Philly Bierfest Turns 5
The 5th annual Philly Bierfest, the German beer and food showcase from the German Society of Pennsylvania and the Philly Roller Derby (and, of course, Marnie Old), will be held on Saturday, February 27 at the German Society HQ at 6th and Spring Garden. As always, the event is sure to sell out as guests flock to the excellent selection of beer, food, and myriad activities.
The Bierfest will take place from 2 – 5:30pm, with VIP early access at 1pm and and VIP Plus beer seminar beginning at noon. The seminar will cover beer and cheese pairing – a favorite topic of the festival – and will be hosted by Bierfest founder and drinks author Marnie Old and legendary DiBruno Bros. cheesemonger Emilio Mignucci. At the main event, if anyone gets tired of beer and food, there will be live music from Polkadelphia and the Keystone Mountain Boys, Roller Derby Arm Wrestling, and PG-13 Berlin-style BEERlesque.
If this still isn’t enough to entice you, there will be an all-new Sam Adams Lager Learning Lounge where guests will be able to sample an array of lagers and partake in Beer Quizzo. There will also be a Brewer’s Discussion Panel for no extra charge entitled “The German Connection: Pennsylvania’s Lager Loving Terroir.”
But you’re probably more concerned about the beer, which will be represented by almost two dozen Pennsylvania craft breweries and more than two dozen imported German breweries. PA will be showing off the likes of Free Will Brewing, Lancaster Brewing, Penn Brewery, Sly Fox, Stoudts, Troegs, Vault, Victory, Yards, and, of course, Yuengling. Represented from Germany will be Ayinger, Bitburger, HofBrau Munich, Kostritzer, Paulaner, Radeberger, Warsteiner, and many more. Food will be provided by DiBruno Bros., Wursthaus Schmitz, Devil’s Den, Frankford Hall, BRU, Little Bird Bakery, and Varga Bar.
We’ve been to every iteration of Bierfest, and it never lets us down. There is always something new to do, multiple ways to learn about beer, and an ever-expanding selection of food and drink. Marnie and Co. never take it easy and say “let’s just do what we did last year,” and it’s for that reason that the Bierfest never disappoints.
Tickets are available online (or by phone at 215.627.2332). They are $48 for general admission, $65 for VIP (which comes with a keepsake mug), $78 for VIP Plus, or $20 for beer-less admission (designated drivers and children over 12). Children under 12 can get in free, and there will be a supervised kindercare so you can drink without worry.
