Syracuse Ballpark Brewfest takes the field this weekend

Syracuse Amazing Ballpark Brewfest

NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse plays host to the Amazing Ballpark Brewfest Friday, Sept. 10. (Don Cazentre)

Syracuse, NY — This Friday, the call at NBT Bank Stadium will be “Drink Beer!” instead of “Play Ball!”

The Syracuse Mets are hosting their 6th Amazing Ballpark Brewfest from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday (Sept. 10) at the stadium on the city’s North Side. There’s a special VIP admission starting at 5 p.m.

The brewfest will feature at least 100 different styles of beer, cider or spirits for sampling from 47 different breweries or distilleries. In many cases, brewers or other brewery representatives will be pouring beers.

“We’re looking at having things for the hard-core craft beer fans and the people who just want to see what beers are out there,” said Jason Smorol, the Mets’ general manager.

The brewfest builds on the reputation the Syracuse Mets and NBT Bank Stadium have been building for the last few years as one of the top beer destinations in baseball.

The fest also features food from local restaurants Kasai (and its affiliate, Danny’s Steaks), Limp Lizard and The Hops Spot.

All of it takes place “foul pole to foul pole” along the stadium’s concourse, covered by the upper deck, and in some of the new spaces added to the ballpark this year. That includes the Metropolitan Club (the renovated former Hank Sauer Room on the right field side) and the the new 315 Bullpen Bar, perched atop the left field fence.

The 315 Bullpen Bar highlights brewers like Other Half, which is based in Brooklyn and has a satellite location near Canandaigua, plus local brewers like Anything But Beer, Stout Beard Brewery and Full Boar Brewery. At the Rocky’s Cigars Spirit and Cigar Deck, spirits and cocktails will be served by Lock 1 Distilling, Last Shot Distillery and 1911 Established. (See full lineup below)

The fest is followed by a fireworks show.

Details

What: Amazing Ballpark Brewfest

Where: NBT Bank Stadium. 1 Tex Simone Drive, Syracuse

When: 6 to 9 p.m. for general admission. VIP admission starts at 5 p.m. Fireworks after 9 p.m.

Tickets: $50 per person for general admission; $75 for VIP; $10 for designated drivers. Tickets can be purchased at the Onondaga Coach Ticket Office at NBT Bank Stadium or over the phone at 315-474-7833 during regular office hours (today through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). They’re available online at amazingbeerfest.com.

Food: Available for purchase. Vendors are Kasai, featuring Kasai chicken and Danny’s Steaks, with cheesesteak sandwiches; The Hops Spot featuring several poutines; and Limp Lizard, providing BBQ.

Live music: Tim Forbes performs on the Rocky’s Cigars Spirit and Cigar Deck. DJ Joe Driscoll spins tunes on the 315 Bullpen Bar.

More: Presenting sponsors are The Hop Spot at Armory Square and the Nave Law Firm. All guests receive a complimentary can koozie courtesy of the sponsors. All attendees must be 21 years or older to attend. No infants or toddlers will be allowed entry.

Here’s the line up of breweries (and distilleries):

Aurora ** Beer Tree ** Founders ** Otter Creek ** Sweet Water ** Buried Acorn ** Saranac ** Lake Placid ** Ithaca ** 42 North Brewery ** Rohrbach ** Resurgence Brewery ** Three Heads Brewery ** Ellicottville ** Ship Yard ** Two Roads ** Full Boar ** Definitive Brewing ** Captain Lawrence ** Community Beer Works ** Grimm ** Industrial Arts ** Mikkeller San Diego ** Bellwoods ** Talking Cursive ** Eastwood Brewery ** Anything But Beer ** Stout Beard Brewery ** 1911 ** Willow Rock ** Skewed ** Middle Ages ** Brooklyn ** Maine Beer Co. ** Southern Tier ** Rising Storm ** 3 Floyds ** Jacks Abbey ** Meiers Creek ** Von Trapp ** Thin Man ** Threes Brewery ** Drowned Lands ** Other Half Brewing ** 1911 Spirits ** Lock 1 Distillery ** Last Shot Distillery

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.