A Plattsburgh brew festival featuring local beers from across the North Country will help raise money for a local museum.
The first edition of what is planned to be an annual Champlain Valley Brew Festival will be held at the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum on September 20th. Seven craft brewers and distributors from New York’s northern tier are participating. Organizers hope to raise awareness about the numerous craft brewers across the North Country while at the same time raising money for the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum and the Kids Station. Museum president Bruce Carlin said they’ve held wine tastings in the past and with brewfests increasingly popular, they hope it will raise money and awareness. “We know that these types of events can really grow and with the museum expansion that we’re presently undergoing, with the creation of the Kids’ Station, as well just maintenance on our growing museum, we really need to expand our funding.”
Plattsburgh Brewing Company Brewmaster Jay Stoyanoff believes they’ve put together an event that is attractive to the brewers and diverse for the patrons. “Depending on the brewery itself they could be making only Belgian beers. They could be American beers. They could making strictly lagers. With the brews that are coming now, you’re going to see lots of American styles of beer. Anything from the darkest stouts to the lightest golden ales and stuff like that. I also expect to see a few Octoberfests out there because it’ll be just perfect timing for that.”
The brewfest comes as Governor Cuomo announces significant growth in the state’s wine, spirits, cider and beer industry. The governor’s office says the number of manufacturers in New York producing alcoholic beverages has increased by 105 percent since 2011. There has been a 140 percent increase in the number of microbreweries and a 230 percent increase in restaurant brewers or brewpubs in the state since 2011.
Stoyanoff believes events like the Champlain Valley Brew Festival could help growth in the North Country. “I think it will be huge for us. There’s not that many, but there’s a lot opening up right now and anytime that an area starts to really accept craft brewery and you see a lot of them opening up, it’s actually better for all of the craft brewers. So people will start to realize that we are a craft brew area.”
The goal of the brewfest is to raise money for the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum, which member John Mulvihill says is a jewel many people have yet to discover. “People know that back in 1910 they were building the Lozier in Plattsburgh. There are only about 18 Loziers still in existence out of the thousands that were made. And there are two fully restored Loziers at CVTM. And they also have dozens of various vehicles from the late 1800's up through present. A wonderful train exhibit. And part of CVTM is developing a kids museum. Bunches and bunches of things. And people don’t even know it’s there.”
Attendees will purchase tickets to sample a limited number of the local beers. Designated drivers get in free.
Food and live entertainment will also be a part of the festival and the Children’s Imaginarium will provide youth activities.
