Craft beer enthusiasts flock to CNY Brewfest

“You get both kinds of people, people who just want to try a bunch of stuff, and maybe some who just want to try something they haven’t had before,” Purdy said.

The saying “often imitated, but never duplicated” guided the idea for Purdy’s fourth annual planning of the event. The Brewfest kicked off Friday night with a new addition to the festival – a VIP session that catered 16 breweries and just over 30 beers. The challenge of creating something new and memorable like the red-haired monster that donned each beer flight cup, was accepted.

Purdy and his CNY Brewfest team extended the variety of beer choices this year by inviting new breweries that don’t have a distribution connection to Syracuse, while also keeping unique Syracuse brewers, like the Eastwood Brewing Company.

Pete Kirkgasser, owner of Eastwood Brewing Company, has been going the extra mile for over thirty years to create beers that have a lasting taste.

Attributing diversity of breweries to the success of the Brew Festival, Kirkgasser said, “It’s the one place you can try a variety of beers from everywhere, it’s incredible, it’s the best of the best.”

Kirkgasser brought six barrels of beer from the second oldest brewery in town. What’s the best way to taste a beer at Brewfest? Kirkgasser said it depends on the beer style.

“Is the beer style hitting what the style requires? Does it have uniqueness, does it exist anywhere else?” and, most importantly, he added, “Does it have everything for maximum flavor?”

Beer was poured, minimal glasses shattered and the sound of Soul Risin’ kept the mood alive.

Next year, Purdy and his team will set the stage for their fifth direction and 25^th Annual Brewfest when it returns to the Fairgrounds in January 2021, with hopes of taking on new challenges and meeting new expectations for the craft brewery lovers of Central New York.