BEER FESTIVAL

Beertavia was this afternoon and it was a funtavia festivia in the suntavia. Sorry for going too far with the puntavias.

Batavia BID (Business Improvement District) hosted a beer tasting with more than 24 craft brews and ciders.

What is normally a blacktop parking lot on Bank Street in Downtown Batavia was transformed into a lawn-covered oasis, with a giant white tent for the nearly 700 people in attendance.

While patrons were tasting the unlimited beer and cider, Ohm’s Band performed a few sets to help keep the atmosphere upbeat.

Batavia Turf donated the grass for the parking lot that had quite a few lawn games as wall as picnic table seating and Adirondack lawn chairs.

The reputation and size of Beertavia is growing every year. So much so, this couple flew up from Chattanooga, Tenn., just for this event. They read about it on beerfests.com and decided it was for the right festival for them. (Picture below.)

Black Creek Cidery won the People's Choice Award for the best drink in the tasting.

Angotti Beverage Corp. helped bring this group of brews together and we are fairly certain all are available locally, if you wan to try some of what was inside the tent or buy some of your favorites to enjoy at home.

The craft beer business is growing in Western New York with new breweries popping up from Watertown to Buffalo, and Batavia stands at its epicenter.

Tapping into the renewed fascination with craft beer, the Batavia Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting "Beertavia" to introduce people to regional brews. Beertavia will be held from 3 to 6 p.m., May 16, in the Angotti Beverage Corp. parking lot, off School Street, between Jackson and Center.

The event will highlight Downtown Batavia, as well as recognize the city as a geographic center for beer-making. The agricultural resources within the county -- hops are grown locally -- makes Batavia a hot spot for local breweries. Additionally, local production, consumption and distribution make craft beer an attractive business venture. Plus, by-products or waste from the beer-making process can be sold to farms.

BID believes that craft breweries have great potential to benefit this community.

Beertavia is more than a beer festival. It is a community event showcasing local restaurants and acts as a host to microbreweries from all over the state. Fare from Papa Pasquale’s Italian Eatery, Sweet Pea’s Cupcakery Cafe, and Sunny’s Restaurant are on the menu thus far.

The BID is encouraging all local restaurants to participate. Breweries planning to attend are: Abandon Brewing (Penn Yan), Big Ditch Brewing Company (Buffalo), Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown), Custom Brewcrafters (Honeoye Falls), Empire Brewing Company (Rochester & Syracuse), Keuka Brewing Company (Hammondsport), Resurgence Brewing (Buffalo), RG Brewery (Brockport), Rohrbach Brewing Company (Rochester), Rusty Nickel Brewing Company (West Seneca), Sackets Harbor Brewing Company (near Watertown), and Upstate Brewing Company (Elmira).

See BID’s Facebook page for a complete list of breweries and other updates.

Brewers can also pit their brew against others in a contest to win the title Western New York’s Brew of the Year.

Tickets are $40 per person – 800 are available for general admission – and $55 for a limited number of VIP tickets. Additionally, special tickets for designated drivers will be available. This event is for those 21 years of age or older. Music will be provided by Stone Row.

BID is currently seeking sponsorship and volunteers for the event and is excited to name The Batavian and New York Craft Malt as leading sponsors. Craft Beer Week runs in conjunction with this event. BID encourages local bars and restaurants to have a tap takeover in their establishments, by which BID will promote the brews each restaurant will be serving.

Tickets or more information can be found at: Beertavia

Photo: Laurie Oltramari, Corey Wolcott, Don Burkel and Patricia Hawley.