Barbecue, beer, and bourbon lovers in the NYC area will soon have the chance to enjoy all three at the 13th annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at...
Barbecue, beer, and bourbon lovers in the NYC area will soon have the chance to enjoy all three at the 13th annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at Industry City in Brooklyn.
The festival showcases several local barbecue restaurants and numerous bourbon and beer brands to sample. On the food side, this year’s event will include Red White and Que Smokehouse, Gotham Burger Social Club, Dinosaur BBQ, Pure Grit BBQ, Brooklyn Baked and Fried, and more.
The Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival brings together a diverse crowd to try good smoked meats and sample spirits. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
The event offers three types of tickets. They are:
Meatlandia ($189): This is the Rolls-Royce of the tickets, with access from 12 pm to 6 pm. You’ll be the first to try beer and bourbon samples, get an exclusive T-shirt, be able to sample Meatlandia first, and have first access to the Shrine of Swine with hog, beef, and more surprises. This ticket also will include all-you-can-sample bites of ribs, gator, whole hog, mini smash burgers, chicken & waffle sliders, and even a vegan BBQ brisket.
VIP ($129): The VIP ticket includes beer and bourbon sampling, eight tickets for the Meatlandia stations, access to the Shrine of Swine, and more, with access from 1 pm to 6 pm.
General Admission ($79): The GA ticket is focused on all-you-care-to-taste samples of beer and bourbon from 3 pm to 6 pm. You’ll have access to the Shrine of Swine, but all other food is a la carte.
BUY TICKETS HERE. (USE THE PROMO CODE “NYCBBQFANS” FOR 20% OFF TICKETS!)
Meatlandia and VIP tickets will get you access to more BBQ bites. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
To me, the best value for most people is the VIP ticket, but if you want to avoid lines and have your pick of the meats and drinks, then the Meatlandia ticket is for you. The Meatlandia ticket also will get you more meat samples. If you only are interested in some beer and bourbon sampling and don’t care about the meats, GA is the way to go.
Makers Mark will be back for the 13th annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ event in NYC, and it typically has premium tasting. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
As a bourbon aficionado, I’m also excited about the bourbon sampling. Brands including Garrison Brothers, Knob Creek, Koval Distilling, Makers Mark, Jim Beam, and Four Flights Distilling will be there sampling various bourbon and spirits.
On the beer side, brands, including Montauk Brewing Company, Gun Hill Brewing Company, Captain Lawrence Brewery, Dogfish Head, New Belgium Brewing, and Modelo, will be showcasing their best brews.
Red White and Que Smokehouse from NJ will be returning to Beer Bourbon & BBQ with delicious smoked meats. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
After the recent Rib King NYC event worked very well at Industry City, I’m excited to see how the Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival comes together. Industry City is a fantastic event venue because so many shops, restaurants, and activities are there so you can have flexibility with your day. This event has secured an indoor and outdoor mixed space, so it should work no matter the weather.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there on July 8. If you haven’t bought tickets yet, you can do so here.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT (NEWS)
Carlos Castillo from Carlito’s Barbecue Taqueria served up one of the best items of the night at the Celebrate Big Apple Barbecue event. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
On Tuesday night, the first Celebrate Big Apple Barbecue event was held at Madison Square Park with 25+ pitmasters and chefs from the Tri-state area. The event featured excellent food and drinks and raised money for the park. It was the first BBQ-related event held at the park since the Big Apple BBQ Block Party in 2018. Look for a full recap of the event in the next issue of The Smoke Sheet newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. More photos and highlights will be viewable via NYCBBQ on Instagram. SEE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT.
This weekend, the 2-day Sun BBQ Fest will return to Connecticut with barbecue, bands, drinks, and competition. The event, located next to Mohegan Sun casino, claims more than 50 barbecue options will be featured on stage or to purchase from, including Bear’s Smokehouse, Handsome Devil BBQ, Kimchi Smoke, Matt Groark, and Maddie & Kiki. READ MORE.
Speaking of Handsome Devil, the great BBQ joint announced this week that it would be serving up its delicious barbecue at the Bethel Woods Center in upstate New York. Bethel Woods is located on the grounds where the original Woodstock Festival took place. Handsome Devil will be available during all the big concerts held there this summer, including James Taylor, Shania Twain, Chris Stapleton, Steve Miller Band, and more. WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
The team from Holy Ground, which closed its “meat speakeasy” in Tribeca during the pandemic, has signed a lease at 105 Eldridge Street, near Grand Street, on the Lower East Side. No word yet on when it plans to reopen, but for now, the crew is hosting pop-ups at The Breakers bar in Brooklyn. READ MORE.
Eater NY critic Robert Sietsema has high praise for Ihawan, a long-time Filipino barbecue spot in Woodside, Queens. The spot has nearly 70 dishes, many of them grilled meats, like a 3-pound $20 pork shank and chicken and pork skewers. READ MORE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The big three-day Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival is back in NJ this month, with rock 'n' roll and barbecue on the menu.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
June 17-18, 2023: Get ready for BBQ beyond belief at the Sun BBQ Fest at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Over 50 different mouthwatering BBQ options will be available on both days! Soak in the sun and partake in outdoor activities all weekend with your friends and family. BUY TICKETS HERE.
June 23-25, 2023: The three-day Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival is back in 2023. Held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in NJ, this event will feature lots of stands serving up ribs, alongside rock and roll acts from the past several decades. BUY TICKETS HERE.
Saturday, July 8, 2023: It’s time to get smokin’! The 13th Annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival is returning on July 8, 2023, to Brooklyn to celebrate the summer! The event takes place at Industry City and will feature a great day of beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, cigar smokin’, and barbeque eatin’. Admission buys you a sampling glass to enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. BUY TICKETS HERE.
July 14-16, 2023: The New Jersey State Barbecue Championship and Anglesea Blues Festival will soon take place again in North Wildwood, NJ. The New Jersey State Barbecue Championship is a three-day open-air festival featuring a championship barbecue competition, live cooking demonstrations, special displays, and food and beverage vendors to satisfy every taste and appetite. The Anglesea Blues Festival features both national and regional blues musicians and is held in conjunction with the championship. MORE INFO HERE.
Saturday, August 5, 2023: Summer is all about great BBQ, and Dan’s GrillHampton in Long Island has curated the top grillmasters into one evening of pit paradise. Enjoy a selection of grilled fare from steak to burgers to veggies to desserts. Over 10 chefs will offer their best grilled dishes with entry, including access to all the food as well as bars serving up craft cocktails, beer, and wine. MORE INFO HERE.
Saturday, August 19, 2023: Get ready for a fun music and food festival in Manhattan. The Blues BBQ Festival returns to Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 on Saturday, August 19. This free, day-long music festival invites exceptional blues artists to perform on our stage. MORE INFO HERE.
Saturday, September 9, 2023: Back for its 14th year, Pig Island NYC is returning to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens on Staten Island for its third year in a row. More than 20 chefs will come together for this pork-laden festival and compete for the most delicious porcine dishes. There will also be craft beer, hard cider, spirits, and other food offerings – all included with a GA ticket! BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 12-15, 2023: The New York City Wine & Food Festival will return this October. It will see the return of the huge Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray, which is always a fun event. Other notable events include Steak & Whiskey, hosted by Robert Irvine and The Cookout: Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary Celebration, hosted by JJ Johnson and Rev Run. MORE INFO HERE.
Please get in touch if you would like your food event listed here!
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