First I had to eat and luckily there were a multitude of options available. The first table I saw was Wegman’s bratwurst and mild Italian sausage. This came with peppers and sweet caramelized Vidalia onions and the sides were potato salad and cole slaw. It was very tasty and the onions were incredibly sweet. They made the dish.
Next came the beers, the first of which I had was Middle Ages’ Wailing Wench. It was hoppy and tasty, but not incredibly memorable.
The next was Sly Fox’s O’Reilly’s Stout. It had great body and a very smooth finish. Its head was magnificent, as you can see, and it left an aftertaste of coffee.
Then came Butternuts’ Snapperhead IPA. This was a little sweet, then bitter, but altogether not very tasty or memorable. I didn’t like it too much.
Captain Lawrence’s Smoked Porter was incredible. I could drink this one all day. It was complex, rich, and oh so flavorful. I assume that they got the smokiness from a charred barrel, but I really have no idea. See the browned head on top and you can almost taste how smoky it was. This was probably my favorite beer at Brew Fest.
Empire’s American Strong Ale was hearty, strong, and tasty. At 9.0% ABV, its name was truly indicative of its strength.
Then I took a break to eat more. I had a few bites of Razorback’s pulled pork before throwing the dried and flavorless mess in the garbage. Half of why I threw it away was because I was full, the other half was that it was just too nasty to consume.
The gluttony continued as I sampled McSorley’s Irish Black Lager. It was the smoothest dark beer I have ever tasted. I guess it should be expected that such skill comes from such an old brewery. My friend told me that it’s the oldest in NYC and that it began in 1854.
This might have been my third favorite beer. Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat was a smooth and tasty hefe-style brew that tasted like someone squeezed a whole orange into the beer. My Midwestern family loves Leinenkugels, but before I tried the Sunset Wheat, I was a bit weary of the brand whose sales rival Budweiser out there. Maybe it got the flavor from the coriander that it’s brewed with, but that sounds a bit fishy to me. Even if they’re lying about what goes in, it was a magnificent brew.
McSorley’s last beer was so tasty I had to go back to try their Irish Pale Ale. It was very smooth. Now I’ll have to make a trip to that brewery at some point.
I went into the Pavilion to try a few samples. Nothing was worth noting except Wegman’s macaroni and cheese. They made it with Ithaca Nut Brown Ale and it was delicious. The cheddar and ale swam in my mouth and danced on my tongue. If I weren’t so full, I would have gotten a whole portion instead of just a sample.
Wolaver’s is a certified organic brewery and I tried their Oatmeal Stout. It was crisp and sweet, but the oatmeal flavor was a bit muted.
The Blue Moon Belgian White is a nice classic wheat beer. It’s not the most complex, but a good value and your best bet if you want a cheap wheat beer.
New York brewery is not listed in the tasting guide, but they still made their appearance. Though the bottles were tacky and the lines short, their lager was very smooth. It wasn’t amazing, but much better than I expected from the way they presented themselves.
Spaten’s Optimator was very alcoholic, but also very palatable.
Another of Spaten’s is one of my favorite beers and I was surprised that the Munich brewery was here at all, but I guess they want to start establishing an American presence. This beer is Franziskaner Weissbier and its smooth rich flavor makes it one of the best wheat beers I know.
Wagner Valley’s Oatmeal Stout was the way an oatmeal stout should taste. It was very dark, rich, and oaty. This was definitely in my top 5 for the day and the long line for it proved that others thought the same.
Next was Excelsior by Ithaca. The name suggests something orgasmic, but all I got from it was hops. It was a bit disappointing.
Rooster Fish was the next brewery I visited and I tried their Hop Warrior. This was accurately named. It was very hoppy, but with very interesting fruity undertones as well.
Then I tried Southern Tier’s Imperial Mokah. It was strong, smooth, and sweet with a very distinct coffee flavor.
Saranac’s Imperial IPA was full bodied and hoppy with a fruity taste. This was also in my top 5.
The Horsehead’s Pumpkin Ale tasted like biting into a slice of fresh pumpkin pie. It was the best pumpkin ale I had ever tasted.
A crowd favorite was one of my least favorites. The Hot-Jala-Heim by Horseheads Brewing was brewed with hot peppers and is aptly described as a “Chili beer”. I don’t like spice in my beer though, so I hated this one despite its originality.
Bellwether makes hard cider and I tried their Liberty Spy. It tasted mossy and almost rotten, like an apple past its prime.
OMMEGANG’s beer was rich, flavorful, and peachy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the name of this one.
After taking a break to admire the lake, I tried Yuengling’s Porter, which was pleasantly dark and heavy, but still crisp and smooth.
I went back to Rooster Fish to try the Firehouse Blonde. It was a very refreshing beer.
The festival drew to a close as the clock reached 7PM and all the kegs were tapped, so I tried some of the pizza that everyone had been raving about. The people who made it brought a huge oven with them to make these thin hand-made-on-the-spot pizzas. I got the garlic, herb oil and asiago pizza. It was cheesy and oily, with just the perfect blend of seasoning.
My friends and I then made a trip to the breathalyzer to compare scores before calling a multitude of people to find someone sober to drive us. It was a magical day and if there’s anything that will bring me back to Ithaca after I graduate, it will be Brew Fest.
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