[ABC Officers] Fw: The 1780 Beer Challenge and Revolutionary War Festival May 16th, 2015 – Middleburgh, New York
- From: "Chad Polenz" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "chadpolenz@xxxxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: "abcofficers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <abcofficers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 16:45:19 +0000 (UTC)
Craig wants ABC to table at this event. Interested?
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Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 11:17 AM
Subject: The 1780 Beer Challenge and Revolutionary War Festival May 16th, 2015
– Middleburgh, New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Craig Gravina
Email: drinkdrank1@xxxxxxxxx
Phone: (518) 669-1113The 1780 Beer Challenge and Revolutionary War Festival May
16th, 2015 – Middleburgh, New York A Revolution in beer is coming to
Middleburgh! On May 16th, The MiddleburghLibrary, The Albany Ale Project, and
Green Wolf Brewing Company are hosting aday long (1pm to 5pm), family-friendly
event celebrating beer, brewing, andMiddleburgh’s Revolutionary War history.
Partial proceeds will go to benefitthe Library. MacKinnon Brothers Brewing
Company, of Bath Ontario, willalso be participating. The event will be held on
Baker Avenue around Green WolfBrewing Company (315 Main Street, Middleburgh)
and behind the Library (323 MainStreet, Middleburgh.) The day’s activities
include aRevolutionary War encampment, colonial brewing and cooking
demonstrations, 18thcentury toys and games for kids, talks on the history of
beer and hops inupstate New York and the Schoharie Valley, a Schoharie Valley
hops display atthe Library, beer samples from Green Wolf and MacKinnon
Brothers, and GreenWolf brewery tours. Middleburgers BBQ and Under the Nose
gift shop and bakerywill be offering barbeque and baked goods for sale, and
Craig Gravina and AlanMcLeod will be selling and signing copies of their book
Upper Hudson ValleyBeer. The day culminates in“The 1780 Beer Challenge”, cask
tapping and tasting! What is “The1780 BeerChallenge”?
The Albany Ale Project, GreenWolf Brewing Co., and MacKinnon Brothers Brewing
Co. have issued each other achallenge. A beer-infused re-enactment of the 1780
stand off in Middleburghbetween New York’s Loyalist raiders and the Albany
County Militia—this timewith hops, grain, and yeast, instead of muskets and
cannons! The Albany Ale Project’s CraigGravina, of Albany, is working with
Green Wolf, while his partner—and Kingston,Ontario native—Alan McLeod is
working with MacKinnon Brothers to create twoRevolutionary War-era inspired
beers—both made from locally-sourced,traditional late 18th-century ingredients
and historical brewing techniques.The beers will be blind judged against each
other by WNYT NewsChannel 13’smorning anchor Phil Bayly, food and drinks writer
Deanna Fox, and Middleburgh LibraryDirector Teresa Pavoldi. The winner receives
bragging rights and the official“1780 Beer Challenge Champion” barrelhead. The
loser must hoist theiropponent’s flag in their respective brewery or taproom.
There will also be a“People’s Choice” vote for best beer. The History Behind
the Event
In 1780, as the AmericanRevolution raged, another war—a civil war—was being
fought on New York'sfrontier. Neighbor battled neighbor in an escalating
conflict between thoseloyal to the British Crown and those bent on
independence. During the 1770s,many New York Loyalists, including Sir John
Johnson and the Mohawk leaderJoseph Brant, were forced off their land, finding
refuge in southern Canada.Set on disrupting the borderlands, Johnson returned
to New York in 1780 havingraised his Loyalist King’s Royal Regiment of New York
while in Canada. WithBrant and his Mohawk warriors, Johnson aimed to lay waste
to the fertile Mohawkand Schoharie valleys—the “breadbasket” of the Revolution.
They embarked on aslash and burn campaign, destroying what had once been their
own farms andgrain fields, in order to starve the Continental Army. What
Johnson wasn’t expectingwas the dogged determination of a rag-tag group of
Albany militia andvolunteers protecting local families and defending the middle
fort—“FortDefyance”—at Middleburgh, led by Colonel Peter Vrooman, and the
sharpshootinghero of the Battle of Saratoga, Timothy Murphy. Low on ammunition,
outnumberedthree to one and under cannon-fire, the Continental commander, Major
MelancthonWoolsey, ordered the surrender of the fort. Murphy, against orders
fired overthe heads of the approaching Loyalist truce party three times,
refusing torelinquish the fort and rallying the defenders behind him. The
patriot’srefusal to yield their position cost the Loyalists precious time on
theiradvance north. Although Johnson’s successful campaign devastated the
Schohariefarmlands, the delay at the middle fort would help the American forces
marchingfrom Albany to halt Johnson’s attacks in the Mohawk Valley. Why Beer?
“Beer and history are intertwined. In fact, beer is history,” says Craig
Gravina. “Theraids on Schoharie’s farms affected brewing in Albany and the
Upper HudsonValley. No grain, no beer. Plus, many people are unaware of this
part of NewYork’s history.” Alan McLeod adds, “Loyalist or patriot, beer was a
commonalityto those fighting for their cause on either side." Gravina
continues, “Thepopularity of craft beer today—being made by places like Green
Wolf andMacKinnon Brothers—allows us to use beer as a way shine a light on
whathappened 235 years ago.”
“Preserving local history has been part of the mission ofthe Middleburgh
Library for over 80 years,” adds Middleburgh Library DirectorTeresa Pavoldi.
“As a host of the1780 Beer Challenge, we have an opportunity to educate and
explore the richhistory of brewing and hops production in our rural community
and how thatimpacted the lives and traditions of the people living here.
Understanding howMiddleburgh fits into the vast brewing history of the upper
Hudson Valley isexciting! Plus, we'll get to step back in time and sample some
historicbrews—how much fun is that?"
“We’re excited to participate in the 1780 Beer Challenge,”says MacKinnon
Brothers Brewing Company’s Ivan MacKinnon. The MacKinnons brewon their family’s
Ontario farm established in 1784 by Loyalist from New York.MacKinnon
emphasizes, “This is an excellent opportunity for us to explorethe brewing
heritage of our ancestors. Our beer, made with ingredients from ourfarm, will
reflect the character of the Loyalists that left New York over 200years ago to
settle the land that we continue to farm today, eight generationslater.”
Justin Behan, owner/brewer of Green Wolf Brewing Company,wants to ‘pour history
back to life.’ “Middleburgh has always had strong ties to farming and
agriculture.”Behan states, “The Schoharie Valley was the breadbasket of
colonial America,and today Green Wolf and MacKinnon Brothers are continuing
that tradition—weare both farm breweries. The 1780 Beer Challenge is a great
venue to celebrateour shared agricultural history and brewing heritage."
Schedule of Events (subjectto change)
AllDay 9:00am– 2:00pm: Library open with hops history display
Noon–10:00pm:Green Wolf Tap Room open! 1:00pm – 5:00pm: Revolutionary
warencampment with the Burning of the Valleys Military Association (US) and
theKing’s Royal Yorkers (CAN) living historians, featuring:• 18th century home
brewingdemonstrations with Harvey Alexander• 18th century cookingdemonstrations
with Chris Osinski• 18th century toys and gameswith Marilee Urbanczyk• Military
drills andRevolutionary War-era weapons demonstrations SpecialPrograms
1:00pm–2:00pm:Green Wolf brewery tours 2:00pm – 2:30pm: Upper Hudson Valley
Beertalk with Craig Gravina and Alan McLeod of the Albany Ale Project. 2:45pm
– 3:15 pm: Historic hops in theSchoharie Valley talk with Green Wolf’s Justin
Behan. 3:30pm – 5:00pm: 1780 Beer Challenge andawarding of the “1780 Beer
Challenge Champion” barrelhead—includes tasting,judging and people’s choice
vote. Admission
Admission for the 1780 BeerChallenge and Revolutionary War Festival is $15 (for
adults 21 years of age andolder) and includes beer sampling tickets and a Green
Wolf sampler glass, or$35 for sampling tickets, a Green Wolf sampler glass, and
a signed copy ofGravina and McLeod’s book Upper Hudson Valley Beer. Admission
for non-drinkers,or those 20 years of age or younger is $10. Children and
teenagers under 15 areFREE! All ages are welcome but youmust be 21 to drink.
Directions to Middleburghand the 1780 Beer Challenge and Revolutionary War
Festival
From the NYS ThruwayWestbound: Take US I-90 west to exit 25A (US I-88
NY-7/Schenectady/Binghamton).Take US I-88 west to Exit 23
(NY-7/NY-30A/Schoharie/Central Bridge) Turn leftonto NY-30A (becomes NY-30).
Continue on NY-30 south to the intersection ofNY-145 (Main Street, Middleburgh)
Turn left onto Main Street. The 1780 BeerChallenge will be 350 feet on the
right at Baker Avenue.
From the NYS Thruway Eastbound:Take US I-90 east to exit 29
(US-10/Canojoharie/Sharon Springs). Turn left ontoNY-5S E/E. Main St. Take the
NY-162 north ramp, and merge onto NY-162 south(becomes NY-30). Continue on
NY-30 south to the intersection of NY-145 (MainStreet, Middleburgh). Turn left
onto Main Street. The 1780 Beer Challenge willbe 350 feet on the right at Baker
Avenue.
From the NYS ThruwayNorthbound: Take US I-87 north to exit 21
(NY-23/Catskill/Cairo). Turn leftonto Main Street, then right onto the
Catskill/Cairo ramp and merge onto NY-23.Make a slight right onto NY-145 north
continue for 29 miles to the village ofMiddleburgh. The 1780 Beer Challenge
will be on the left at Baker Avenue.
From the NYS ThruwaySouthbound: Take US I-87 south to exit 1E-West (I-87
South/I-90 West). Keepright at the fork to continue on Exit 1 West, follow
signs for I-87 South/I-90West/New York/Buffalo and merge onto I-87 S/I-90 West.
Continue to exit 25A (USI-88 NY-7/Schenectady/Binghamton). Take US I-88 west to
Exit 23(NY-7/NY-30A/Schoharie/Central Bridge). Turn left onto NY-30A (becomes
NY-30).Continue on NY-30 south to the intersection of NY-145 (Main
Street,Middleburgh). Turn left onto Main Street. The 1780 Beer Challenge will
be 350feet on the right at Baker Avenue.
From US 1-88Eastbound: Take US I-88 East to exit 22 to NY-145
towardNY-7/Middleburgh/Cobleskill. Follow NY-145 south to the village of
Middleburgh.From the intersection of NY-145 South (Main Street) and NY-30 the
1780 BeerChallenge will be 350 feet on the right at Baker Avenue. Contact
InformationFor more information or questions about The 1780 BeerChallenge and
Revolutionary War Festival, or to schedule an interview pleasecontact Craig
Gravina at drinkdrank1@xxxxxxxxx or at (518) 669-1113.
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