United Nations of Beer

Pigfest 2007

by Rudy Lasher
(Beer Delegate, NY, USA)

Brooklyn Brewery Pigfest 2007

Good food, good people, good music and most importantly, good beer. These are the elements that any beer festival lover dreams of.

Across New York, there are a lot of events that have some level of each, but in order to find the right mix, in order to find that event where each of these elements compliments the others seamlessly, there is one beer festival that stands out. Pigfest 2007, sponsored by the Brooklyn Brewery.

Each year, the Brooklyn Brewery provides a great atmosphere for all ages. This year, in the Old Tobacco House located perfectly between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, they continued the tradition as hundreds of people sang, ate and danced the afternoon away.

The Brewery provided a selection of their "core brews" which included Pilsner, Brown Ale, Pennant Ale, Weisse, Brooklyn lager, IPA and Summer Ale. Though the choices excluded their seasonal brew, two brewmaster reserves and their Belgian style Brooklyn No. 1, the refreshing crispness and popularity of the of the Summer and Brown ales created long lines for beer.

Though the wait for beer usually lasted no longer than ten minutes, the line leading towards the tables of mouthwatering BBQ lasted, at times, up to 30 minutes.

The combined efforts of Waterfront Ale House and the newly introduced Hill Country BBQ prepared a variety of BBQ dishes such as chicken, cuts of slow roasted pig, ribs and sausage. The main courses were accompanied by baked beans, coleslaw and other traditional BBQ sides.

It seemed as though demand was underestimated though as the food ran low during the second half of the festival, leaving some Pigfest 2007 attendees, who paid $75 pre-paying and $85 at the door, with an empty stomach. To some, this shortage was easily overlooked as the festival also became a home to many drinking games.

The largest and traditionally intense game of Flip-Cup provided competition between teams of over 20. If you grew tired of Flip-Cup, then simply turning around would have stepped you up to a game of Sink the Bismark.

This game, being new to me at Pigfest 2007, was said to have developed at Nick's Bar at the University of Indiana. The materials needed to play are a small bucket and a shot glass. The bucket is filled with beer and the shot glass is set in the middle so it floats.

Then, one by one, a player pours a steady stream of beer, no matter how long or brief, into the shot glass without allowing it to sink.

After the pour, only five seconds remain until the next player's turn. If it sinks before then, the pourer drank the entire bucket, if it sinks after, the next in line drinks instead.

The last game I came across was called Lanner. Corty introduced me to the game as a spin off of Beer Pong, but players have to bounce. If a ball hits the ground at any time, the players on that side have to drink a beer. Pretty much, don’t let it hit the ground if your opponent misses. A good rule I might have to add to my pong game.

Pigfest 2007 proved to be a huge success and, though some stopped to get a bite to eat after, it provided a unique atmosphere for each enthusiast. Between the scenic views, inviting environment and the building structure itself, this setting is one that I will be looking forward to attending next year.

Of all the activities the Brooklyn Brewery hosts and sponsors, I know one that I will be at next year. See you at Pigfest 2008.