Craft Beer Festival

Over the weekend, we headed to Manhattan for a Craft Beer and Food festival. I am still not a beer drinker, but I don't mind trying a couple sips here and there. I was more excited about the food.

I do have to say, the beer wall was impressive. They had over 60 beers on tap to sample.



As with all of these beer events, the people pulling the taps seemed happy and friendly. There were also a lot of homebrewers there to chat with.



One guy sold his car to buy his homebrew system. I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that.

Biercraft had a booth- this is where I'm forced to stop by every week to pick up the pork share from The Piggery, and buy some nice cheese and chocolates as well. They had some sort of beer-bong like contraption that was infusing the beer with extra hops before pouring.



Hops are in the same family of plants as hemp. The beer being soaked in the hop-bong ended up tasting like skunky pot in the least pleasant way possible. Some people really like their hops.



There was some really amazing food- Smoked brisket from Mexicue, shrimp rolls from Luke's Lobster, bacon brittle from South Houston, frites from the Frites and Meats truck, Cheese from Murray's, some lovely pate from D'orsay cafe...wow. Just wow. We fasted beforehand and I didn't have to eat again until the next day.

After a couple hours, everyone was walking around glassy-eyed and jolly. I can totally get into this hedonistic beer culture, but if I could just brown bag a glass or wine while I'm walking around, I'd be much happier. I left the event noshed out and very sober.

Just coincidentally, there was a bead show going on at the pavilion next door. What luck! I ended up getting some really cool vintage Lucite beads from The Beadin' Path from Freeport, Me. I'll have to take some pictures of them because they are amazing. I found the rest of the vendors kind of ho-hum and nothing special, but it's mostly because I work very close to the bead district and the majority of the vendors were New York based. I've been beading quiet a bit lately and I've been really happy with my creations.