Community Beer Works, Thin Man Brewery and Smoldered Society, collectively known as Chandler Street Breweries, have ceased operations, effective immediately.  All three breweries operated under one taproom at 166 Chandler Street, which has closed its doors.

In a statement, the breweries say the business has failed to become financially sustainable, because, as they put it, “the world around us changed. Craft beer declined. Costs continued to rise. Consumer habits changed. Distribution became more difficult.”

“After years of working to find a sustainable future for Community Beer Works, Thin Man Brewery and Smoldered Society Beer Company, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to wind down operations,” the statement read. “There’s no single thing that brought us here. For several years, the business has operated at significant losses. We’ve continued to invest, change and rebuild because we believed there was a path forward.”

CBW bought Thin Man in 2024, the same year they launched their imprint brewing label, Smoldered Society. They combined forces to open Chandler Street Breweries earlier this year at the former home of Thin Man in Black Rock.

“Chandler Street didn’t create the challenges we’re facing. It was an attempt to solve them,” the statement continues. “Eventually, we had to acknowledge that despite everything we’ve tried, the business has not become financially sustainable. That is the truth of why we’re closing.”

I seem to report on beer-related closings at an alarming clip these days, a part of this that I truly hate, and this one stings. It cuts deep. Say what you will about present day CBW and Thin Man, and yes, I’m painfully aware that the breweries ended up as a shell of themselves over the years and they lost pieces of themselves along the way with each move – CBW going from Lafayette Street to 7th Street to Chandler and Thin Man going from Elmwood Avenue to Chandler and eventually back to Chandler again. But CBW will always hold a special place in my heart. Those days down on Lafayette behind that green door felt truly special. We were part of something. The Buffalo Beer League was forged at that bar. I made lifelong friends in that garage and drank some of the best locally crafted beers I’ve ever had (Mr. Superfantastisch Berliner Weisse and Rutherford Brett Haze are two of the best beers I’ve ever had). At one point, CBW was my favorite brewery in the world. I will always cherish those days and the memories I made over countless pints there. It’s really hard to correctly put into words. And if you’re reading this saying, ‘it’s only beer’ – you clearly don’t understand and no explanation will do. You had to be there. From beer releases, anniversary parties and CBW Book Club to The Stouting (hi Drew), Friends of Frank Fundraisers and Snow Days and literally everything in-between, CBW on Lafayette was perhaps my favorite period in local beer. I don’t think that’s an overstatement. Again, you had to be there.

Like I said, this one cuts deep.

When CBW moved to 7^th Street, the good times kept rolling, at least for a while. The COVID pandemic had something to say about that, but I made lasting memories in that space. If you want to read more, I reflected on that chapter on my beer life here. The space produced such memories as Thee Barleywine Classic, an actual barleywine festival in Buffalo, the Buffalo Beer League’s first-ever Buffalo Bills tailgate and watch party (we beat the Kansas City Chiefs that day), lunch beers, pinball and darts, One-Eyed Cat Brewing pop-ups, shotgunning beers with friends at KCBC for Lager Appreciation Month, countless beer releases, collecting weekly Bills gameday releases and many more I’m sure I’m forgetting. If I listed everything here, I’d never stop writing and I have to go to bed at some point.

Another golden period in Buffalo beer lore was Thin Man’s Elmwood location. I loved that place. I was there the day they opened and the day they closed, ironically enough with a Bliss Double IPA both times. They closed their doors in 2023 after 7 years and it was yet another crushing blow to the scene. But it was great while it lasted – Summer Solstice, Oktoberfest, Minkey Day, Zwanze Day, anniversary parties, beer releases, and numerous others – Thin Man on Elmwood was a vibe. But the COVID pandemic had other plans, just like it did for many others. But I will always cherish those times.

And all of this isn’t even to mention my love for Smoldered Society. Say what you will, but I was perhaps the brewing imprints biggest fan. They brewed fire beer, plain and simple. I should know – I drank nearly every beer they brewed. They made great lagers (long live Strike Anywhere and Do A Kickflip) and even better hazy IPAs (Illusion of Safety and Mass Delusion were bangers). The Smoldered Society anniversary party at Mr. Goodbar was a blast too (did someone say stubby bottles of Strike Anywhere?). Like I said, I was a fan.

“The beer didn’t fail. The people who made it didn’t fail. But great beer, awards and people who care deeply about what they do aren’t always enough to make the economics of a business work,” the statement concludes.

I wrote in my retrospective of CBW’s Lafayette tenure – “as 80’s hair metal merchants Cinderella famously sang, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.” Rest in power, Chandler Street Breweries. To everyone at Community Beer Works, Thin Man and Smoldered Society, past and present, thank you for the memories. I’ll see you down the road.

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).

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Brewery Lineup For Tap & Craft Festival At Buffalo Riverworks

The Tap & Craft Festival returns to Buffalo Riverworks on Friday, Oct. 23, featuring more than 30 craft breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries, including Other Half, Grow Brewing, Mortalis Brewing, Strangebird, Frequentem Brewing, Big Ditch Brewing, Pearl Street, Hop Butcher for the World, Nomxd Brew, Troegs, New Trail Brewing, Downeast Cider, Black Willow Winery, Awestruck Premium Hard Ciders, BriarBrothers Brewing, Drekker Brewing, Barrelhouse 6 Distillery, The Cider Project, Imprint Beer, Arkane Aleworks, Hartman’s Distilling, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Lincoln Cutting – East Aurora Brewery, Battle Rattle Spirits / Empire State Distillers, Talking Cursive, Notch Brewing and Departed Soles Brewing. There will also be craft vendors and live music from The Brass Machine. You can purchase tickets at Tapandcraft.com (no Eventbrite fees).

Want to go for free? We are partnering with Tap & Craft to give away a pair of VIP tickets. The winner will be drawn at noon on Thursday, Oct. 22. Enter via the pinned post at Instagram – @buffalobeerleague.

Bottles & Bites Is Coming Back To Statler Buffalo

Bottles & Bites, one of Western New York’s premiere food and craft beverage sampling events, returns to Statler Buffalo on Thursday, Nov. 12. There will be food tastings from Babcia’s Pierogi, Hanzlian’s Sausages, Del’s Got Bread, Shady Shack Ice Cream and Grill, Chenez’s Popcorn, Genevieve’s Cheesecakes and more. Additional vendors will be announced leading up to the event here. Early entry tickets ($29, includes commemorative glass) and General Admission ($19, includes commemorative glass) are available online. The event runs from 6 pm to 8:30 pm with early VIP entry at 5 pm.

Holiday Valley Beer & Wine Fest Returns To Ellicottville

The Holiday Valley Beer & Wine Festival returns for a 22^st year on Nov. 7 (3-7 pm, Main Lodge) will feature tastings from more than 50 of the region’s best craft breweries, distilleries, wineries and cideries. There will also be live music from Nerds Gone Wild, Darkwater Duo and Second Hand News on each of the three floors of the event. VIP tickets (includes early entry, exclusive VIP Area on top floor, VIP lanyard, souvenir gift) and General Admission tickets are $75 ($20 for designated drivers). You can purchase tickets here. There are also weekend and Saturday night lodging packages available.

Grab A Spooky Brew Or Two At These Places This Halloween

There are a number of options if you’re looking to don your best Halloween costume and grab a fresh locally brewed pint this year. Farmcraft is throwing a free family-friendly Halloween party (1-3 pm) with a costume contest, free face painting and more. The Lock Tender is throwing Werewolves of Lockport (free, 7 pm) with a costume contest and drink specials. Southern Tier’s King-O-Ween Halloween Party in Lakewood (5-9 pm) features $1 off Pumking drafts, DJ spinning all night, costume party and more. The event is free. Beer Justice’s Halloween Party (7 pm) will feature live music from The Chillbillys, costume contest and more. The event is free.

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).

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The Tap & Craft Festival returns to Buffalo Riverworks on Friday, Oct. 23, a premier fall beer festival that features more than 30 craft breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries, “designed to showcase both beloved favorites and exciting discoveries from across New York State and beyond.”

Sample beers, ciders, spirits and specialty beverages from Other Half, Grow Brewing, Mortalis Brewing, Strangebird, Frequentem Brewing, Big Ditch Brewing, Pearl Street, Hop Butcher for the World, Nomxd Brew, Troegs, New Trail Brewing, Downeast Cider, Black Willow Winery, Awestruck Premium Hard Ciders, BriarBrothers Brewing, Drekker Brewing, Barrelhouse 6 Distillery, The Cider Project, Imprint Beer, Arkane Aleworks, Hartman’s Distilling, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Lincoln Cutting – East Aurora Brewery, Battle Rattle Spirits / Empire State Distillers, Talking Cursive, Notch Brewing, and Departed Soles Brewing.

There will also be craft vendors, including Touchstone Crystal, Vessel, TATRA creative, Blended & Baked LLC, Oma’s Kitchen LLC, Bottoms Up! & Dolci LLC, WNY Beer Trail and Window Nation, as well as live music from The Brass Machine.

“Tap & Craft: Buffalo brings together an intentionally curated lineup of craft beverage producers, live music, local makers, and the Buffalo community for one big night at RiverWorks,” festival organizers said. “Secure your tickets today and join us on October 23 for an evening featuring 25+ craft beverage brands, more than 60 individual styles, live music, local vendors, and plenty to discover. We can’t wait to raise a glass with you in Buffalo.”

Last year at Tap & Craft, I had a great time and drank a lot of great beer. First off, I love Riverworks as a venue for a beer festival. If you’ve been following the Beer League, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard me profess my love for Thawfest, which used to be one of my favorite beer events of the year. Perhaps the biggest strength of Tap & Craft is the beer list. This year, there are many breweries on the docket we don’t often get in Western New York – Grow, Arkane, Drekker, Notch, Departed Soles. The one I’m most looking forward to is Hop Butcher – I’ve only had a few beers from them at CollaBEERation. So I’m looking forward to more at Tap & Craft. Outside of beer, I’m also looking forward to spending more time with The Cider Project. I’ve heard so many good things, so I’ll be seeking them out often.

Tickets are on sale now – Tap Tier ($75, early entry, admission to both sessions, three 16oz. cans to go (an Other Half IPA, BriarBrothers Lock Tender Lager and Talking Cursive Lock Pickler Cream Ale, pretzel necklace, festival sticker), VIP ($60, early entry, exclusive VIP-only pours), General Admission ($50), and Designated Driver ($12, includes bottled water).

You can purchase tickets at Tapandcraft.com (no Eventbrite fees). There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door as well on the day of.

Tap & Craft is hosted by The Lock Tender Tap Room & Bottle Shop.

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).

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Local Hollow Brewing’s Boo & Brews at the Hollow

Local Hollow Brewing and WNY Beer Trail are hosting the inaugural Boos & Brews at the Hollow on Saturday, Oct. 17 (12-4 pm) at the Clarence Hollow brewery, a fall-themed market with seasonal beers from Local Hollow, including Boos & Brews beer flights, fall cocktails and local vendors such as WNY Beer Trail, Norah’s Resin, Fox Tail Bakery, Tiffiney’s Trinkets, Drew’s Woodworking, IA of WNY, Oh How Cool! Resin Arts, Crazy Wine Bottle Lady, Maria’s Bene Cibo – Food Truck and more. The event is free to attend and open to the public.

Tap & Craft Festival Returns to Buffalo Riverworks Oct. 23

The Tap & Craft Festival returns to Buffalo Riverworks on Friday, Oct. 23, featuring more than 30 craft breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries. There will also be craft vendors and live music from The Brass Machine. Tickets are on sale now – Tap Tier ($75, early entry, admission to both sessions, three 16oz. cans to go, pretzel necklace, festival sticker), VIP ($60, early entry, exclusive VIP-only pours), General Admission ($50) and Designated Driver ($12, includes bottled water). You can purchase tickets at Tapandcraft.com (no Eventbrite fees). There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door as well on the day of.

CollaBEERation 7 Festival Sets for April 2027

The date has been set for the seventh annual CollaBEERation Festival – April 3, 2027. The event will return to the Powerhouse (140 Lee St, Buffalo). Participating breweries, meaderies and cideries, as well as ticket information, will be announced at a later date. If you don’t know how CollaBEERation works, here’s the premise – the event features craft beer, cider and mead created by members of the Buffalo Beer Geeks community, who team up with over 50 Western New York craft venues to create one-off, small batch creations, many created exclusively for this event. They are involved in every step of the creative process. There will also be food and craft vendors on hand. For more information, click here.

42 North Brewing Celebrates 11th Anniversary

42 North Brewing is planning a full weekend of music and special beer releases from Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 18 to celebrate its 11th anniversary. The celebration features live music all weekend long from AJ & The Woods, Marty Peters (with Sue Kincaid, Tracey Richter, Kirsten Brady and Jon Hoy and The Brother’s Blue, Buffalo Bills game with gameday food and beer specials, and a trio of new beers – Strawberry Rhubarb Kolsch, Raspberry/Cherry American Sour and Hazy Double IPA featuring a 2026 fresh hop harvest. All events during 42 North’s Anniversary weekend are free and open to the public.

New Pumpkin Beer From Butera’s Village Brew House and First Line

Butera’s Village Brew House and First Line Brewing have teamed up with Urbanowicz Acres Farm and Battle Rattle for this year’s release of Raf’s Great Pumpkin Ale. The beer is brewed with locally grown Western New York pie pumpkins from Urbanowicz Acres soaked in Battle Rattle whiskey, then roasted in Butera’s brick oven. The beer, brewed at First Line, features oats, Munich and Vienna malts, German noble hops and pumpkin seeds. Raf’s Great Pumpkin Ale will be available on draft at both Butera’s and First Line soon.

Buffalo Brewing’s Raffle To Purchase Special Simon Pure 12-Pack

Buffalo Brewing Company is raffling off the chance to purchase a special 12-pack of 16oz. bottles of Simon Pure lager. To enter, visit Buffalo Brewing’s Instagram page, follow Buffalo Brewing Company and Simon Pure Beer, then comment and tag 3 people you’d share your 12-pack with. Entries close Sunday, October 18 at 8 pm and the winner will be announced Monday, October 19. This is a chance to purchase one 12-pack of 16oz. Simon Pure bottles at the regular retail price (beer is not being given away).

BriarBrothers Brewing Drops New Sabres-Themed Beer

BriarBrothers Brewing’s newest haze pays homage to a homegrown Buffalo Sabres talent – Zach Benson. Benson Burner is a juicy and hazy 7% New England IPA brewed with Citra and El Dorado hops. The can art takes inspiration from West Coast Amusements, the traveling carnival owned by the Benson Family. “We’re dropping a brand new beer just in time for hockey season, and this one is built for Buffalo,” the brewery said. “Juicy, hazy, and ready to bring some heat to your next game day.” Benson Burner is available on draft and in cans at BriarBrothers Brewing.

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).

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The date has been set for the seventh annual CollaBEERation Festival – April 3, 2027. The event will return to the Powerhouse (140 Lee St, Buffalo).

Participating breweries, meaderies and cideries, as well as ticket information, will be announced at a later date.

If you don’t know how CollaBEERation works, here’s the premise – the event features craft beer, cider and mead created by members of the Buffalo Beer Geeks community, who team up with over 50 Western New York craft venues to create one-off, small batch creations, many created exclusively for this event. They are involved in every step of the creative process.

Festival goers vote for their top collaborations, with the winners taking home the Buffalo Beer Geek Championship Belt. Batavia’s Eli Fish Brewing will defend their title in 2027 after winning the belt at CollaBEERation VI for their Diddy Kong: The Reckoning, a banana and root beer flavored hard seltzer.

“CollaBEERation was created to bring together local beer enthusiasts and local breweries to create one off beers, ciders and meads that you’ll never be able to taste anywhere besides the event,” event organizer Joe Yager from the Buffalo Beer Geeks said. “You will get unlimited 4oz. pours from over 40 Buffalo and Rochester breweries. We will also have many beer and non-beer related vendors for shopping and multiple food options. The event is at The Powerhouse in Buffalo, a beautiful spot with plenty of parking and space inside.”

There will also be food and craft vendors on hand.

Erik Coleman, proprietor of Beer By Coleman Beer Concierge, who is presenting the event, says CollaBEERation is an event by the brewing community that’s for the community.

“CollaBEERation is a unique festival because you have a chance come and taste some unique, one-off specialty beers that you can’t get anywhere else and aren’t out of tap yet, brewed exclusive for this event,” he said. “You also get a chance to meet the actual people who are brewing the beer. The people behind the taps are the brewers, the owners and the people who can tell the story of the brewing company, the meadery, the cidery, as well as the product that they are pouring for you.”

For more information, click here.

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).

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42 North Brewing is planning a full weekend of music and special beer releases from Friday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 18 to celebrate its 11th anniversary.

The celebration begins on Friday night when AJ & The Woods hit the stage at 7 pm in the taproom. AJ & The Woods, hailing from Cleveland, have become favorites in East Aurora with their up-tempo Americana sounds, having made multiple appearances at 42 North annual summer music series, Sunset at the Stables.

The music continues all day Saturday with Buffalo Music Hall of Famer, Marty Peters. From 3-5 pm, Marty will be joined by an all-star lineup, featuring Sue Kincaid, Tracey Richter, Kirsten Brady, and Jon Hoy. At 6 pm, Marty Peters and The Low Bridges hit the stage in the taproom.

On Sunday, The Brother’s Blue host the Old Time String Jam from 1-4 pm, followed by Buffalo vs Las Vegas on the big screen. Game day food and beer specials all day long on Sunday.

A brewery anniversary weekend would not be complete with some limited-edition beers. On tap starting on Friday will be three small batch beers. Featured beers for the weekend include a Strawberry Rhubarb Kolsch, a Raspberry/Cherry American Sour and a Hazy Double IPA featuring a 2026 fresh hop harvest.

The anniversary schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, Oct. 16

• 7 pm-10 pm: AJ & The Woods

Saturday, Oct. 17

• 3-5 pm: Marty Peters and Friends
• 6-8 pm: Marty Peters and The Low Bridges

Sunday, Oct. 18

• 1 pm-4 pm: Old Time String Jam
• 4 pm: Buffalo vs. Las Vegas

For more information, visit www.42northbrewing.com.

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Resurgence Brewing is bringing its Pints in the Park series to Chestnut Ridge Park this fall for Pints in the Park: Brews & Views, a celebration of local craft beverages, food, music and makers on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1-7 pm.

Located near the Casino and Toboggan Chutes at Chestnut Ridge, the event invites guests to enjoy the changing fall leaves while supporting local craft beverages, food vendors, and artists. Resurgence’s craft beverage trailer will be on site serving a selection of draft and canned beer, cider, vodka seltzers and non-alcoholic options, giving guests plenty of choices to enjoy throughout the afternoon.

The event will also feature live acoustic music from Stephen Babcock from 1:00 to 3:00 PM and Grace Lougen from 4-7 pm, along with a variety of local artisan vendors, food trucks and activities for guests of all ages.

Featured vendors and activities include:

• Lawn games
• Face painting
• Laney Rose Jewelry
• Fate Fell Collective
• Nickel City Candle Shop
• Not A Basic Bleach
• The Roaming Buffalo Art
• Pizza Amore food truck
• Fat Bob’s food truck
• Sweet Minis Donuts
• POPularity!

“Pints in the Park has always been about bringing people together to enjoy great local businesses, local talent, and the outdoors,” said Jeff Ware, president at Resurgence Brewing. “Brews & Views is a chance to slow down, take in the fall scenery at Chestnut Ridge, and spend an afternoon supporting the artists and small businesses that make Western New York such a great place to live.”

The event is free to attend and open to the public.

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Larkin’s Magic Bear Beer Cellar to close at end of October

Big Ditch Teams Up With YMCA on Turkey Trotter

Big Ditch Brewing has teamed up with the YMCA Buffalo Niagara for the fifth consecutive year to release Turkey Trotter, a beer brewed for the Buffalo Turkey Trot, the world’s oldest consecutively run footrace, a race that has been a Buffalo tradition since 1896. Turkey Trotter, described as a ‘perfect finish-line beer,’ is a blonde ale featuring crackery malt flavors and light fruity hops. Turkey Trotter is available on draft and in 12oz. 6-pack cans at both Big Ditch taprooms, as well as wherever great craft beer.

WNY Beer Trail Announces 2027 Trail Pass

The WNY Beer Trail 2027 Trail Pass is available now. The 2027 pass features 78 locations, including breweries, meaderies, taprooms and restaurants, such as new additions Pearl Street, Bloomfield’s Pub and Glen Park Tavern, official listings for venues that joined the Trail Pass part way through last year, buy one, get one free deals, savings on flights and more, new look with full color graphics for each location, return of monthly giveaways, beginning in January, and more. You can order your booklet, or get the mobile version, along with other WNY Beer Trail merchandise, at www.wnybeertrail.com for $35, and in person at Buffalo Gift Emporium. The 2027 Trail Pass is valid through the end of next year. You can also still pick up a 2026 Trail Pass, which is good through the end of the year, for $10 online and at Buffalo Gift Emporium.

Nickel City Brewz Launches Flights & Flannel Fridays

Starting this Friday, Oct. 9, and continuing every Friday throughout October, if you wear flannel to Nickel City Brewz, you can get a flight of four beers for $10 (exclusions apply). You can also add a featured bite for $5. The special runs 5:30 – 9 p.m. “Grab your flannel, bring your crew, and kick off the weekend with us!” Nickel City Brewz said. Nickel City Brewz is located at 5175 Broadway in Lancaster.

 3 Breweries Win Top Honors in Buffalo News Best Of 716

Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2026 Buffalo News Best of 716 Awards. Local craft was well represented this year as New York Beer Project won Best Beer List (Big Ditch Brewing and Resurgence Brewing were named as runners up) and Best Brewery (Big Ditch and Hamburg Brewing were named runners up), Johnson’s Landing won Best Rooftop Bar, Hofbrauhaus won Best German Restaurant and Consumer’s Beverages won Best Beer Store. Congrats once again to all of the deserving winners.

Purchase A $50 First Line Brewing Gift Card For $25

You can purchase a $50 gift card to First Line Brewing for only $25 (plus $1.95 processing fee) at BeOurGuestBuffalo.com. The gift card is good for dine-in only and is good on food, beer, seltzer and cocktails. The $25 promotional bonus value expires six (6) months from the date of purchase and the $25 paid value expires five (5) years from the date of purchase. There is a limited quantity left. While you’re at BeOurGuestBuffalo.com, you can also purchase a $50 gift certificate to Nickel City Brewz for $25.

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).

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Mr. Goodbar’s annual Cask Fest returns on Thursday, Dec. 3 (7 pm).

The ticketed event features cask beers, including special one-off variants and straight cask presentations of brewery favorites, most of which cannot be found anywhere else, from local breweries upstairs in the Attic at Mr. Goodbar.

Tickets include unlimited cask samplings, commemorative glass, food and more.

The brewery and cask beer list will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets can be purchased in person at Mr. Goodbar.

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).

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Ghost is a rock band from Linköping, Sweden. Mystic Hills is a small farm craft brewery from East Concord, New York. What do the two have in common? While it may not seem like much on the surface, it’s actually more than you think. Many beers you find on the draft board at Mystic Hills are named in honor of Ghost songs, which, as a huge fan of the band Ghost, is one of my favorite things in local craft beer right now.

Music and craft beer are two of my greatest passions – worlds that go pretty much go hand-in-hand. Craft beer is supposed to be fun, right?

To date, the brewery has named more than half a dozen beers in honor of Ghost and their songs, including Citrice IPA (“Cirice”), Hunter’s Moon Belgian Wit “(Hunter’s Moon”), If You Have Oats (You Have Everything) Oat Cream IPA (“If You Have Ghosts”), Kaisarion Berliner Weisse “(Kaisarion”), Kiss the Gose Cucumber Gose (“Kiss The Go-Goat”), Respite on the Blueberryfields Blueberry Wheat (“Respite on the Spitalfields”), Secular Haze New England IPA (“Secular Haze”), Papa Mystic Patersbier and Year Zero Anniversary IPA “(Year Zero”). And there’s more on the way I’m told (think beers named in honor of “Call Me Little Sunshine” and “Square Hammer”).

“There are plenty more songs that are written down on post-it notes in the brewery. We don’t want to tip our hand, but “Call Me Little Sunshine” and “Square Hammer” are waiting for their opportunities to be used, the latter is reserved for a beer that will be as memorable as the opening riff of the song,” owner Michael Prusakowski explained.

And if you’ve not been to Mystic Hills before, it’s a cozy farm brewery nestled in East Concord owned by Reanna Dembitsky and Prusakowski that offers bucolic views of rolling green fields from their quaint beer garden. But my favorite spot in the taproom is a small library nook. It’s kitschy – from the unique out of this world wallpaper to giant mounted deer head – but it’s warm and inviting and the best place to enjoy a few pints or a flight in my opinion. But the beer garden is a very close second.

I was sitting in the library at Mystic Hills recently for their 3^rd anniversary party, drinking a Kaisarion Berliner Weisse, named for Ghost’s brilliant (defacto) Impera opener, and the thought hit me – it would be incredibly fun to rank my favorite Ghost-themed Mystic Hills beers. So let’s do that.

“Ghost names were forming for a long time even before we opened. You can occasionally see me rocking a Ghost shirt at the brewery,” Prusakowski said. “As a Christmas gift, we took Daniel Uhl, our head brewer, to experience them live in Toronto. We have a Papa Emeritus II action figure in the back office. Names like Secular Haze were reserved for our first true hazy New England IPA and uses imagery on the can label art. Other’s quickly followed as we changed the wording to fit the beer style.”

5. Beer: Year Zero Anniversary IPA
Song: “Year Zero”
Why: Named for Mystic Hills anniversary release and an excellent song off the Infestissumam album, Year Zero finds a home on this list because it’s a beer I look forward to every year. I’ve made it each of Mystic Hills first three anniversary parties and have had this beer every year – it’s almost a rite of passage at this point. So, for that reason alone, it makes my list. But “Year Zero” is also a killer tune – a microcosm of early incarnations of Ghost – hymnal chants, driving low end, massive infectious hooks and great vocals.

2. Beer: If You Have Oats (You Have Everything) Oat Cream IPA
Song: “If You Have Ghosts” (Roky Erickson and the Aliens cover)
Why: Even though it’s a cover, Ghost’s “If You Have Ghosts” is my favorite Ghost song of all time. Taken off of their 2013 EP, If You Have Ghost, which was, crazily enough, produced by Dave Grohl, this track houses one of the best hooks the band has ever put to wax. And I liked both the Elani and Sabro hopped versions of “If You Have Oats (You Have Everything) Oat Cream IPA,” a hazy IPA with malted and flaked oats and lactose.

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).

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