Philly Beer Week is Almost Here! Get Opening Tap Tickets, Hotel Rooms and New Apps!
PHILADELPHIA, PA – It’s almost time for Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2013, the nation’s largest celebration of beer held Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 9. The countdown has begun to the official kick-off event, Opening Tap and tickets are now available online. Philly Beer Week has also announced hotel packages and the new 2013 PBW apps are available for iPhone and Android devices.
“First-time attendees and PBW veterans alike are encouraged to attend Opening Tap, to get a feel for what PBW is really all about,” says PBW Executive Director Don Russell. “It’s a lively start to the party, featuring great local brewers and restaurants, and it sets the tone for 10 days worth of beer and beer drinking.”
Opening Tap
On Friday, May 31, Opening Tap ceremonies will commence at 7 p.m. with the traditional ‘first tap’ by Mayor Michael Nutter, held outside, on Independence Mall, adjacent to the Independence Visitor Center (1 North Independence Mall West.) The ceremony is free and those waiting to enter the main affair will be in prime position towatch the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Brew-vitational awards as well as see Mayor Nutter slinging the PBW keg mallet (affectionately known as the Hammer of Glory, or HOG) to release PBW’s first drops of Brotherly Suds 4, the local collaborative beer of PBW 2013.
Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. for a strolling beer tasting of more than 30 regional breweries on two levels. General admission costs $45 per person and will include a souvenir tasting glass. VIP tickets costs $90 per person and will include some of the region’s most unique beers from its very best breweries, a tasty food buffet and other surprises. Both tickets can be purchased online (click to buy). The event sold out last year, and tickets will not be available at the door.
Confirmed breweries include the following:
Appalachian, Box Car Brewing, The Brew Works, Dogfish Head, Dock Street, Evil Genius, Flying Fish, Free Will, Full Pint, Home Sweet Homebrew, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Keystone Homebrew, Lancaster Brewing Company, Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, Nodding Head, Penn Brewery, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Prism, River Horse, Round Guys Brewing, Samuel Adams, Shawnee Craft Brewing, Sly Fox, Spring House, Stoudts Brewing Company, Straub Brewery, Triumph , Troegs, Twin Lakes, Victory, Weyerbacher, Yards, and Yuengling.
Beer drinkers will get a first taste of Brotherly Suds 4, an English summer ale with a zesty citrus hop. The collaboration beer will be brewed this year at Yards by Tom Kehoe, Bill Covaleski of Victory, Gordon Grubb of Nodding Head, Mark Edelson of Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant and Gene Muller of Flying Fish.
Beer friendly food will be available for purchase on site from Max & Me Catering. There will also be live music by The Flathead Gang. Attendees must be at least 21 years of age, and no children will be admitted. Those who will be acting as designated drivers can attend the Opening Tap for $15 per person, including complimentary soft drinks and a PBW DD t-shirt.
Book a Hotel
Guests who will be traveling into Philadelphia – or locals wishing to enjoy a PBW staycation – can access special deals and discounts through PBW’s website. Rooms are available for guests at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing (click to book), the official hotel of PBW 2013, located just two blocks from the Philly Beer Week Garden at Headhouse Square and a short walk to Old City and South Street, plus convenient access to public transportation. Rooms are also available with PBW rate discounts at theEmbassy Suites Philadelphia – Center City (click to book).
Download the Official PBW App
Once again, PBW teamed up with Xomo Digital, Inc. to build an all-new app for this year’s celebration. New features include: New Layout and graphics; Event Listings searchable by brewery and participating breweries listed for each event; Improved Favorites; Social Media Links; and iPhone 5 compatibility. Apps are available for both iPhone and Android, and can be downloaded here (click to download).
Philly Beer Week 2013 will be held from Friday, May 31 until Sunday, June 9. PBW is a 10-day celebration of “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City.” Established in 2008, it’s the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States, featuring hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights throughout greater Philadelphia. PBW highlights the region’s diverse beer scene – its world-class breweries, neighborhood taverns, trend-setting restaurants and rich beer culture and history.
For more information about Philly Beer Week, including the ever-expanding schedule of events both during PBW and throughout the year, a list of participants and other details, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org and follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@PhillyBeerWeek) (#PBW2013) and like them on Facebook.
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2013 Vendy Awards!
Beautiful, Historic Site to Host Third Annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards
Philadelphia, PA – April 22, 2013 – In recognition of Philly’s thriving food truck scene, concrete culinary experts will bring the best of their best to Penn Treaty Park for the third annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards on Saturday, June 8th. The event will begin at 2:00 p.m. through 6:00 p.m., when the Vendy Cup will be awarded.
Due to the popularity of the event, a limited number of early bird tickets for the special price of $45 will be offered online at http://phillyvendys2013.eventbrite.com?s=14039667 . Ticket price entitles one to day-of judging rights, all you can eat from each participating truck (inclusive of beer) and an unforgettable day in Philadelphia food history as the Vendy Cup is bestowed on the lucky champion.
“Philadelphia continues to be one of our stronger, competitive cities,” said Helena Tubis, Managing Director of the event. “From the faithful, daily food truck advocates to the growing pool of culinary talent, we’re excited to see who makes the nominations and to sample the tasty, creative items served up by the City of Brotherly Love.”
The Vendy Awards are an annual event organized by The Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, a membership-based organization of more than 1,300 vendors. SVP’s famed Vendy Awards have determined New York City’s top street chef for eight years, becoming one of the most beloved and widely anticipated food events in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, the Vendy Awards will serve as a fundraiser for The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that strives to make healthy food available to all.
“We’re thrilled to continue this celebration of street cuisine and vendors in Philadelphia,” said Sean Basinski, Director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center. “From authentic, straightforward Philly fare to the exotic and unusual, it’s a pleasure to showcase the spirit of Philadelphia, now in its third Vendy Awards.”
Follow the Vendy Awards on Twitter for the latest news and announcements and like them on Facebook at Vendy Awards.
ABOUT THE STREET VENDOR PROJECT AT THE URBAN JUSTICE CENTER: The Vendy Awards are an annual benefit event for the non-profit The Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center. The Street Vendor Project is a membership-based project with more than 1,300 active vendor members who are working together to create a vendors’ movement for permanent change. The Street Vendor Project is part of the Urban Justice Center, a non-profit organization that provides legal representation and advocacy to various marginalized groups of New Yorkers.
