Queens has come a long way from having exactly zero breweries and a handful of beer bars just a few years ago. The borough now boasts ten breweries (with an eleventh and twelfth on the way) and a plethora of options for drinking local beer from Bayside to Astoria. So it’s no surprise that people find a reason to celebrate the borough’s beer scene… Queens Beer Week is back for its fifth year, kicking off Friday and running through May 18th.

There’s a whole host of events to celebrate beer in the borough, and while the kickoff party has been postponed until July due to the expected rain on Saturday (tickets are available here), there’s plenty more worthwhile, like can releases at Fifth Hammer and Rockaway Brewing on Friday the 11th, a Singlecut tap takeover at Craft Culture on Monday the 14th, a bar crawl with Big Alice on Tuesday the 15th, a Transmitter and LIC Beer Project tap takeover and pinball tournament at Solid State the same night, Bingo Night with Finback and LIC Beer Project at Alewife on Wednesday the 16th, and a beat poetry reading of lousy Untappd reviews by Queens brewers at Crescent and Vine on Thursday the 17th.

You can get a full rundown of events (including a series of beer runs in the borough, for those who like to mix their beer and exercise) at the New York City Brewers Guild website.

It’s finally feeling like spring (okay, actually, summer), and you’ll be itching to get out of the house this weekend for beer. On Saturday, there are several beer events to whet your whistle around the city. Here’s a roundup…

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It’s back. Can Jam returns to the backyard of Threes Brewing (333 Douglass St, Gowanus) this Sunday, May 6th. The free, pay-as-you-go event features a whole bunch of amazingly cool cans of beer from the likes of some of the best breweries from near and far, all curated by beer writer Josh Bernstein, who milks his connections (and charm) to get some of your favorite beers, plus ones you’ve probably never seen before.

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First, a confession: we were torn on what to do when it came to our attention that the Twitter poll for the BARch Madness final was hacked. Do we call Robert Mueller in to investigate? Do we blame the Russians? Do we blame the bar who mysteriously received 800 votes in mere minutes? No, we do none of those things. 

Instead, we simply award the title of BARch Madness Champion to…

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The wait is almost over. Friday and Saturday, Brooklyn Brewery’s touring festival, Beer Mansion, is back in its home borough. It’s a multi-room party that features beer, food, music, games, and “absurdity” at Weylin, an event space at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. The three-session event will kick off Friday night, and continue with an afternoon and evening session on Saturday. Time is running out to get tickets, but we’ve got a way to get ‘em on the cheap.

Use our promo code BYNY10 when you buy tickets, and you’ll get $10 off tickets for the event. If you’ve been procrastinating, this is your reward!

If you’re still undecided, here’s some more details about the event… including the beers that will be served.

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From IPA Day to Repeal Day, beer holidays are a dime a dozen. But there’s a reason why April 7th has been declared National Beer Day: the date has historical significance for American beer drinkers.

It was Friday, April 7th, 1933 when beer began flowing from taps in the United States legally for the first time since the Volstead Act, which enforced Prohibition, went into effect in January of 1920. The 21st Amendment that repealed Prohibition had not yet been ratified by any states at this point (Congress proposed a Constitutional Amendment to end Prohibition in February of 1933), but lawmakers sought to amend the Volstead Act to classify beer under 3.2% alcohol by weight (about 4% alcohol by volume) as non-intoxicating. Given weak economy and lack of government revenue as a result of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sought to encourage beer-making “to provide through such manufacture and sale, by substantial taxes, a proper and much-needed revenue for the Government.” It would also decrease unemployment by generating manufacturing jobs in the brewing industry.

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