Village Voice To Put On Brooklyn Pour

THE VILLAGE VOICE ANNOUNCES

FIRST ANNUAL “BROOKLYN POUR” CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

New York, NY – After hosting the off-Broadway Obie theater awards for 56 years, 11 successful years of producing breakout music festivals in New York City and four sold out years of the annual Choice Eats tasting event, The Village Voice announces today a new Fall event to its roster. The Village Voice’s Brooklyn Pour craft beer festival, featuring dozens of tri-state area craft beers along with food and entertainment will host its inaugural event on Saturday, October 15th in Fort Greene, Brooklyn at Skylight One Hanson (formerly the old Williamsburg Savings Bank) with tickets on sale August 24th.

The Village Voice's Brooklyn Pour craft beer festival will keep in the true form as its sister tasting event, Choice Eats, by curating local beers unique to New York City, mixed with a portfolio of beers from the East Coast craft beer community all under one roof for one afternoon. “Brooklyn Pour is our chance to create a unique beer tasting event for both the beer connoisseur and those just diving into the world of craft brews,” said Event Director Rosemary Raposo. “Not just a tasting event, Brooklyn Pour will offer all attendees the opportunity to learn about the world of craft beer and the people who create it.”

Brooklyn Pour will offer all guests a complimentary tasting of all beers, a souvenir glass, entertainment and live onsite beer demonstrations from the area’s top brew masters. VIP guests will be offered a special private tasting and demo room in the mezzanine along with a gift bag and surprise guests. Local fare from New York City’s top restaurants will also be available for additional purchase. Proceeds from the event are going to Brooklyn Pour’s charitable partner Brooklyn Food Coalition, a grassroots organization committed to the vision of a just and sustainable food system in Brooklyn.

Tickets sales will begin on August 24th here: www.villagevoice.com/brooklynpour

Saturday, October 15th, 2011
VIP Hour: 2:00 - 3:00PM, Ticket Price $60
General Admission: 3:00 - 6:00PM, Ticket Price $40

For more information on “Brooklyn Pour” please have a sip here: www.villagevoice.com/brooklynpour

Follow Brooklyn Pour on Twitter for daily updates here: http://twitter.com/BKPour

“Like” Brooklyn Pour on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/BrooklynPour

About The Village Voice:
Founded by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, and Norman Mailer in October 1955, The Village Voice introduced free-form, high-spirited and passionate journalism into the public discourse. As the nation's first and largest alternative newsweekly, the Voice maintains the same tradition of no-holds-barred reporting and criticism it first embraced when it began publishing over fifty years ago. The recipient of three Pulitzer prizes, the National Press Foundation Award, and the George Polk Award, among others, the Voice has earned a reputation for its groundbreaking investigations of New York City politics, and as the premier expert on New York's cultural scene. Writing and reporting on local and national politics, with opinionated arts, culture, music, dance, film and theater reviews, daily web dispatches, comprehensive entertainment listings, and unrivaled classifieds, the Voice is the authoritative source on all that is New York.

The Village Voice has also created such celebrated events as the Obies Awards, 4Knots Music Festival, Choice Eats, Brooklyn Pour, Web Awards, as well as the most anticipated issues and guides of the year including the annual Pazz and Jop music poll, Best of NYC, and its Spring, Summer, and Fall Preview guides, the Voice is New York's most influential must-read alternative newspaper in print and online at www.villagevoice.com where the site averages 2 million unique users each month.



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5th Annual Ithaca Brew Fest Is Coming

ITHACA, N.Y. - On Saturday, September 3, 2011 from 3:00 – 7:00PM beer and music lovers everywhere will make their pilgrimage to historic Stewart Park on Cayuga Lake for the fifth annual Ithaca Brew Fest. Ithaca Beer Co. and the Cayuga Radio Group are excited to host over 3,000 people coming from all over the country to experience craft beer and gourmet food in this uniquely beautiful setting.


Festival goers will get to sample beers poured by over 45 popular local, regional, and even international breweries. Popular local eateries will be cooking some extraordinary and sizzling dishes beloved by Ithacans. Emceed by Cayuga Radio Group, three musical acts Mosaic Foundation, The Mutron Warriors and The Sim Redmond Band will heat up the stage throughout the festival.


For craft beer fanatics desiring a bigger Brew Fest experience, the VIP ticket will surely deliver the thorough VIP treatment. This year's VIP tent sponsor, La Tourelle Resort & August Moon Spa will host the La Tourelle Lounge inside the VIP tent. VIPs can rest comfortably on leather sofas and chairs in the lounge while munching gourmet food catered by Simply Red Bistro and sipping ultra premium craft beers not easily found in most markets. August Moon Spa will offer complimentary 10-minute back massages in the lounge for VIPs desiring a mini break between beer samples. Exciting giveaways and contests await VIPs in the VIP tent too! Like last year, VIPs will be admitted into the Brew Fest at 2:00 PM, one hour earlier than General Admission, so VIPs can taste all of the beers under the beer tents without the lines! At 3:00PM, when gates open to General Admission, the VIP tent will also officially open so that VIPs can come and go between the VIP tent and main Brew Fest grounds throughout the day. VIP tickets can be purchased in advance only at all ticket locations for $85, but hurry, these tickets are very limited!


Like the four years before, a portion of all ticket sales will go towards the ongoing revitalization efforts at Stewart Park and the Cayuga Lake Waterfront. The Ithaca Brew Fest has helped bring back the Big Pavilion in Stewart Park already, and will continue to work on similar projects inside the park. That Brew Fest takes place in Stewart Park is no coincidence...it's an opportunity for Ithaca to show off the incredible beauty of the Finger Lakes region, showcase their unique culture, and demonstrate why it's so important for the next generation of Ithacans to have a clean, safe, and active park within the community.


Safe and responsible drinking is definitely a top priority at Brew fest. Sponsored by the Ithaca Ale House, TCAT will provide free rides between downtown Ithaca and Stewart Park to Brew Fest Ticket Holders. Taxis will also be available, if a shuttle does not suit you. The Ithaca Brew Fest strongly encourages its attendees to utilize the free shuttle service and taxis, rather than drive at all! Park in the Green St. or Seneca St. parking lot and pick up bus route 13 to Stewart Park. At the end of the night, ride back to the Commons and grab a bite to eat or a pint of beer at one of the many establishments like the Ithaca Ale House downtown!

General Admission and VIP Tickets for the Brew Fest are on sale now at the Ithaca Beer Company, the Ithaca Coffee Company, all Wegman’s grocery stores, and online through the Brew Fest website: www.ithacabrewfest.com. General Admission tickets are $40 in advance--$50 at the door. VIP tickets are available for $85 and can only be purchased prior to the event. Remember, the Ithaca Brew Fest is a non-smoking event. How better to end the summer than one big celebration with great beer, food, music, and unforgettable times in Ithaca, NY!

All press inquiries: Allison Graffin - allison@ithacabrewfest.com or (607) 273-0766.

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Aroma Thyme Bistro Celebrates Belgium's Independence Day

Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville, NY is one of the most innovative restaurants in New York State when it comes to the pairing of craft beer and great food.  The restaurant offers monthly five course beer dinners in which Head Chef/Owner Marcus Guiliano pairs sustainable food with excellent beer.

This past week Guiliano partnered with Duvel Moortgat, the Belgian owners of Brewery Ommegang, to offer a special beer and food pairing to celebrate Belgium's independance day.  The restaurant offered special Belgian beers as either stand alone pints, tasting flights, or paired with a dish created by Guiliano.

Aroma Thyme offered the following pairings.  

Tarragon & Parsley Steamed Mussels
Duvel

Endive & Potato Soup
Ommegang Belgian Independence Day Ale (Spiced Saison)

Flemish Beer & Beef Stew
McChouffe

Crab Cake and Endive Slaw
Liefmans Cuvee Brut

For me, the best part of the Bistro's celebration was the opportunity to taste Ommegang's new spiced saison.  A beer with a wonderful aroma, it was thick with plenty of spices, some fruit notes, and a light dry finish.  The Cooperstown brewery used white pepper in this recipe and it shows.  Much different than it's cousin Hennepin.  You can check out a more extensive review of Ommegang's new beer here.

With the success of the Belgian celebration, Aroma Thyme will be hosting an Oktober celebration to celebrate the famous German event later in the year.

4th Annual New York Craft Beer Week Set To Launch

4th Annual NY Craft Beer Week

September 16 - September 25, 2011

New York City's Top Craft Brewers, Celebrity Chefs, Beer Bars and Acclaimed Restaurants

Celebrate Beer Week with an Array of Delicious Events & Promotions

Special Events in all Five Boroughs Featuring

Exclusive Press Preview Event at Brooklyn Brewery, 4th Annual Freaktoberfest Boutique Beer & Music Festival, Get Real's All-American Craft Beer & Food Festival, Zagat Sponsored "Beer Pairing Menus," Garrett Oliver's "Oxford Companion to Beer" Launch Event, Celebrity Chef Food & Beer Pairing Dinners, Meet The Brewer Events, Beer Tours, and Much More

Plus a New Official Beer for NY Craft Beer Week: Geektoberfest,

and iPhone & Droid Apps for NY Craft Beer Week

New York, NY -  The 4th Annual NY Craft Beer Week rounds up the state's premiere breweries, local celebrity chefs, over 100 beer destinations and 30 renowned restaurants across the City for an amazing line-up of special events happening in all five boroughs from Friday, September 16 - Sunday, September 25, 2011. Celebrated events such as the 4th Annual Freaktoberfest Boutique Beer & Music Festival, Get Real's All-American Craft Beer & Food Festival, and Brewer's Choice will return as part of this year's Beer Week. The week will also feature newly conceived boutique events, specialty food and beer pairing menus, educational tastings and tours, and the release of the official beer of the Week: Geektoberfest. Brewed by Shmaltz Brewing, Captain Lawrence Brewing, and Ithaca Beer Co., Geektoberfest includes a special blend of six barrel-aged beers, and will be available on draft at select Beer Week events and participating craft beer bars across New York City.

New York City beer enthusiasts and foodies alike will have the opportunity to enjoy over 100 craft beer destinations with the much-anticipated NYC Beer Passport 2011, the official NY Craft Beer Week program and resource guide. Passports are $10, and patrons will receive promotional deals and discounts on selections from their favorite craft breweries at participating venues. Each venue will feature one specific brewery, and instead of paying $7 per glass of beer, it's only $3 for the same beer through the Passport program (Passports have an offer for one serving at each bar). A majority of the bars will also offer a one-time $2 off a NY State produced beer through Labor Day 2012 to extend the Passport's value for those consumers unable to visit every bar during the Beer Week (offers may vary). Passports will be available for purchase at www.nycbeerweek.com, at each participating venue, a handful of retail outlets including the Strand Bookstore and others TBA, and in a new digital format as iPhone and Droid apps.

Passports include a calendar of all the featured events with a detailed description of each event, special editorial sections written by influential beer writers and industry insiders, FAQ's about NY Craft Beer Week, a list of all the participating restaurants with Zagat's "Beer Pairing Menus," a list of all the bars and retail outlets involved with NY Craft Beer Week, and much more.

Premiering this year is the NY Craft Beer Week mobile app for the iPhone and Droid, developed by technology partner Seed Labs. Both the free and paid apps will include: instant access to all updated content on nycbeerweek.org, a dedicated page for each venue (highlighting their brewery of choice, special offers and events schedule), a GPS powered map allowing users to find venues by distance, proximity to subway stops and featured brewery along with subway and walking directions, a searchable list of beers, and Foursquare-like functionality that will allow users to compete for fame, glory and prizes by "checking in" at venues and "checking off" beers they drink while simultaneously updating their Facebook and Twitter social networks on their activity. Badges that can be earned through "checking in" range from champions of various beer styles and beers from given geographic areas to conquering the full range of participating venues in each neighborhood. The free version of the app will serve as a companion to the printed passport, while the paid version will sell for $10 and allow users to redeem all of the deals offered in the printed passport.

Please see the initial list below highlighting the special events and promotions happening during the 4th Annual Craft Beer Week. Many more events and additional detailed information will be announced soon.

*Brooklyn Brewery Presents "Exclusive Press Preview Event" (Thursday, August 25, 6:30 pm)
-Come celebrate the release of the NYC Beer Passport. Fellow journalists and all participating breweries, bars, chefs, etc will enjoy locally produced artisan foods paired with craft beers provided by Brooklyn Brewery as well as other breweries.

*NYC Passport 2011
-Passport holders have access to special promotions at 100+ craft beer venues all over New York City (during the Beer Week and throughout the next year)!

*Zagat Sponsored "Beer Pairing Menus"
-Happening throughout the entire Beer Week, Zagat will present three- or four-course beer and food pairing menus at several prestigious restaurants. Each prix fixe menu includes a unique beer pairing for each course with prices varying between the restaurants.

*4th Annual Freaktoberfest Boutique Beer & Music Festival (Southpaw, Park Slope: Friday, September 16, 7 pm, $50)
-Sponsored by Shmaltz Brewing Company, Southpaw, Smuttynose and Beertender Brooklyn, more than 20 brewery owners will pour specialty beers while famous sideshow performers host the event and offer special performances alongside local indie-rock bands, burlesque dancers, and DJs. Freaktoberfest is the official "Opening Night Celebration" of NY Craft Beer Week. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketweb. More info is available at freaktoberfest.blogspot.com.

*Brewer's Choice (City Winery: Thursday, September 22)
-15 Brewmasters present their best beers and favorite food pairings in an intimate walk around tasting event for more than 400 people. More info at www.nycbrewerschoice.com

*Get Real's All-American Craft Beer & Food Festival (Friday, September 23 & Saturday, September 24)
-A one-of-a-kind tasting event, Get Real's All-American Fest will feature 80 of America's finest craft beers on tap, a cask bar with 30 cask-conditioned ales, the tri-state area's best homebrews, food tastings from some of NYC's top restaurants and food artisans, educational seminars, and, new for 2011, the first All-Americas Craft Chocolate Fest featuring some of America's top artisanal chocolate makers. Event details can be found at getrealny.com.

*The Ultimate Brewmaster's Degustation @ Mas (farmhouse) (Date and Price TBA)
-A reprisal of the phenomenal dinner held during the 2010 Beer Week. The special menu for the night at fine dining standout, Mas (farmhouse), will feature six courses prepared using creative reinterpretations of beer, and each course will be paired to a beer from different breweries. Many of the beers being featured during the dinner will have their brewmasters in attendance. Additional details will be announced soon.

*Brewer's Brunch (Sunday, September 25: Location and Price TBA)
-The best way to cap off an extended week of outstanding beers is to kick back with your friends and relive the best moments. With the hair of the dog in full effect, expect to find a broad selection of beers, reinventions of classic brunch cocktails using beer, and a broad gathering of industry luminaries as a leisurely brunch is enjoyed and the Beer Week is brought to a celebrated close. This is the "Official Closing Event" of the Week. Additional details will be announced soon.

*Garrett Oliver's Oxford Companion to Beer Launch Event (Location, Date & Price TBA)
-Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster and award-winning author of The Brewmaster's Table (2005), Garrett Oliver will host a special event celebrating the launch of his new book, Oxford Companion to Beer. Additional details will be announced soon.

*"Meet The Brewer" Events
-Occurring at several participating beer bars throughout Beer Week, top NY craft brewers will offer extensive selections from their beer line-ups, and will offer tasting notes.

Josh Schaffner, Director of NY Craft Beer Week, comments about the upcoming craft beer extravaganza, "Over the past four years, the concept of a Beer Week has progressed from non-existent to the most exciting series of events for the year in every beer drinking city throughout the country. NY Craft Beer Week is no exception; travelers come from throughout the world just to engage with the beer community, while local consumers eagerly anticipate the special events and the arrival of new Passports. It is with great excitement that there are now more beer-centric bars, restaurants and stores participating in the Beer Week than ever before, and a new set of smart phone apps will make the offerings even more accessible to all."

Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster Garret Oliver says, "NYC Beer Week is a great opportunity for people to check out the creativity and talent of New York's brewers. New York City is famous for having the best of everything, and NYC Beer Week is going to show off America's most diverse and exciting beer scene."

NY Craft Beer Week is proud to have Brooklyn Brewery, Shmaltz Brewing Co, and Empire Brewing Co as sponsoring breweries, Zagat Survey as a food partner, Just Food as a charitable partner, and Ace Hotel as the official hotel partner. Ace Hotel is a 12-story boutique hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan with 260 rooms and is offering a Beer Week rate of 15% off on their normal room reservations during the Beer Week. Reservations can be made using this link: http://acehotel.com/beerweek .


About NY Craft Beer Week
NY Craft Beer Week is a ten-day celebration of all things craft beer in the five boroughs of New York City. It is as much about civic pride as it is about appreciating the splendors available to us and celebrating the people who make it all happen. NY Craft Beer Week's focus is to fuse libation education with community appreciation, providing opportunities to discover new favorite breweries, beers, bars, stores and restaurants for enjoyment throughout the year. Learn more at: www.nycbeerweek.com.

About the Official Beer of NY Craft Beer Week: Geektoberfest
Brewed by Shmaltz Brewing, Captain Lawrence Brewing, and Ithaca Beer Co., Geektoberfest will feature a blend of six barrel-aged beers. All of the beers are originally brewed in the state of New York, and Geektoberfest will only be available on draft during NY Craft Beer Week. The beer represents each brewery and the folks at NY Craft Beer Week's exuberant appreciation of the mecca they call home, New York.


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Shmaltz Introduces Bourbon Barrel Aged Human Blockhead

SHMALTZ BREWING COMPANY UNITES BOURBON AND BOCK:

CONEY ISLAND BARREL-AGED Human Blockhead®

New York, NY - August 4, 2011 - Shmaltz Brewing Company, ringleaders of the sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®, is excited to announce the release of Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®. Weighing in at 10% ABV, this burly Imperial American Bock has aged over five months in first-use Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Barrels. While Human Blockhead® originally was conceived as a Tough-as-Nails strong lager, Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is the evolution of a true professional, bearing the signature richness of Munich and Vienna malt but emerging from the barrel softened and silky, with hints of maple, caramel, and vanilla. With approximately 500 cases produced, Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is as rare and special as it is highly coveted.

Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® joins the Shmaltz line-up as the third member in the Limited Engagement Barrel-Aged series, which also includes 2010 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medalist HE'BREW R.I.P.A. on Rye; 2011 World Beer Championships Gold Medalist HE'BREW Vertical Jewbelation; and HE'BREW Genesis 15:15, a 15% ABV barleywine brewed with grapes, figs, dates, and pomegranates, which will be released Fall 2011. The Limited Engagement Barrel-Aged series not only represents some of Shmaltz's most decorated beers, but also boasts the highest consumer ratings from BeerAdvocate.com and RateBeer.com. The latter recently ranked Shmaltz Brewing as one of the "Top 100 Brewers in the World" for 2011. With the release of Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead®, Shmaltz Brewing continues to design unique and sophisticated beers that can stand with the world's best specialty beverages.

In a fusion of Old World brewing tradition with bold, flavor-driven American ingenuity, Coney Island Human Blockhead® and Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® are examples of how Shmaltz has elevated lagers to the creative peaks ales have enjoyed in the American craft beer movement. After selecting Coney Island Craft Lagers® as "Best in Show" at their inaugural BevStar Awards, Beverage World Magazine noted that "in a segment largely dominated by ales... Shmaltz has demonstrated how creative one can be when pushing the limits of lager." The Chicago Tribune also praised Shmaltz's artistic vision and pioneering spirit in a recent article, declaring that "the Coney Island series has put [Shmaltz] on the leading edge of craft lagers." Not surprisingly, Coney Island Human Blockhead® has garnered top awards across the country since its debut in March 2009. In its first bout against other strong lagers at the 2009 United States Beer Tasting Championships, Human Blockhead® took home the Gold Medal and then was designated the Bock/Doppelbock Grand Champion the following year at the World Beer Championships.

Like the other beers from Coney Island Craft Lagers®, Human Blockhead® pays tribute to the eclectic performance culture of Coney Island, New York. The Human Blockhead stunt, developed by renowned musician and sideshow entertainer Melvin Burkhardt, is kept alive today by Donny Vomit, whose persona is captured on the Human Blockhead® bottle label. Known for spellbinding stage antics with his trusty hammer, sixty-penny nail, and occasionally a power drill, Donny is thrilled to be featured in the Coney Island Craft Lagers® line. "As a kid, I always thought it would be cool to have an action figure made after me, but having a kickass beer is a whole lot better," says the man behind the mustache.

Coney Island Barrel-Aged Human Blockhead® is nationally available in 22 oz. bottles and limited draft at specialty shops and select bars from August - October 2011. A portion of the proceeds of Coney Island Craft Lagers® help Coney Island USA, a 501(c)(3) Arts Non-Profit, fulfill its mission to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular culture in Brooklyn's historic Coney Island neighborhood.

About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Shmaltz Brewing Company was recently named "Best American Craft Brewer" and won the "Best In Show 2010" title by Beverage World Magazine, after being named "Breakout Brand" for 2009. Shmaltz was also included in the "Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies" by San Francisco Business Times, and is a recipient of the "Distinguished Business Award" by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Established in San Francisco in 1996 with the first batch of 100 cases of HE'BREW Beer® bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz has sold more than ten million bottles of beer to date. Along with their acclaimed line of HE'BREW Beers®, Shmaltz introduced its new line of sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers®. Proceeds help Coney Island USA, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit fulfill its mission to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular culture in Brooklyn's historic Coney Island neighborhood.

Shmaltz offerings are available in more than 25 states through 30 wholesalers at more than 3,000 retail specialty shops across the U.S., including Beverages & More, Whole Foods, Total Wine, select Krogers and Cost Plus.

Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, The Onion, Beer Advocate Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, Ale Street News, NPR's "Weekend Edition," New York Magazine, Newsweek, Men's Health, BUST, Playboy, Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Washington Post, MAXIM, Forbes.com, Smartmoney.com, Entrepreneur.com and Epicurious.com.


For more information, please visit www.shmaltzbrewing.com

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