Tag Archives: festival

Maryland Craft Beer Festival – May 12

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On Saturday, May 12th from noon – 6:00pm, visit the Eventplex at the Frederick Fairgrounds to kick-off American Craft Beer Week and Frederick Beer Week with this celebration of Maryland Craft Beer, produced by the Brewer’s Association of Maryland (BAM), a non-profit comprised of the brewers of Maryland.  Up to 20 Maryland breweries will be present with over 80 different beers. The event includes on-site brewing demonstrations, rare bottles and kegs, one of a kind casks and VIP craft beer gifts that will blow your mind! This family-friendly festival features live music, fresh foods, kid’s activities, and local exhibitors.

Tickets to the festival are on sale now.  Admission price: Adults: $17 Advance / $25 at the door; VIP: Advance $32 / $40 at the door; Designated Driver and Youth ages 12-20 $10; Kids under 12 FREE. Regular adult admission includes six tasting tokens and souvenir glass. VIP admission includes ten tasting tokens, a souvenir glass, early entrance for access to rare beers and unique casks, as well as a list of gifts that will make your craft beer friends totally envious!

BREAKING RUMOR: One extremely lucky VIP winner will receive a tasting of a Maryland Brewery Collaboration Beer by Heavy Seas and Barley and Hops brewed solely for this event.  The winner will also receive plenty more awesome prizes – from home-brew classes and supplies to exclusive entry into ACBWeek events, glassware and all sorts of brewery swag.

The last day to purchase tickets at the advance ticket price is May 11th at 9:00pm.  This is not your average beer festival, because it’s put on by the brewers themselves – and we’re breaking out the good stuff!  For more information about the Maryland Craft Beer Festival, visit www.mdcraftbeerfestival.com.

Leave a comment to let us know if you’re going. I expect to be there helping man the Frederick Beer Week booth, so stop by and say hello.

Albany Wing Fest Lost Its Wings

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The Albany, NY Wing Fest (Capital Region Beer & Wing Festival) for 2010 is not going to be a wing festival and has been renamed “Brew & Boo”.

Boo! BOOOOOOOOO!

I’m not interested in paying (probably) $30 to stand around on a crowded concrete floor to sample beers I can get at a nice pub in a nicer atmosphere for less money.

The Buffalo wings, and their varieties, is what made this festival great. I live blogged from it last year and had a great time.

Source: Times Union, and we are waiting to hear more about this Boo Fest.

Beer & Wing Festival

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Capital Region Beer & Wing Festival – Albany New York – September 25, 2009
It’s a match made in heaven…beer and wings!

Sample over 50 different types of beer along with wings from area bars and restaurants!

Hop Talk was at the event and live blogging to give our opinion on the best beer and wings of the show.

I am at the festival and live blogging this evening. Hey! There is a whole other side!

So far my first, Chicos, had the best wings. They were smoked and no sauce! More to come!

The competition is not about the best Buffalo wings, there are actually very few samples in the traditional style. Most restaurants have brought several of their styles and the judging will be on the best overall.

  • Thai
  • Honey
  • Ginger BBQ
  • Habañero (HOT!)
  • Parmesan
  • Jerk
  • Garlic butter
  • Buffalo – mild, medium & hot

You name it! and, now my taste buds are dead! It will truly be difficult to determine the best beer after putting my taste buds through this.

We decided many/most beers were “not objectionable” which means marginal, but not great. Goose Island Honkers is runner up to Ithica Caskazilka right now. And, Chicos smoked wings are still in the lead.

Hop-Talk.com LOVES beer too! (That’s my buddy in the background)

Chicos smoked wings wins in my opinion! They are peppery and smokey, no sauce. Kind of like baby back ribs but wings.

You can find them at: 2490 Western Ave, Guilderland, New York – (518) 456-0940

WingFest - Habanero

Super Hot Habañero!

Official winner for wings is The Recovery Room which we thought were pretty good. They were cooked crispy and their Buffalo style hit the mark.

The official winner on beer … The “Top Hops” award goes to Switchback out of Vermont! I like that a small brewery won instead of, say, Blue Moon, but we thought Switchback was quite plain tasting. Caskazilka is our fave from Ithica! Other favorites of ours were: Boulder’s Hazed and Infuzed, Goose Island’s Honker’s Ale, & Lake Placid’s IPA & UBU. (Brooklyn’s Oktoberfest just doesn’t match well with hot wings.)

WingFest - Brooklyn

The story is that from last year I couldn’t even make it in to the event because by the time I got there they were over capacity (3,000 people) and running out of wings and beer. This year they fixed the issues and halved the crowd and doubled the wings and floor space.