Dan's Papers - August 3, 2007 -

Do you like beer? A big fan of wine? How about the delicious tastes of barbeque? Well North Forkers, if you answered yes to one of the three, you are in luck. With over 50 of the Nation's top brewers and 120 of their brews, the North Fork Craft Beer, Barbeque and Wine Festival will be a dream come true for anyone who enjoys the three.

The event will be held on August 11 at Martha Clara Vineyards and will feature some of the biggest names in the craft beer industry. These brewers have produced "flavorful beers that combine classic European recipes with bold American Innovation."

Local breweries like Southampton Publick House and Blue Point Brewing Company, and breweries like Kona Brewing Company, that is coming all the way from Hawaii, will be a part of the festivities.

In years past, the craft beer industry has grown 31.5% and is consistently on the rise. In 2006, the segment posted sales of $4.7 billion. These craft brewers are leading the industry that experts report "is the fastest growing segment of alcohol surpassing other beer, wine and spirits with 17.8% increase in dollar sales from 2005." Award winning breweries like He'Brew, Dogfish and Brooklyn Brewery will be present at the event, as well as the popular Blue Moon Brewing Company.

Martha Clara is featuring three wines for the event. The 2005 Martha Clara Vineyards 50 White, the 2004 Martha Clara Vineyards 50 Red and the 2002 Martha Clara Vineyards Merlot will all be in attendance at the festival. If you're a wine-buff, thinking you can attend any of the other Martha Clara Vineyard events, you're right; however, none of those events can offer you the beer selection and barbeque menu that the Craft Beer Festival has to offer.

The barbeque menu, catered by Maple Tree BBQ, features a choice of North Carolina Style BBQ Pork served on a sweet roll, Alabama Style BBQ Chicken with white BBQ sauce on a sweet roll or Vegetarian Mesquite Smoked Beans served with a trio of beans, bulgur wheat, grilled vegetables and caramelized onions. The event has all the bases covered from vegetarian entree to 120 brews and different flavors of wine. Not only will guests have a choice for their dinner selection, but each meal comes with a delicious country side of either baked beans, herb crushed potatoes, or North Carolina coleslaw. There will also be additional food for purchase provided by Maple Tree BBQ, such as quesadillas, hot dogs, Texas style smoked brisket of beef, grilled corn on the cob, and competition BBQ ribs.

Combining authentic tastes of the South with Long Island wines and the country's finest brews brings together an event you won't want to miss. If the lengthy menu, wine and beer lists aren't enough, than the cause might be the icing on the cake for a reason to attend this extravagant event. Part of the proceeds will go to the Peconic Bay Medical Center, a non-profit hospital that provides our North Fork with quality health care. The remaining portion of the proceeds will benefit the Harry Chapin Food Bank and New York State Brewers Assocation, another organization that keeps our mental health and entertainment at heart.

Tickets are $50 online and $70 at the door. This is an all day event and there is a specially designed Beer Program that takes you through 30-minute discussions on several topics within the craft beer industry. Beginning the first session on "The Growth of the Craft Beer Scene on Long Island in the Past 10 Years" and ending with a "How Blue Point Decides What Beers to Brew." For everything in between go to www.craftbeerfestival.com.

Tickets to this special event are limited, so go online and get them while they're available. Each guest will be allotted a 6-oz glass with the option to enjoy a 2-oz sample from any or all of the 120 brews. Safety is always in mind, so designated driver tickets are only $10 each with the same meal as the drinking guests.

Beer tastings are scarce on Long Island, especially out in wine-country. So, don't miss this exclusive event, you'll surely regret it if you do. To phone for tickets call 631-298-0075.