Ballpark Brew Fest Hits a Homerun
Flying Bison Brewing’s Tim Herzog
I’ve written before of my beefs with beer festivals. It’s heartening, then, to see events like Ballpark Brew Bash, which took place in Buffalo’s Coca-Cola Field this weekend. Small and intimate but boasting an impressive selection of breweries and beers, BPBP was downright pleasant to attend.
Thanks to a favorable ratio of breweries to attendees and a spread-out facility (the breweries set up on the edges of the baseball diamond and in the concession areas) I didn’t see a single long line –– not even at the Stone or Founders stands, where beloved Bastards both Dirty and Arrogant were on offer. What’s more, though pours were a sizeable 3 ounces (can we get some dump buckets out on the field next year? Some of us are working, here!), there was a shortage of the drunken-bro tomfoolery at which Buffalo normally excels.
Hop pizza
I’m not sure if the majority of breweries were indoors due to the cloudy weather; given a nicer day it would have been great to enjoy beers on the field rather than in the concession stands inside.
After a slice of hop pizza (exactly what it sounds like) courtesy of ever-adventurous Pizza Plant, washed down with a Gordon Biersch IPA, I didn’t even notice the gloomy weather.
An appreciative and intimate audience lent itself, naturally, to a fantastic and unique beer selection: one-offs, hard-to-find beers, and small breweries were in abundance. Everyone seemed to be bringing their coolest stuff; even Coors stepped out with “Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition” –– which tasted pretty much like stale Molson, but I’m no historian.
There was something exciting to taste in every direction.
Though I certainly wouldn’t kick Flying Bison’s Cascades-on-cask specialty ale out of bed for eating crackers, I was also surprised to find a highlight in Ringside’s American Lager. I had never tried anything from Ringside before but found that their offices are located in Buffalo (they brew in Saratoga Springs, contract-brewed by Olde Saratoga [Mendocino] Brewery).
Other New York highlights included Elicottville’s Hopicity and Ommegang Scythe & Sickle. I’m praying to Ninkasi that Community Beer Works decides to make more bourbon-barrel-aged Whale at some point; it was on offer to VIPs at the event and it’s one of the best beers I’ve had all year.
Ballpark Brew Bash is only three years old but it’s developing a reputation as one of Western New York’s best beer events. It will be at the top of my to-do list for 2013!
