Spontaneously fermented Belgian Lambic, organic Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale, Rogue Dead Guy Maibock. Yes, all those beers could be found in one place, but it wasn’t at Sam the Beer Man; it was at Ross Park Zoo, of all places.
Held every September at the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, Zoo Brew brings together live music, barbeque and dozens of world-class beers, turning the park into a spirited beer garden for an afternoon.
This year’s event, the sixth annual held on Sept. 20, was sponsored by 107.5 The Bear and Visions Federal Credit Union. It was also made possible by the generosity of local beverage distribution centers, which gave price breaks and free beer to the organizers of the event.
Ross Park Zoo boardmember and Special Events Coordinator Brian DeBoyace has helped make this event a reality for the past three years now. He called himself a lover of fine craft beer and believed Zoo Brew was a wonderful way to bring people out to support this historic zoo, the fifth-oldest in the United States.
“All net proceeds go to the zoo, promoting our mission of conservation and education,” DeBoyace said.
According to DeBoyace, after all expenses have been accounted for, the event typically generates over $7,000 for the zoo. DeBoyace said with the cooler weather hitting, the zoo depends on events like Zoo Brew and Boo at the Zoo to help generate funds to last through the winter.
The beer list, which DeBoyace deserves credit for putting together, covered a myriad of varieties and styles of ales and lagers from all over the United States and abroad. If one is looking for light, refreshing summer beers such as Belgian Witbier and German Hefeweizen, or a more substantial, malty Oktoberfestbier, Zoo Brew had all on hand. Even some of the heartier, traditionally winter beers, such as porters and oatmeal stout, enjoyed popularity among the throngs of people in attendance.
Part of the ticket price for the event went to serving food, and there’s nothing better to accompany brews than barbeque. Zoo Brew offered more hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage and onions, potato salad, chips and desserts than one could desire. Oh, and what beer garden is complete without its share of pretzels?
There were also plenty of options for designated drivers, who enjoyed admittance at a reduced ticket cost of $10. Water bottles, coffee, tea, hot cocoa and various sodas were available to all in attendance, free with the cost of your ticket.
The congenial atmosphere was completed by the great musical stylings of Doug Mosher & Jackie Curry. This powerhouse duo performed hits to satisfy everyone’s taste, from classic rock to modern pop.
The Zoo Mobile also made an appearance, exhibiting such crowd-pleasers as Frankie the fennec fox, along with a barn owl, a blue-tongued skink lizard and a marine toad.
Zoo Brew was well-supported by the local community, as well as Binghamton University students, some of whom were donning homemade Zoo Brew T-shirts.
While the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves, animal lovers were left to get their calories solely from the beer, as Morgan Mears, a senior biology major and vegetarian, said. She also wished the event had been held inside the zoo itself.
“Next year, I want to see lions … tigers … and bears,” Mears said.