Sixpoint’s Red Hook brewery took on several feet of water inside the brewery during Hurricane Sandy (via Facebook)

First things first: right now, after the beating that New York City took in Hurricane Sandy, there are things we should be more worried about than beer. Dozen have died, hundreds have lost their homes, and hundreds of thousands are still without power. We’d recommend making a donation to the Red Cross or the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and signing up for volunteering with NYC Service or New York Cares.

But the beer beat goes on. In fact, it some cases, it never stopped. We have to give props to the staffs at places like The Pony Bar UES (1444 First Ave. at 75th St., Upper East Side) and our own local The Bodega (24 St. Nicholas Ave., at Troutman St., Bushwick) that stayed open throughout the storm, saving many people from boredom and cabin fever.

Obviously, many bars, breweries, and even beer distributors weren’t nearly as lucky.

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It’s time to batten down the hatches! Hurricane Sandy looks like it’s taking aim at our area, and this weekend is going to be a good time to stock up on things in the event of a power outage. Thankfully, we’re experienced at this. Last year’s Hurricane Irene gleamed one beer-related lesson: stock up on beer early. Obviously, food stores are going to be much more focused on restocking shelves with food than beer in the hours leading up to the storm. And New Yorkers are a thirsty bunch - Good Beer (422 E. 9th St., btw. 1st Ave. and Ave. A) reported one of their best sales days ever on the day before Irene. That’s no coincidence… if you’re going to be stuck inside for a few days, why not at least enjoy a couple good brews?

If you do venture outside this weekend, though, there are plenty of beer events worth checking out…

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After signaling his willingness to boost the state’s alcohol industry with fast-acting legislation earlier this year to remedy a beer excise tax hike, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office convened a summit of the state’s beer, wine, and spirit producers on Wednesday in Albany. The summit brought together members of the alcohol industry, the restaurant and agriculture industries, and government officials from across agencies in a discussion about what steps can be taken to improve the climate for these businesses in New York.

At the summit, the governor announced the first of many steps the state would take to boost tourism for the industries and reduce the regulatory roadblocks to expansion.

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It’s Thursday, October 25th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• Bronx Ale House (216 W. 238th St., at Broadway, Kingsbridge) hosts Founders tonight starting at 7pm. Enjoy some great Michigan brews like the Breakfast Stout, Devil Dancer, Dirty Bastard, and Curmudgeon’s Better Half all on tap!
  
  
• Ballast Point takes the taps at Barcade Jersey City (163 Newark Ave., at Erie St., Jersey City) starting at 5pm today. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Ballast Point tap takeover… it gets weird. Among the brews on tap: Habanero Sculpin, the rare Time to Panic Pale Ale, and the Wahoo Wheat with Thai Chile, Ginger & Lime. Don’t worry - they’ll have some slightly more traditional brews on, too.
  
  
• Got a hankering for pumpkin beers in Brooklyn? The Gate (321 5th Ave., at 3rd St., Park Slope) taps four terrifying pumpkin beers tonight at 7pm: the 2011 Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin, Southern Tier Pumking, 2011 Southern Tier Oaked Pumking, and Kelso Industrial Pumpkin. Collect them all!
  
  
• It’s been a while since Bierkraft (191 Fifth Ave., at President St., Park Slope) has done an IPA Night, so they’re doing one tonight starting at 7pm. They’ll throw on a nice tap list of a variety of IPAs, including the Otter Creek Hop Session, Sierra Estate Wet-Hop IPA, Ithaca Flower Power, and Firestone Walker Wookey Jack.
  
  
• Celebrate the release of Anderson Valley’s AVWT Bourbon Barrel Stout (aged in Wild Turkey barrels) tonight at Beer Authority (300 W. 40th St., at 8th Ave., Hell’s Kitchen) starting at 5:30pm. In addition, they’ll pour brews like the Mowkeef Saison, Heelch O Hops Double IPA, Brother David’s Double, and a firkin of the Hop Ottin’ IPA.
  
  
• The Thursday Tap at Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St., at 2nd Ave., East Village) this week is a cask of Wandering Star Mild at Heart, the beloved English-style Dark Ale from Massachusetts. They’ll tap the cask at 5pm.
  
  
• It’s an early Halloween party for “Freaks and Geeks” tonight at New York Beer Company (321 W. 44th St., at 8th Ave., Midtown West). They’ll have a special sideshow performances, free beer tastings from Coney Island Brewing at 6pm, discounts, specials, and raffle prizes all night long.

Follow us on Twitter for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries!

It’s Wednesday, October 24th. Here’s our list of recommended beer-related events in and around New York after work tonight:

• Top Hops (94 Orchard St., at Broome St., Lower East Side) hosts Stone tonight at 6pm, pouring some great beers on tap like the Ruination and 16th Anniversary IPA, plus some of their special collaborations by the bottle!
  
  
• The Stag’s Head (252 E. 51st St., at 2nd Ave., Turtle Bay) hosts Left Hand Brewing tonight at 6pm. Grab some free food and some of their delicious beer from Colorado on seven tap lines, like the Polestar Pils, 400-lb. Monkey, and Thai Coffee-infused Milk Stout!
  
  
• The Double Windsor (210 Prospect Park West, at 16th St., Windsor Terrace) pours a very unique lineup tonight: Two Brothers Heavy-Handed IPA five different ways. Each small batch was brewed with a different hop, including Crystal, Willamette, Centennial, and more. And each pour is just $5 starting at 7pm!
  
  
• Mudville 9 (126 Chambers St., at W. Broadway, Tribeca) hosts their free “Fall Fest” beer tasting tonight from 7-9pm, featuring a huge lineup of seasonal craft beers like the Sixpoint Autumnation, Sierra Nevada Tumbler, Troegs Dead Reckoning, and Flying Dog The Fear.
  
  
• It’s “Barn and Bay” Night tonight at George Keeley (485 Amsterdam Ave., at 83rd St., Upper West Side) starting at 6pm. Enjoy beers and ciders from Butternuts, Cisco, Doc’s, Full Sail and Greenport Harbor on tap all night long!
  
  
• Speakeasy and Idle Hands Bar (25 Avenue B, at 2nd St., East Village) team up for the bar’s weekly $10 Bourbon and Beer Tasting Series. From 7-10pm, $10 gets you 2 full beers, a 3-beer tasting flight, a taste of whisky, and an order of tater tots! This week, they’re also pairing the beers with Yacht Rock, so wear your best boat shoes, preppy!
  
  
• Tavern 29 (47 E. 29th St., at Park Ave. So., Flatiron) hosts a Blue Point World Series party tonight starting at 7pm. They’ll have food-and-beer pairings with the White IPA, Toxic Sludge, Wet Hops, and more while you watch Game 1 of the World Series.

Follow us on Twitter for ongoing updates, like us on Facebook to spread the word, and check us out on Foursquare for great lists of beer bars, stores, and breweries!

We’ve told you that the NYC Craft Beer Festival is making its seasonal return for their “Winter Harvest Edition” on Saturday, November 10th at Pier 57 (West Side Highway at 15th St., Chelsea). And as tickets are now close to selling out, we’re getting details on the full list of beers that’ll be served.

No surprise here, it’s another solid lineup. There are quite a few roasty, toasty, full-flavored, and spicy beers that’ll be put front and center in honor of the season, and some especially hard-to-find beers in the exclusive Connoisseur Lounge. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, this beer lineup could certainly entice you.

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