The Opening Gala is one of my favorite events during Buffalo Beer Week year after year. Though it’s new to Flying Bison Brewing this year on September 15 (5-9pm), I have loved this event dating back to its days as Buffalo Brewed at the Adam Mickiewicz Library. It’s also one of the very first events we attended after starting the Buffalo Beer League. I’ll miss having this event at the Library, and the Torn Space Theatre last year, but I’m excited for its next incarnation, and you should be too.
That was then. This is now.
The event, which is ticketed this year, will feature an all-Western New York taplist, as well as food trucks and live music. Tickets are $20 at the door and include a special Buffalo Niagara Brewers Association tasting glass as well as eight tasting tickets additional 5oz. pours will be $2). The Leroy Townes Band and the Panfil Family Bluegrass Band will provide live music and food comes courtesy of Lloyd’s and Lomo Lomo food trucks.
Brewers and representatives from each brewery will be on hand as well at the gala so you will have the chance to chat directly with those responsible for the delicious liquid that is in your glass.
Beer list (subject to change):
- 12 Gates Brewing Company– Festbier
- 42 North Brewing Company– TBA
- Big Ditch Brewing Company– Make Me Wanna Stout
- BlackBird Cider Works– Lakeside Loganberry Cider
- Buffalo Brewing Company– Celebration 2018
- Buffalo Brewpub– Octoberfest
- Buffalo RiverWorks– Bin House Brown Ale
- Brickyard Brewing Company.– Millions of Peaches Gelato IPA
- Community Beer Works– Whale Brown Ale
- Eli Fish Brewing Company– Two Timer Double IPA
- Ellicottville Brewing Company– Dunkelweizen
- Five & 20 Spirits & Brewing– Barrelywine
- Flying Bison Brewing Company– Zeal! Session IPA (cask)
- Four Mile Brewing– Fig Stout
- Gene McCarthy’s/Old First Ward Brewing Co.– Against the Grain Hefeweizen
- Hamburg Brewing Company– Blackberry Gose
- Lilly Belle Meads– Hops & Honey Mead
- Lafayette Brewing Company Buffalo– Terminator IPA
- New York Beer Project– Rum Raisin Belgian Dubbel
- Pearl Street Grill & Brewery– Trainwreck Alt
- Pressure Drop Brewing– Knives Out Session IPA (collaboration w/ CBW)
- Resurgence Brewing Company– Octoberfest
- Sato Brewpub– Momotoro Session Brut IPA w/ Peaches
- Southern Tier Brewing Company– Harvest Ale ESB
- Steelbound Brewery & Distillery– Blue Balls (Wheat w/ Blueberries)
- Thin Man Brewery– Minky Boodle Sour Ale w/ Raspberries
- West Shore Brewing Company– Wet Hop IPA
- Woodcock Brothers Brewery– Kum Quat With Me
“Successful growing festivals like Buffalo Beer Week highlight how strong an impact local craft brewing has on the revitalization of Western New York,” outgoing BNBA President Willard Brooks adds. “The BNBA was formed as a way to showcase Buffalo’s rich beer-making history and to stimulate further interest in the local beer industry from surrounding counties in the region, as well as Rochester and Southern Ontario.”
Buffalo Beer Week, a 10-day celebration of the Buffalo-Niagara craft beer scene, now in its ninth year, runs through September 23. The lineup features hundreds of events, including over a dozen featured events. New this year is Class Is In Session IPA, the official Buffalo Beer Week beer, a collaboration between 20 local breweries, which will be available for sale throughout Beer Week. You can find the beer in six pack cans and on draft at a number of breweries as well as local Wegmans and bottle shops like Village Beer Merchant, Brewed and Bottled and Premier Gourmet.
Oh, and although it is called a gala, there is no dress code – feel free to wear what you want. Although I considering wearing my three-piece suit, I think I will just go with a polo.
To see all the events that are happening over the next 10 days and to read the official Buffalo Beer Week book, visit http://www.buffalobeerweek.com. The theme this year is ‘beer education.’ For more information, please visit Buffaloniagarabrewersassociation.org and Facebook.com/BuffaloNiagaraBrewersAssociation.
For more information on the Opening Gala, head over to https://www.facebook.com/events/1857340951053428.
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.
