New York City Beer Week Awaits
A guide to beer week events and what to drink at this weekend's Opening Bash
Before we get started, a sobering reminder that beer is far from all fun. Making beer in industrial settings has plenty of risks and can be dangerous to the point of being fatal — as it was this week, tragically, at Wooden Robot Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the brewery’s co-founder and brewer Dan Wade was killed in a fall on Tuesday. Tributes have poured in for Wade, whose brewery is a cornerstone of Charlotte’s beer growth since opening in 2015. It was a huge loss for that city’s bustling beer community and for the industry at large.
The accident came a week after a video from a brewery in Minnesota went viral while depicting a somewhat less dangerous pitfall of brewing, resulting in a New England IPA named Blow Back. But despite the light-heartedness of that situation, it’s a reminder that brewing beer is not without risk, and safety initiatives for brewery employees exist for a reason. If you’re in the industry and particularly if you’re in production or packaging, it’s a good time to stay current on good brewery safety practices. Our state’s brewers association has a good list of resources. Stay safe, friends.
Your Guide to 2024 New York City Beer Week
New York City Beer Week, the annual celebration of all things beer that the city has to offer, kicks off on Saturday. The week is organized by the NYC Brewers Guild, and is chock full of special events around the five boroughs that celebrate the city’s beer scene in all facets. From special guest breweries to tap takeovers to beer dinners, there’s a whole slew of events in the next week to whet your appetite for beer.
Here are just a few of the noteworthy events coming up to celebrate beer week:
Saturday, 2/24, 12:30pm — Opening Bash at Industry City Brooklyn
It’s the biggest event of the year on the New York City beer calendar. Dozens of breweries from across the city and around the country gather at Industry City’s Building 7/8 for a celebration of all things beer, with food and music along for the ride, too.
Monday, 2/26, 7pm — Craft Beer Cagematch 4 at Covenhoven
It’s back. Covenhoven pits breweries against each other in a night-long cage match — whichever brewery sells the most beer on Monday night will win. Among those in the running: defending champion Fifth Frame, previous champions Fifth Hammer and Mast Landing, and many more. And yes, there’s a championship belt.
Tuesday, 2/27, 7pm — Hip Hop Trivia Night at Bierwax
It’s a one-of-a-kind New York beer event. Beats by Bierwax’s own Minister Maestro at 7pm, Trivmatic Hip Hop trivia at 8pm, and beer from Kills Boro, Wild East, and Strong Rope all night long.
Tuesday, 2/27, All Day — Pizza and Pils at Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop
Is there a more perfect pairing than a slice and a nice, snappy pils? Celebrate a lineup of local pilsners in Greenpoint with Other Half, Wild East, and more to wash down your pizza.
Wednesday, 2/28, 3pm — Borough Beer Fest at Blind Tiger Ale House
One of the city’s most acclaimed beer bars hosts its annual all-New York tap takeover, with all 28 taps dedicated to beers brewed in the five boroughs. It’s the one Beer Week event that I never miss. Play hooky for the best selection.t
Thursday, 2/29, 4-8pm — Brews at Brookfield Place
The annual event celebrating local beer has returned to the Winter Garden, with two weekly featured breweries and samples of food from Brookfield Place vendors. During Beer Week, Bronx and Torch & Crown will be featured, with all beer sales supporting the GO Project. (If you’re reading this on the 22nd, you can catch Singlecut and Transmitter tonight; on March 6th, it’s KCBC and Sixpoint.)
Friday, 3/1 to Sunday, 3/3 — Caskalot at Fifth Hammer Brewing
For three full days, Fifth Hammer is hosting their annual celebration of cask ale from New York City. Enjoy casks all weekend from the host brewery, but also Finback, Wild East, Transmitter, Threes, and more. Free admission, pay as you go!
Saturday, 3/2, 1pm — 10th Anniversary Party at Gun Hill Brewing Company
Can’t believe it’s been a decade! The city’s northernmost brewery celebrates this major milestone with a party featuring the annual release of their award-winning Barrel-Aged Void of Light, food from Bluebird Kitchen, and plenty of good cheer.
Saturday, 3/2, 2pm — KCBC/Pink Boots Society Dynamite Evolution Launch at Someday Bar
Celebrate the launch and taste this year’s collaboration between the New York City chapter of the Pink Boots Society and KCBC, Dynamite Evolution, a hazy IPA that returns for its sixth year!
Sunday, 3/3, Noon — Ruppert’s Cup Competition at Endless Life Brewing
Wrap up Beer Week with the Ruppert’s Cup, an annual award given to the brewery that makes the best beer with 100% New York malt and hops (by no coincidence, Endless Life is among the breweries that sources their ingredients exclusively from New York).
Brewery Tracker
Total brewery count: 3,340
Total breweries visited in 2024: 56
Total breweries visited in Illinois: 76
Brewery Visit of the Week
Brewery #3332, Sundial Brewing & Blending, Barrington, Illinois (Visited 17-Feb-2024)
I didn’t go to Sundial with any intentions at all, except to tick off a brewery before I headed to my 3,333rd nearby in the Northwest Chicago Suburbs. But damn, did I come across a gem. You can get a good feel for what these folks are about from their Table Coupage, a dry-hopped table beer partially fermented and aged in oak barrels and weighing in at 2.8% ABV. It’s delicate, it’s flavorful, it’s refreshing — and it’s evolving, as the version I had was their third different blend. The Saison Du Village was just an outstanding version of the style. But funky farmhouse stuff isn’t all Sundial is about — the Americana Pils was a nice take on the domestic lager with white corn and Cascade hops, and the Fieldstone Farmhouse IPA carried a bill of all Michigan-grown hops, which was a fun surprise. Somehow, a quick visit turned into two and a half hours of chatting with Ian and Mike here, and that was time well spent.
The Doom and Gloom Tracker
At least 6 breweries I’ve visited announced their closure in the past week:
Brewery #552, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Somerdale, New Jersey (Visited 7-May-2016)
Brewery #1911, Astronomy Aleworks, Henderson, Nevada (Visited 1-Mar-2020)
Brewery #2732, Brew By Numbers Morden Wharf, London, England (Visited 10-Jul-2022)
Brewery #2815, Sunroom Brewing, Englewood, Colorado (Visited 7-Oct-2022)
Brewery #2837, Equity Brewing Company, Norman, Oklahoma (Visited 18-Nov-2022)
Brewery #3265, Blue Blaze Brewing Co., Charlotte, North Carolina (Visited 9-Dec-2023)
The Weekly Reader
Governor Hochul wants to make to-go cocktails permanent [Jon Campbell, Gothamist]
The many IPA sub-genres we barely knew [Josh Bernstein, Vinepair]
Crunching the beer numbers [Jeff Alworth, Beervana]
How a Minnesota brewery plans to weather a bankruptcy storm [Jay Boller, Racket]
One Last Thing
I’m looking forward to seeing some of you at Opening Bash on Saturday! If you see me, say hi, and ask for a Brew York sticker! And if you’re wondering where to find me, you might find me at one of these breweries’ tables, which I’m looking forward to checking out:
Cool Cousin: this New York-based upstart has been making headlines for making beer with raw barley, using enzymes to help the barley mimic the malted version. I’m intrigued, and this is going to be my first time trying their beer.
Phase Three: I was quite literally here last weekend (it was appropriately brewery #3333), and I’ll be going back for the Double Pixel Daydream, an Other Half collab that was pouring in their taproom when I visited.
Resident Culture: there was a reason why this Charlotte brewery was my 100th in North Carolina — their beer is praise-worthy. Their Riding for the Feeling Italian Pilsner was the first beer I ordered when I visited in December, and I can’t wait to enjoy it again.
Strangebird: if you haven’t heard of what’s arguably one of New York’s best breweries at this point, get yourself to their table and see what all the fuss is about. I’m looking forward to The Lighter Side, their Barrel Lagered Helles.
Cheers,
Chris