FAQs What is New York Craft Beer Week and how does it work?
NYCBW 2009 is a celebration of the craft beer community in NYC and beyond. The NYC Beer Passport, explains the many many things going on this week as well as providing special discounts available to Passport holders only.

One of the biggest parts of the Passport is special pricing on beers specifically chosen for Beer Week 2009 by craft beer bars in all five boroughs. To take advantage, bring your Passport to any of of the 83 bars listed in the Bar Pages section. Choose one of their featured beers, give the bartender $2 (plus tip) and they'll give you a pint. Alternatively, choose two beers and they'll give you a half pint of each.

Sit. Dance. Mingle. Stand in a corner. Do whatever makes you happy, so long as you're enjoying yourself. The rest of the beers you have at that bar are normal price, or move onto another bar and enjoy the Passport promotion there too.

You can also take your passport to a number of places hosting Special Events, where it will get you a discount for things including beer and cheese pairings, guided Beer Walks of city neighborhoods, and learning why yeast is so important.

How is this year different from last?
This year's NYC Beer Passport is not restricted to any one neighborhood or even day of the week. Instead, with a Passport, you can go to any of the 83 participating bars at any time during the week and purchase a pint of one of their featured beers for only $2 or two half pints for a dollar a piece. The Passport also allows you to receive other discounts throughout the week:
How can I be sure to taste every beer specially available for NYCBW?
WHOA BUDDY, don't be so ambitious! If you really want to try that, at least do your liver the favor of not having the same beer twice by mistake. You can keep track of which beers you've already had with out handy check boxes in the Passport on each bar page and the index at the back.

I have a Passport, and my friend doesn't. Can't we just share?
Each of the promotions listed in the Passport is only valid for one person. If the Beer Week Logo box on a Bar Page in your Passport is marked, discounts are no longer valid at that bar. Just like an unlimited Metrocard, you can use it tonight and they can use it tomorrow, but it's a lot more effective if you each have one of your own. If you're determined to share, all of the Beer Week events are open to the public with free admission unless otherwise stated. So all of your friends are more than welcome to join you, but only you will get the good deal listed in the Passport.

Now my friend is jealous of my Passport, where can he/she get one?
Go get another at any of the 83 bars listed in the Passport, purchase it here, or pick it up at these select retail beer establishments.

What do I do with my Passport at the end of the Week?
First off, it's a great resource guide to all the places in the city that serve good beer, so you should keep it handy. But look closely at each bar's page. A lot of the bars list special deals for Passport holders that are available only after Beer Week. So if you didn't get a chance to visit them during the week, or just really want to go back, you have good reason to do so. Some of the deals are even available every week until Labor Day 2010.

There are so many more events listed here on the website than there are printed in the Passport. What gives?
The Passport was printed in mid-July. In order to get everything together and distributed in time for you to have it in your hands during the Beer Week, we needed to work in advance. As of the time of printing, we published all of the information that was available to us.

Wow, this Passport still lists a lot of great things to do! But some of the events require a reservation or ticket. Is this Passport my ticket?
Actually some of the events have a really limited capacity, so you'll have to make reservations or get tickets in advance which aren't covered by this Passport. You can call the venue listed, or follow the directions listed for each event.

If a participating bar doesn't seem to be offering what the Passport indicates, what should I do?
First, ask the bartender. There might be a misunderstanding. If that doesn't work, let us know in an email to info -at- nycbeerweek.com. We'll follow up for you and post any clarifications on their page. But you have to remember that every bar is independently operated, and ultimately they walk to the beat of their own drum. That's actually the good thing about all of the bars participating in the Beer Week; they are all completely unique and you're guaranteed not to have a cookie cutter experience.

What if I find something is incorrect in the passport?
We tried our best to get all the information in order as best as possible. But sometimes, beer runs out or a keg doesn't make it on the delivery truck. Beyond that, we may have made an honest mistake. For that we apologize. Stay up-to-date with corrections and updates at our Corrections Page, or let us know with an email to info -at- nycbeerweek.com.




Contact
Ticketing and General Questions
info -at- nycbeerweek -dot- com

Website Question/Comments
anthony -at- nycbeerweek -dot- com

Josh Schaffner, Director Chris Cuzme, Special Events Coordinator Anthony Abbinanti, Web & Graphic Design Jack Sanford, Print Production & Design Mark Foggin, Beer Walks Coordinator Alison Walsh, Press Relations





A Letter From Our Director

NY Craft Beer Week 2009
L
ast year we said that New York City was "an amazing place to be a beer drinker." It still is--the city's beer community continues to grow and spread. In the last year alone, more beer-centric bars have opened and more are in the works. Homebrewing supplies are now just a subway ride from home, and you can find craft beer bars in all five boroughs.

In fact, it's damn exciting to be a craft beer drinker anywhere in the U.S. these days. Our brewers have earned the respect of their peers around the world--initially for their skill in preserving Old World brewing traditions, now for their ability to create and innovate. No matter where in the country you go, you can find a great beer.

Several cities have found forums for sharing what makes their own brewing culture unique. San Francisco debuted its Beer Week this past February. Philadelphia's second annual Beer Week was just as strong as its first, and other cities are are also planning Beer Weeks to exhibit their unique local contributions to the brewing community and culture. Here in New York, we are proud to shine a bright spotlight on how craft beer has intersected with two of our city's most renowned attributes: great nightlife and an outstanding restaurant scene.

This year's NY Craft Beer Week includes 83 different bars featuring 162 unique beers throughout the five boroughs. Each of these bars presents the best of the country's craft beer scene. We are excited to bring you outstanding food and beer pairings at some of our most notable fine dining institutions, in a series of events made possible through a partnership with Zagat Survey. It is a privilege to have a partnership with Just Food, forging a connection between local brewers and farmers and the venues that sell their creations.

In celebration of the city that makes all of this possible, we have worked hard to gather a vast and unique selection of some of the great American craft beers available today. At the beginning of the week, you can taste some of these beers served traditionally on cask at the Gotham Cask Festival, and then again at our closing celebration in the Queens Loft of the modern beer garden at Studio Square.

I encourage you to really discover our city: visit new bars, explore unknown neighborhoods, and make the most of your NYC Beer Passport. Pace yourself, have fun, enjoy your beer responsibly and plan to leave your vehicle safely at home--you're guaranteed to experience just how amazing our city is!

Josh Schaffner
Director, NY Craft Beer Week