The New Jersey Beer & Food Festival “has grown into one of the largest beer events in New Jersey,” says Robby Younes, vice-president of hospitality at the Crystal Springs Resort, where the eighth annual fest will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 25th and 26th.
“Due to popular demand, we’ve added a second day. We wanted a lot more activities for kids of all ages on Sunday to make it a great outing for the whole family.” The Sunday additions include a petting zoo, pony rides, hot-air balloon rides, human-size foosball and tug-of-war.
The festival will be held at a new, 15,000-square-foot tent and grounds on the Wild Turkey golf course. That gives it six times the size of the previous location at the resort and able to accommodate up to 2,500 people at a time.
Last year’s NJ Beer & Food Festival tents.
The tasting list includes 150 craft beers and ciders, including nationally and internationally-recognized brewers, as well as local favorites such as Belmar’s Beach Haus and Fairfield’s Cricket Hill.
Anthony Bucco, the resort’s executive chef, has raised the level of the food “beyond any normal beer festival,” Younes says.
Bucco’s offerings will include nose-to-tail treats from local purveyors including jerk chicken, cola-glazed chicken wings, sausages, pork belly, porchetta and bratwurst.
Area farmers will provide seasonal produce as Bucco cooks in the outdoor kitchen for slow-roasting meats and vegetables over hickory wood.
“It will be a celebration of all things local,” says Bucco, “and a true outdoor barbecue that pairs awesomely with beer.”
Live music will be provided by Lima Bean Riot on Saturday and Philbilly on Sunday.
NJ Beer & Food Fest 2015. Photo: Christopher Vanderyajt
Saturday includes the Brew and Birdies Tourney ($195/$205): 18-holes of golf with beer tastings throughout; a Hoppy Yoga ($25) class that includes refreshing Schofferhofer grapefruit beer from Germany; the Chefs & Shorts Lunch ($45) in the garden, and Beer & Chocolate ($20), showing off the compatibility of those two flavors as well as coffee through brews such as Keegan Mothers Milk, Atwater Vanilla Java Porter, Atwater Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale and Sam Adams Nitro Coffee.
Tickets for Saturday’s 21-and-over activities are $75. Sunday’s family day, including the petting zoo and pony rides, are $55. Two-day packages can be purchased for $110 and Sunday ticket holders will receive 25 percent off an overnight stay at the Grand Cascades Lodge.
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