All of the hard work and preparation is complete and constant worry of things not getting done on time is behind us, because the Tenth Annual Buffalo Beer Week is now here. Ten days of celebrating ten years of craft beer in Buffalo. Ten packed days of events, beer, friends, merriment and revelry is on tap, and it can be a daunting time. Look, I get it. I’m about as immersed in all of this as anyone, and it can be easy to overlook events and beer releases and get lost in the overall shuffle. As I have done for few years now, I will be providing daily rundowns of events in order to help you cut through the fat as it were. So keep it locked right here for the next ten days. Let me do all of the legwork so all that’s left for you to do is drink something local.
And on that note, let me, on behalf of the Buffalo Niagara Brewers Association, Buffalo Beer League and each and every one of us involved in the Buffalo-Niagara beer scene, thank you in advance for being a part of Buffalo Beer Week. If you are reading this, thank you. If you drink something local this week, thank you. If you spend time at a brewery, brewpub, bar or bottle shop this week, thank you.
I hope to see many familiar faces at the Buffalo Beer Week Opening Gala tonight! If you’re drinking something local during Buffalo Beer Week, post it on social media and tag the BBL – @Buffalobeerleague (Instagram), @Buffbeerleague (Twitter) and @Thebuffalobeerleague (Facebook). Also, use the hashtag #Buffalobeerweek.
Get the 10th Annual Buffalo Beer Week started off on the right foot at the Official Opening Gala at Flying Bison Brewing on September 13 (5pm). Enjoy a selection of beers from over 25 Buffalo Niagara Brewers Association member breweries and meet the brewers. Listen to live music by Tony DeRosa on the covered patio and satisfy your hunger with food from Casa Azul & Kindred Kreek’s Farm to Table food trucks. $20 admission at the door (includes drink tokens). Ticket includes 8 tokens worth 5 oz. each. More can be purchased for $2 each as well.
If you’re looking for some live music to go along with your fresh pint, there are plenty of options today. Mike Brown from The Probables will perform on The Stage at Southern Tier Brewing, Rochester-based songwriter and guitarist Chris Bethmann will perform at Four Mile Brewing (6:30pm), A Man In Black: The Johnny Cash Experience will be at 12 Gates (7pm) and Good Morning Bedlam will take to the stage at 42 North (8pm).
Elsewhere during Buffalo Beer Week, as has become custom, Buffalo Brewing Company will be open every single day. Pearl Street (seasonal beers with Beer Week booklet) and Lafayette Brewing are offering $3.50 pints all Beer Week long, and score $2 off pints at Pizza Plant (both locations) and $4 pints at Riverworks Brewing with coupons you can find in the official Beer Week book. Also, Blackbird Cider Works have daily specials, Hamm & Fattey’s and Fattey Beer Co. are running select $3 pint specials (check Buffalobeerweek.com for more details) and Five & 20 will be donating a portion of the proceeds from their specially priced Beer of the Month to Habitat for Humanity during the entire course of Buffalo Beer Week.
Keep it locked to www.buffalobeerweek.com for more daily blog posts regarding all of the beers, all of the events and all of the happenings going on throughout Buffalo Beer Week. To see all the events that are happening over the next 10 days and to read the official Buffalo Beer Week book, visit http://www.buffalobeerweek.com. The theme this year is ‘ten years of craft beer.’ For more information, please visit Buffaloniagarabrewersassociation.org and Facebook.com/BuffaloNiagaraBrewersAssociation.
These next 10 days are about beer yes, but above all else, drink responsibly and be safe. If you need a ride home, try Lyft, Uber or Liberty Cab’s Ride Local. There are plenty of options to both drink and get home responsibly.
Brian Campbell is a co-founder/Brand Manager of the BNBA’s enthusiast arm, Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column for Step Out Buffalo. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at buffalobeerleague@aol.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague) and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
