Genesee Brew House to Host "Tap It Forward Fest": An Event to Foster Community-Building Among Rochesterians, Businesses and The Genesee Brewery

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Genesee Brew House will host "Tap It Forward Fest" where people can enjoy new Brew House specialty beers, live entertainment, a police and fire museum exhibit, and activities that support First Responders in Rochester. The event takes place on July 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. and features music from Nik and the Nice Guys, and Tommy Brunett. A portion of the proceeds from beer sales, the pilot brewery tasting bar, a dunk tank and a commemorative t-shirt, will be invested in training and development for First Responders. Citizens Bank and Wright Beverage Distributing will partner with North American Breweries in this community initiative.

According to Kris Sirchio, CEO of North American Breweries, the company is taking a fresh approach around its social programs by involving its business partners, employees, brands and facilities. The Tap it Forward Fest is the first step in the plan to bring people together to advance important community initiatives.

"Rochester takes great pride in The Genesee Brewery, its beer and what we stand for. We want to find a better way to use our resources to generate greater impact," said Sirchio. "Starting with our Tap it Forward Fest, when people choose Genesee, they will help create forward momentum in our community."

On July 17, the Genesee Brew House will also begin a Tap Challenge, featuring a collection of new specialty beers crafted at the pilot brewery. The brewers work with a 20-barrel system, using experimental brewing techniques to create original beers for three home draft taps. In mid-August, the brewers will take the most popular beer and brew batches for distribution to local bars in the fall. A portion of the draft sales will "tap-it-forward" for Rochester. This is the first Genesee Brew House beer poured outside of the Brew House.  

"People love our brewer's creative twist on traditional styles so we're going to make our beers more available," said Sirchio. "We're tapping into some of our best resources like our talented brewing staff, long-term partners Wright Beverage and Citizens Bank, and our loyal consumers to create long-term value in Rochester."

Wright Beverage and its employees will assist Genesee with taking the new Brew House specialty beer out into the community and generating resources for social investment programs.

The event is free and open to the public.

SOURCE North American Breweries