Month: October 2014

Taste of Asturias Spitting Cask Challenge to be Part of Saturday’s Ciderfeast!

SidraSpittingCaskWe’ve already got an incredible line-up for Saturday’s Ciderfeast at the Seaport. Now we’re adding in some fun!

Next Saturday, October 25th, we will be celebrating the Fourth Annual Cider Week at Ciderfeast, where among the many outstanding regional ciders we are offering will be a special selection of Asturias Sidra from Spain! In the USA, the myth of Johnny Appleseed planting trees represents our traditional cider, but the culture of Asturias has so much more, such as specialty cider bars, “spitting” cider casks, and high pouring cider challenges.

During both Ciderfeast sessions (from 11:30AM-2:00PM and 3:30-6:00PM), we’ll be bringing our own Spanish fest-within-the-festival, with a “best of Asturias” food and drink tent that will include a giant barrel of Castanon Sidra being poured from a spitting cask!All ticket holders will be able to take part in our “high pour challenge” (while supplies last!): Attendees will pair off under the guidance of Rowan Imports Anthony Belliveau-Flores to “high pour” from the cask. A panel of judges will rank who has better accuracy and style, with the winner moving on (rather like a March Madness bracket). So come out and catch the cider with your tasting cup!

Ciderfeast takes place at the South Street Seaport along Fulton Street (at Front Street) with the following key features:

  • A “sophisticated cider event” with special guest cider luminaries, a commemorative souvenir tasting glass, and 2.5 hours of UNLIMITED samples from 30+ ciders
  • The best of east and west cideries, including Farnum Hill, Eden, Yankee Folly Cider, Titled Shed Ciderworks, Aaron Burr, Sovereign, Critz Farms (Harvest Moon), Foggy Ridge, Red Byrd, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, Orchard Hill and Wandering Aengus, West County Cider, Nine Pin Ciderworks, Doc’s Draft Hard Cider, Aspall, Original Sin, Wolffër Estate, Rekorderlig Cider, and more than 10 brands from Rowan Imports
  • Craft Beer will be provided by Rocky Point Artisan Brewers and Secret Engine
  • Live music performances from Mark Ettinger, George Kliby Jr. and Road Dogs, Dana Lacroix, and International Orange
  • A selection of regional food prepared by New York chefs (available for additional purchase), including Asturias for Foodies, plus grill stations and BBQ pits manned by Fleisher’s Meats and Jimmy’s No. 43

All offerings are subject to change. All sales final. Ciderfeast is a rain or shine event (as of today, the weather looks great: no rain, mid-60s… perfect for cider!). Be sure to get your unlimited cider pour tickets here.

We hope to see you next Saturday at Ciderfeast!

Ciderfeast brings more than 30 ciders from two dozen hard cider makers to Seaport on October 25th

CIDERFEAST_SEAPORT_TMWelcome to Cider Week! Okay, we’re getting a bit ahead of things, as Cider Week NYC is still more than a week away (it runs from 10/24-11/2). However, we’re lining up a stellar group of hard cider makers for a tasting event without equal (where else can you sample 30+ of the world’s best ciders in one location for only $45?). In June, we presented Ciderwick™ and “The Real Cider Manifesto” in celebration of small, artisanal cider makers who are using cider apples to create amazing ciders that are rarely available at one venue. Ciderfeast will bring the best of all these ciders together for one amazing tasting with features including:

  • A “sophisticated drinking event” with the world’s best cider makers pouring their own ciders for 2.5 hours of unlimited pours
  • The best cideries from the northeast, including Farnum Hill, Aaron Burr, Slyboro, Eden Ice Ciders, Critz Farms (Harvest Moon), West County, Red Byrd, Eve’s, Clifton Dry, Nine Pin, Steampunk, Soveriegn, and Wolffër Estate, among others
  • The “shooting” Asturias cask of Rowan Imports, along with the best of European ciders from Ireland, Spain, England, Germany and France
  • A selection of NY State craft beer TBA
  • Live music performances from Mark Ettinger, George Kliby Jr. and Road Dogs, Dana Lacroix, and International Orange
  • A selection of regional food (available for additional purchase) prepared by Asturias for Foodies, Jimmy’s No. 43, Fleisher’s Meats, and others TBA

Taking place at the historic Seaport in downtown Manhattan (enter at Fulton and Front Streets), Ciderfeast will take place during two separate sessions (11:30AM-2:00PM or 3:30-6:00PM), with many of the cider makers pouring their own ciders! Tickets are on sale now.

 

What You Missed on Beer Sessions Radio™: Beer Trademarks, GABF

GABF2014_2This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, host Jimmy Carbone is discussing Queens-based brewing, the Great American Beer Festival, and beer trademarks! Frequent guest, Tony Forder from Ale Street News has just returned from this year’s GABF and gives us the annual festival wrap-up. Basil Lee and Kevin Stafford from Queens’ Finback Brewery talk about their self-distribution model, and how their brewery’s name had to change due copyright law.

The panel is rounded out by Brendan Palfreyman, a trademark lawyer, who joins the discussion to lend his advice to brewers having similar problems to Basil and Kevin. Learn about Finback’s roots in homebrewing, and how farm brewery licensing has been benefiting brewers upstate. Has beer nomenclature gotten out of control? Find out more listening to the whole episode here!

Cask is King: dba Cask Festival, Oktoberfeast, Jimmy’s No. 43 to Celebrate Cask Beer

casksFor those who love cask beers, this is shaping up to be a great weekend (and for those unacquainted with cask beer, now’s your best chance to discover the joys of authentic cask pours). Starting today the 9th Annual Williamsburg Cask Beer Festival begins at GBS bar dba Brooklyn. Curated by regular Beer Sessions Radio guest and cask guru Alex Hall, the Williamsburg Cask Beer Festival is quickly becoming one of the best cask fests in the country.

And if you are looking for casks in Manhattan, you have two more options: On Friday evening, Jimmy’s No. 43 will be tapping an authentic German Franconian cask (it’s vertical instead of horizontal) of Weissenohe Bonifacia, which will also be pouring this weekend down at the Seaport for Oktoberfeast.

Oktoberfeast is a beer and brat fest that will take place during two sessions this Saturday, October 11th (tickets here). Among the beers – many of which will be poured on cask – will be:

  • Secret Engine – Sticke Handwerker
  • Rocky Point – Das Saftige
  • Radiant Pig – Junior IPA, Gangster Duck
  • Grimm – Bees with a Buzz
  • Barrier – Oktoberfest
  • Gun Hill – Oktoberfest, Gold
  • Other Half – Veldrijden Love
  • SingleCut – Oktoberfest (secret small batch), Jan Michael w/Coffee and Vanilla
  • Third Rail – Bodega, Field 2
  • Bridge and Tunnel – “Maspeth” 1600, Black Rye IPA
  • Alphabet City – Easy Blonde
  • Perennial – Hommel Bier
  • Jonas Brock – Chocolate Stout, Jasmine Lager
  • Mönchsambacher Unfiltered Lager
  • Weissenohe Bonifacia

So come on out over the next few days and get your cask on!

 

 

 

Oktoberfeast Offers Up Unlimited Brews, Sausage Cookoff Competition

OKTOBERFEAST_SEAPORTOn Saturday October 11th, 2014 Beer Sessions Radio™, the Good Beer Seal and Food Karma Projects in conjunction with Fulton Stall Markets are pleased to present Oktoberfeast, the first in a new series of “pop-up” events at South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan.

Oktoberfeast will feature great food and Franconian gravity casks of beer straight from Bamberg (the heartland of specialty beer in Germany) alongside selections from up and coming small NY State craft breweries. Choose between two three-hour sessions of unlimited beer (11 am – 2 pm and 3 pm – 6 pm), dance to live music, and enjoy sausages provided by Flying Pigs Farm, East Village Meat Market, Schaller & Weber, Fleisher’s Meats, and Jimmy’s No. 43, among others. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite sausage in our “Best Brat” People’s Choice Award with the winner presented by local food celebrity Matt Timms!

The details:

  • Tickets include UNLIMITED pours of special seasonal beer offerings from some of NY State’s best small breweries including Rushing Duck, Secret Engine, Rocky Point Brewing, Radiant Pig, Gun Hill, Bridge & Tunnel, Barrier Brewing, Grimm, The Other Half, Singlecut Beersmiths, Nine Pin Cider, and Perennial Artisinal Ales from St. Louis, MO.
  • UNLIMITED samples of Franconian gravity casks from Shelton Brothers Imports including Weissenohe Monksfest and Weissenohe Bonifacia.
  • An array of food for sale from Flying Pigs Farm, Fleisher’s Meats, Schaller & Weber, East Village Meat Market,Jimmys 43, Starwurst and others (TBA).
  • Free samples of Cabot Cheese, Martin’s Pretzels and McClure’s Pickles.
  • Live music performances from Dive Bombers, Fireships, and The Shift.