The event will be held on Monday, June 16, 2014, and will begin with the Womens Industry Beer Dinner at 6pm. The 4 course menu will feature the inspired cuisine Cure is known for, expertly paired with world-class craft beer from across the country. Women participating in all levels of the craft beer industry are encouraged to attend, including those working with breweries, distributors, bars & restaurants, and retail beer stores; as well as beer writers & bloggers. Tickets for the Industry Dinner are $65, and can be purchased online.

After dinner, 8pm – 10pm, Cure will open to the public for a free open house, featuring beer shots, floats and cocktails at the bar. So if you can’t make the dinner, here is your opportunity to come out to meet and mingle with leading female voices in the craft beer world. No tickets are required for the open house.

The goal of the night is to celebrate the increasing contributions women are making to support the craft beer industry, and to provide a space for thoughtful discussion, social connection, and networking. Although women are the focus, men are welcome to attend both the dinner and the open house. So please join me for this very special night, it’s sure to be a treat!

The post Rochester Real Beer Week: The Women & Beer Symposium first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

When we stopped in, a little before 7pm, the place was full but not crowded. My first time at Johnny’s, I took a minute to survey the area… A quick assessment of the beer selection told me I was among friends. The bar was inviting, softly lit and surrounded by the smiling faces of patrons out enjoying their Thursday night. A handful of tables surrounding the bar, and more in an adjoining room, sat small groups of people already enjoying the featured menu. Dinner started at 5, and we hadn’t made reservations, so I was a little nervous that we’d miss out on the beer pairing… luckily there was a table free and we were able to sit right down.

The four course meal started with an appetizer of Cajun breaded fried pickles (made with homemade dill pickles!) and served with a Dijon IPA mustard.  They paired it with Victory’s Ranch Double IPA (9%ABV), well balanced with plenty of citrus notes and a dry, hop finish, this is definitely one to keep an eye out for in the future. The Ranch series features a fixed recipe, with the exception of the hops, which Victory changes with each batch in order to highlight different hop varieties. The Ranch name comes from the fact that they’re working with several family-owned hop farms and ranches out of the Pacific Northwest to source traditional and experimental hops for this recipe.  The fried pickles were a good match, and the spicy Cajun flavor provided just enough kick to set off the hops in the beer. Overall, the beer was the star of this pairing. I actually enjoyed it more on its own than with the appetizer.

As we were finishing up our appetizer, Johnny came by to introduce himself and see how were enjoying the pairing. He talked a little about how Chris, their chef, had prepared for the event, and listened eagerly as we shared our first impressions. We talked beer for a bit, homebrewing and local breweries, before our next course arrived and he left us to our meal.

Next up was a sausage and ham Spanakopita served with a side of German potato salad, and paired with Moonglow Weizenbock (8.7% ABV). This dark amber wheat beer, with fruity and spicy aromas, is brewed in the traditions of true Bavarian weizenbocks. The acidic vinegar flavors in German potato salad blended magically with the fruitiness of the weizenbock. This is an instance where food and beer work perfectly together. On its own, this would not be a beer that I would go for.  The spicy fruit notes have an almost rotten sweetness that I can’t get into. Same goes for the potato salad, it was good, but the pairing really takes both to the next level. It’s moments like this that really make me appreciate the complexities of craft beer.

The main course was top round London broil atop smoked bacon, served with a Grand Marnier au-poivre, and again, chef Chris nailed it with the pairing! The creamy richness of the sauce and the fatty bacon, along with the slight toughness of the steak, paired perfectly with Victory’s Scarlet Fire Raunchbier (6.1% ABV).

Last but not least, dessert was served.  A moist double layer chocolate cake with chocolate espresso frosting, served with StormKing Stout (9.1% ABV), a Russian Imperial stout. One of my favorite beer and food pairings, stouts and chocolate cake are a match made in beer heaven! A rich and substantial stout, the Storm King features a pretty substantial hop aroma that’s backed by delicious roasty malt flavors. Roasted malts are a perfect pair with the bittersweet chocolate flavors in the cake. If you’ve never tried a combo like this, you are missing out! Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (5% ABV) is another fine match for chocolate cake, and a good choice if you’re looking for a stout with a lower alcohol content than a Russian Imperial.

All around, this was a great beer and food pairing. If you’re reading this and thinking, “Man, I’m totally bummed that I missed such a kick ass beer event at a great local bar in Rochester!”, fear not… Johnny’s Irish Pub will be hosting another beer pairing event this month, Thursday, Dec 27, this time with Brooklyn Brewery! Keep an eye out for details on the Johnny’s Pub website or their facebook page. If you’re interested in going, call (585) 224-0990 to make reservations. (They accept walk-ins but only while supplies last!)

PS. Here’s another event, happening this week, at Johnny’s that you may be interested in!

The post Johnny’s Tower Takeover with Victory Brewing Company first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

Tours start at 5:15 pm and last about 1/2 hour, Cost is $15 per person and includes the haunted brewery tour, a free tasting card or pint of beer and a coupon for $5.00 off your food purchase at The Pint & Goblet Tavern (good thru 12/30/12). You can also get a Brat and pint of Oktoberfest for $7.00 (while they last!).

Also, The Pint & Goblet is celebrating their second anniversary this month and will be giving away FREE dessert with your food purchase on the night of the event! Admission price is not required for entry into Tasting Room or to purchase drinks.

Costumes are encouraged but not required… I will be there, but you’ll have to stop down to see what kind of costume I’ve picked out! So come down, grab some brew, take the tour… we’re gonna have so much fun it’s SCARY!

The post Custom BrewCrafters Haunted Brewery first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

The main event, The Rochester Real Beer Expo, is set to kick things off on Saturday, June 16th at 6pm.  Tickets will set you back $40 and includes unlimited tastings of over 80 craft beers.  VIP Tickets  are also available, granting early admission for an additional $20.  Last I heard, the following breweries have been confirmed:

Besides the Expo, there are a TON of happy hours, bar specials, and other fun stuff to do throughout the week.  If you live in the area and you’re looking to make it out for beer week, pick up a copy of CITY Newspaper and look for the insert all about Rochester Real Beer Week.  The event directory lists events and venues along with a little bit about Rochester’s craft beer history.  ROCbeer also offers a calender of beer events in the Rochester area and has listed a ton of stuff during Real Beer Week.  With so many events planned, it’ll be impossible to hit them all. (What’s a girl to do!?) Here’s a few highlights to guide you through the week…

Friday, June 15, 2012

If you’re looking for a party, make sure you hit up the Official RRBW Kickoff Party! Sticky Lips Juke Joint in Henrietta is hosting and it’s going to be a total tap takeover (55 lines!) of Rochester Only beers. The event starts at 5pm and is open to all. *Update: looks like there’ll be a $5 cover starting at 9.

For the craft beer lover looking for something unique… Check out Bombs Away at Donnelly’s Public House, featuring bomber specials all day long and a FREE tasting of rarely-seen-in-Rochester bombers from 5-7pm.  Check out this list of beers…

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Saturday’s big event is definitely the Beer Expo.  It’s a street party with over 80 of the most exciting craft beers from all over the world.  The expo will be held on Gregory Street in the South Wedge (outside Tap & Mallet, from Whalin to Bond Street).  Along with killer brews they’ll also be serving up wine, locally made cheese and baked goods, Cajun BBQ, fresh pizza, wraps and sandwiches, locally roasted coffee, hand rolled cigars, and more.  Oh, and they’ll be live music from local musicians.  Last year they sold out so don’t expect to get tickets at the door.  Ticket info is mentioned above or you can find more details at http://rochesterrealbeer.com/rochester-real-beer-expo/.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Show Dad how much you love him at the Fathers Day Beer Brunch at The Owl House!  Their special brunch menu with suggested beer pairings is way better than a new necktie.  Bacon and Eggs?  Try Smoked Pork Shoulder & Beans Over a Cornbread Waffle paired with a Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen… poppa like!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Like to plan ahead?  Stop by The Basin Pub in Pittsford and pick up a ticket to their Food & Beer Pairing EXTRAVAGANZA!  The last of a series of 4 beer pairing dinners, Chef Dave has matched his finest four course dishes with delicious craft beer from the folks at Brooklyn Brewery.  Tickets are available at the pub for $35 each.

Looking for something to do last minute?  If you didn’t buy tickets to one of the pairing dinners, stop over at Donnelly’s for Can You Dig?  They’ll have $2 canned craft beer all day and a Sixpoint Canned Craft Ale Party from 5-7pm. (Have you tried Apollo yet?  It’s SO. GOOD.)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

My recommendation for Tuesday night is the Cans & Clams Clambake, 6-9pm at Tap & Mallet.  Welcome the summer season with a can of Brooklyn Lager, Summer Ale, or East India Pale Ale and a pile of potatoes, clams and corn on the cob on the deck.  Looks like the price is still TBD and quantities may be limited so be sure to show up on the early side to get the good stuff!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Head to Lovin’ Cup from 7-9pm for Meet the Brewer Night!  Luke Purcell, head brewmaster at Great Lakes, has crafted some great recipes and they’ll be offering some special beers just for the event.  This is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the mastermind behind Great Lakes amazing portfolio of beers.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

I’m excited for this one… The Rochester Public Market is hosting a Food Truck Rodeo & Home Brew Competition!  Rochester’s finest mobile kitchens all in one place along with a Rohrbach Beer Tasting, Cash Bar, Upstate NY Homebrewers Association Summer Beers Competition, and live music by The Public Market Band featuring Dick Storms.  Proceeds benefit the Market District Business Association.

The Weekend

By now the week is coming to a close but you’ll need to save some energy for the Cask Ale Festival at The Old Toad.  They’ve put together more than 30 casks from all around to put on one hell of a cask party!  VIP tickets for Friday are available for $50 (only 50 available!) to people who want first crack at the rarest of the rare for this event.  Check out some the breweries that will be featured:

If you don’t get VIP tickets, don’t worry… the party continues through the weekend (or until the beer runs out!) so there’ll be plenty of time to get a taste of these rare ales.  You can purchase tickets for Saturday at the Pub for $40.  Admission is FREE on Sunday along with growler specials of what’s left.

*Update!

BEER WEEK EVENT HIGHLIGHT: Lovin’ Cup is the official venue for the finale of Beer Week. Things kick off bright and early at 9am on Saturday 23rd June with Rochester Real 5k, presented by Sam Adams and Saranac. This scenic park run departs from Lovin’ Cup and your $20 registration fee (24.00 day of race) includes participation in the race, a post-run pint at Lovin’ Cup, a Rochester Real 5k T-Shirt, the chance to win a variety of prizes and lots of live music! Following the race, both Lovin’cup and TC Rileys will be featuring alternating music, munchies and fun! We will hear music from The Reactions, Sisters of Murphy, Teagan and the Tweeds and much, much more! We will also be featuring some fun lawn games and such, so you can hang all day and drink some delicious and special treats! You can sign up for the Real 5K at www.active.com.

So there you have it!  Other venues featuring events and specials throughout the week include:

• Beers of the World
• Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
• Lento Restaurant
• Nathaniel Square Corner Store
• Next Door Bar & Grill
• Chocolate & Vines
• Lux Lounge
• Wegmans

Of course, this is only a small view of what’s going on that week, there’s just no way I can go through them all here. Your best bet is to grab the event directory insert in the CITY or take a look at the ROCbeer calendar and find out for yourself.  Seriously you guys, it’s events like this that make me proud to live in Rochester.  The beer community here is so vibrant and welcoming… if you’ve never been to Rochester, this would be a great time to visit!

If you’ve got any tips of your own, or there’s something that I left out that you think should be mentioned… feel free to leave a note in the comments section!

The post The Girls Guide to Rochester Real Beer Week 2012 first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.