Second Annual Spring Craft Beer Festival – Festival Review I have just attended the second annual Spring Craft Beer Festival at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County NY. The event was put on by Starfish Junction Productions, a three year old company who puts on approximately ten such events a year in the tri-state area. The festival ran in two 4 hour sessions, from 12-4 and 5-9. With your $43 admission you received a souvenir 6 oz tasting glass which could be used to sample an abundance of beers made by over 50 different breweries and brew pubs from around the country.
I was invited by the festival’s organizer, Andy Calimano, to arrive early to the first session for some exclusive face to face time with the brewers before the crowds started coming in. Being this was my first Starfish Junction event and not knowing what kind of crowds to expect, I gladly accepted. The festival took place in the expo center located in the lower lobby of the coliseum. The 60,000 square foot area is larger than a football field. Each of the side walls was lined with breweries hurriedly setting up for the soon to be arriving crowds. The middle of the expo center was wide open with plenty of room to walk around and more than enough tables and chairs set up to take a break when needed. Dotting the floor space were water coolers and dump buckets to rinse your glass after each brew sampled. At the far end was two basketball hoops designed to draw your attention to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation booth. Lynda Calimano (the VP of marketing for Starfish Junction) let me know they set aside room at all their events for non-profits to raise awareness and funds for their cause.
After a quick walk around to decide my tasting order I started at the Brick House Brewery (they were the only ones set up at the time). This 12 year old brew pub located in Patchogue NY serves a host of beers brewed on the pub premises. Of the three they had available for tasting, the Boys Red was my favorite. A smooth well balanced red ale with a good malty flavor. They do not produce for distribution so the beer it is only available at the pub. I am already planning a visit.
Grade B http://www.brickhousebrewery.com
Next up was the Hook and Ladder Brewing Company. This brewery was founded by a Maryland firefighter, as you probably guessed from the name. Their motto, I was informed, is “A penny in every pint.” For each barrel or case of beer sold they donate money to local burn centers. For further details please visit their website. The beer they had for us to sample was the Golden Ale. A light bodied easy drinking ale. Not much aroma but the taste was clean, dry and highly carbonated, perfect for a hot summer day. Although not available in the NYC or long island area yet, I was assured it’s on its way in time for the summer barbeque season.
Grade B http://www.hookandladderbeer.com
Next up was the River Horse Brewing Company. One of the great things about these craft beer festivals is you get exposed to great beer you were previously unaware of. At this booth I hit the jackpot. I was able to speak to Head Brewer Christian Ryan for a short time about the brewery. River Horse is the oldest and second largest brewery in NJ and produces approximately 7500 barrels of beer a year. The Belgian Freeze Winter Ale is a seasonal beer they brew, which is unfortunate because it was fantastic. This Belgian style ale has a dark rich color. As you bring the glass up to drink you notice the smell of caramel malt. The taste is slightly sweet and very malty. It went down quite easy considering its 8% ABV.
Give this one an A if you like strong flavorful ale.
Also from river Horse was the Hop Hazard Pale Ale. Its color is a mid range amber. Very hoppy aroma slightly citrusy but you could pick up some nice malt as well. Drinking was quite easy as it is fairly well balanced once it’s in the mouth.
Grade B http://www.riverhorse.com
Head Brewer of River Horse Christian Ryan
Next was over to the Schwelmer Beer display. This German brewery has been around since the 1800’s. With all that experience behind them it is no wonder they have some well crafted beer.
The Hefe Weizen was quite tasty. This very cloudy almost opaque yellow colored wheat beer is very pleasing to the eye. The nose is a combination of strong fruit notes, especially banana, as well as a nice yeast smell. Has a creamy sort of feel in the mouth. Good wheat malt taste and finishes with a slight banana taste almost like banana candy. Very complex taste and a must try for anyone who likes German style wheats.
Grade A- http://www.schwelmer.com/en
Arcadia Brewing Company was my next impressive stop. There I found the Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout. As the name would indicate it is a dark almost black stout. Not much of a head and nice chocolaty molasses aroma. Sweet start and good strong chocolate coffee taste. Mildly bitter coffee finish. This one is not for you Coors light drinkers but anyone who appreciates a good strong stout might want to give this one a try
Grade B+ http://www.arcadiabrewingcompany.com
High Point Brewing Company makers of Ramstein beer is another company I was glad to discover here. I was able to speak to head brewer and founder Gregory Zaccardi to find out a little of the Ramstein beer story. A former German brewer he returned to America and started brewery. All the malts, hops, and special yeast used in his beer are imported from Germany. The Ramstein Classic is a must try for any fan of dark wheat beers. With a nice dark brown color and thick head I was anxious to try it. It has a nice roasted malt aroma with some subtle fruit notes. A mix of caramel malt and wheat tastes. A very rich beer for a Wheat.
Grade A- http://www.ramsteinbeer.com
At the end of the day I noticed several hundred people sampling and having an all around good time. Although there were quite a few people at the festival the size of the venue ensured there was no crowding and the amount of venders displaying their products ensured there were virtually no lines to sample any beer. This was definitely an A+ event for the variety of beer available to taste and the open space. I look forward to other festivals by this company including the Tea and Coffee Festival in NYC in April and the North Fork Craft Beer Festival on Long Island in August. For more information please visit http://starfishjunction.com/events.htm
P.S. I would like to thank my dad who served as an extra taster for this write up
—————————
MORE INFORMATION
—————————
http://www.brickhousebrewery.com
http://www.hookandladderbeer.com
http://www.riverhorse.com
http://www.schwelmer.com/en
http://www.arcadiabrewingcompany.com
http://www.ramsteinbeer.com
http://starfishjunction.com/events.htm
