This weekend I got to go to the NYC Craft Beer Festival at the Lexington Armory and actually had an amazing time. It sounds like I had my doubts, and maybe I did a little, but it turned out to be a really nice event.
It was going on all weekend but I went on Friday night. I haven’t been to a ton of craft beer festivals and I was thinking it would be super crowded and not worth the money–if we’re being honest. But in truth, it turned out to be a decent crowd and a great selection. I never had to wait more than a few people in a line and got to sample some amazing craft beers.
Original Sin is one of my favorite ciders!
I was pleased there was a decent cider presence–we all know how I feel about cider but I found one beer in particular that was truly amazing. It was from Cisco and the beer was called the Grey Lady (picture below).
It was unique but not too weird (I’m so good at describing beers, ha) but it honestly was very drinkable and unlike anything I’ve had before. One of my main things with beer is that I want to be able to have more than one–not too sweet, not too heavy, and this hit the mark. I will absolutely be looking out for it in the city.
There actually aren’t too many complaints about the evening–a few come to mind, one of which being that the venue was really hot–like very hot. It was a warm night but it was a bit too hot if you ask me and I kept thinking that I wish it was held outside. Granted, I’m sure it would have been an issue with weather, but I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would have been if it were a Smorgasburg type situation.
Also, some of the people behind the booths were volunteers and didn’t know as much about the beer as I would have liked. But again, it must have taken a lot of coordination to get that many different breweries in that spot on that particular night. And it didn’t take too much away from the enjoyment–there were concierge booths if you had further questions.
Overall, I think this event was decently priced and not too crowded–which are two pluses in my book. I would have liked for there to be food you didn’t have to pay for, but then again, perhaps that would have increased the ticket price. I had a lovely time and while I’m not sure I’d rush back, I did enjoy myself. And discovered a great new beer, which is the point, right?
Great beer–perfect for summer if you love grapefruit!!