Those that attended the Good Beer: Craft Beer and Food Festival at 28 Liberty last Thursday were gifted with a cool summer breeze, a live band, and a widely satisfying selection of great food and drink. Featuring an eclectic range of beer vendors including Blue Point, Guiness, Sixpoint, and food options from Sigmunds Pretzils, and Lucky Pickle Dumpling Co., the fest had plenty to go around, and even regular foodies may have discovered a new favorite dish to come from this evening (Trust me. Cinnamon steak served with maple syrup needs to be tasted to be believed).
Perhaps the day’s most publicized brewery, that of the Chinese beer Tsingtao, really made the most of the festival’s three-hour duration. Sitting their tent more-or-less front-and-center in the best possible attempt to attract attention, the vendor displayed no less than seven different varieties of their internationally recognized brand. “We sell in over 100 countries, but the United States is our single most important market,” explains K.C. Wang, who works field marketing for the brand in the New York area. “We wanted to use this opportunity to show that we have other variations of Tsingtao besides IPA.” The second largest brewery in China, Tsingtao has rested on giving drinkers a pristine taste that’s indigenous to the oriental world, and really gifts drinkers with a rare and sumptuous flavor.
The festival was yet another admirable inclusion that’s come with Fosun’s acquiring of 28 Liberty. Ever since the Shanghai conglomerate purchased the property last year, it has been implementing an extensive repositioning program for the tower, and is planning to create 200,000 square feet of retail space. The Good Beer fest is also one of several progressive events Fosun has brought to the plaza, including Sing for Hope Pianos, another annual event where local artists are gathered to build pianos that are eventually donated to public schools. Americans for the Arts had named Fosun and 28 Liberty the recipient of the BCA 10: Best Business Partnering with the Arts in America Award, and it’s easy to see why.
Be sure to check out the movie nights that Fosun is hosting at 28 Liberty this summer as well. Dates are as follows:
July 26 – Back to the Future
August 2 – When Harry Met Sally
August 9 – Labyrinth
August 16 – The Sandlot
August 23 – Viewer’s Choice