June 22. The annual event is produced by the New York State Brewers Association and Western New York Brewers Guild. This year will feature fresh craft beer from over 50 breweries from every corner of the state, and attendees can meet the people who make the beer they love while enjoying live music, local food trucks, artisan vendors, and more. You can find out more information about the event here and purchase tickets right now here. VIP tickets are $65 and include early admission (2pm), souvenir tasting glass, unlimited 3oz. beer samples and $5 NYSBA merchandise coupon, and General Admission tickets are $45.

Enter to Win a $250 Bites & Brews Experience at Buffalo Olde Brewery

Step Out Buffalo has teamed up with Lovejoy’s Buffalo Olde Brewery to give away a Bites & Brews experience worth $250. The grand prize includes a $250 credit to be used towards food, beverages, or merchandise at the new brewery. To enter, click here to enter your name and email. The contest runs through October 30. You can also head to @stepoutbuffalo on Instagram for more chances to enter and win. The contest runs through Feb. 27.

One-Eyed Cat Brewing Special Meowfia Beer Release for Charity

One-Eyed Cat Brewing is teaming up with 26 Shirts and WNY Beer Trail on a special new beer release, Meowfia, to raise money for the Ten Lives Club. On Feb. 29 (5pm), the special edition Meowfia beer, a 5.2% hefeweizen with notes of banana and clove, will be released at One-Eyed Cat’s Williamsville taproom with a percentage of the proceeds will benefit the cats at Ten Lives Club. Meowfia will be available on draft and in cans to-go. Ten Lives Club is a non-kill, non-profit cat adoption group devoted to reducing the number of cats euthanized each year due to overpopulation and lack of space in shelters.

Community Beer Works Water Pong Tourney at Wingnutz

CBW is teaming up with Wingnutz to host a Water Pong tournament at their new location at Wingnutz Bar & Grill 1402 Millersport Highway in Williamsville, Feb. 28 (6pm). If you don’t know what water pong is, it’s simple – it’s a take on beer pong, just with water filling the cups instead of beer. Winners will take home a $50 Wingnutz gift certificate, bottle of Wingnutz signature sauce, 2 shirts, and a pair of jackets from Community Beer Works, and second place finishers will win a $25 Wingnutz gift certificate, 2 koozies, and Community Beer Work swag. Event entry is free and it is free to play.

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 Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).