Beer Bourbon & BBQ Fest 2021 Embraced Summer BBQ Spirit in Brooklyn
The 2021 Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival attracted hundreds of attendees and took place both inside and outside.
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This past weekend, the 12th annual Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival in Brooklyn brought together hundreds of barbecue lovers, bourbon drinkers, and everything in between. The event was held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint, with ample room for crowds inside and outside the space.
Things were a little different for this edition of the Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival because of the pandemic. The first significant change was moving the event from January 2021 to July 2021, in order for conditions to get better on the ground. The second was slimming the event down from a two-day Saturday and Sunday marathon to a one-day Saturday extravaganza.
Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ was one of the event’s showcase pitmasters.
The changes ended up shifting the event’s tone from a winter reprieve where people are being warmed up by barbecue and bourbon and turned it into a summer party. (You can read more about the January 2020 Beer Bourbon & BBQ Fest here.) New Yorkers were ready to drink and eat to their heart’s content, after being deprived of large events for the past year.
One thing that was the same as ever was excellent barbecue that could be eaten. Handsome Devil BBQ, Jase’s BBQ, Big Papa Smoke’m, and Big Guns BBQ served up whole hog, pork ribs, pulled pork, jerk pork, brisket, and more. Handsome Devil BBQ, led by Ed Randolph, has been the top operation at the event for the past few years. Handsome Devil served up multiple whole hogs throughout the day and the hogs were one of the most popular items for people to get pictures of.
The Handsome Devil team also prepared multiple delicious whole hogs for the crowd.
I’ve written before that barbecue and bourbon go well together, so it was nice to see so many bourbon vendors on hand at the event including Balcones, Basil Hayden’s, Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Knob Creek, and Maker’s Mark. Some of the top beer options included Brooklyn Brewery, Coney Island Brewing, Hop Valley Brewing Co., and New Belgium Brewing, for those who weren’t bourbon drinkers.
Another standout dish from the event was the jerk BBQ pork from Jase’s BBQ.
With the pandemic now feeling far from over, the Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival organizers also made some changes to give people more room to spread out. Most notably, the outside area of the Brooklyn Expo Center was fully open (unlike the last edition in January 2020) and the doors were wide open, so there was much more airflow inside the main area of the Expo Center.
This ultimately translated to many people grabbing their food and drink samples and eating them outside. The outside area was also where people could get whole hog samples and Maker’s Mark glasses, so naturally, people spent a lot of time outdoors in lines and at picnic tables. People also could play games like cornhole outside as well.
The whole hog from Handsome Devil BBQ was available for at no extra cost for attendees.
All in all, this was a fun event and one where you could have just as much fun going for 2 hours or 5 hours. If you missed this edition, the organizers of the Beer Bourbon and BBQ Festival plan to return to NYC with its next edition in early 2022. Once the date is confirmed, I will add it to my calendar of events.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
A new Mighty Quinn’s location will open soon in Hoboken, NJ. (Photo via Jersey Digs)
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
The popular NYC-based barbecue chain Mighty Quinn’s BBQ will soon open a new outpost in Hoboken, NJ, reports Jersey Digs. Signage at the location indicates the restaurant will open this fall. READ MORE.
Speaking of Mighty Quinn’s, the chain was profiled by QSR Magazine following its new Series B investment by Bolt Ventures. The celebrated restaurant chain will be using the new funds to help open both corporate and franchised units, including ghost kitchens. One has to wonder if they’ll open more locations of its chicken-focused delivery operation Sugar Wing as well. READ MORE.
Astoria-based BBQ pop-up Tikkun BBQ was mentioned in an Eater NY profile of food workers that have raised money for great causes. Tikkun BBQ, a “mission-driven pop-up,” has raised more than $80,000 for organizations to date like the Astoria Food Pantry, the Ali Forney Center, and Safe Walks NYC. READ MORE.
Popular Staten Island BBQ joint and bar DaddyO’s recently closed its Minthorne Street location, the Staten Island Advance reports. Greg Fosdal, owner of DaddyO’s, told the Advance that “he decided to close the North Shore location after having a hard time finding staff, including bartenders, waiters, and line cooks, amid COVID-19 pandemic.” However, Fosdal recently opened a new DaddyO’s location in Bricktown Commons. The restaurant also plans to open a spot in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn in the fall. READ MORE.
The PA Pork Producers Council recently introduced the Big Pig Out Barbecue Trail, a list of 21 barbecue joints serving great BBQ pork. People are encouraged to get their “barbecue passports” stamped, and then they can win prizes. READ MORE.
Finally, NYC announced plans earlier this week to require proof of vaccination for restaurants, bars, gyms, and performance and entertainment facilities. The program, which appears to be the first of its kind in the United States, will start on August 16, with full enforcement beginning on September 13. READ MORE.
IRL BBQ EVENTS
The Dan’s GrillHampton event on Long Island will feature a ton of pitmaster and chef talent from both NYC and the Hamptons. Only one team will win.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
August 20, 2021: At the Dan’s GrillHampton event at Nova’s Ark Project in the Hamptons, pitmasters/chefs from the Hamptons will take on pitmasters/chefs from NYC. This one-of-a-kind cooking competition and tasting event will offer great grilled fare, beer, and specialty cocktails, along with live music and dancing. Guests will become part of the action as they vote for the finest food. BBQ joints attending include Pig Beach NYC, Green Hill Kitchen & Que, Morgan’s Brooklyn BBQ, Queens Custom BBQ, Jase’s BBQ, and Big Papa Smoke’m BBQ. BUY TICKETS HERE.
September 11, 2021: At the end of the summer, Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 12th year on September 11, 2021, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. The event will honor firefighters and help raise money for the Friends of Firefighters nonprofit. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes, and event-goers reap the benefits. READ MORE HERE or BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 15-16, 2021: Tickets are available now for the Hartford Rib Off, an annual charity fundraiser in Riverside Park in Hartford, Conn. The proceeds from the two-day event will benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Journey Home of Hartford, and The Hartford Rib Off Scholarship Fund. Tickets can get you access to admission, parking, kids’ activities, an all-you-can-eat buffet, free barbecue samples, a tasting cup with continual pours, live music, unlimited soft drinks, and access to vendors. BUY TICKETS HERE.
October 16-17, 2021: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in fall 2021. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and will feature tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue, and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. BUY TICKETS HERE.
SAY HELLO
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