1st CT Beer Week Kicks off with Massive Rising Pint Brewfest

Update:  learn how to get your own CT Beer Week badge by using Untappd! 

Connecticut, we have a beer week!  Actually, the FIRST annual CT Beer Week, brought to you by Connecticut Beer Wholesalers Association.  The brews are being poured out all over the Hartford and New Haven areas from May 11-18, 2013.  On the CT Beer Week Site, you’ll notice a big list of events that are going down.  That list is growing daily and we hope to see some events for Fairfield County, too.  The slogan for this week, as you can see, is “Brew & Buy Local.”  And, that’s part of the focus of this week:  let’s keep making Connecticut a great state for beer by opening up more breweries and buying the brews at pubs, restaurants, stores, and at the breweries themselves.  CT Beer Week also wants to show the Connecticut Legislature just how important beer is to Connecticut’s economy.  We can concur with that, having paid a nice portion of our salaries to Half Full, Two Roads, Charter Oak, New England Brewing, and City Steam.  Oh, and we’ve bought quite a few Hookers, too.

And, in addition to all the events that are happening throughout Connecticut, there will also be a massive gathering of over 60 70 brewers that will be providing samples for over 250 varieties and styles.  The third annual Rising Pint Brewfest is the literal kick off for CT Beer Week and happens on May 11 from 1-5 pm at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.  Tickets are $40 and that gets you free parking, a tasting cup, free live music from Kenny Mehler Band and Musical Monk, and tastes of all brews.  Proceeds will benefit Folds of Honor, who gives back to families of soldiers killed or disabled in battle.

Here are the restaurants that will be at the Rising Pint Brewfest:

Harry’s Bishop Corner

Black Bear Saloon

Vaughan’s Publick House

Firebox

Republic

Caseus

Plan B Burger Bar

Birch Hill Tavern

Toasted:  a Sandwich Revolution

Here are just some of the breweries/distillers that will be at the Rising Pint Brewfest (updated 5/1):

1. Abita
2. Ace hard cider
3. American Vintage Hard Tea
4. Angry Orchard
5. Back East Brewery
6. Beaver Beer
7. Belhaven Brewery
8. Blue Moon
9. Broad Brook Brewing
10. Brooklyn Brewery
11. Buffalo Bill’s Brewery
12. The Cambridge House Beer Company
13. Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
14. Cavalry Brewing
15. Cayman Jack
16. Chimay
17. Cisco Brewers
18. City Steam
19. Continental Brewing Co.
20. Crispin
21. Dogfish Head
22. Flying Dog Brewery
23. Founders Brewing
24. Fox Barrel
25. George Killian’s
26. Goose Island
27. Harpoon Brewery
28. Heavy Seas
29. Ipswich Ale Brewery
30. Julian Hard Cider
31. Kona Brewing Company
32. Leinenkugel’s
33. Lagunitas Brewing Company
34. Latis
35. Long Trail Brewing Company
36. Magic Hat
37. Mayflower Brewing Company
38. McKenzie’s Hard Cider
39. Merchant duVin
40. Mike’s Hard Lemonade
41. Narragansett
42. New Planet (gluten free)
43. Olde Burnside Brewing Company
44. Brewery Ommegang
45. Onyx Moonshine
46. Otter Creek
47. Palm
48. Peak Organic Brewing Company
49. Pyramid Breweries
50. Red Hook
51. Relic Brewing
52. Rodenbach
53. Samuel Adams
54. Sebago
55. Shed
56. Sierra Nevada
57. Sixpoint Brewery
58. Smuttynose Brewing Co.
59. Southern Tier
60. Stone Brewing Co.
61. Stoudt’s
62. Tenth and Blake Beer Company
63. Weed
64. Tullycross Tavern & Microbrewery
65. Twisted Tea
66. Two Roads Brewing Company
67. Unibroue
68. Victory Brewing Company
69. Weyerbacher
70. Widmer Brothers
71. Willimantic Brewing Company
72. Wolaver’s
73. Woodchuck Hard Cider

Third annual Rising Pint Brewfest

Saturday, May 11 from 1-5 pm

$40 per person

Rentschler Field

East Hartford, CT

Here’s the fine print for the tickets:

Must be 21 years of age to enter the event, ID’s will be checked at the door. No children and/or babies are allowed into the event. The event will feature an amazingly wide variety of craft beers, live music and food for a nominal fee. Your ticket price includes: cup for the event, access to all brews present, live music and FREE parking. The event will take place rain or shine. Everyone must have a ticket to enter. Please enter at GATE C. Buy your tickets early; price will increase by $5 on the day of the event. Rain or shine.