Small Business Saturday & Small Brewery Sunday This Weekend
Small business owners and brewery owners are one and the same, hence the need for and the importance of Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29, and Small Brewery Sunday, Nov. 30, a weekend that encourages support for local breweries, brewpubs, taprooms, and small businesses that contribute to local communities and economies during the holiday season and beyond. According to the Brewers Association, craft brewer volume sales declined by 4% in 2024, raising small and independent brewers’ share of the U.S. beer market by volume to 13.3%. Despite the overall decline, small and independent brewers contributed $72.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024 and provided nearly 440,000 jobs in total.
Drink Local Dark Beer at Blackout Friday at Rationales
This Black Friday (Nov. 28), you don’t have to visit Bourbon County, you drink some of the best local dark beers at Rationales in Williamsville for Blackout Friday. For the special event, Rationales will tap a number of stouts and porters, including Other Half Maple Porter, Big Bitch Mudlarked Nutella Stuffed French Toast, Ellicottville Brewing Chocolate Cherry Bomb, Founders KBS, Britesmith Brewing Portsmouth Porter and Guinness. Rationales will also have cans and bottles of Threes Brewing Volition, Big Ditch Brewing Aqueduct Double Barrel 2025, Aqueduct Estate 2025, Aqueduct Peerless 2025 and Old Widow Jane 2025. The event is free and open to the public.
Brazen Brewing Black Friday Stout Tapping
Brazen Brewing are going dark this Black Friday by tapping eight massive stouts and one wee heavy—each dark, intense, and brewed (or borrowed) for the bold. Among the available beers will be Brazen’s Peregrination (Coffee & Black Button Bourbon Barrel Aged), Peregrination (Maple Syrup & Hartman Bourbon Barrel Aged), Peregrination Strikes Back (rum barrel aged) and Shadows of the Night (Three Chord bourbon barrel aged), Eli Fish Brewing The Final Cup (barrel aged strong ale), Big Ditch Mudlarked, Swiftwater Big and First Line Brewing x Britesmith Brewing 7 Iron Stout (chocolate raspberry vanilla stout). Flights will be available. The event is free and open to the public.
42 North Brewing to Team With Indoor Golf Simulator Facility
Bank Shot Golf Simulator, an indoor golf recreation facility, is coming to East Aurora at the former Bank of America at 670 Main St. and 42 North Brewing is set to operate the bar. 42 North will serve beer, wine and liquor made in New York at the facility, which will feature three Full Swing Pro 2.0 simulators, according to tentative plans. There are currently no plans to serve food, though food from other local restaurants will be offered thanks to a food runner handling delivery to the site. Pending special use application approvals by the village, the next step will be submittal to the State Liquor Authority. There is no timeline for opening.
More Beer Advent Beer Boxes Available Locally
If you want to ring in the holiday season in style, consider picking up an Advent Calendar Beer Box. Downtown Brew in Fredonia is selling beer advent boxes for $108 (order in store or by calling (716) 672-4400), you can build your own 24 Days of Beermas at Aurora Brew Works (you pick the beer – pricing varies on beverages chose, ABW supplies the materials – box, tape, filler, etc.) and you can get The 12 Crafts of Christmas at The Lock Tender ($80, 12 12oz. craft beer and ciders, Lock Tender draft token, $5 off Tap & Craft Festival 2026 tickets, gift certificate for $15 food to-go). You can order here. Each box includes 24 craft beers in a variety of styles, such as lagers, ambers, stouts, IPAs, sours, and more. Cans and bottles are individually numbered and are meant to be enjoyed on each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas Day, beginning Dec. 1.
Drink Homebrew For A Good Cause at Santas of Swig Fundraiser
The 2025 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 Nov. 30 (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 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. More information can be found at SultansofSwig.com. Over the past 10 years, the event has helped to raise more than $26,000 and collect more than 1,300 new unwrapped toys.
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).
