Believe it or not, it will soon be time to raise a toast to the end of yet another long Buffalo winter and what better place to do so than at Thawfest at Buffalo Riverworks on April 9 (6:30-9:30pm). With the snow all but in the rear view (I just jinxed us all didn’t I?) and warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time to celebrate, and you know as well as I do that when we celebrate here in Buffalo, we drink.
And drink we shall at Thawfest 2022.
Over 50 local breweries, cideries, distilleries, and wineries will be on hand, while the Cory Klawon Duo will provide live music.
Festival attendees will have access to samples of great locally craft beer from Pearl Street, Riverworks Brewing, Lafayette Brewing, Ellicottville Brewing, Empire Brewing, Pressure Drop Brewing, Community Beer Works, Resurgence Brewing, 12 Gates, Big Ditch, Steelbound Brewery, Hamburg Brewing, Southern Tier Brewing, Flying Bison Brewery, New York Beer Project, Saranac, Belt Line, K2 Brothers Brewing, Four Mile Brewing, Genesee Brewing, Young Lion, Ithaca, Faith American, Butera’s x Village Brew House, Brickyard Brewing and Partake Brewing.
In addition to beer, there will also beer a number of cideries on hand, including Steam Punk, 1911 Beak & Skiff, McKenzie’s, Little Mack, Clarksburg Cider, Rootstock Ciderworks, Blue Toad, Angry Orchard, OSB Ciderworks and Mountain Mule Ciders.
Beer and hard cider not your thing? That’s cool. Thawfest literally has something for everyone. There will also be wine (Fox Run Vineyards, Victorian Wine Estate, Leonard Oaks Estate Winery, Freedom Gypsies Farm Winery, Colloca Estates, Merrit Estate Winery) and distilleries (Steelbound, North Ridge Distillery, Iron Smoke Distillery, Four Fights Distilling, Barrelhouse 6 Distillery, Current Spirits, Old Scotland Road) on hand serving their wares as well.
While the official beverage list has yet to be announced, Riverworks promises that this newest incarnation of the event won’t be just another beer festival.
“2022 will promise to bring a whole new feel to Thawfest 2022,” they say. “We are digging deep to find some extremely rare batches and releases all across NY to bring to Buffalo RiverWorks. We have been listening to your requests and will be making some new and exciting changes. This year will not be just another brewfest!”
A wider selection of rare and limited beers, as well as finger foods, will be available in the VIP section (5:30-9:30pm).
Tickets can be purchased here (General admission: $45, VIP: $65). Designated driver tickets are also available.
For more information on all things Thawfest, visit http://thawfest.com.
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 (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
