Hofbrauhaus Buffalo to Tap Winterzwickel
On December 1, Hofbrauhaus Buffalo will tap their Winterzwickel, a 5.5% dark beer specially brewed for the winter season with hints of caramel, toasted bread, plum, raisin and chocolate. Join the brewery for a parade and barrel tapping at 6pm. All guests will receive a complimentary 0.3L of Winterzwickel, while Stein Club Members will receive a complimentary liter. Winterzwickel pairs well with Schweinebraten, Jägerschnitzel, and Käsekuchen, according to the brewery.
Local Breweries Unite for VIP Night at Mr. Goodbar’s Cask Fest
Mr. Goodbar’s annual tradition of showcasing local cask beer returns Thursday, December 8 (7pm) at VIP Night in the Attic. Tickets are $30 and include unlimited tastings of limited edition cask beers from Pressure Drop, Flying Bison, Gene McCarthy’s / OFW, Thin Man, Brickyard Brewing, 42 North Brewing, Big Ditch, Community Beer Works and OSB Ciderworks. Tickets include a complimentary tasting glass and Hanzlians sausage tasting. Tickets can be purchased at the bar.
Drink Homebrew for a Good Cause at Santas of Swig Fundraiser
The 2022 Santas of Swig Fundraiser, presented by the Sultans of Swig Homebrew Club and Santas of Swig, which raises money for the Matt Urban Hope Center, takes place December 3 (1pm) at Buffalo Iron Works. A $20 donation buys samples of a number of beers made by area homebrewers. Vote for your favorite beer and the winning homebrewer will receive a number of prizes. Baskets from local breweries will be raffled off (donations of new, unwrapped toys gets you $10 in tickets). Tickets will be available at the door and can be purchased online at SultansofSwig.com.
Habitat for Humanity’s Craft Brew Tour Cards Return
Habitat for Humanity has once again collaborated with a number of area bars, cideries, meaderies, breweries and distilleries for the House Beer Built Tour, which features coupons for free beer and cocktails at more than 35 local establishments. You can get free beers from 12 Gates, Pressure Drop, Resurgence, Big Ditch, Flying Bison, Hofbrauhaus and Community Beer Works to name a few, as well as free drinks, cocktails, cider, mead and more. Cards are $42 and can be preordered online.
One-Eyed Cat Brewing to Release Trio of Barrel Aged Beers
One-Eyed Cat are set to release 3 different bourbon barrel-aged beers on December 2 (12pm) – BBA Lady Wore Black, a Russian Imperial Stout aged in a Kentucky Bourbon barrel for 5 months, Chaos Theory, a blend of ales aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, and Maenad’s Kiss 2022, a bourbon barrel-aged smoked English Barleywine aged for 5 months in a Kentucky Bourbon barrel. Each 500ml bottle will be $16.99 plus a deposit. Owner/Head Brewer Patrick will be pouring samples starting at 4pm.
12 Gates of Christmas Challenge Returns to 12 Gates Brewing
It’s time for 12 Gates Brewing to open the 12 Gates of Christmas. Starting December 1, the brewery will tap a new beer for 12 consecutive days and to complete the challenge, you’ll need to be in attendance each day to get your card punched. Starting December 1, the following beer will be tapped: Cherry Vanilla Wheat, Just a Hefeweizen, Belgian Pale Ale, Ho Ho…Ho Stout, Hop Sandwich, Hint o Lime Lager, Pineapple Strawberry Lemon Sour, Black Forest v2 (stout with cherry), Toasted Banana Cream Pie Hefe, Spicy IPA, Salted Caramel Porter and Citra Daze can release and F Putin Russian Imperial Stout bottle release. If you drink each beer, you’ll receive a custom t-shirt, bragging rights and an invitation to an exclusive party.
Magic Bear Beer Cellar, BTR Brews Celebrate First Anniversaries
Two of Western New York’s newest craft beer bottle shops, Larkin’s Magic Bear Beer Cellar and Angola’s BTR Brews, are turning one on December 3. At Magic Bear, the party starts at 4pm and there will be commemorative cookies for the first 50 guests, live music from Nick Spacone (5pm), drink specials and more. And at BTR, the party starts at noon and will feature drink specials, giveaways, live DJ (7pm), food from Yankee BBQ and WBUF onsite to host sampling and Stella Chalice engravings along with 2023 VIP Buffalo on Tap ticket giveaways and other Stella & WYRK/WBUF merchandise.
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).
