Brew at the Bronx Zoo

What could be better than walking around a zoo and seeing giraffes, sea lions and black bears? Doing it while having a few drinks and getting buzzed of course. Ok fine, that might be downplaying it a little bit - getting a little drunk would probably be more accurate. Either way, Brew at the Zoo is the perfect opportunity to hang out with some cute animals and to sample a lot of tasty alcoholic beverages at the same time.

Our first Brew at the Zoo experience was in 2018. Back then, they held the event twice a year and we went for their pre-Halloween October session. Since we had never been to a drink festival at the Bronx Zoo before, Craig and I decided we would check this one out by ourselves the first time around to make sure it was worth the investment. We've been to some disappointing beer fests in the past that were not worth the price of admission, so we like to check events out before recommending them to our family and friends.

Since it was right before Halloween, the October 2018 Brew at the Zoo was decorated for the holiday. They encouraged attendees to wear costumes and had a spooky trail / walk as one of the special features. We were super excited to check it out and decided the responsible thing to do would be to take the subway from our respective offices after work, meet at the station outside the Zoo and walk over together. We dressed up as Waldo and Wenda for the big event and one of us came strutting off the subway in full costume (spoiler alert, it was me), while the other made sure to cover up until they arrived at the gate (cough, Craig, cough). 

I personally am not a very big beer drinker (I like sours) and only enjoy a handful of white wines, so I was a little skeptical about how much I would get to taste heading into the festival. This has never stopped me from attending one before, but I have left a few sober because they've had a limited selection of things I'll actually drink. Brew at the Zoo, however, did not disappoint. They easily had 100 vendors spread out across the park offering just about everything - beers, wines, hard seltzers, ciders, hard lemonades, and even spiked Arnold Palmers. 

In addition to the drink stands, they had a live band with music, a retro arcade, trivia, food trucks, and a special 4D show in their theater. They also had their signature bug carousel open for you to ride throughout the night. Craig and I spent hours walking around tasting everything, while other guests shouted randomly "I found you" after spotting us in our Waldo costumes. Luckily, being as drunk as we were, it never got old and we laughed every single time. 

After that first experience, Craig and I knew this was something we needed to bring our family and friends to. We immediately got a huge group together to attend the June 2019 event - we had 4 of our friends with us (Matt, Alanna, Jenna and Josh), plus my brother and sister-in-law (Dennis and Megan), and Craig's brother (Tyler). The highlight of that year, aside from the drinks of course, was their retro lounge complete with Hungry Hungry Hippos games and an 80's themed photo station. It was a great group and I got just drunk enough to agree to pay for an Uber all the way back home to Long Island afterwards. For those who knew me back then, you know just how much of a big deal that was for me. 

They never held the festival in October of that year and they continue to only host it once a year in June these days as well. This past year, 2022, was the third time we've attended and the first event we made it to post-covid. This time around, we had our friend Jon with us, along with his sister and her friends. I always think we have a better time at drink festivals when we have a good group (not that I don't love my date nights with Craig!). We've learned from past years to start off by hitting the food trucks - this way we aren't drinking on empty stomachs, plus the lines are much shorter. I highly recommend the Walter's hot dog truck - they are amazing and we've driven to Mamaroneck multiple times in the past just to grab a dog or two from them.

Thinking back on our experiences, I'd have to say that this year we saw more animals then we had seen at past Brew at the Zoo events. There are only a limited amount of exhibits open during the festival and this year we showed up as soon as they opened the doors and had the time to walk around before the pourings began. The giraffes are always a crowd favorite and there was always a peacock to see wherever you turned, with at least one having their full set of feathers on display. The black bears were definitely showing off for the crowd and I could hardly tear myself away when the drinks started flowing.

In an effort to keep things fresh and exciting, Brew at the Zoo adds in a few unique and fun touches every year to make the experience a little different. For the 2022 event, they had an illuminated playground with light-up swings and seesaws, plus the option to walk through the Dinosaur Safari. Unfortunately, we never made it over to the Safari before it closed (sorry Alanna!)

It's important to know that there are always a lot of people at the festival but being spread out in the zoo really helps to control the crowds. In our experience, some of the vendors have run out of drinks near the very end of the night, but by then we've usually been buzzed enough not to care.

Here are a few helpful tips for those of you that are thinking about attending the next Brew at the Zoo festival (and believe me, you should!):

• Only select animal exhibits are open during the Brew at the Zoo event
  
• If you sign up for the email mailing list, they typically send you an early-bird discount code for a percentage off tickets
• They offer a cheaper designated driver option for those individuals wanting to attend but not wanting to drink
• The Zoo opens an hour before the pourings start, but they are strict about the pouring times - they start and end exactly as scheduled
• There is a more expensive VIP package offered. Personally, I've never felt like the extra money was worth it because there was always plenty to drink and see without paying for the special tastings and exclusive areas
• It is very easy to take the subway over to the Zoo and an excellent way to stay safe and save on parking
  

2023 Update

We made it once again - and it absolutely did not disappoint. My favorite cider company was there (Downeast), as was Craig's favorite brewery (Other Half). The Rhino was on exhibit this year and they had an indoor glow party we got to enjoy. We drank, danced, ate, and then drank some more.

Ok, that's all for now. I really hope to run into you at the next event in June 2024. You can find me at the cider and seltzer stands or riding the bug carousal over and over again. Cheers!