If you’ve ever been to a beer fest and felt overwhelmed by a crush of crowds and underwhelmed by the service and selection of brews, know this: SAVOR is different. The annual “food and beer experience” put on by the Brewers Association is perhaps the most refined and most fun beer festival we’ve had the pleasure of attending (and we’ve been to quite a few).

At this sixth annual installment, the first one in New York City, more than 75 breweries from around the country will pour beers of all styles and kinds. Beside the brews will be appetizers that have been specially designed to pair with the sips. The festival takes place over two evenings, Friday–Saturday, June 14–15, at the Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion in the Flatiron District.

You’ll find large, well-known craft breweries like Delaware’s Dogfish Head, which will pour Belgian witbier Positive Contact (paired with crispy pork belly in kimchee rice balls) and American IPA Sixty-One (paired with pigeon crudo and juniper ice cream). You’ll also see much smaller breweries that don’t even distribute out of state, such as Manayunk Brewery from Philadelphia, Evolution Craft Brewing from Maryland and Crooked Stave from Denver.

Tickets are still available (here). They are not cheap, at $170 for the “grand tasting” from 7:30–11 PM on either of the two nights, but they are worth it. In large part because of the price, there’s not a pack of sloppy hordes in front of each table. When you go, you get a chance to not only “savor” the beer, and the food, but also to chat with the brewers, most of whom make the trip themselves instead of sending stand-ins. If you’ve been saving up or looking for a fun beer-centric escape, SAVOR is for you.

Photos by Danya Henninger

Event Date: 06/14,06/15
Event Time: 7:30-11 PM
Location: Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion, NY
Price: $170
Website: www.savorcraftbeer.com