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It is a fall event that people all over Central New York look forward to and it is the rare event that combines great food, fabulous craft beers, entertainment, education and history into 3 exciting days.   It is the annual Hop Fest sponsored by the Madison County Historical Society and it kicks off tonight with a paired brew dinner at the Copper Turret restaurant in Morrisville. 
Executive Chef John Wisinewski has prepared a four course dinner with each course paired with an appropriate beer.  The menu looks fabulous.  This year's dinner is sold out so make sure you make plans to attend in 2010. 
The festival part of Hop Fest kicks off Saturday at noon with the Taste of Hops.  In this event, local chefs are given a beer and they prepare a dish using that beer.  The food is then sampled with the beer from noon until 2.  Participating restaurants include the Landmark Tavern, Copper Turret, Colgate Inn and Meyers Chocolates of Oneida.  Tickets can be bought today for $15 at www.mchs1900.org or you can buy them at the door tomorrow for $20. 
The craft brew tasting begins at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon and features some of the best craft brews in North America.  Participating brewers include Saranac-Matt, Dogfish Head, Smuttynose, Cooperstown, Ithaca, Middle Ages, Southern Tier, Magic Hat, High Falls, Ommegang, and many more.  Tickets can be bought today for $25 or tomorrow at the door for $30. 
On Sunday, the annual Hop tour commences, with an expanded stop list this year.  The bus will travel to historical Hops locations in Madison, Oneida, and Otsego counties while also stopping for lunch at the Colgate Inn.  Limited seats are still available for the tour by calling the Historical Society at 315-363-4136.
 
 
On Saturday, September 19 from 12-2pm at the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main Street will be The Taste of Hops: a food and beer pairing. This event is one of the many activities happening at the 14th Annual Madison County Hop Fest on September 19th!

From 2:30-5:30 on the society’s grounds under the Brewery Sampling Tent come sample over 40 styles of craft beer from the following breweries: Matt-Saranac; High Falls; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, BluePoint; Butternuts; Magic Hat; Southern Tier, Long Trail, Ithaca, Sam Adams, Flying Bison, Middle Ages, Cooperstown, Ommegang, Brooklyn, Smuttynose, and more!! Tickets for the Brewery Sampling are $25 advance and $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Kraig’s Kegs in Sherrill, the Madison County Historical Society, or online at www.mchs1900.org.

The Taste of Hops: a food and beer pairing event matches an area restaurant with a craft brewery to create an appetizer, or chocolate that uses beer as one of the ingredients. We are excited to announce this year’s line-up of participating restaurants and breweries.  The Colgate Inn of Hamilton is preparing St. Louis Pork Ribs paired with Sackets Harbor Brewery’s 1812 Amber; Copper Turret of Morrisville is preparing Brooklyn Lager Steamed Pork Dumplings paired with Brooklyn Brewery’s IPA; Meyers Chocolates of Oneida is creating delicious milk and dark chocolate truffles filled with LongTrail’s Harvest Ale; Ye Olde Landmark Tavern of Bouckville will be making beer-braised pork tacos with a variety of condiments paired with Landmark Brewery’s Sunrise Amber. Tickets are limited- only 150 will be sold.   Tickets are $15 advance or $20 at the door if available. Tickets can be purchased online, or by sending a check payable to the Madison County Historical Society, or by contacting the participating restaurants and chocolatier.

The Hop Fest opens on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10:00 am- 5:30 pm with presentations by guest speakers on a variety of hop related topics throughout the afternoon and the crowning of the Madison County Hop Fest Queen at 2:00 pm. Stop in the Hop Shop for some hop-related items and hop plants. Throughout the afternoon purchase your raffle tickets to win great beer related merchandise. Visit with Home Brew Clubs all day. Make your reservations now for the paired brew dinner at the Copper Turret in Morrisville on Friday, Sept.18 and the Hop Tour on Sunday, September 20. Tickets for the dinner are $40 and $45 for the tour. Both events require reservations by Sept.8th, as seats are limited!

For more information about the 14th Annual Madison County Hop Fest and all the events happening throughout the weekend of Sept. 18-20, please contact the Madison County Historical Society at 435 Main Street in Oneida, 315-363-4136, 315-361-9735 or www.mchs1900.org. All proceeds from the Madison County Hop Fest support the educational programming at the Madison County Historical Society.   There is no admission to attend the Hop Fest. Admission is charged for the Brew Dinner, Taste of Hops, Brewery Sampling, and the Hop Tour.  No one under the age of 21 will be permitted to enter the events where beer is served. Proper id is required for entrance to all areas where beer is served! Please do not bring children, strollers, or pets to the event. Tickets will be available for designated drivers (who must be 21 years of age) at the entrance of the brewery sampling tent.
 
 

Alaina Potrikus of the Post Standard has a great story today about Empire Brewing Company of Syracuse and two new beers they are brewing featuring Madison County produce.  The beers feature pumpkins and apple cider from Critz Farms in Cazenovia.  Madison County has long been known as a historical leader in the hops industry and many people are trying to bring the hops farm back.  This is a great step in the right direction, using local products in a regional beer. Hats off to Matt and Juanita Critz and Dave Katelski for this great idea.  Next time you are in Armory Square for lunch have a pint of autumn or apple ale and think about how great local farms are.

 
 
 
 

By Sydney L. Loftus , Executive Director, Madison County Historical Society
Travel with the Madison County Historical Society on a guided Hop Heritage and Cuisine Tour around Madison County on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations to book your seat must be made by Sept. 5. Stops along the way include sites related to the 19th century hop industry in Madison County from a beautifully well-preserved 1867 limestone English oast house, to a double pyramidal hop kiln, to dormitories that once housed hop pickers, to Foothill Hops, an active hop yard. Light fare and craft brew will be served at the stops at area restaurants. Participating restaurants are: Blue Barbecue of Chittenango who is pairing with Brown's Brewing of Troy; Meyers Chocolates of Oneida who is pairing with Ommegang Brewery of Cooperstown; and Nirchi's Italian Grill of Cazenovia who is pairing with Middle Ages of Syracuse. Butternuts Brewery of Garratsville will also be making an appearance at one of the kiln stops on the tour with a savory beer can chicken recipe.
The tour also includes sites in Bouckville from James D. Coolidge's hop yard and gravesite to his son, James E. Coolidge's home- present location of the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern. James D. Coolidge is credited for introducing hops commercially to New York State in 1808. In the fall of 1816, he transported a load of hops to the New York City market. Thus, earning his place in Madison County and New York State history. Nearby counties saw how lucrative hops were becoming for Madison County farmers that they followed suit. By 1880, Madison, Otsego, and Oneida Counties were producing over 80 percent of the nation's hops.
Other sites viewed will be those newly identified by the Cultural Resource Survey of Hop Heritage Sites in Madison County, a project funded by Preserve New York, a grant program of the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts. A report on the survey with many photos of sites will be give at 10 a.m. during the 13th Madison County Hop Fest on Saturday, Sept. 13.
The 13th Annual Madison County Hop Fest has expanded to a weekend long event commencing Friday, Sept. 12 through Sept. 14. On Friday, Sept. 12, join them at the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern for a paired brew dinner with Cooperstown Brewing. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the restaurant, or at the historical society, or online at www.mchs1900.org. Reservations must be made by Sept. 5. On Saturday, Sept. 13, join them on the society's grounds at 435 Main St. in Oneida for Taste of Hops: a food and brew pairing from noon to 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance, $20 at the door if available, only 200 will be sold. Saturday's activities continue under the Brew Sampling Tent from 2:30-5:30 p.m. where participants can sample various styles of craft brew for over 20 breweries. Tickets for the brew sampling are $25 advance, $30 at the door. Advance brew tickets can be purchased at Arnie's Produce/Kraig's Kegs in Sherrill, Roger's Market in Hamilton, the historical society, or online at www.mchs1900.org. The Hop Fest opens at 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with day-long presentations on hop culture, a raffle, hopshop, and home brewer demonstrations. At 2 p.m. join them for the crowning of the Madison County Hop King, Dan Mitchell, owner of Ithaca Beer Co.
For more information about the 13th Annual Madison County Hop Fest and purchasing tickets, please contact the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main St., Oneida, NY 13421, 315. 363.4136, 315.361.9735, email history@mchs1900.org, or visit website at www.mchs1900.org. All proceeds from the Hop Fest support the educational programming at the Madison County Historical Society. The Madison County Hop Fest is a 21-year and older event. Admission is charged only for the brew dinner, brew sampling, restaurant and brew pairing, and the hop heritage and cuisine tour.

 
 

The Madison County Historical Society and Ye Olde Landmark Tavern in Bouckville have announced the menu for the annual Hop Fest Brew Dinner on September 12th.  It is an awesome selection of beers and food.  Tickets for the dinner and the whole hop fest can be ordered by contacting the  Madison County Historical Society.

Madison County Historical

Society Hop Fest Brew Dinner 

Crispy Shrimp Cakes

Summer succotash, Bacon cornbread, Red pepper sauce
Paired with Nine Man Golden Ale

Mixed Greens Salad

Crisp apples, Local cheddar, Rye croutons, Whole grain mustard vinaigrette
Paired with Pride of Milford Special Ale

Choice of:

Maple-brined Pork Tenderloin
Bacon wrapped, Warm apple chutney, Root vegetable gratin, Green beans
or
Broiled Trout Fillet
Pecan-herb Crust, Horseradish coleslaw, Root vegetable gratin, Green beans
Paired with Back Yard India Pale Ale

Pecan Brownie Torte
Vanilla Ice Cream
Paired with Benchwarmer Porter