Every so often I hear someone rag on Rochester; usually they say there’s nothing to do here. It seems to come mostly from people that grew up here, living in the suburbs, outside the vibrant life of the city. If you’re one of those people, I invite you to read the following text and reconsider Rochester, NY. Come to our city, experience it, and come to understand what many of us already know—The “get together” spirit is strong here. It’s in our neighborhoods, like The South Wedge and the Neighborhood of the Arts. It’s at The Public Market on Saturday mornings. It’s in our bars and restaurants, seen in the thoughtfully prepared menu’s full of quality, local ingredients. And it’s in our beer scene, close knit and accepting…. full of variety and quality, creativity and collaboration.

I recently stumbled upon The Book of Industrial Rochester, published for the Allied Trade Commissions of Great Britain, France, Italy and Belgium, on the occasion of their visit to Rochester, NY in November, 1919, under the auspices of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. In reading the introductory statements, which I’ve copied below, I found myself filled with emotion—an overwhelming sense of pride for the city I’ve come to call my home. Feelings of social contentedness and a sense of community, strengthened by words written nearly 100 years ago.

The Spirit of Rochester

To obtain recognition in these strenuous times one must carry his pedestal with him.
The meek and lowly may inherit the earth—later.

So said a commercial cynic recently. Rochester doesn’t need a pedestal in order to obtain recognition. It is a city that in the eyes of the knowing part of the world is set on a hill. Neither does Rochester desire to inherit the earth. It wants the earth to inherit Rochester.

Rochester is a young city. It was only a hundred years ago that a handful of pioneers settled in this beautiful valley of the Genesee at the brink of a great waterfall, and set up the beginnings of what is now the City of Rochester, the twenty-fifth city of the United States in size. The story of Rochester’s growth is not unlike the story of the growth of many other American cities. It is a story of enterprise and thrift coupled with an intense desire for advancement in education and the things which make life more worth while.

But Rochester is a little more than a typical American city. It is a typical American city—plus. And it is this “plus” which makes Rochester interesting. We feel confident—dear reader and Distinguished Visitor—that you will find it interesting if you catch the spirit of Rochester. The spirit of Rochester is the spirit which brings you from Great Britain, France, Italy and Belgium to our shores—it is the spirit of service. This spirit shows itself—

In the co-operation of our Community Life in peace and war.
In the excellence of the products of our factories.
In the enlightened efforts of employers and public officials to promote the happiness and wellbeing of the people.

The “plus” in our Community Life is a larger degree of co-operation than is found in most communities. Almost anything that it is difficult to do can be done in Rochester. The “get together” spirit is strong. It shows itself in our public organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, whose work is more largely civic than commercial.

This is so because Rochester business men are wise enough to know that sound and wholesome civic conditions are the foundation upon which is built all permanent community progress. Rochester
is showing this spirit of service through co-operation in raising a fund once a year to pay for the operation of all its philanthropies and war relief agencies. While the amount so raised is large — that is not so remarkable as that in 1918-1919 more than one hundred thousand persons subscribed to the fund.

The entire Community is marked by its willingness to work together for a common cause and the practical efficiency with which it accomplishes its purposes.

A manufactured thing bears a stamp of character just as plainly as a man does. Indeed a man stamps his character as well as his name on everything he makes. The spirit of a city, the spirit of its people expresses itself in the products of its factories. Cheap workmen make cheap wares. High grade workmen make high grade wares. High grade workmen will live only in a high grade community. Quality of life writes itself in quality of product. It is all interwoven—life at home, in the school, in the workshop is one. “Keep the Quality Up”—”Rochester Made Means Quality”—”Here Quality Dominates” are only expressions of the community’s aspirations; its effort to express itself and to stamp itself as well as its name upon everything it makes and sends out in our own land or across the seas for the use and service of mankind.

This has not all just happened by chance in Rochester. There have been great leaders, men who were not so much concerned with how much they made as how well they made it. It mattered not if it was a camera or a mouse trap, they would make it so well that “the world would make a beaten pathway to their door.” With such leaders, with such a spirit Rochester grew into a great manufacturing city—not with any desire to inherit the earth, but to enjoy the fullness thereof—the fullness of satisfaction, the fullness of skill—the fullness of service.

The spirit of Rochester is the spirit of fair play. Industrial managers want their employees to be healthy and prosperous and happy. Beautiful factories, with every facility for promoting the health and happiness of the workers, abound in Rochester. They are more than factories—they have shrubs, vines and flowers to make working hours pleasant hours. High wages are paid and so high standards of living may be maintained by the employees. Bonuses, wage dividends and stock dividends have been given to employees to increase their prosperity and contentment. Homeowning has been given practical encouragement. Indeed, Rochester homes are largely owned by the people who live in them.

Employer and employee have kept pretty closely together in Rochester, and great things are being done to promote mutual confidence and to give all an increasing share in the fruits of their labor. Public officials, too, have been alert to promote the general health and happiness of the people. You need only to look at our parks, playgrounds and schools to know that Rochester is deeply concerned about other things than shops and factories. The health of young and old is guarded with every care.

Thus the spirit of Rochester abides in our work and play; in our schools and our homes. It is the spirit of service.

Americans love statistics. Facts and figures about Rochester are interesting to Rochesterians. We could easily burden you with the story of the numbers of pairs of shoes and suits of clothes and the miles of photographic film which we make, but we prefer to have you know something of the spirit of Rochester, to get a glimpse into her heart. It is a heart that beats in unison with yours, in unison with the great heart of the world that is being born again.

Gentlemen of Britain, and France, and Italy, and Belgium: Rochester salutes you and extends to you her most distinguished consideration. She welcomes you with

The Spirit of Rochester

The post The Spirit of Rochester, NY first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

The tour begins with a history lesson as our guide points out a display case full of old bottles and cans representing the numerous products and brands produced at the brewery over the years. From the first 1888 Lager made by The West End Brewing Company, founded by F.X. Matt the same year, to the current line-up including Saranac Beer & Soft Drinks, Utica Club, and a number of other specialty products for smaller breweries. Recently ranked the 12th largest* brewery in the United States, and 6th* out of the top 50 US Craft Breweries, the Matt Brewing Company has a lot to be proud of.

As we enter the brew house, we are greeted by two enormous copper brew kettles stretching up from the floor below. Each holding more than 500 barrels of bubbling wort, they are nothing short of beautiful. I am intrigued by the huge mash filter. Having been on a number of brewery tours and never seen one, it was interesting to learn about this piece of brewing equipment. As we toured the brewery, through twisting stairwells and winding hallways, I was amazed at how much of the old brewing technology remains in use. Mid-century control panels filled with dials and switches, needles drawing graphs on paper discs to track temperature control… Amid the same modern machinery and hi-tech gadgets seen in many breweries today, these vintage elements of the past highlight just how long the Matt Brewing Company has been around.

One thing that I was somewhat surprised to see for a facility of this size and age, was just how many steps the brewery is taking to reduce the amount of natural resources used to make beer. In addition to recycling their grains, as many breweries do, by selling it to local farmers as cattle feed, the Matt Brewing Company has been recycling CO₂ for years. They actually recover the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation and reuse it to carbonate their line of Saranac soft drinks! Though, perhaps the most impressive eco-friendly improvement is the newly installed anaerobic digester system that collects all of the breweries waste and turns it into methane gas, which is then used as a source of power for the plant. This alone allows them to reduce their use of electricity by 30-40%.

Once we’ve seen it all, the brew house, the aging cellars, the bottling and canning lines, we head up to the 1888 Tavern where we have the opportunity to sample the line-up of Saranac beers and soft drinks. The crisp mouthfeel and citrus hop kick of the White IPA is a refreshing and welcome treat as I reflect on all I’ve learned throughout the extensive tour. We even had the good fortune of meeting Matt Brewing CEO, Nick Matt, who stopped by and enjoyed a few samples with us.

If you have the chance, I highly recommend touring the Saranac Brewery. Check their website for seasonal hours and tour details.

The post Visiting Saranac Brewery first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

What: 2012 Flour City Brewers Fest – Beer Festival & Tasting Event

When: September, 21, 2012 6-9pm (VIP ticket holders enjoy early admission at 5pm)

Where: Frontier Field, 1 Morrie Silver Way, Rochester, NY, 14608 (map)

Buy Tickets at: http://fcbrewfest.com/tickets.php

A long-standing part of the Rochester, NY beer community, Rohrbach Brewing Company has been hosting the annual Flour City Brewers Fest since 1995. I spoke with brewery owner, John Urlaub, about the growth of the festival and in the local craft beer community. With more than 20 years in business, Rohrbach Brewing is an O.G.^* in the Rochester beer scene. “The craft beer community has exploded in Rochester,” said Urlaub, “we’ve seen more growth in the past 2 years, than we did in the 18 years before that… The local community here really embraces and supports craft beer, and they love to talk about it!  It’s really cool.”

The first brewers fest was held at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY and hosted only a dozen or so breweries.  Since then, the festivities have been moved to Frontier Field in downtown Rochester, and the list of participating breweries has more than tripled in size. Urlaub adds, “Today, people are coming to the Brewers Fest hoping to find their new favorite… Back then, we were just trying to get people to try a flavorful beer!”

This years brewers fest will feature deeper tents than in past years to ensure everybody has a great time — rain or shine (Looking at the 10 day forecast, there’s a 30% chance you’ll appreciate that!), and the band will be moved down to the field to create a more intimate atmosphere. Participating breweries include:

Proceeds from the Brewers Fest will benefit Holiday Outreach, a local not-for-profit organization that works to assist less fortunate families during the holiday season and throughout the year.  Why Holiday Outreach?  John says he wanted to keep the focus on the local community.  Over the years, events like the Flour City Brewers Fest, along with other fund raising efforts, have helped raise nearly $150,000 for the small, grassroots organization run entirely by volunteers.  Such significant fund raising efforts have allowed Holiday Outreach to help many families in need from the city of Rochester, as well as other parts of Western New York.

So what’s next? When I asked John what we could expect from Rohrbach’s in the future, he told me that they’re working on new packaging to make their beer more available to consumers.  For years, the only way to enjoy Rohrbach’s tasty line-up of craft brews has been to find it on draft or grab a growler to-go… Soon, you’ll be able to find Rohrbach beer in 22oz. bottles and eventually in ultra-convenient 6-packs.  They’ll be a welcome sight at summer barbecues to come!

Getting In

Tickets to the 2012 Flour City Brewers Fest are $40 at the gate ($35 advance) or $10 for designated drivers and non-beer samplers. Parking will be available for $5 (cash only!) in the adjacent Kodak lot (map).  Street parking is FREE where available but be sure to check for NO PARKING/NO STANDING signs. (A note about drinking responsibly: Overnight parking is allowed in the Kodak lot as well as in the State Street Garage in High Falls. There will be taxi service available and the Rochester Plaza hotel will run a shuttle bus to and from the event. Contact the Rochester Plaza for details.)

A limited number of VIP tickets are also available for $75 (purchase online at: http://fcbrewfest.com/tickets.php).  VIP ticket holders can look forward to a number of benefits including:

• Early admission — Gain access to the field at 5pm (an hour before general admission)
• FREE parking in the Frontier Field and nearby Kodak Lots
• Access to the covered VIP area (opens at 6PM) where you can mix & mingle with friends
• Catered food from 6 – 8pm in the VIP Area
• Samples of exclusive beers not available to anyone else at Brew Fest!

What to Try

One of the best things about going to beer festivals is trying new beers.  Remember that booming Rochester craft beer scene?  Well you’ll get to experience it first hand at Flour City Brewers Fest.  Along with Rohrbach’s lineup of locally brewed beer, make sure you stop by and sample offerings from the other Rochester craft breweries in attendance. Custom Brewcrafters, ROC Brewing Co, Three Heads Brewing, Naked Dove, and Rogers Beer are all local favorites.  And don’t forget your Grandpa’s beer of choice: Genny Cream Ale! Genesee Brewery has been brewing beer in Rochester since 1878, and is one of the largest and oldest continually operating breweries in the United States. Today, they employ more than 500 employees here in Rochester. And here’s a fun fact… for those of you that remember Genny as the beer you had to drink warm behind the tool shed because you stole it from your dad’s stash in the garage, Genesee Cream Ale actually won the GOLD medal at the World Beer Cup in both 2002 and 2004 for best American Lager/Ale or Cream Ale. So if it’s been a while since you’ve had a taste of this American classic, take this opportunity to sample it side by side with some of your other craft favorites.  You might find that’s not quite the beer you remember it to be!

In between beer tastings, be sure to stop by the Rochester A-List and Rochester Young Professionals tent in the outfield to try a Rohrbachs Vanilla Porter Cupcake created by Dollop, Rochester’s premier gourmet cupcakery and winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.  While you’re there you can also register for your chance to win some great beer related prizes!

One that I’m looking forward to trying… Brooklyn Brewery will be there with their Brewmaster’s Reserve “Fiat Lux” (“Let There Be Light”), a Belgian witbier inspired ale with lime peel & coriander. Check out this video by Transient Pictures for a more detailed look at what goes into this seasonal release, draft only brew. Cheers!

The post 2012 Flour City Brewer’s Fest first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

The Sherwood Inn sits on the northern shore of Skaneateles Lake, an emblem of vintage class and elegance. It’s a gorgeous building; beautifully simplistic. It stands with subtle dignity, a testament to the days of nickel beers and horse-drawn carriages. To me, it represents a lifestyle we lost somewhere along the way: one without constant and immediate technological distractions that rip us away from each other while pretending to connect us. The Sherwood Inn is a building that reminds me of the good old days that we easily forget about and then wish that we could somehow get back.

The lighting is soft and low inside the Inn. The bar in the tavern is old and comforting. It’s dark and there’s a low murmur with the sounds of clinking glass and bottles. It’s one of those bars you walk into and you can feel the stories emanate from the scratches and scuffs in the gloss of the wood. It feels as though you’ve stepped back into the past and it feels completely natural to be there. Outside, the sun is slipping out of the sky toward the horizon and people are beginning to sit down for dinner. There is a small table with various NY cheeses: sharp, smoked, creamy, it’s all beautiful. I see servers walk past me with balsamic onion and goat cheese tartlets and another with bacon wrapped dates. There is a large table with cold bottles and cans of Saranac Blueberry Blonde, Summer, and Pale Ale that people are helping themselves to.

I’m introduced to Chuck as I sip on a can of Saranac Blueberry Blonde. He manages The Sherwood. His demeanor is calm and cool but I can see that he’s watching everything going on around us: the way the beers are being poured, the way the servers are trickling out the doors with plates of tomato cucumber salad and warm stretch bread with clock-like precision. This is his show. Their first beer dinner, and he’s proud of it. “I think we’re doing alright,” he says as his eyes pan over the crowd as they begin the first course of Kölsch and salad, “we were expecting fifty or sixty people to show. There are over two hundred people here tonight.”

Each table sits anywhere from four to eight people and is covered in a blue and white checkered table cloth. Next to each plate of food and sample (or can) of beer are small candles in glass holders. The flames dance slowly in the cool breeze of summer.

As I ask Chuck a few quick questions, Fred Matt, the President of The Matt Brewing Company, stands in front of the crowd and begins to tell stories about being in the beer business. He tells one about how his father had to go into the hospital when he was sixty-nine. The newspapers reported that he had died. “Well,” his father said upon hearing the news he had apparently passed, “German lore says if you are ever said to have died but didn’t, you’ll live another thirty years.” When he finally did pass, he was ninety years old.

“We’ve done Antinori wine diners,” Chuck says quietly as Fred Matt answers some questions from the crowd.  “Those do well. But we’re really trying to place an emphasis on New York.” I counted forty-eight wines from NY currently on their impressive (and award winning) wine list. “We’ve got seven New York State beers on tap inside. People are looking for more local flavor.” Chuck is proud to inform me that, other than Empire Brewing on Armory Square in Syracuse, The Sherwood is the only place where you can drink Skinny Atlas Lite, a Kölsch-style brew that, as Empire says, has “the flavor of a light German pilsner crossed with the crisp cleanness in an American Ale”.

While Chuck attends to the organized chaos, I start on the appetizer. I’m given a sample of Saranac’s Session IPA and a plate of Leigh and Steigerwalds smoked bratwurst, fingerling potato salad, cabbage braised in the beer, and a house made spicy mustard. The cool thing about Saranac’s Session IPA is that, for me, it is not pretentious. It doesn’t claim to be anything other than what it is: an accessible example of a misused but popular style. Some at my table were less than enthused that the beer was labeled an IPA (Begin rant: just because it’s an IPA doesn’t mean it has to strip the enamel off your teeth with bitterness. Not every IPA has to be Pliny the Elder or Hedonism. I think we should get back to basics and remember that a “strong hop characteristic” doesn’t automatically mean “consumable battery acid”. End rant.).

Before dinner is served, Chuck introduces me to Dan Hudson, the Executive Chef. I meet him at the outside grill, where the smoke billowing from the sizzling ribs seems too good to not be considered a form of inhalant abuse. When I ask him about the logistics of cooking for so many people and pairing it with beer, he says practice makes perfect. “We’ve had a lot of practice with the wine dinners. This time, instead of worrying what food to pair the beer with, we basically chose the beer first and then just made food that people like to eat.” When I sit back down, I’m greeted with what Dan promised.

First, the spice rubbed baby back rips with Tennessee whiskey BBQ sauce, then a summer cole slaw, Jalapeno corn bread and my new favorite side dish, Utica Greens. But none of it is put in front of me. The ribs are piled high on a plate and the sides are in two large bowls. This course is family-style: pick it up, put it on, pass it around. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. As I drink my Rye IPA, I look around the table I’m sitting at. The sun is hidden behind the horizon and the night air is calm. The candles begin to glow against the dusk. Everyone at my table is smiling at each other and passing dishes around and laughing and I get the strange feeling that maybe we haven’t lost the good old days that The Sherwood Inn represents after all. Maybe nostalgia isn’t a longing for a past that we can’t get back but a desire for something that’s right in front of us that we can’t see anymore.

As my table professes their undying love for the ribs Dan and his crew had prepared, Fred Matt comes to our table. He’s a tall man with quiet but focused eyes. His voice is calm yet assertive. He’s been told someone wanted to ask him a question or two. Someone at my table asked Fred if there was anything that Saranac has done that he wished could have gone better or wish they would have done first.

“Shandy,” Fred says after nodding his head, “Our Shandy is shipping out 25,000 cases. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy? Four million plus. We could have done that better. I think we did a really good job with that beer. We just did a shit job of getting it out.” I’m taken back at his honesty. He’s not spewing public relations speak or dodging the question. “Cider, too. We could have done cider.”

The sky is slowly darkening to evening and the lights around the fountain and pointed back toward the Inn begin to soak the crowd in blue and orange hues. The light from the candles bounces and flutters quickly on the tablecloths. Our server puts a towering piece of S’more cake in front of me and a sample of Lake Placid UBU Ale. Before I can rub the gram cracker cake, chocolate ganache, and marshmallow frosting all over my face in ecstasy, I ask Fred what he sees for the future of New York beer and where it’s headed.

“Well, there’s a problem: New York doesn’t like New York.”

I ask him what he means as I sip my UBU.

“No one supports each other. If we combined the beer and the farming movement in NY, then it would trickle down from the business to the people. There could be a 3-5% reduction or hold on certain taxes just for working with local farmers. We just need to be allowed to help each other out.” I’m about to ask him about the Farm Brewery Law that recently passed but he’s whisked away to answer more questions from eager craft beer drinkers.

As the darkness falls over the lake and the tables began to empty, the air fills with an acoustic performance by Tommy Connors. Free pint glasses are placed on a large table, available to take home or fill up (which I did with that gorgeous concoction, UBU). I thanked Chuck and Dan for one of the best beer pairings I’ve ever been to.

“August 15^th”, Chuck says as he shakes my hand, “we’re having Empire Brewing here. Five-piece blues band called The Super Delinquents are playing. It’s gonna be great.”

The post Sherwood Inn: Saranac Summer Beer-B-Que first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

What: Beer Bar featuring Belgian imports and Belgian-style beers.

Where: 120 East Avenue, Rochester NY, 14604 / tel: 585-325-3663

When to go: Open 4:00 pm – 2:00 am. Regular hours start Monday, July 9th: Monday – Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am

A new addition to the East End district, Victoire (pronounced veek-twahr) offers an impressive selection of authentic Belgian imports along with Belgian style beers from breweries like Ommegang, Victory, Stone, & Unibroue. They feature 20+ taps along with an impressive number of bottle conditioned beers. The Belgian people take their glassware seriously, so it’s also nice to see that Victoire serves much of their beer in the corresponding specialty glassware from the breweries. I ordered a Duchesse De Bourgogne from Brouwerij Verhaeghe (Belgium), and a Liefmans Fruitesse (Belgium)… both of which, I adored. JD started with a Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY) and finished with a Delirium Tremens from Brouwerij Huyghe (Belgium).

The atmosphere at Victoire is great. The dimly lit interior features multiple rooms, plenty of private seating areas as well as a few large wooden tables well-suited to large parties or dining alongside other guests (make new friends!). Perhaps their most endearing feature, is the outdoor seating area. Located a few steps below street-level, the sunken beer garden offers the perfect spot to enjoy a warm summer night in the city… JD and I agreed, we felt like we were in a different city.

When we went, they had yet to release the full menu (available starting July 5th), but we ordered the charcuterie plate, which was huge! A perfect pairing for those looking for something to snack on with drinks and enough to serve as a small appetizer for a table four. For $12 we got 4 cheeses, 4 meats, 4 fruits, tapanade, pepper jelly, mustard, and a sliced baguette… my only critique was that our server didn’t explain what was on the plate so we were left to guess what would pair well with what. (I’m hoping this is one of the “start-up kinks” that will be worked out as the staff gets the hang of what’s on the menu.) The table next to us ordered one of the 8 varieties of moules & frites (mussels & fries) and they said it was delicious, I’ll definitely be back to try those!

*Update!

I stopped back in last night for a quick beer after work and I tried the mussels… I paired a Delirium Nocturnum (Belgian Dubbel) with the Victoire Moules & Frites – white wine, cream, bacon, caramelized onions, scallions, & organic herbs.  It was a great pairing and MAN, those mussels were delicious!  The hand cut fries were also quite good, served with both a pesto and a garlic aioli for dipping.  I gotta hand it to them… they’re doing a great job.  Definitely adding this to our list of favorite beer spots in the city!

The post Local Spotlight: Victoire Belgium Beer Bar 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.