Sampling Lehigh Valley Craft Beer at OctoberPreneurFest

http://www.fireislandbeer.com

On a last-minute whim and the encouragement of a few friends, I joined a group of Lehigh students, craft beer entrepreneurs, and Lehigh's Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship at Bethlehem Brew Works last night for "OctoberPreneurFest."

The evening's tag line was essentially come to a craft beer tasting and mingle with the people behind the beer, the entrepreneurs who started their own local craft beer breweries. The first 50 people to register entered free, the rest of us paid $5 at the door and found it well worth it. Not only did entry guarantee a fine sampling of beer, but Brew Works also provided an appetizer bar of especially tasty bruschetta and make-your-own nachos. The event was held in the Brew Works' basement bar and lounge: the Steelgaarden, which could not have been a more perfect setting for the small crowd there.

Each guest received a two sided card with three beers from the Fire Island Beer Company on one side, and four of the Brew Works' beers on the other, each name equating to a sample from the bar. A surprise guest, the maker of an Arctic Ale, also brought some of his beer to be sampled. The Arctic Ale was actually my favorite, although I really enjoyed the variety of other beer offerings: light, dark, amber, oatmeal, red, you name it.

The beer entrepreneurs were wandering around the room, dressed casually and sipping on beer with students and other brewers, and occasionally giving short speeches prompted by a Baker Institute student representative. We learned about how the local movement is encouraging the patronage of craft beers, the challenges in getting on beer taps and staying there, and the importance of creating a brand and situational association with a particular beer. The following are a couple of highlights:

Chris Bowen, the maker of the Arctic Ale spoke about his theory that consumers are increasingly looking for beer with a story. One beer story that inspired him was about Allsop's Arctic Ale, which Canadian arctic explorers took in heaping amounts for sustenance on the Northwest Passage. Consequently, he is making a documentary journey on motorcycles to collect more of the story and eventually re-create the original recipe of the Allsopp's Ale on the Hudson/James Bay. The documentary (to be released in summer or fall 2011) website: http://www.arcticalchemy.com/

Bethlehem Brew Works owner, one of the Fegley brothers, spoke about their early pioneering of the local craft beer movement. He spoke about the economic turmoil and listlessness of the Bethlehem community in the wake of the Bethlehem Steel collapse, which was the local environment at the time they opened on the corner of Main and Broad Streets in 1998. The Bethlehem Brew Works was intended to be a brewery and quality restaurant (which was a very important part of their identity) for Bethlehem families and individuals to identify with. I'd say they've been successful.

All around great, unexpected turn for my Monday night. Support your local breweries!