Sunday, April 26, 2009

TAP-NY Day 2 Official Blog


11:04 - We are here and all setup. Gates open at noon. Here is the schedule for today.

12:18 - Doors are open. I got to try several brews I was really lookg forward to. Ithaca's Brute and Alphalpha, Blue Points Rastafaria. Geoff from Keegan is an amazing man and said he would drop some of their new Coffee Stout for me to taste.

1:04 - A good crowd for today, but the lines are much shorter today. Sunday is the day to come if you don't have to deal with work on Monday.

2:11 - The blog posts have been slow today. A more relaxed environment has allowed me to walk around and taste a little. No more beer for the next half hour as I will be a judge today for the sinal round of beers.

Sunday, April 26, 2009
12:00pm - Doors open

12:00-1:30pm - Judging - Round #2 The area's finest judges spend quality time with craft brews, determining the best among them.

12:30-3:30pm - Music - Doug Marcus Doug Marcus is an engaging singer/musician playing
stand-up bass.

1:45-2:30pm - Cooking Demonstration - Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room

2:00-3:00pm - Stamp Collectors Validation If you've collected all the brewery stamps throughout the day, visit the collectors' booth and enter to win all the beer swag you can carry home.

2:15pm - Judging - Final Round, Best Beer

2:15-2:55pm - Cooking Demonstration - Terrapin Restaurant

3:00pm - Best Beer Awards

3:30pm - Drawing for Stamp Collector Winner If you've collected all the brewery stamps throughout the day, visit the collectors' booth and enter to win all the beer swag you can carry home.

4:00pm - Doors close - see you next year!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

TAP-NY Day 1 Official Blog

11:04 AM - We are here at Hunter Mountain setting up. Check back all day as we are posting throughout the day. I will have the today's schedule posted shortly.

11:42 AM - We are set up at Table #2, next to Horseheads Brewing and a food stand. I have yet to taste anything from Horseheads so I am looking forward to that opportunity.

1:08 PM - Doors Open!

1:30 PM - The beer to taste at Horseheads is the Hot-Jala-Heim. A Jalapenio pepper beer that is really interesting. Nothing overbearing, and would pair great with some food here today.

1:35 - Just tasted Olde Saratoga's Talon Barley Wine and their special Sherry Cask Aged Talon. The sherry version is amazing. Look for their IPA to be released in the next month.

2:05 - Blake from the NY Brew Authority just stopped by the booth. He's enjoying his first TAP-NY.

2:50 - Attempted to find out who is judging the beers this year. There are a lot of people here. A lot.

3:05 - C.H. Evans Kick Ass Brown Ale is one of the best beers here.

3:33 - Butternut's has their four core beers here. Skip em. They are good but you can get them anywhere. Try the Sour ale. Ive been told it will be released later this year. It is one damn good beer.

3:35 - Editor's Note: If the Brown trade Brady Quinn today, I will be finishing people's kegs. I hope Scott from Captain Lawrence brought extras. Seriously, I won't be happy.

3:45 - Get to the Blue Point booth. Taste the Hoptical Illusion.

4:23 - There are a lot of people who are savoring great beer. There are also a few knuckleheads who are intoxicated. The Shmaltz Human Blockhead is really good.

6:49 PM - Back at the Hotel. Keegan Ales took both Cups today! The individual beer awards will be handed out tomorrow!


Saturday, April 25, 2009 TAP Schedule:

1:00pm - Doors open

1:00-2:30pm - Judging - Round #1 The area's finest judges spend quality time with craft brews, determining the best among them.

1:00-4:30pm - Music - The Christine Spero Group Critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Christine Spero will be performing live at TAP New York.

1:30-2:15pm - Cooking Demonstration - Brown's Brewing Co.

2:45-3:30pm - Cooking Demonstration - Skytop Brewing & Steakhouse

3:00-4:00pm - Stamp Collectors Validation If you've collected all the brewery stamps throughout the day, visit the collectors' booth and enter to win all the beer swag you can carry home.

4:00pm - F.X. Matt Memorial Cup & Matthew Vassar Cup Awarded Best brewery in New York & in the Hudson Valley honors awarded.

4:30pm - Drawing for Stamp Collector Winner Winner will be randomly selected.

5:00pm - Doors close - come back tomorrow!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

12:00pm - Doors open

12:00-1:30pm - Judging - Round #2 The area's finest judges spend quality time with craft
brews, determining the best among them.

12:30-3:30pm - Music - Doug Marcus Doug Marcus is an engaging singer/musician playing stand-up bass.

1:45-2:30pm - Cooking Demonstration - Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room

2:00-3:00pm - Stamp Collectors Validation If you've collected all the brewery stamps throughout the day, visit the collectors' booth and enter to win all the beer swag you can carry home.

2:15pm - Judging - Final Round, Best Beer

2:15-2:55pm - Cooking Demonstration - Terrapin Restaurant

3:00pm - Best Beer Awards

3:30pm - Drawing for Stamp Collector Winner If you've collected all the brewery stamps throughout the day, visit the collectors' booth and enter to win all the beer swag you can carry home.

4:00pm - Doors close - see you next year!

Monday, April 20, 2009

2009 TAP-NY Preview

With TAP-NY just a few short days away, we are putting up a preview blog.



Last Year's Winners

F.X. Matt Memorial Cup

Best Craft Brewery in New York State
Ithaca Beer Company

Gold Medal - Ithaca 10, Ithaca Beer Company
Silver Medal - Flower Power IPA, Ithaca Beer Company
Bronze Medal - Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brewing Company

Matthew Vassar Brewers' Cup

Best Craft Brewery in the Hudson Valley
Brown's Brewing Company

Gold Medal - White Ale, Olde Saratoga Brewery
Silver Medal - American Style Triple, Captain Lawrence Brewing
Bronze Medal - Mother's Milk, Keegan Ales

2009 Invited Breweries

The following breweries were invited but are not attending.
Black Forest Brew Haus
Buffalo Brewpub
Cooper's Cave Ale
Davidson Brothers
High Point Brewing Company
Syracuse Suds Factory

Adirondack Pub & Brewery - Lake George
C.H. Evans/Albany Pump Station - Albany

"It's a surprise."
Blue Point Brewing Co. - Patchogue, LI
Brewery Ommegang - Cooperstown
Witte
Rare Vos
Hennepin
Three Philosophers
Biere de Mars
Brick House Brewing Co. - Patchogue, LI
Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn
Brown's Brewing Co. - Troy Bru Rochester - Rochester
Butternuts Beer & Ale Co. - Garrattsville
Heinnieweisse Weissebier
Snapperhead IPA
Porkslap Pale Ale
Moo Thunder Stout
Outrage Ale (IPA)
Harvest Ale (Sour)
Saison
Captain Lawrence Brewing - Pleasantville
Cave Mountain Brewing - Windham
Chatham Brewing Co. - Chatham
Maple Amber
Dive Bar Ale
India Pale Ale
Porter
Chelsea Brewing Co. - Manhattan
Cooperstown Brewing Co. - Cooperstown
Old Slugger
Nine Man Ale
Benchwarmer
Strike Out
Back Yard
Pride of Milford
Striker (Possibly)
Custom Brew Crafters - Honeoye
The Defiant Brewery - Pearl River
Prohibition Lager
Muddy Creek Lager
Belgian Style Trippel
Eddie's Brewery - Orchard Park
Ellicottville Brewing Co. - Ellicottville
Flying Bison Brewing Co. - Buffalo
Gilded Otter - New Paltz
Pale Ale
Altbier
Dunkelweizen
Double Trouble Bock
Vienna Lager
India Pale Ale
Alphalpha
Brute
a cask-conditioned version of Flower Power IPA (Really Good Last Year)
Cascazilla
Apricot Wheat
Keegan Ales - Kingston
Kelso of Brooklyn - Brooklyn
King Arthur's Steakhouse and Brewery - Oswego
Lake Placid Pub & Brewery - Lake Placid
Pulpit Rock Doppelbock
Sunrise Stout
Lake Placid IPA
UBU Ale
Barley Wine
Landmark Brewing Co. - East Syracuse
Legacy Brewing Co. - Reading, PA
Market Street Brewing - Corning
Middle Ages Brewing - Syracuse
Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. - Saratoga Springs
Talon
Olde Saratoga Lager
Eye of the Hawk (Mendocino)
Red Tail (Mendocino)
Pearl Street Grill & Brewery - Buffalo
The Peekskill Brewery - Peekskill
Ramapo Valley Brewing Co. - Suffern
Rohrbach Brewing Co. - Rochester
Roosterfish Brewing Co. - Watkins Glen
Sackets Harbor Brewing Co. - Sackets Harbor
Saranac/Matt Brewing Co. - Utica
Shmaltz Brewing Co. - Saratoga Spgs. & Bklyn.
Sixpoint Craft Ales - Brooklyn
Skytop Steakhouse & Brewery - Kingston
Southampton Ales and Lagers - Southampton
Southern Tier Brewing - Lakewood
Unibroue - Chambly, Quebec
Wagner Valley Brewing Co. - Lodi
Warwick Valley Winery Hard Ciders - Warwick



I will be posting the beers that these breweries will be bringing as I hear back from the breweries.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Wolff's Biergarten

Albany is quickly becoming a great craft beer city. The Capital City has C.H. Evans Ale/Albany Pump Station downtown and Brown's right down the street for breweries. Mahar's is a world class beer bar. Brew Crew is a phenomenal beer store right on Colvin Avenue and their sister store in Westmere is equally impressive. Manager Jeremy Hosier is one of the most knowledgeable beer minds in the area.

You can add one more destination for fans of great beer. Wolff's Biergarten opened on March 19th. Steve Barnes of the Albany Times Union wrote a great preview on his blog.
(Photo by Steve Barnes)

In celebration of Sean Barry coming home from Iraq, a few friends and myself traveled to Wolff's on Tuesday. Patrons walk into the Biergarten through a large garage door and are greeted by a long wooden bar on the left, a ping pong table on the left, several wooden picnic tables, a food station towards the back right and three dart boards towards the back. Their are baskets of peanuts on the table and plenty of empty shells on the floor. The bar has several televisions and I noticed plenty of signs advertising Champions League games to be advertised (Champions League Soccer and a Ayinger Celebrator? Sign me up!). The bar serves all 14 draft beers in three sizes, .3 liters, .5 liters, and 1 liters.
All in all, Wolff's is a gem. A great idea by the men behind this bar/restaurant. The location is far enough away from most of the crowded college bars, the bartenders were excellent and the people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Look out NYC, Albany is coming for your crown of best beer city in New York State.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Wagner Valley Releases Two Beers

Just received this press release from Wagner Valley Brewing.

Friday Nights on the Brewdeck

In just a few short weeks it will be mild enough for an evening out on the deck - check out the 2009 season schedule - Many favorites are returning & we look forward to welcoming a few new bands this year. We kick off the season on May 22 with Black Diamond Express.


News from Wagner Valley Brewing:


Sugar House Maple Porter: The sap is now flowing, which means our spring seasonal Sugar House Maple Porter will soon be available - look for release by Easter weekend.


Summer Sail Hefeweizen: For those looking ahead to summer, Summer Sail Hefeweizen should be available at the end of May this year -- just in time for Fridays on the Brewdeck!


Editor's Note: I really like some of Wagner Valley's beers. Their Dockside Amber Ale is one of my favorite NY session beers. My personal feeling is that Wagner does not market their beers enough. I feel like their primary focus in on their winery which is fine but that they would be one of the better breweries in NY is they got behind their beer.