WebsterHall.comOnly Good Stuff Inside the Better Booze Festival Bleecker June 5, 2015 Beer, Drink Spots, Events, Featured, NYC Happenings, Wine How does a Saturday afternoon filled with craft beer, wine and spirits sound to you? The second annual Better Booze festival is right around the corner, splashing down at Webster Hall in the East Village on Saturday, June 13th, 12-3:30pm. Attendees will find a variety of booze companies pouring generous samples, as well as food companies offering delectable pairings. Better Booze Festival – Vegan What makes this booze festival better than the rest? All foods and drinks on the premises will be completely vegan. Presented by U.S. Veg Corp, the event aims to showcase a variety of alcoholic products which are free of ingredients derived from animals. “Sometimes vegetarians are more focused on the food on their plates than the drinks in their glasses,” said co-organizer Sarah Gross. “They don’t realize that dairy elements might be swirling around down there.” She added that during the filtering phase, distillers might use fish bladders, gelatin, and egg whites, among other vegetarian taboos. “This festival is aimed to raise people’s awareness that not all alcohol is created equal. If the FDA required all ingredients to be listed on alcoholic beverages most people would be shocked and not in a good way”, proclaims co-organizer Nira Paliwoda. Both non-vegan and vegan consumers are learning about (and rejecting) the animal additives in their beverages, and are thirsty for cruelty-free beer, wine, and liquor. Conscientious consumers want to make informed decisions about what they are putting in their bodies. The brands showcased at the Better Booze Festival are not only better in quality and in taste, but are also better for the planet and its’ inhabitants (human and animal alike). Consumers normally have to do some digging to determine if their drinks are in fact animal-free. But at the Better Booze Festival, that legwork has already been done. All that’s left for you to do is drink and enjoy! This is a 21+ event, which will feature tastings of beer, wine, cider, liquor, and food. Many of the vendors will offer show-stopping specials for those who wish to purchase their favorite finds. Among the beer companies to be represented are Boston Beer, Elysian Brewing, Stoudt Brewing, and Troegs. Wine and spirits aficionados will be able to sample offerings from Balls Vodka, Downeast Cider, Fair Quinoa Vodka, Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, and Whitecliff Vineyard. To satisfy your appetite as well, festival goers will find food from Eat Well Embrace Life (hummus), Gardein (faux meats), La Crepe C’est Si Bon (crepes), Rescue Chocolate (chocolate bars and truffles), Samosa Shack (Indian delights), and others. The afternoon will also be filled with world-class speakers, classes, bar games, giveaways, and entertainment. And, 10% of the ticket proceeds from this year’s festival will benefit a non-profit organization called ” charity: water” which aims to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. As an additional Festival treat, there will be roving entertainers such as magicians Eric Walton and Kid Ace, and fire dancer Rachel Jessee. There will also be special musical guests gracing the famed Webster Hall stage. To complete the hopping bar vibe, visitors will find games stations as well. The vegan festival concept has been a New York staple since 2011. That year, U.S. Veg Corp staged the first NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, an event which now attracts more than 7,000 people every spring. “Lately we’re focusing on drinks too, because vegans can’t live by food alone,” Gross said. In addition to the Better Booze Festival, U.S. Veg Corp has begun hosting monthly “Vegan Drinks” events in Brooklyn. For more information on the Better Booze Festival, click here. Admission is $45. Ages 21+. For tickets, click here: Better Booze Festival June 13, 2015 12pm-3:30pm Webster Hall 125 E. 11th Street New York, NY 10003
