Lehigh Valley Beer Week 2021 opens with toast to service industry workers (PHOTOS) - lehighvalleylive.com

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Troy Reynard, co-owner of Two Rivers Brewing Co. in Easton, felt like he was getting away with something Saturday as his face mask dangled from one ear.

He was outside the brewpub, alongside the first block of South Sixth Street closed by the city to traffic, for the kickoff of Lehigh Valley Beer Week.

Federal and staff officials just last week relaxed mask-wearing requirements for those, like Reynard, who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“Timing couldn’t have been better,” said Jesse Albertson, founder of Beer Week that is in its ninth year.

Lehigh Valley Beer Week just sneaked in its 2020 edition that February before COVID-19 forced shutdowns of wide swaths of the economies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and beyond.

For 2021, organizers pushed back beer week to May, in hopes the warmer weather could allow for more open-air activities, Albertson said.

He along with Two Rivers brewer Josh Bushey concocted the draft version of beer week’s official brew, a hazy IPA double-dry hopped with El Dorado and Mosaic and boasting — organizers say — tropical flavors of peach gummy candies and blueberry. Funk Brewing Co. in Emmaus cooked up the same recipe to be canned to-go. This year’s beer is Guildy Pleasure VI, named for the Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild and marking the sixth time members teamed up on the official Beer Week beer.

Outside Two Rivers, under blue skies with the opening tap of Guildy Pleasure VI flowing, Reynard and Albertson raised their glasses in a toast to kick off eight days of promotions and events.

“I know it’s been a heck of a year for everybody,” Albertson said, “and if we’re going to raise a glass to anybody I’d like to raise a glass to all of the people in the service industry this year.

“They’re working through all this pandemic and been getting us beers and food and wearing masks and been going through all this step-by-step together. You guys are awesome and God bless you.”

Visit lehighvalleybeerweek.com for the full lineup of Lehigh Valley Beer Week events and a listing of dozens of participating breweries, bars and restaurants.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.

May 16, 2021 at 03:44AM
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Lehigh Valley Beer Week 2021 opens with toast to service industry workers (PHOTOS) - lehighvalleylive.com

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