Whenever I have a chance to catchup with someone I haven’t seen in a while, they almost inevitably ask me, ‘what have you been up to?’ My response, almost always, is, ‘beer keeps me busy.’ Now, sure, that’s an easy answer, almost bordering on being a canned reply, but above all else, it’s true. And it’s never been truer than in 2024. As I sit here, ruminating on this year that was, drinking an Other Half Brewing Green City DDH IPA, I’m reminded that beer, for me, is more than just a fun hobby, more than a job, it’s a passion.
It may sound cheesy, or like I said, canned, but beer really does keep me busy. And 2024 was evident of that. This year has been a whirlwind of unforgettable experiences, all fueled by craft beer. This year had its ebbs and flows, its peak and valleys – a number of places sadly closed. I hate seeing my friends close their doors. But I digress and I told myself I’m going to try not to dwell on negativity this year.
I started the year with magnum bottles of Buffalo Brewing Manru Lager as I rang in the New Year, and from there, I was off to the races, riding a tidal wave of craft beer. Countless beers and countless taproom visits ensued, too many to list, or remember for that matter. Well, I may get into some, we will see where this article takes me.
January brought a few of my favorite beer events – Buffalo on Tap and Barrel Jam. These are two of my must-dos each and every year, and they did not disappoint this year. Buffalo on Tap is pure fun and Barrel Jam is one of the most unique events on the beer calendar – an outdoor beer event at a brewery with live music, snowboarding and barrel-aged beers. It’s hard to beat.
There were Bills tailgates, scores of Big Ditch Hayburner stovepipes and cans of Thin Man Pills Mafia consumed, Sabres, Bisons and Bandits games, brewery openings (shout out to our friends at Frequentem Brewing, Beer Kind Brewing, Farmcraft Brewery and New York Beer Project OP Beer Lodge to name a few), Community Beer Works bought Thin Man Brewery and Ellicottville Brewing bought Pressure Drop Brewing, there was the Brewer’s Invitational at New York Beer Project in February, another date I circle on the calendar, all of the beer and events surrounding March’s solar eclipse, a massive month of April that featured more of our favorite events like KBC, CollaBEERation (which is quickly becoming the craft beer Super Bowl) AND Thawfest (not sure how I survived all of that, but here I am), New York State Craft Brewers Festival and Rhythm & Brews in June, and the list goes on and on. And on and on. You get the point.
I had the chance to walk around the William Simon Brewery and interact with members of the Simon family for Buffalo Brewing’s initial release of Simon Pure Beer. That was June 29, which was a very special beer day for me. I started the day, along with my wife Jill, a literal saint, with the Simon Pure release, then headed up to celebrate the opening of Beer Kind Brewing and finished out the day with our friends at Resurgence Brewing for their 10th anniversary. It was a hell of a day. And catching up over beers with my good friend, Resurgence owner Jeff Ware, to cap off the night was one for the ol’ memory books.
The Buffalo Beer League hosted August Good Beer Club at Mr. Goodbar – thank you to Bobby and Rudy for helping facilitate that, and for having us out. I drank as much beer by the pool as I possibly could this summer, had great Fourth of July, Oktoberfest and Halloween parties, watched Hallmark Christmas movies while sitting at the bar at First Line Brewing in July, celebrated all things cask beer at Goodbar’s annual Cask Fest, raised a toast to one of my favorite breweries of the year – Smoldered Society – at their first anniversary at Goodbar in December, had a great night at Autark Brewhouse, got drunk on Hayburner tall boys and Doordashed way too much Jim’s Steakout to the Richardson Hotel during a staycation in October, drank through beer advent calendars from Magic Bear Beer Cellar and Consumers Beverages, dove into the past at the Genesee Brewery Vault at Vault 237, and, man, that seems like a lot. Maybe I drink too much? Or should I say, drank, too much.
And that’s somehow not even everything. Not even close. I could keep going. There were so many great beers that filled my glass these past 365 days. For more on that, you can check my Untappd page (@buffalobeerleague) or the Gusto section of the Buffalo News for my favorite beer of 2024 article.
While I’ve enjoyed chasing the latest trends, 2024 also reminded me of the enduring appeal of classic styles. Pilsners, stouts, and traditional Belgian ales brought a comforting sense of nostalgia and craftsmanship to my glass. There’s something magical about sipping a perfectly poured Czech Pilsner and appreciating its crisp, clean finish.
Beyond the beer (wait, there’s a beyond the beer?), there was everything else that went with it. We, my podcast partner Scott Panfil and I, placed second in Best Local Podcast at the All WNY Awards, and continued the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz podcast and Best Beer I Drank This Week podcast as well. I want to be better and do more with the podcast in 2025, so stay tuned for that.
Here’s to another year of great beer to come in 2025. Cheers to the brewers, the drinkers, and everyone in between who make this community so special. I know the journey will be as enjoyable as the destination.
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, Threads and Untappd (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
