NYC Beer Week is Coming up Fast…

Have Fun at the Beer Festival – Don’t Drink and Drive – Hire a Chauffeur. Plenty of people are talking about the upcoming fifth iteration of the annual New York City Brewers Guild’s New York City Beer Week. Taking place this year from February 22nd through March 3rd, the week will see many beer-related events throughout the city, and Gotham Limousine would be happy to get you there and back safely.

First, on February 22nd, you won’t want to miss the NYC Beer Week Opening-Night Bash. Taking place at Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn from 7-10pm, this promises to be a great start to the Guild’s most ambitious beer week yet. Your ticket will get you unlimited tastings from over twenty different American craft breweries, plus you’ll get an official NYC Beer Week 2013 tasting glass to take home with you.

This year, in a rare happy accident caused by hurricane Sandy, the Seventh Williamsburg Cask Beer Festival will be taking place at the same time as NYC Beer Week. From February 23rd through the 26th, you can head to Brooklyn to taste some cask-conditioned ales. Beer that undergoes its secondary fermentation in a cask, called “real ale” in the U.K., has a particular quality that enthusiasts swear by. During the four days of events that make up this Williamsburg festival, you can get a taste for the stuff. Whether you’re taking part in the pay-as-you-go tastings or the raffle on February 24th that will include some rare items, this is a great event for beer drinkers new and experienced alike.

NYC Beer Week will also see plenty of opportunities to combine great beer and good food at different city restaurants and venues. On February 26th, Applewood will be hosting the folks from Kelso for a beer dinner, pairing Kelso’s micro-brewed suds with all sorts of farm-fresh foods. The beers served will range from a pilsner to more exotic choices like a Cabernet Aged IPA. Next up on the 27th, be sure to check out the bigger ticket Brewer’s Choice at City Winery. The festivities will stretch across the evening, from 6pm-10pm, and include food from Jimmy’s No. 43, Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, Mile End Deli, and a host of other tasting stations. Add to that an award show, a radio taping, and brewers from all over the city pouring some of their favorite beers, and it’s sure to be a memorable evening.

Of course, every good thing must come to and end, and Beer Week is no exception. Thankfully, the NYC Beer Week Closing Party at La Birreria at Eataly from 12pm to 4pm on March 3rd should ensure you aren’t too torn up about it. Mario Batali’s rooftop beer garden will serve as the setting for the festival’s finale. Don’t worry, there’s a roof, and a cash bar with beers from Bronx Brewery, City Island, and Rockaway Brewing Company to help keep you warm. Add in some traditional Italian pairings perfect for eating while drinking, like smoked prosciutto and cheese plates, and you can send 2013’s NYC Beer Week off in style.

For rides to or from any of these or the hundreds of other events making up NYC Beer Week, be sure to give Gotham Limousine a call.

By Frank McDonald