Beergasm brews excitement in Philly

Philadelphia is about to have its first Beergasm on Thursday, March 28.

The first annual event celebrating local craft beer will be held at Yards Brewing Company at 901 N. Delaware Ave.

To have a beergasm, “you stimulate all of your senses with quality craft beers to the point of reaching euphoria. How a person chooses to have theirs is completely up to them,” Lexi Malmros, owner and creator of Beer Cakes Philly, said.

When Collaborate Philly founder and CEO Sam Watson thought of what his next event should be back in December, he reached out to Malmros. The two teamed up and began the planning for what would be an exciting new event to showcase Philadelphia’s local brews.

Philadelphia has its own rich, cultural fondness for beer. There is a community that has built up in the last 30 years or so since the founding and development of brewing companies such as the Philadelphia Brewing Co., Yards, Dock Street and Iron Hill. The Philly folks have acquired a taste for their favorite types of brews and are now developing recipes. Today there are a plethora of bars and pubs in and around the city that have started putting local beers on draft. So now everyone can get his or her fill of the citrus blended Walt Wit or the hoppy Sly Fox. Local bars and home brewers from Philadelphia will all be coming together under one roof to celebrate their drink of choice.

“Philly Beergasm will be a true love letter to local beer culture,” Watson said. “It’s all about giving a showcase to the little guy.”

Brewing companies such as 5 o’clock Brew and Forest and Main will be bringing along their beers for folks to taste and enjoy. In addition to the brewing businesses, Philadelphia homemakers will also have the chance to showcase their personal concoctions.

Jason Ranck, a local, will be bringing along a Bamberger Rauchbier he named “Evening Wood,” and Blaise Fougere, another home brewer, will be showcasing his handcrafted vanilla porter. But it won’t just be liquid brew that you’ll have the chance to taste and enjoy; there will also be a handcrafted beer-centered menu designed by chef Dan Berlin. It will include a large menu of food infused with some type of beer ingredient like stout sheppard’s pie, porter’s mac and cheese as well as cupcakes and baked goods from Beer Cakes Philly, which will have a table set up called “Cream Your Own Cupcake.”

[blockquote who=”Sam Watson” what=”Collaborate Philly Founder”]We love beer and we love Philadelphia. We wanted to make sure that this event could do some good for the community as well.[/blockquote]Beer isn’t the only spirit available at the event – you can head over for some wine and cocktails provided by Spodee, a company that combines country wine with garden herbs, spices and moonshine.

When attendees arrive, they will be given a glass courtesy of Beergasm, and from then on all beer, food and entertainment is included with admission. There will be cooking stations where people can look into the process of how to cook food with beer.

There will also be the opportunity to get a tour of the Yards Brewing Company to see how the factory operates. The entertainment portion includes live musical performances from three bands, each with a different style. New York-based folk rockers The End of America will be the opening act. The headlining act will be Restorations. There will also be various raffle giveaways including cool prizes such as a case of Victory Beer, goodies from Drink Philly, gift cards and more.

All proceeds for this event will go to Philabundance, so attendees aren’t only buying a showcase of tasty, local beers but also donating to a worthy charity. Philabundance is the food bank and hunger relief program for people in the Delaware Valley.

“We love beer and we love Philadelphia,” Watson said. “We wanted to make sure that this event could do some good for the local community as well.”

Even though this is the first Beergasm, the folks at Collaborate Philly said they plan to keep this event going throughout the year as a quarterly event. And at the end of the year, there will be a bigger event, “bigger plates and a more formal event where people can get the chance to dress up while drinking like a sailor.”

The first annual Philly Beergasm is open to everyone, but only those 21 or older can drink. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the event will run until 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 and only available online on the event page.

Rachel Barrish can be reached at rachel.barrish@temple.edu.