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BEER EVENT: Philly Beer Week – 2009

Philly Beer Week announces Opening Tap kickoff event details – March 6 at 7 pm‏

PHILLY BEER WEEK 2009 ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR ‘OPENING TAP’ – THE KICK-OFF EVENT – FOR AMERICA’S LARGEST BEER CELEBRATION

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The second-annual Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2009 will kickoff on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m., in the spectacular Comcast Center lobby and Winter Garden (17th street and JFK Boulevard) with the Opening Tap, a celebration honoring over 30 regional breweries whose beer help make Philadelphia “the best beer-drinking city in America.” The Opening Tap will begin with a ceremonial ‘first tap’ using the official Philly Beer Week Keg Mallet, followed by a strolling beer tasting and a festive awards ceremony. Opening Tap tickets cost $40 and can be purchased online at www.phillybeerweek.org ($50 at the door.)

“The Opening Tap is a one-of-a-kind event featuring our local breweries and their beers, as well as the men and women who create them,” says Don Russell, who along with Tom Peters and Bruce Nichols are the founders of Philly Beer Week.

Invited breweries for the Opening Tap include: Appalachian Brewing, Barley Creek Brewing Company, Brew Works, Dock Street, Dogfish Head, Earth + Bread, Erie Brewing Company, Flying Fish, General Lafayette, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Lancaster Brewing Company, Legacy, Lion, Manayunk Brewpub, McKenzie’s, Nodding Head, Penn Brewery, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Porterhouse, Reading Brewing Company, Riverhorse, Rock Bottom, Roy Pitz, Sly Fox, Triumph, Stewart’s, Stoudts, Troegs, Twin Lakes, Victory, Weyerbacher, Yards and Yuengling.

A group of local beer writers created the awards that will honor each brewery represented at the event. An emcee will announce each award and invite the brewery representative to join them, get their photo taken and receive their PBW award.

“These are not your traditional “Best Of” awards. They have a definite Philly attitude! In this town, we may take our beer seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Russell who created the awards with fellow beer writers George Hummel, Bryan Kolesar, Lew Bryson, Jack Curtin, Suzanne Woods, Rich Wagner, Woody Chandler and Carolyn Smagalski.

Food will be available for purchase from the Market at the Comcast Center, and live music is also planned. Attendees must be at least 21 years of age, and no children will be admitted.

Those wishing to take public transportation to Philly Beer Week, can purchase Sip Safely with SEPTA, an unlimited, all-day, bus-trolley-rail pass that will be sold for $9.00, valid any one day between March 6 and March 15. This pass is valid on SEPTA services, to encourage PBW participants to travel safely, rather than driving from event to event. Sip Safely with SEPTA passes are available for sale at most SEPTA locations. More information is available on the Travel section of the PBW site.

To purchase tickets for the Opening Tap or find general information including the ever-expanding schedule of events and list of participants, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org.

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PHILADELPHIA TO HOST THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST BEER EVENT:
PHILLY BEER WEEK 2009 WITH OVER 50 BREWERS AND 400 EVENTS PLANNED
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – With a line-up that features over 50 of the biggest names in brewing and more than 400 events planned, Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2009, Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 15 has become the country’s biggest beer event in its second year.

“Brewers around the world have come to recognize the size and importance of Philly Beer Week. No other city hosts so many events in just 10 days. These brewers want to be here for all the fun and to share their beer with Philadelphia,” says Monk’s Cafe owner and PBW 2009 founder Tom Peters.

Those traveling to Philadelphia, America’s Best Beer Drinking City, to participate in PBW 2009 will include: Chris Bauweraerts of Brasserie d’Achouffe, Hildegard Van Ostaden of Urthel, Jim Koch of Boston Beer, Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing, Fergal Murray of Guinness, Michael Campbell-Lamerton of Fuller’s, Rudi Ghequire of Rodenbach, Terrence Sullivan of Sierra Nevada, Tomme Arthur of The Lost Abbey, Rob Tod of Allagash, Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery, Phil Markowski of Southampton Publick House, Adam Avery of Avery Brewing, Mike Stevens of Founder’s, Matt Nadeau of Rock Art, Greg Zaccardi of Ramstein, Dave Hoffman of Climax, Brian Boaks of Boaks, Rick Reed of Cricket Hill, Fred Karm of Hoppin’ Frog, Curt Cameron of Thomas Hooker, Mark Reith of Atwater Block, John Jordan of Breckenridge, Will Shelton of High & Mighty, Seamus O’Hara of O’Hara’s, Phil Leinhart of Ommegang, Matt Allyn of Voodoo, Greg Blanchard of Smuttynose, Todd Haire and Matt Cohen of Magic Hat, John Maier of Rogue, Larry Bell of Bell’s Brewery, Jeremy Marshall of Lagunitas, Chuck Silva of Green Flash, Aaron Morse of Dark Horse, Dan Mitchell of Ithaca, Bob Sylvester of St. Somewhere, Patrick Rue of The Bruery, Peter Ricks of Beer Valley Brewing, Shane Welsch of Six Points Brewing, and Shawn Strickland of Erie.

Much lauded Philadelphia regional brewers will welcome the cast of star visitors including: Ben Potts of Dock Street, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Casey Hughes of Flying Fish, Chris Leonard of General Lafayette, Paul Rutherford and Chris LaPierre of Iron Hill, Christian Heim of Lancaster Brewing Company, Chris Firey of Manayunk Brewing Company, Gordon Grubb of Nodding Head, Josh Ervine of Philadelphia Brewing Company, Brian O’Reilly of Sly Fox, Carol Stoudt of Stoudt’s, Patrick Jones of Triumph Brewing Company, Chris Brugger of Troegs, Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing Company, Tom Kehoe of Yards and Chris Wilson of Weyerbacher.

Special collaborations between area hotels, public transportation and more are available on the ‘Travel’ section of the Philly Beer Week 2009 Web site. The Radisson is offering a special $149 rate for beer week participants, and The Park-Hyatt at the Bellevue is offering a $179 rate.

For general information, including the ever-expanding schedule of events and list of participants, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org.

Journalists interested in attending and covering Philly Beer Week should contact Profile Public Relations, 215.985.2106, for assistance with travel arrangements and accommodations in Philadelphia.