May 17, 2013

Long Island’s Golden Tap Awards recognize a gentle giant beer geek

Golden Tap Humanitarian Award for 2013 goes to collaborators behind Surge Protector IPA

Golden Tap Humanitarian Award for 2013 goes to collaborators behind Surge Protector IPA

A gentle giant of a man who helped establish Long Island’s largest club of beer enthusiasts and a collection of brewers who banded together to help a small brewery decimated by Superstorm Sandy were recognized separately for their endeavors at the Golden Tap Awards, the Oscars of Long Island’s craft brewing industry.goldentaplogo

Richard Thatcher Jr., who six years ago banded together with two other beer geeks to start the club called Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts, received the Golden Tap Recognition Award on May 14 before a crowd of brewers, beer marketers and beer aficionados at 89 North, a music venue in Patchogue.

Thatcher, a former banker who would go on to become president of the club better known as LIBME, helped build the group’s membership to almost 600 members. He also worked part-time at various beer retailers before pursing studies in hospitality management. His co-founders, Donavan Hall and Mike Voigt, went on to found Rocky Point Artisan Brewers.

Rich Thatcher awaits his Golden Tap Recognition Award

Rich Thatcher awaits his Golden Tap Recognition Award

Now, with his award in hand, Thatcher is moving to Jacksonville, Fla., where he has taken a management position at a hotel.

Meanwhile, Barrier Brewing Co., 
Blind Bat Brewery, 
Blue Point Brewing Co.,
 Great South Bay Brewery,
 Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.,
 Long Ireland Beer Co., 
Port Jeff Brewing Co., 
Spider Bite Beer Co. and photographers Matt Furman and Niko Krommydas shared the Golden Tap Humanitarian Award for their collaborative brewing effort that provided financial assistance to Barrier, which was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, and to residents of Long Island’s South Shore.

The participants gathered at Blue Point on Dec. 4 and brewed Surge Protector IPA to raise proceeds for victims of the storm and the recovering brewery. Each brewery donated an ingredient for Surge Protector IPA, exhibiting the solidarity of Long Island’s beer community. Proceeds, which totaled $58,000, recently were presented to Barrier and Long Island Cares, a charity.

There were other awards.

The Golden Tap Pioneer Award was presented to Chris Werle and Jeff Piciullo, who more than 20 years ago founded the first Croxley’s Ale House in Franklin Square, one of the region’s first craft beer specialty bars. Today, the duo and their partners own five Croxley’s from Smithtown to Manhattan and a pair of restaurants in Garden City.

Blind Bat Brewery owner Paul Dlugokencky accepts Golden TapBeer of the Year Award

Blind Bat Brewery owner Paul Dlugokencky accepts Golden Tap Beer of the Year Award

One of the most-coveted awards, Beer of the Year, went to Blind Bat for its Long Island Potato Stout.  Great South Bay won honors for best new beer, its Blood Orange Pale Ale. The former award was based on a decision by a panel of judges, the latter was a people’s choice vote tallied online.

Best Long Island Beer Bar Awards, also the result of online voting, were presented to The Good Life, Massapequa, for Nassau County, and to T.J. Finley’s, Bay Shore, for Suffolk County.

Karp’s Homebrew Shop in East Northport took the award for best homebrew shop, while Blue Point won for best tap handle for its Hoptical Illusion. Both awards were voted on online.

An award, selected by industry members, recognizing the top brewery sales rep, was presented to Liam Huddock of Riverhead-based Long Ireland.

The awards are an integral part of Long Island Craft Beer Week, which continues through May 19.

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May 12, 2013

Great South Bay Brewery’s Bay Fest brightens a grey day with new brews

BAYFESTThe skies were threatening as Great South Bay Brewery’s Bay Fest neared its opening moment.  Crowds waiting for admission were herded inside the vast brewery in Bay Shore, Long Island, as a cast of 18 brewers beneath a white tent in Great South Bay’s back lot hung their banners and prepared their taps.

Inside the vast 39,000-square-foot brewery— two-thirds the size of a football field — live music from Tradewinds, a 12-person cover band with a powerful horn section, made the day more festive. So did the bits of sun that peaked through the grey clouds of May 11. At 1 p.m. yellow-shirted security personnel gave the okay and within minutes the tent was wall-to-wall with fest goers.  More than 1,000 tickets had been sold for the event, certainly the largest event of Long Island Craft Beer Week, a regional celebration of mostly local brews that continues through May 19.

And, it seemed as if all 1,000 attendees, many of them beer devotees, some not, had arrived at the same time. The professional brewers inside the tent were besieged for tastes of the more than 40 ales, lagers and stouts available.

The host brewery’s beers, not surprisingly, were ubiquitous throughout the fest. Under the tent and inside the brewery, Great South Bay’s Blood Orange Pale Ale, a refreshing summer brew, could be found on tap or on cask.  The cask version was especially enjoyable.

Inside the tent at Great South Bay Brewery's Bay Fest

Inside the tent at Great South Bay Brewery’s Bay Fest

Other brewers offered staples from their respective repertoires and a few experimental, one-off special brews.   For me, tasting new and unusual beers is the whole point of attending a beer festival.

Port Jeff Brewing, its tap-truck parked adjacent to the tent, offered attendees two variations on India Pale Ale, its citrusy Hop Star, which is brewed exclusively for Superstar Discount Beverage stores, and its more aggressively hopped sibling, Party Boat IPA.

Just steps away, Paul Dlugokencky, the owner-brewer of Blind Bat Brewery in Centerport, offered samples of a staple, Long Island Potato Stout, and its sweetish Spring Folly, an as-yet-unreleased beer in the Belgian ale style flavored with coriander.  Though billed as a springtime brew it will undoubtedly give as much refreshment come the summer.

Bay Fest Blind Bat

Blind Bat’s Paul Dlugokencky offers samples of this brews

Across the tent, brewer Joe Hayes of Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale poured a beer called Fritz, a full-flavored, albeit somewhat murky, brew made with rye in the style of Steam Beer. The beer, Hayes said, isn’t yet available at the brewpub.

Meanwhile inside the brewery, hungry attendees lined up 30 deep for a chance to chow down on pulled pork sandwiches, smoked turkey legs or pretzel from Bobbique of Patchogue.

A less frenetic atmosphere and, for sure, the most interesting beers of the day, could be found in the brewery’s tasting room, where home brewer groups and brewery wannabes poured their wares.

Alas, despite good intentions, I did not get to sample Peaches and Scream, a brew made with scorpion chili peppers, among the world’s hottest, by homebrewer Mike Napolitano of Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts. Warned that it would kill my taste buds, I had waited. By the time I was ready, however, the keg had been kicked.

But I did get the opportunity to sample the exemplary Irish-style gruit made by Tim Dougherty of the Brewers Collective, a homebrew group that has plans to brew commercially. The gruit, a style of beer brewed before in the days hops became a necessary ingredient, offered up a fruity, floral aroma followed by balanced sweet and savory notes on the palate from the inclusion of barley, oats, elderflower, yarrow root and juniper berries.

Matthew Titmus, right, of Outer Brewing describes a beer to Barry McLaughlin, craft beer specialist at Clare RoseA different flower, camomile, made an appearance in a light wheat ale poured by Matthew Titmus of newcomer Outer Lands Brewing Co.  Outer Lands’ name stems from the geological nomenclature for Long Island, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Block Island. The brewery, as yet unlicensed and with no home, also poured its mouth-filling, bitterish Good Mojo IPA and a stellar, if understated, espresso stout.

Regrettably, by 3:30 p.m. with 90 minutes remaining in the fest, many brewers were out of beer and had packed it in.

While some attendees might have faulted the wall-towall crowd and the early finish to some kegs, Great South Bay Brewery’s first Bay Fest nevertheless was a good time event. With better planning and more beer (or smaller pours), it can only get better if  the brewery chooses to repeat it next year.

 

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May 8, 2013

Picks for Long Island Craft Beer Week

LI CBW logLong Island’s beer community celebrates itself during Long Island Craft Beer Week (LICBW) May 10-19 with a dizzying collection of festivals, special tastings, tap takeovers and more.

LICBW, which actually runs 10 days, is a collaborative venture created by brewers, bar owners and beer event promoter Starfish Junction Productions to raise awareness of the thriving local craft beer scene and promote patronage at local establishments.

This third annual event appears to be bigger than in the past. And with good cause.

The craft beer scene on Long Island has exploded with the opening of new breweries and new places to imbibe.

In the past 12 months brewers Spider Bite Beer Co., Rocky Point Artisan Brewers and Montauk Brewing swelled the industry ranks in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to 15, for now. At least four more are planning to open their doors in the months ahead.

Among new taverns specializing in craft beers include the Black Sheep Ale House in Mineola, the Tap Room in Patchogue and Croxley’s in Smithtown.

What’s more beer distributors and retailers are adding new brands to their portfolios and shelves, respectively, and on the retail level, an increasing number of growler filling stations. Moreover, many dining spots, such as Jackson’s in Commack and Roots Bistro Gourmand in West Islip have embraced craft beer, providing additional locations for beer aficionados to please their palates.

Homebrewers, too, will be participating with a competition sponsored by the Brewers East End Revival home brew club on May 18 in St. James. And, Long Island Beer and Malt Enthusiasts is sponsoring the Golden Tap Awards.

The week’s organizers are dispensing free pint classes across Long Island on May 9 and Untappd, the mobile beer-logging app, will offer badges for those who make it to at least two of the venues participating in Long Island Craft Beer Week.

All told, there will some 80-plus events taking place over the 10 days—11 if you count the kickoff events of May 9. While many of these events will feature fine beers, not all will be Long Island focused.  Troublesome for some Long Island purists, perhaps. But for enthusiasts who want to sample interesting beers, these days ahead offer nothing but excitement.

With so many events on the calendar, what do you do?  Here are my top 10 plus 1 recommendations.

May 9, 6-11 p.m. Croxley’s, Farmingdale, hosts an Official Pre-Party Cask tasting that features a mix of local and domestic cask-conditioned crafts and food, too.  Get there early as these casks often are drained quite quickly. $24.95.

May 10, 6 p.m. TJ Finley’s Public Housewww.tjfinleys.com, Bay Shore. Long Island Craft Beer Week Kickoff Party featuring a PAYG Blue Point Brewery tap takeover as well as a special offering from the Patchogue brewery.

May 11, 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.  Bay Fest at Great South Bay Brewery in Bay Shore. A tented beer fest featuring 20-plus mostly local breweries. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the gate.

May 12,  7 p.m. to 4 a.m. If you can leave mom for a while—or take her with you—get over to the Black Sheep in Mineola for special tapping of Keegan Ales Super Kitty, an American strong ale with honey and plenty of hops conditioned for six months with oak chips

May 13, 6 p.m-2 a.m.  The Tap Room in Patchogue is offering a Dogfish Head tap takeover with 12 lines devoted to such rare brews as 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout. PAYG.

May 14, 6 p.m. Golden Tap Awards Gala
 at
 89 North, Patchogue. Long Island’s beer Oscars, Emmys and People’s Choice Awards rolled into one to honor Long Island’s beer innovators and pioneers. Awards will be presented to winners in all aspects of the craft beer industry including bars and breweries, based on online polling and an official panel judging. Tickets include the awards show as well as a cocktail hour before the show with light fare. $55.

May 15, 7:15pm – Midnight. Barrier Brewingwww.barrierbrewing.com beer dinner at Press 195www.press195.comin Rockville Centre, featuring five Jewish-Latin inspired dishes paired with five electric brews from Barrier. Tickets are limited and purchase in advance at bar. $70 including tax and tip.

May 16,  8 p.m.-11 p.m. Black Sheep Ale House, Mineola, veers north with a Maine Beer Co. ‎ tap takeover and Organic Cheese Pairing. Maine Beer’s entire line up of beers paired with small batch organic cheeses from Silvery Moon Creamery in Portland, Maine. Mo, Titus, Mean Old Tom, and Peeper will be available on draught. There also will be beer flight/cheese pairings with 5-oz. pours of each draft and pours from Lunch and Zoe bottles. PAYG

May 17, 7 p.m.-4 a.m. Back to the Black Sheep in Mineola for a special cask. This time it’s Port Jeff Brewing’s Wet & Wild Wet-Hopped
Sour Ale, a wet-hopped brett-laced sour ale. PAYG.

May 18, 3-7 p.m.TJ Finley’s Public House, Bay Shore, puts on 10-plus casks of local and regional beers and BBQ. $40 in advance; $55 at the door.

May 19.  2-4:30 p.m. It’s an all-grain home brew tutorial at The Lark in East Northport, NY 11731
with Alan Talman of Karp’s Hardware and Homebrew. $10 donation to benefit a local animal shelter. Reservations required.

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May 1, 2013

Ommegang, Brooklyn, Saranac team up to brew Savor commemorative beer

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, Brooklyn Brewery and Saranac in Utica have teamed up to brew a New York collaboration beer for the Brewers Association’s Savor beer and food pairing event in New York City on June 14-15.

Called New York Limited, the special beer is described by the brewers as a strong white lager—a wheat beer with spicing. It was brewed at Brooklyn Brewery. Fermented with lager yeast, the beer will be bottle-conditioned with ale yeast.  New York state ingredients were used as much as possible, including honey, multiple spices, including lemon verbena, and New York State hops.

New-York-Limited_front-labelThe brew will be presented as an exit gift to Savor attendees in a 750 ml corked and caged bottle.

New York Limited is the third consecutive year that a collaboration brew was produced for Savor.  In 2011, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, of Milton, Del., and Boston’s Samuel Adams brewed Savor Flower, a 10 percent ABV, oak aged beer brewed with rose water. Last year, Boulevard Brewing Co. of Kanas City, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., of Chico, Calif., created Terra Incognita, which was brewed with Sierra’s estate grown malt and finished in Missouri oak barrels with Boulevard’s strain of the Belgian Brettanomyces yeast.

Tickets to Savor, which will take place at the Altman Building on West 18th St., remain available through Ticketmaster,  according to the craft brewer trade group, sponsor of the event.

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April 3, 2013

Craft brewing industry defender award goes to Empire’s David Katleski

David Katletski at the award presentation.

David Katletski at the award presentation.

David Katleski, owner of Syracuse’s Empire Brewing Co. and the president of the New York State Brewers Association, received the Brewers Association’s F.X. Matt Defender of the Industry award the annual Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C.

The award, presented March 27 by Dick Cantwell, president of Elysian Brewing in Seattle, Wash., is named for the late F.X. Matt of Utica’s F.X. Matt Brewing Co., producer of Saranac beer.

Named in honor of F.X. Matt, the late president and chairman of the Utica-based maker of Saranc beers,  F.X. Matt Brewing Co. – a champion of small brewers until his death in 2001 – the award is given annually by the Brewers Association, a Boulder, Colo.-based industry group, to someone in the beer industry who has championed small brewers.

Katleski founded Empire as a brewpub in Syracuse in 1994 and in 2010 also began producing beer in Brooklyn.

He also founded and is president of the New York State Brewers Association, a trade group representing about 100 craft brewers in the state. Last year, Katleski figure prominently in winning several brewer-friendly New York state laws, including a measure that gives tax breaks to brewers using ingredients grown in the state, another that protects small brewers in their contracts with distributors and a roll-back of some tax increases brought about by a court decision.

Katleski also represented the New York brewing industry at Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit in October, where he voiced brewers’ concerns directly to the governor

“This star of brewing shows what it takes to survive and flourish in a crowded field,” Cantwell told the audience of about 6,000 brewers and allied industry people at the presentation. He cited the excellent quality of Empire’s beers, its use of locally produced ingredients in the brewpub’s food and its use of renewable energy.

 

 

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April 2, 2013

Tickets to SAVOR beer and food event in NYC go on sale next month

Tickets to SAVOR 2013, the Brewers Association’s annual craft beer and food showcase to be held in New York City June 14-15, go on sale to the public April 17, the craft beer industry group announced.

Members of the American Homebrewers Association and the Brewers Association, however, can get a one-day head start for a limited number of tickets for the two sessions, both of which run from 7:30-11 p.m.

savor_1_postThe event, which features beer and food pairings, will take place at the Altman Building, an event space, and the adjoining Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., Manhattan. For the past five years the event was held in Washington, D.C.

Attendees will be able to sample beers from 76 small and independent U.S. breweries, hailing from 31 states and a diverse array of food pairings designed by Chef Adam Dulye, co-owner/chef of San Francisco’s The Monk’s Kettle and James Beard Award-semifinalist Abbot’s Cellar. Brewers will participate in private salons during the two evenings.

Tickets for the grand tasting are $170, while tickets for the grand tasting and private salons are $195. The brewers group said tickets in the past have sold out in a matter of minutes.

“With the craft beer industry continuing to expand at an extraordinary rate, SAVOR takes the opportunity to showcase the contribution America’s small and independent craft brewers have made to the advancing food arts world,” the Brewers Association, based in Boulder, Colo., said in a press release. “This unique experience allows beer lovers to gain a better understanding of the diverse offerings from today’s brewers and why craft beer is gaining a place at restaurants and homes across the country”

The list of beers to be served is available on the event web site.

The pre-sale tickets can be purchased beginning at Noon (EDT) on April 16 via the web sites for the American Homebrewers Association  and the Brewers Association.

Tickets will be available to the general public beginning at Noon (EDT) on April 17 through Ticketmaster.

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March 31, 2013

Beer scribes re-constitute North American Beer Writers Guild

Meeting for the first time on March 29 at Craft Brewers Conference 13 in Washington, D.C., the reconstituted North American Guild of Beer Writers elected a board of directors.

Elected co-chairs were Don Russell, Joe Sixpack columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and executive director of Philly Beer Week, and Jay Brooks, of Cotati, Calif., columnist, author and editor of the Brookston Beer Bulletin.

Steve Hamburg, of the Chicago Beer Society was elected treasurer, while Ken Weaver, of Petaluma Calif., author and freelance writer, was elected secretary.

John Holl, of Jersey City, N.J., editor of All About Beer magazine and BeerBriefing.com, was elected awards competition chair.

Alan J. Wax, of Dix Hills, N.Y., freelance writer and editor of Corkscapsandtaps.com was elected membership chair.

Ben Keene, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a freelance writer and editor of  the Where and Back blog, was elected social media chair.

Lucy Saunders, of Milwaukee, Wis., author and writer, was elected a director.

Stan Hieronymus, of Corrales, N.M., author, editor at RealBeer.com and editor of Appellationbeer.com, was elected a director at large along, Heather Vandenengel, of Boston, Mass., author of the Honest Pint on DigBoston.com.

The group is organizing a writing competition and planning future gatherings to coincide with the Brewers Association Savor eventnin New York City in June and Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, Wis., in August.

The organization offers three levels of membership: full-membership for writers, industry membership for those employed in the brewing or allied trades and associate membership for those interested in supporting the group. More information is available at the NAGBW website.

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March 31, 2013

Brewers Association Scherer Award Given to New Belgium’s Bouckaert

New Belgian brewmaster Peter Bouckaert wins Scherer Award.

New Belgium’s Peter Bouckaert wins Scherer Award.

The Brewers Association, the trade group representing America’s independent brewers, gave its 2013 Russell Scherer Award for Innovation in Brewing to Peter Bouckaert, brewmaster at New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Co.

The award, presented March 27 at the BA’s annual Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C. was first given in 1997 to honor Russell Scherer, who died in 1996 at 38 years old. A creative force in brewing in the nineties, Schehrer was a founding partner and original head brewer at Colorado’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Co. He was also one of the first brewers to produce mead, doppel alt, cream stout and chili beer.

Dick Cantwell, head brewer and co-owner of Elysian Brewing in Seattle, in presenting the award noted that Bouchaert has been experimenting with fermentation techniques and unusual ingredients, and cited New Belgian’s La Foliie sour beer.

Bouckaert joined New Belgium in 1996 after 10 years at Belgium’s Rodenbach Brewery, known for its sour beers . He studied brewing at Hogeschool Gent.

“Who am I to stand here? I have an amazing bunch of co-workers,” Bouckaert said in accepting the award. Bouckaert, a native of Belgium, said the United States “is the most inventive country in beer.”

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March 28, 2013

Croxley’s Ales restaurant empire 20 years in the making and still growing

Croxley's partners, from left: Ed Davis, Joe Mendolia, Chris Werleand Jeff Piciullo inside the new Smithtown location.

Croxley’s partners, from left: Ed Davis, Joe Mendolia, Chris Werleand Jeff Piciullo inside the new Smithtown location.

The owners of Croxley’s Ale House this week are marking 20 years in business with special beer and wing deals. They’ve built an empire of five bars from Manhattan to Smithtown and one more soon to open.

Twenty-three years ago, Jeff Piciullo and Chris Werle, childhood friends from Franklin Square, opened a bar in their hometown. They called it Piccadilly.

“A lot of people don’t remember it,” said Werle.  But can recall what the duo did next.

Croxley's logoThe then 23-year-olds had bigger ideas. They wanted to serve good beer — the craft beer movement was just taking hold in the New York area—and food. They sold Piccadilly after just two years and bought a small corner bar on the other side of their town on New Hyde Park Road.  They called its Croxley’s and it initially offered 12 taps of mostly British beers, later expanded to 18. Few other bars in the region offered that kind of variety. And it sold no Bud, no Miller, no Coors.

“We always liked tap beer better than bottled beer,” Werle noted, adding, “we wanted to evolve it into an eating establishment as well.”

Buoyed by their success in Franklin Square the pair bought a second location in 1996, in Rockville Center, which they dubbed Croxley’s American Ale House to capture beer drinkers’ newfound fascination for American craft beer. Of the 56 taps in the new bar, 36 were American, among them Brooklyn Lager Brooklyn Brown Ale, Sierra Nevada and Pete’s Wicked Ale. “We were the first to serve Brooklyn Brown on tap on the Island.”

Having conquered British and American beers, the pair decided they needed a place that sold Belgian brews. A trip to Belgian with chef Ed David and then Waterzooi in Garden City was born in 1998. “It became a hard core Belgian bistro,” said Werle, noting the Belgian-style menu and 22 tap beers—all Belgian. And next door, what is now Novitia, a wine bar with 100 by-the-glass offerings, soon followed.

New York City’s siren song was loud and in 2003 they opened in the East Village at 20 Ave. B with 34 taps. Recently, this location doubled in size.

And then in 2008, Werle, Piciullo and company brought their Croxley’s empire east, opening in Farmingdale with 66 taps and then late last year in Smithtown with 80 taps, many of them German.  They are awaiting permits to open an outdoor beer garden at the Smithtown location.

And they are awaiting permits to open a Brooklyn outpost in Williamsburg. Two years in the making is closer to realty.  “It’s about 85 percent done. We’re hoping to open sometime this spring.”  Noting that fixtures and taps are in, Werle says completion is “at the mercy of the [New York City] building department.”

Running their empire means 60-hour workweeks for Croxley’s owners. They usually can be found in one of the establishments on any given day. “We eat in all the stores. We drink in all the stores,” Werle noted, adding that he continued to order beers for each and every one of the bars.

Over the past two decades, the Croxley have dispensed hundreds of thousands of barrels of beer, Werle added. And they’ve also sold countless chicken wings. “It was one of the first dishes we had,” he said, “We had a really good recipe and it took off.”  Wing specials are offered at each of the Croxley restaurants.

Werle and Piciullo have ridden two waves of craft beer and now are enjoying a third. “This third wave is definitely here to stay. This one is so strong,” Werle said, recalling that in their early days they spent a great deal of time educating their customers one by one about the different craft beer styles. “Now, they come into the place with a full education and it’s great,” Piciullo said.

Added Werle, “It’s a fun time.”

To mark the 20th anniversary, Croxley’s owners are holding a beer bash at all of their locations on March 30, starting at 4 p.m.  They’ll be offering free pints of Croxley Anniversary Ale until the keg is kicked. After that, pints of the Anniversary Ale and Croxley Blond Ale will go for just $4.  There also are free buffets and the first 100 guests at any of the bars will receive a t-shirt.

Here’s where you’ll find Croxley’s:

Farmingdale, 90 Main St., (516) 293-7700

Franklin Square, 129 New Hyde Park Rd., (516) 326-9542

Rockville Centre, 7-9 South Park Ave., (516) 764-0470

Smithtown, 155 W. Main St., (631) 656-8787

Manhattan, 28 Ave. B, (212) 253-6140

 

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March 28, 2013

Brewers group honors Peter DiFazio, Congress’ small brewing champion

Congressman Peter DeFazio,

Congressman Peter DeFazio,

The Brewers Association, the trade group representing America’s independent brewers, gave its annual leadership award on March 27 to one of its own, Congressman Peter DiFazio (D-Ore).

The award was presented at the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, DC, which has attracted more than 6,000 attendees from America’s 2400 small breweries.

DiFazio first was elected to Congress in 1986, is the dean of the Oregon House delegation. He represents southwest Oregon, long known as the birthplace of the modern microbrew movement. Oregon small breweries have about 11 percent of the market share in Oregon, which is the highest of any state.

BA Chief Operating Office Bob Pease called DiFazio an advocate for America’s small and independent brewers. “He not only someone who walks the walk, but talks the talk. … He’s been our constant champion in the halls of Congress,” Pease said. “He is the ambassador of craft beer on Capitol Hill.”

DiFazio is co-chair of the Congressional Small Brewers Caucus, formed in 2007, which provides a forum in which members and staff can learn about the science and art of beer and brewing as well as the relevant business, regulatory and societal issues.

In accepting the honor, the Congressman described Congress as “pretty bitterly divided and dysfunctional,” he said,  “Craft beer and those who make and love it can help fix Congress and save America.” He said he hoped to pick up support for the proposed Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce (BREW) Act, which would reduce the tax on the first 60,000 barrels small breweries produce each year to $3.50 per barrel from the current $7 per barrel rate.

DeFazio is not only a beer drinker, but also an avid home. He also serves on a beer-judging panel sponsored by the Washington Post.

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