Small Business Saturday & Small Brewery Sunday This Weekend
Small business owners and brewery owners are one in the same, hence the need for, and the importance of, Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30, and Small Brewery Sunday, Dec. 1, 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 Brewer’s Association, craft brewer volume sales declined by 1% in 2023, 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 $77.1 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023 and provided nearly 460,000 total jobs.
12 Gates of Christmas Returns to 12 Gates Brewing
It’s time for 12 Gates Brewing to open the 12 Gates of Christmas. For the first 12 days of December and leading up to their anniversary, 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: Spice Runner Amber, Melted Midnight Hot Chocolate Milk Stout, Imperial Red Royal Blood Ale, Firecracker Pale Ale, Jack-O-Porter, Trappist Gold Belgian Pale Ale, Hazy Red Nebula IPA, Smokey the Porter, Dark Side Saison, Watermelon Candy Crush Seltzer, Crimson Temptress Chocolate Raspberry Stout, Basic Bro Pumpkin Spice IPA and 9th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Stout. If you drink each beer, you’ll receive a custom t-shirt and an invitation to an exclusive party.
Annual Cask Fest at Mr. Goodbar Returns Dec. 5
Mr. Goodbar’s annual Cask Fest returns on Thursday, Dec. 5 (7:30pm). Tickets are $30 and include unlimited tastings of limited edition cask beers from 42 North Brewing, Flying Bison, Old First Ward Brewing, Smoldered Society, Big Ditch, Community Beer Works, Thin Man Brewery, Autark Brewhouse and Brickyard Brewing with more breweries to be announced. The cask beer list will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets also include a complimentary tasting glass and food from Hanzlian’s sausage. Tickets can be purchased in person at Mr. Goodbar.
Deck the Halls at Pizza Plant Transit
Pizza Plant’s annual Deck the Halls fundraiser for Sleep in Heavenly Peace returns to their Transit Road location on Dec. 1 (12pm). The event will feature a Christmas Cookie competition, Anchor Brewing Our Christmas Ale magnum bottle tapping (2pm), special Christmas beers on tap, including Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Jack’s Abby Toy Solider Christmas Lager, Allagash Ski House Winter Wheat and more, Buffalo Beer Geek Bottle share (3pm) and more. Judging for the cookie competition will take place at 4pm with the $100 going to the winning baker. Cookies will then be sold with all proceeds going towards Sleep in Heavenly Peace. You can register for the competition here.
Buffalo On Tap Returns Feb. 8, 2025
Buffalo on Tap will return to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on Feb. 8, 2025. A participating brewery list will be announced soon. The event will also feature live music, craft vendors and food. VIP tickets ($54.83, including taxes and fees) include 4 hours of craft beer sampling, access to VIP area with exclusive beer, souvenir sampling glass and more, and General Admission tickets ($35.32, including taxes and fees) include 3 hours of craft beer sampling and souvenir sampling glass. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
Krampus Day at Hofbrauhaus With Winterzwickel Tapping
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, on Dec. 5 (6pm). The event will feature a Christmas Villain Showdown between Krampus and The Grinch with the winner tapping the first barrel. There will also be face painting stations and live music from Die Haus Band. Winterzwickel pairs well with Schweinebraten, Jägerschnitzel, and Käsekuchen, according to the brewery. The event will help raise funds and awareness for Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Reservations are recommended. For reservations, visit www.hofbrauhausbuffalo.com, or call (716) 939-2337.
Santora’s First-Ever Barrel Beer & Wing Fest
On Nov. 30 (2-6pm), Santora’s Pizza Pub & Grill on Transit Road is hosting the first-ever Barrel Beer & Wing Fest. The event will feature samplings of barrel aged or winter beers from more than 10 local breweries, wing tastings, live music from Mark Christy from Flipside, exclusive samplings of Santora’s first-ever bourbon and more. 1927 Brew House will have Tawny Monk (9.2% Imperial Belgian saison aged in a Tawny port cask), Hangover Breakfast (10.2% Maple, smoked Imperial stout aged in a bourbon cask), Espresso Stoutini (10% chocolate Espresso stout aged in bourbon cask) and Portly Monk (10% Belgian Quadruppel aged in port wine cask). Tickets are $45 and include beer, bourbon and wing samples, and commemorative glass and Designated Driver and wings-only tickets ($20) include wing samples and event glass. $5 from each ticket will be donated to Hope Rises to help support local families in need. Tickets can be purchased here.
Sixth Annual Brewer’s Invitational Comes to NYBP Beer Lodge
The sixth annual Brewer’s Invitational will take place at the NYBP Beer Lodge in Orchard Park on Feb. 23, 2025 (2-5pm). Tickets will go on sale Nov. 29 here. Tickets are $50 and include a commemorative tasting glass, a $5 food voucher, and access to over 50 innovative brews from 30 local breweries, cideries and meaderies. Designated driver tickets will also be available. An exclusive beer list, as well as a list of participating breweries, will be released closer to the event.
Drink Local Dark Beer at Blackout Friday at Rationales
This Black Friday (Nov. 29, 11am), 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 Big Ditch Brewing Tagalong (Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Stout) and Aqueduct Rare (Barrel Aged Imperial Stout aged in a single 15-year Heaven Hill malt whiskey barrel), Ellicottville Brewing Barrel-Aged Chocolate Cherry Stout, New York Beer Project 2023 Triple Crown Imperial Stout (aged in Elijah Craig Barrels for 12+ months) and Autark Brewhouse Comfy Baltic Porter. During the event, if you purchase a $20+ gift card, you will receive a free pint.
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, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
