Published: August 21, 2008 10:45 am            

DINING: Brewfest to showcase best in beer

As if a beer drinker ever needed an excuse to practice the hobby, there’s a good one this weekend: Drinking for charity.

And if you ask Tim Herzog, all that beer drinking just ain’t what it used to be, which is a good thing.

To celebrate, Herzog, owner and brewmaster of the Ontario Street microbrewery Flying Bison, is throwing a party. It’s the seventh annual Buffalo Brewfest, to be held Saturday at HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The event, which supports the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, is to local beer aficionados what Wingfest is to, well, people who love chicken wings.

Some 40 breweries, some from Western New York, and many from across the nation, will sample their finest suds. Far from the average can of Budweiser, these are beers with unique tastes, the recipes for which have been handcrafted and honed for the hordes of discerning palates that are sure to be on hand. Organizers expect about 5,000 people to attend this year.

It wasn’t always that way, though, according to Herzog.

“I wish I knew the exact answer,” about why microbrews are taking off, he said. “There was sort of a microbrew wave that swept across the country ’90 to ’95 and a crash by 2000. We opened in 2000, so I guess there wasn’t a crash in Buffalo. The wave had just hit here.”

A home brewer of beer that was a favorite among friends and relatives, Herzog said taking beer to the next level, that of a small business, was a challenge, especially in Western New York where perceptions are different with the influence of Canadian beers on the market.

“There’s the perception that Canadian beers, Molson, Labatt, is better than the American beer,” he said. “That’s not true, but the perception is there. There’s a perception that there’s a middle step here. That made our start-up very, very difficult.”

Since Herzog’s initial efforts, he sees more local bars than ever dedicating taps to microbrews instead of stand-bys that would ring a bell with most casual drinkers.

Other good-beer lovers are seeing the same shift. Keith Morgan, general manager of Buffalo Brew Pub on Main Street in Amherst, said microbrews are becoming the rule more than the exception.

“I think it’s getting to be mainstream,” Morgan said. “No matter where you go, you look at the draft beer knobs that are out there. For the most part, better bars with bigger amount of taps have microbrews. Even chain restaurants, you’ll see them with imports, a Sam Adams on tap.”

Morgan attributes the upscale shift to a more educated public.

“People are drinking a lot more flavors, getting into the IPAs, hoppier beers, dark beers. The general consumer in the market has become much more aware.”

The event is the major annual fundraiser for Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, which provides educational and communication help to children and adults.

Tickets for Brewfest can be purchased online at www.tickets.com or at participating bars and restaurants throughout the area. They are $20 presale and $25 at the door, with a limited amount available. Admission gets you 20 tokens to sample any of the breweries at the festival. Food and live music will also be on tap for those in attendance. Brewfest runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Pavilion at HSBC Arena. It was moved from its previous location at the old Central Terminal in Buffalo this year to accommodate what is expected to be a larger crowd.



IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Buffalo Brewfest

* WHEN: 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday

* WHERE: HSBC Arena, downtown Buffalo

* COST: $20 presale online at tickets.com or $25 at the door

        

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