September and October are great months to attend a craft beer event.  Okay, probably any month is a great month. But here a few top picks for September and October in New York state. 

Please note:  This is not intended to be a comprehensive list.  If you feel a craft beer event has been woefully ignored, please add it to the comments. 

In order of occurence:

September 2nd
Last Saranac Thursday of 2010
Price: $5
Description:  If you haven't made it to a Saranac Thursday in Utica, NY this year, this will be your last chance of the season to check it out at the FX Matt Brewery. 

More info: http://www.saranac.com/section/saranac-thursdays-events

September 4th
Ithaca Brewfest
Price: $35*
Description: Join Ithaca Beer Compan for the 4th Annual Ithaca Brew Fest at beautiful Stewart Park at the base of Cayuga Lake. Sample beers poured by over 45 local, regional, national, and international breweries...

More info: http://www.ithacabrewfest.com

September 11th
Ommefest: A taste of upstate NY
Price: FREE*
Description: Celebrating the fall harvest, come enjoy local foods, beer, wine, arts and crafts at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown.

More info: http://www.ommegang.com/?mcat=3&scat=0

September 18th
Madison County Hop Fest
Price: FREE*
Description: Located in Oneida featuring video presentations, a raffle, homebrew clubs, concessions, hop exhibits, hop growing displays, and the crowning of Hop King 2010.

More info: http://www.mchs1900.org/hopfest/index.php

September 24th - October 3rd
NY Craft Beer Week
Price: $10*
Description: The 3rd Annual NY Craft Beer Week presents an outstanding line-up of special events and promotions happening in all five boroughs and rounds up today's top craft breweries available in the city...

More info: http://www.nycbeerweek.com

September 25th & 26th
Get Real NY
Price: $65*
Description: Get Real NY is a celebration of the best cask beer and local food available.Expect to have your palate rocked as you sample some of the most amazing cask beers from here, there and everywhere in between. Taking place at the Altman Building, New York, NY. 

More info: http://twitter.com/GetRealNY

October 2nd
Custom Brewcrafters' Autumn Festival of Ales
Price: $*
Description:  The annual brewfest in Honeoye Falls (Rochester area). 

More info: http://www.custombrewcrafters.com/festivals.html

October 1st and 2nd
Great World Beer Fest
Price: $65*
Description: The Great World Beer Fest (GWBF), originally known as "Brewtopia," features brewers from around the world in a fun, competitive, and most importantly, prominent festival designed to increase the public's awareness of craft beers. Each session features hundreds of beer samplings as well as live music, lectures and an opportunity to meet and greet your favorite brewers.

More info: http://www.brewtopiafest.com

The company that owns Genesee and the Dundee line of beers now owns the company that owns Magic Hat and Pyramid.

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

The parent company of Genny Light and Honey Brown beers now is also the maker of Magic Hat #9, Pyramid Thunderhead IPA and MacTarnahan's Amber Ale. Rochester-based North American Breweries Inc. has purchased Independent Brewers United of Vermont, which owns the Magic Hat, Pyramid and MacTarnahan's beer lines. The sale was announced Wednesday.

Full story here.

Magic Hat and Pyramid are both in the top ten of the largest craft beer brewers in the United States.

Press Release

Long Island, NY (August 3, 2010) - As American's attention spans for the Deep Water Horizon oil spill begin to wane, Blue Point Brewing Company today announced a batch of charity brew created specifically to help birds hurt by oil spills, both now and in the future. The Black IPA (India Pale Ale) called Toxic Sludge will be available for distribution in draft and 22 oz bottles just in time for fall migration.

Blue Point will donate 100% of net proceeds from Toxic Sludge to Delaware-based Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research to fund their Spreading Our Wings Campaign and long term efforts to build a Wildlife Response Annex.

To help jumpstart fundraising efforts, starting today "Save the Buffleheads" T-shirts will be sold online for $25 at www.bptoxicsludge.com.  The smallest diving duck in North America, the Bufflehead breeds in Canada and winters off the Gulf Coast.

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research is an internationally recognized, licensed, nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organization that cares for nearly 3,000 injured, orphaned, and oiled native wild birds each year ranging from hummingbirds to eagles. Tri-State is currently leading the wildlife rehabilitation response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  For more information, visit www.tristatebird.org.

Founded in 1998, Long Island, NY-based Blue Point Brewing is best known for its flagship brand, Toasted Lager that won Gold at the World Beer Cup in 2006. Blue Point brands are currently distributed in 12 states including MA, RI, NH, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, NC and FL as well as the District of Columbia.

To learn more, visit www.bluepointbrewing.com.

Podcast host Tom and Website editor Blake reveal the beers they've chosen for the Beer Break Podcast with surprising (or predictable?) results, followed by a discussion of a few of the great craft beer related events in New York State this summer.

Have a comment? Leave a brief voicemail at (315) 908-BREW (2739) and it may be included in the next recording.

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A craft beer brewfest to attend is good enough.  But having three to choose from?  Wonderful and painful at the same time.  Here are three brewfests going on this weekend for your consideration:

What: New York Brewfest
Where: Governors Island, New York City
When: Saturday, June 19th, 3:30 - 8:00 pm
Cost: $55 General Admission
Why: "Over 300 styles of handcrafted beers from more than 100 breweries. Great local foods will be available for purchase, and New York bands will perform throughout the evening. The event is a venerable gumbo of the Empire State's creativity."
How: http://www.nybrewfest.com

What: Saratoga BrewFest
Where: Ballston Spa, NY
When: Saturday, June 19th, 2 - 6:00 pm
How Much: $30 General Admission
Why: 4 hours of Live Music and Craft Beer
How: http://www.saratogabrewfest.com

What: American Craft Beer Fest
Where: Boston, MA
When: June 18th and 19th
How Much: $40
Why: "The east coast's largest celebration of American craft beer."
How: http://beeradvocate.com/acbf/

What?  Wine?  Although this blog is dedicated to craft beer, I have been known to enjoy a glass of wine once in a while.  And having spent several formative years living in the Finger Lakes region, I have a great appreciation for the terrific wine industry in that area and the beautiful scenery that surrounds it.

The 2010 Finger Lakes Riesling Festival takes place August 14th and 15th in Candandaigua, NY.  The festival will feature dozens of local wineries for you to sample, along with other vendors, food, live entertainment and... a craft beer tent!

Brooklyn Brewery, North American Breweries (Genesee, Dundee, etc.) Saranac, Rooster Fish Brewing, Ithaca Beer, Southern Tier and Ellicottville Brewing Co. are among the New York breweries that are confirmed attendees.

You can find more information on the event at RieslingFestival.com. The site is whimsical and Flash-based, which is not usually a good combination, but in this case it's fairly endearing.

We've all heard of  "supergroups," music artists joining forces to create high-profile bands (for better or for worse).  Well, how does a brewing supergroup strike you?

...Phil Leinhart from Brewery Ommegang, Scott Vaccaro from Captain Lawrence Brewing Co., Casey Hughes from Flying Fish Brewing Co., Phil Markowski from Southampton Publick House, Jeff "Chief" O'Neil and Eric "Hutch" Kugeman from Ithaca Beer Co., and special guest Steve Altimari from Valley Brewing Co. in Stockton, California will join forces in Ithaca, NY inside the Ithaca Beer Co. brew house to create a collaborative super brew...

Reported at BeerNews.org.

The brewing is going down June 18th.  Want to meet the "super brewers?"  Want to taste the collaborative result?  Check out the BeerNews.org article for more info.

Nice write-up by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Sixpoint's eco-friendly rooftop:

If you take a tour of the Sixpoint Brewery in Red Hook, you can expect to see the inner workings of how beer is made, and you'll be able to sample some of that beer. You'll also be able to see the chickens that reside in a pen on the roof of the brewery.

See photos and read the full story at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

A summer of beer and music.  Or so it appears to be.

Here's another one for your calendar: Brewery Ommegang's Belgian Independence Day Celebration featuring The Felice Brothers.  Saturday, July 24th.

If you've heard of The Felice Brothers, you're probably already interested in this Cooperstown event.  General admission tickets are $25 and $35 with overnight camping.

Supporting the The Felice Brothers are four local bands: Animal Pants, Gracious Sakes Alive, Same Blood Folk Band, and Salt City Ramblers.

More information and tickets at Ommegang's site.

If you are unfamiliar with The Felice Brothers, you may listen to them at their myspace page.