Cider, Sours Take Center Stage At Big Brew NY Beer Festival

Hundreds of thirsty beer lovers converged on the grounds of the Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York, last weekend for the Big Brew NY Beer Festival, for which dozens of breweries set up shop under tents on a sun-drenched afternoon. There was food, music, and entertainment, including a mechanical bull, but the stars of the show were the creative new beers on display.

As opposed to most other beer festivals in recent years, where every brewery showcased an IPA, this year some truly unique beers were on display, with great results. There were far more ciders than had been poured at previous festivals as well, proving that this apple-based brew truly now has a market of its own. 1911 Brewery poured their blueberry and raspberry hard ciders, which were refreshing and almost as carbonated as soda; Ace Cider poured their high-ABV Joker and Blackjack 21 varieties; and Awestruck Premium Cider served Eastern Dry Cider (which had only a trace of sweetness) and pink Hibiscus Ginger cider. Other breweries pouring cider included Badass Cider, Innis & Gunn, Naked Flock, Nine Pin, and Sovereign.

There were also plenty of sour ales being poured, most of them brewed with Belgian yeast. I noticed many attendees coming back for several samples of Grimm's dry-hopped Psychokinesis sour, and both Peekskill and Victory were showing off their sours, among several other breweries (in the same vein, KelSo was pouring a grape lambic).

It was a great day for beer drinkers, with a wide variety of stellar brews on offer, ranging from wheat beers to stouts to quadruple IPAs. With more than 200 beer varieties available served in four-ounce tasting glasses, the options were seemingly limitless.