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New York wants what they haven't got: A word with NYC Beer Week's director
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New York wants what they haven't got: A word with NYC Beer Week's director
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| Josh Schaffner hams it up for The New York Post |
| Christian JohnsTon for The New York Post |
By 6 p.m. on Friday night, Josh Schaffner and his Manhattan cohorts had hit three Philly beer bars, with four to go. "We started out a Monk's, then went to Jose Pistola's, and now we're here at the Sidecar," he said, clutching a pint of Arcadia Mad Hatter IPA. When I asked him how he was enjoying his visit so far, he grinned widely.
Schaffner is the director of New York Craft Beer Week, which debuted in September with a 10-day festival modeled on Philadelphia's massively successful inaugural Beer Week last March. Unlike Philadelphia, said Schaffner, where our events are focused on breweries and brewers, NYC's events are more venue-driven.
"New York has hundreds of bars that are neighborhood institutions," he explained. "Unlike Philly, where your bars are pigeonholed by serving craft beer, we have bars with craft beer that are also great bowling alleys, for example."
Whoa, back up, buddy. I reminded Schaffner that our bars are hardly pigeonholed by craft beer; it's just the opposite � drinkers in Philly are so willing to pay for craft, that it benefits every bar owner, from fine restaurants to corner dives, to serve it. Besides, even Manhattan beer bars don't have access to the premier Belgian and worldwide brews that have turned local aficionados into the best-educated drinkers in the country.
Manhattan and Brooklyn have a bare minimum of pubs that stock expansive inventories of craft beer from around the world. Spuyten Duyvil in Williamsburg, D.B.A.'s Manhattan original and new Brooklyn location, Blind Tiger and The Ginger Man all pour unusual Belgian beer in addition to craft beer from the Northeast, but they are the crowded exception, not the rule.
Schaffner quickly re-emphasized what he liked about Philly beer bars. "You do have great relationships with brewers," he noted, looking over at Tim Suprise, owner of Arcadia Brewing, and Fred Bueltmann of New Holland. "We don't have those kinds of relationships � our Beer Week is more about pub crawls, helping people discover new places that serve great beer."
Crawl away, New Yorkers. Philly Beer Week is straight up.
hey NYC condescending guy: North Bowl's giving you the big middle finger (Lucky Strikes too probably, but i've never been). As is Bob and Barbara's and many other places where craft beers aren't the center of their culture. Jesus christ, just admit that Philly's got you beat at something. Is it that hard? We'd be happy to send you some more of our craft beers...but only if you aren't a complete ass about it. Not only do we out-craft you, but we've got bowling alleys that are bars too. Find something else to condescend about.
Sounds like New York has the inferiority complex for once. Hooray, Philly!
wait....is he the ginger man... BIG UP-philly BIG DOWN-nyc guy's pointless self-fluffing babble P.S. - Hooray BEER week
Hooray! This is amazing. Beer Week has been fun... everywhere I go there is some Beer Week flavor (my wallet is definitely feeling it). And the best part is, it doesn't all "go away" when it's done. We can enjoy good beer (and bowling) all year. Huzzah.
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