Brewer’s Plate 2013: Philly’s Favorite Food & Beer Pairing Event

Everyone has their favorites when it comes to events; a favorite event for real ale, a favorite for smoked food, a favorite for rare beers.  When it comes to pairing beer and food, though, the answer to everyone’s favorite event is nearly unanimous: Fair Food’s Brewer’s Plate, which is now in its 9^th year and still going as strong as ever.  Once again hosted in the National Constitution Center, the event will run on Sunday, March 10 from 6-9pm with a 30 minute VIP preview at 5:30.

While some have complained that the VIP-only timeframe was knocked down from an hour, the VIP tickets will still get you access to plenty of extras that continue to make them one of the best deals in the city.  The VIP-only area will offer celebrity chef cooking demos, interactive tastings, and exclusive food and drink offerings only available to VIP ticketholders.  The experience is entitled “Small Wonders – The BIG Taste of Small Scale” and will focus on the world of homespun gourmet foods, small batch beer, artisan cheeses and specialty farm products.  The section will feature demos and tastings from the likes of Victory Brewing’s Bill Covaleski, Talula’s Garden’s Aimee Olexy, and many other small-scale purveyors of excellent food and drink.

Elsewhere, the event will continue to offer its unmatched access to great restaurants and breweries teaming up for excellent pairings, with over 70 participating local establishments. Breweries offering samples of their beer will include, among many others, Dogfish Head, Forest and Main, Naked Brewing, Neshaminy Creek, Nodding Head, Sly Fox, Stoudt’s, Tired Hands, Weyerbacher, Yards and, of course, Victory.  Food pairings for these beers will be featured from the likes of Alla Spina, Brauhaus Schmitz, Fork, Kennett, Khyber, South Philly Tap Room, Southwark, Belgian Café, and many more.

As always, the event focuses on local as a means to educate consumers on the important of eating, drinking, and supporting local purveyors.  It also serves as Fair Food’s premier fundraising event, so you can be sure your money will go to a good cause—an even better cause, that is, than getting you access to some of the best and brightest food and beverage makers in the Philadelphia area. Tickets are $70 per person for non-VIP tickets, or you can get a group deal of $630 for 10 tickets.  VIP passes will run you $140, but with the extra time at the event, the wonderful VIP-only section, and the goodie bag that is usually handed out, the extra money is well worth it despite seeming somewhat expensive.

Tickets are available at Fair Food’s website (linked above), which—in conjunction with the Brewer’s Plate Facebook event page—will continue to offer updates on the participants, including a more comprehensive list of this year’s breweries and restaurants.  Be sure to check out our recap of last year’s Brewer’s Plate, and be sure to get your tickets—Brewer’s Plate is consistently one of our favorite events every year, and there is really no topping the level of delicious food and drink that is presented.  If you go to one event each year, this should be the one!