ANNUAL ‘OPENING TAP’ CELEBRATION TO KICK OFF PHILLY BEER WEEK 2011 IN SIGNATURE STYLE

ANNUAL ‘OPENING TAP’ CELEBRATION TO KICK OFF PHILLY BEER WEEK 2011 IN SIGNATURE STYLE


PHILADELPHIA, PA – The fourth-annual Philly Beer Week (PBW) 2011 will kick off on Friday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m., in the spectacular Independence Visitor Center (6^th and Market Streets) with the Opening Tap, a celebration honoring the wide array of regional brewers and breweries whose beer helps make Philadelphia “the best beer-drinking city in America.”  Tickets for the Opening Tap are available now online, and cost $41 ($15 for “designated driver” tickets).  They can be purchased online at www.phillybeerweek.org; no tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Guests can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the event at www.phillybeerweek.org/opening_tap_contest.cfm.  Requirements for the ticket giveaway are simple: one entry per person, and all entrants must a) be at least 21 years old and b) love beer.  Online entry requires guests to submit their first and last name, confirm their age and include their e-mail address, in order to be notified if they win.


“The Opening Tap is a one-of-a-kind event featuring our local breweries and their beers, as well as the men and women who create them,” says Don Russell, Executive Director of PBW.  “It’s only fitting that we kick off a celebration of America’s best beer-drinking city in the shadow of the birthplace of America.” 

The signature kick-start to PBW will begin with the ceremonial ‘first tap’ using the official Philly Beer Week keg mallet (affectionately known as the Hammer of Glory, or HOG), followed by a strolling beer tasting on two levels.  The HOG will be used to tap Brotherly Suds 2, the local collaborative beer of Philly Beer Week 2011.  The special beer, to be crafted at Stoudt’s by brewer Brett Kintzer along with Yards’ Tom Kehoe, Victory’s Bill Covaleski, Troegs’ John Trogner and Nodding Head’s Gordon Grubb, will have a unique nod toward Philadelphia's brewing history.  The lager, described as "sudsier than ever," will be fermented with the same strain of yeast originally used by the late, great Schmidt's brewery of Northern Liberties in its original premium lager of 1860.  At one time, nearly two-thirds of the beer served in Philadelphia taverns came from the iconic brewery, making their signature yeast strain a perfect standard-bearer for PBW 2011’s signature brew.

Beer friendly food will be available for purchase on site from Max & Me Catering.  There will also be live music by the Flathead Gang.  Attendees must be at least 21 years of age, and no children will be admitted. 

Philly Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City” held from Friday, June 3 to Sunday, June 12. Established in 2008, it’s the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States, featuring hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights throughout Greater Philadelphia.    

Philly Beer Week highlights the region’s diverse beer scene – its world-class breweries, neighborhood taverns, trend-setting restaurants and rich beer culture and history. Philly Beer Week is organized and operated by Philly Beer Week Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization overseen by a board comprised of brewery owners, distributors, restaurant owners and others, to promote the beer and hospitality industries.

To purchase tickets for the Opening Tap, or to find general information about Philly Beer Week 2011, including the ever-expanding schedule of events and list of participants, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org.