Lake Placid Brewfest

Trip: Lake Placid Brewfest, 2015

Trip Type: Event

Date: October 10, 2015

Smitty Participants: Nate Swain, TJ Johnston, Lizzie Savoie, Jake Cassidy, David Haenel, Jon Stetler.

On Saturday, October 10, 2015, several of us attended the Lake Placid Brewfest at the Lake Placid Olympic Center. The festival was held at the 1932 Olympic ice rink, and included over 60 breweries from around the country.

I arrived in Lake Placid with Lizzie, Jake, David, and Jon at around 12:30. We (amazingly) found parking in the packed town, and decided to venture around the town before 2:00, when we would be allowed to enter. We somehow found ourselves at the Goose Watch Winery, where we all took part in a wine tasting. We enjoyed many good wines there, and finished up almost exactly at 2:00, then made our way to the Olympic Center.

The line had apparently been forming for a few minutes already, and we met TJ and his parents standing just outside the door. However, because we had all purchased VIP tickets, there were not nearly as many people waiting as there would be later in the day, and we moved through quickly. We were handed our tokens, which we would need to exchange for each sample, as well as a tasting glass and a special gift we received for being VIPs: a set of wooden coasters engraved with the Lake Placid Brewfest logo.

Upon entering, our eyes were treated to the sight of countless booths with bottles, kegs, and taps ready to release a flow of beautiful, bubbly brew. Along with the beer producers, there were several cider houses represented, as well. We made our way around the loop several times, tasting a few samples, and eventually claimed a table for our group.

A few minutes after 3:00, when the general admission began, the room was suddenly packed with people. We were glad we had claimed a table, as space was soon at a premium. The band hired for the event, The Baked Potatoes, soon began playing their reggae-style rock music, which matched perfectly with the buzzing atmosphere.

The day carried on and we all sampled a large number of beverages. My personal favorite was actually a cranberry hard cider from Down East Cider House in Massachusetts, though the Double Coffee Stout from Common Roots Brewery of South Glens Falls, NY, was a close competitor.

My sampling time ended a little earlier than everyone else’s, because I was one of the drivers, so about 5:30 PM I started sipping water rather than beer. Everyone else was able to continue until 7:00, at which point we all walked to Smoke Signals, a barbecue restaurant in downtown Lake Placid, for a dinner with the gang.

Overall, a great afternoon. Good beer, good food, good people!