Today just might be the biggest day of this Buffalo Beer Week and no doubt this post will be the longest. There are so many events and so many festivals happening around our area that it’s even daunting to look at as I write this. That being said, we should probably cut the small talk and get right into it.
The undoubted headliner today is Zwanze Day at Thin Man Brewery, the only place to get Zwanze 2016 on this side of the state (only 2 restaurants in NY will carry it). Brasserie Cantillon describes their release of Zwanze 2016: “We’ve stepped back in time 30 years for Zwanze 2016, which is the result of a blend of 82% raspberries, 18% blueberries, and .05% Bourbon Vanilla beans, on which we’ve aged two-year-old Lambic at a rate of 300g fruit per liter.” This heralded event is long sold out but you can still attend and enjoy any number of ridiculous bottles that Thin Man will have available for the event. Check out https://www.facebook.com/ThinManBrewery for a full listing.
New York Beer Project will release their Imperial Pumpkin Ale, which has been fermented using oak that has been soaked in Buffalo Trace Bourbon.
Aurora Brew Works will have their Firestone Walker Proprietor Vintage Series event, which features multiple vintages of Sucaba, Parabola, Stickee Monkee, Helldorado, Velvet Merkin, Anniversary, and more.
Hamburg Brewing will celebrate their 3rd Anniversary, beginning at noon. The day’s festivities include live music by Strictly Hip & other performers, food prepared by the taproom including a clam & oyster bar, exclusive beers brewed specifically for the event and other various entertainment throughout the day. This year HBC has made a limited number of 3rd Anniversary souvenir mugs to be sold for $10 which gives the holder $1 off their beers for the day and a portion of the proceeds will go to charity.
Guests can also expect a full line up of HBC’s usual beer offerings with the addition of exclusive beers for the event. Grab more information here.
Rusty Nickel Brewing kicks off their Harvest Fest at noon as well, an event which includes fun for the whole family, live music, fresh food, local produce, several beer releases made with farm fresh ingredients, kids activities, adult fun, games and various competitions. Harvest Fest continues tomorrow as well.
Resurgence Brewing’s Fallfest Original Music Showcase will feature seven original rock bands, food trucks and more. From 2-10pm, the all-ages show will host the following performances: 2pm-2:45pm – Coral Collapse, 3pm-3:45pm – Meat Whistles, 4pm-4:45pm – Wacko Fest, 5pm-5:45pm – Copper Crown (from Toronto), 6pm-7pm – The Spinwires, 7:30pm-8:30pm – Rustic Radio and 9pm-10pm – Electric Watermelon.
12 Gates Brewing presents: Philosofest, a fall beer and music festival, at 5pm. The event will feature the debut of their Dunkelweizen along with plenty of live music, great food and lawn games. There will be live music from 3-11pm as well as food trucks.
The Anti-Venue Tour rolls through Flying Bison, starting at 7pm. Some of Buffalo’s finest will be showcased at the Anti-Venue Tour, a unique sensory experience that challenges conventional limitations and labels in order to provide a platform for creative individuals. This tour is designed to be anything but traditional. Get more info at antivenuetour.com.
And don’t forget that Buffalo’s newest watering hole, Buffalo Brewing Company, is open each and every day of beer week. Today they are open from 2-8pm and will have 6 beers for you to try – 1804 American Pale Ale, 1813 Porter, 1842 Vienna Lager, 1825 I.P.A., 2016 Celebration Ale and 1826 Oktoberfest. Check them out at 314 Myrtle Avenue.
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.
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 The Public. He can be reached at buffalobeerleague@aol.com.
