Usher in summer at 12 Gates Brewing with the second annual Rock the Gates Festival, a day of entertainment and special beer releases, on June 2nd (12-11pm). 12 Gates’ signature annual bash is the perfect way to start your summer off right, because, honestly, we only get about three months of it to enjoy each year, so why not fill your glass with fresh local beer while surrounded by hundreds of like-minded individuals?

The event will feature the exclusive release of bottles of 12 Gates’ Ancient Chaos Tropical Stout (22oz bombers, $12 each, 100 bottles available). If last year’s Ancient Chaos special release, a dark saison aged on black currants and pinot noir oak from Leonard Oakes Winery, was any indication, Ancient Chaos Tropical Stout is sure to be a can’t-miss beer.

And in addition to the release of Ancient Chaos, 12 Gates are also releasing eight exclusive beers in their VIP Tent (find more info on that below), including:

Nut Brown Ale (4.9%): Clean hops and a complex malt bill produce a clean, full, and slightly nutty Brown Ale.

Pilot IPA 8.0 (New England Style IPA)(7.3%): Features loads of Amarillo and Simcoe hops. The result is a soft East Coast IPA with notes of mandarin orange and mango, with a touch of pineapple.

Blood Orange Wit (5.1%): This light Belgian Wit beer was treated with Blood Orange Candi Syrup to yield a citrusy and spritzy summertime beer.

Mr. Finish Line IPA (Rye IPA)(6.5%): This Rye IPA was brewed by 12G brewer Dave as part of the Co-Pilot Series. Look for strong tropical and lemon notes with a touch of rye spiciness.

Upsilon IPA (White IPA)(6.8%): This White IPA was brewed by 12G assistant Corey as part of the Co-Pilot Series. Look for Belgian spice and phenols along with notes of coriander, peaches, and pears.

Tacocat (5.3%): 12G’s base Pilsner aged on tequila oak and limes to create a super summery easy drinking beer.

Coffee IPA (6.7%): 12G’s West Coast Style IPA aged on a special blend of coffee from Kornerstone Roasters. Look for subtle notes of citrus, coffee and chocolate.

Coconut Amber (5.1%): 12G’s Pilot Dark Amber treated with 8 pounds of toasted unsweetened coconut to give a smooth and roasty coconut flavor and aroma reminiscent of a Mounds bar.

12 Gates knows that you can’t have all of this delicious beer on an empty stomach. Food vendors KTB’s Bucking Pig BBQ, Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs and Get Fried will make their return at Rock the Gates II, while the debuting Butcher Dave, Dirty Bird Chicken N’ Waffles LLC, Mineo & Sapio Street Eats, Share Kitchen & Bar Room, and Sweet Melody’s will also be on hand serving up the good stuff.

Rock the Gates II will also feature live music all day, starting at noon with The RiG, performing all of your favorite hits from the 70’s. From there, Pearl Jam tribute band Unleash the Lion (3-5:30pm) takes the stage, followed by XOXO Pop Band (6-8:30pm), playing a selection of modern pop hits, and finally, The A-List Band (9pm) will close out the night’s festivities playing all of your classic rock favorites and music you can dance to.

There will be prize giveaways throughout the event, including a raffle for a one-of-a-kid 12 Gates branded kegerator and free beer for a year. Raffle tickets will be sold for $5 and the proceeds go to benefit WNY Heroes.org. Winner will receive a case of beer each month.

Tickets for Rock the Gates II are $10 pre-sale ($15 door) and include a voucher for a 12 Gates pint glass (while supplies last) and 1 beer, while VIP tickets ($30 pre-sale / $35 door) include a limited edition Rock the Gates t-shirt, 12 Gates branded Teku beer glass, 2 free beers and VIP Tent Access, which includes the afore mentioned eight exclusive beers. Only 250 VIP tickets available.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/430424420751179/.

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. 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), Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague) and www.buffalobeerleague.com.