Bavaria defines it as a staple food with a recipe that goes back over 4,000 years. It is sold in vending machines in Japan while the average American consumes over 23 gallons of it annually.
It is beer, the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most consumed beverage after water and tea. With this kind of popularity, it's no wonder that beer festivals are a big hit, particularly at this time of year. So get ready to malt and hop your way over to the North Fork for the premiere beer festival of the year!
The 4th Annual North Fork Craft Beer, BBQ & Wine Festival will be held on August 14th at Martha Clara Vineyards in Jamesport, in Long Island's lovely wine country. More than 50 world-class craft brewers will gather on the picturesque grounds of the vineyard to participate.
"Long Island wine country has led the way in developing awareness for locally made high quality wine. This beer festival will highlight Long Island's locally made beer," said Mark Burford, brew master at the Blue Point Brewing Company.
Winner of the prestigious North Fork "Event of the Year" award, this is truly the most talked-about and most anticipated festival of the summer. A broad range of nationally recognized craft beer industry leaders as well as many of Long Island's award-winning hometown favorites will be present. For those who'd like to try out some Long Island grapes, wines will be available for sampling from the Martha Clara Vineyards collection and other specially selected Long Island wineries.
Lynda and Andy Calimano of Starfish Junction Productions are the festival organizers. They certainly know how to throw a party of this magnitude as they also produce the huge beer festivals each spring at Nassau Coliseum and annual beer expos in Philadelphia.
"When we decided to do the North Fork festival, people asked, ‘Why in wine country?' says Mr. Calimano. "We wanted to give people the opportunity to taste great American beers, just like the local wines. Since we started the festival, Long Island has become a hot bed for new breweries, such as Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, which celebrates its 1-year anniversary and Blue Point Brewery, now 10 years old."
As Mr. Calimano tells it, "This festival gives you the opportunity to sample beers from ales to saisons (seasonals), stouts to variations of IPAs (India pale ales), and Belgian style beers. It opens your eyes to the many different styles of beer that are out there, just as a winery has so many types of wine. There are even more varieties of beer than wines – wine deals with grapes but with beer, the ingredients can be many. We've had wine lovers come to the festival and find beers they enjoy, like blueberry or apricot wheat."
With each paid admission ticket you'll enjoy a choice of a BBQ sandwich and one side item prepared by Maple Tree BBQ. Entrees include North Carolina Style BBQ Pork, Alabama Style BBQ Chicken, and Vegetarian Mesquite Smoked Beans with a trio of beans, bulgur wheat, grilled vegetables and caramelized onions, along with some delicious side items. BBQ ribs, beef brisket, quesadillas and more will be available for sale.
Back by popular demand, this year's festival will once again include cooking-with-beer demonstrations led by prominent Long Island chefs and the Energy Express Band will be performing songs of many genres from the 50's to the Top 40 hits of today.
Gino Castellano, who attended the festival twice before, had great things to say about it. "First thing, if you like beer, you'll love it. The whole day is great, from the beer, to the music, the food, and the location. Bring your lawn chair and sit back with a nice breeze in the field. It's like Woodstock – one day of beef, music and beer!"
Attendees are invited to attend intimate talks given by brew masters and industry leaders. They'll cover topics as varied as the growth of the craft beer scene on Long Island to pairing craft beer with food.
One talk will discuss Samuel Adams, the craft beer pioneer, with special guest and presenter Bert Boyce, brewer at Samuel Adams. The Boston Beer Company, producer of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. You will hear firsthand how a recipe found in a family attic changed the beer scene in America and how today, 25 years later, new recipes are being developed to meet the needs of loyal craft beer drinkers. You'll learn about the Beer Lover's Choice competition and how you can make your vote count at the festival.
Seasonal beers will be discussed by brew master presenters Keith Villa of Blue Moon and Mark Burford of Blue Point Brewing Company. The topic includes, "What is a seasonal beer? Why are seasonal beers so popular?" This will be a lively and entertaining discussion that will go behind the scenes with skilled brew masters as they discuss examples of small-batch American ingenuity and the beers that go beyond the range of familiar flavors to celebrate local offerings and the flavors of the season.
"Cross-Drinking: Pairing Wine and Beer with Food," is another talk that will be presented. Can you pair beer with brisket? Pinot with pasta? As consumers are becoming more educated about beer and wine, they are becoming more experimental, even promiscuous, when pairing food and drink. Using expert advice and personal preference, you'll find out how to break "the rules" and achieve the ultimate gastronomic experience.
Area hotels near the festival include the East Wind Inn & Spa in Wading River, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Riverhead and the Hilton Garden Inn of Riverhead. Of course, you don't want to drink and drive.
"This is a favorite festival on Long Island," says Mr. Calimano. "We get a lot of compliments. There are three home brew clubs on the Island and they will all be at the festival; one of them will show you how to brew beer."
Mr. Calimano says that over 50 different breweries from across the U.S. and some international breweries will be attending with over 100 brews. "We never oversell our events, so there's plenty of room for people to walk around and speak to the brewers," he says.
The event will help to raise funds for the Peconic Bay Medical Center as well as the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. Starfish Junction Productions has raised over $65,000 for several charities through events they have produced.
The festival offers two ticket options: VIP (1:00-6:00 PM, $75) and general admission (2:00-6:00 PM, $50). VIP admission includes a special one-hour meet & greet with brewers and tastings of special beers reserved for the VIP session. Both admission categories include a 6 oz. souvenir tasting glass to enjoy 2 oz. samples from any exhibiting brewery as well as wine sampling from select Long Island wineries. Designated driver tickets are available for $10 each and no one under 21 is permitted. Rain or shine. Martha Clara Vineyards is at 6025 Sound Ave., Riverhead. For tickets and info visit www.NorthForkCraftBeerFestival.com.
See you at the festival – it should be a brewtiful day!
