Blind Tiger 15th Anniversary/Vermont Beer & Cheese Night

When Dave Brodrick, the founder of the Blind Tiger Alehouse, addressed the crowd at the 15th anniversary party for the downtown NYC craft beer pioneer, he said it felt more like 15 seconds since it first opened its doors on Hudson and W. 10th St. Much has changed since then. The original location is now a Starbucks (the Tiger moved a bit east a few years ago and is now on Bleecker and Jones). And there's certainly a lot more craft beer to choose from than there was in 1997.

But one thing that has been consistent throughout Blind Tiger's history is Dave's commitment to creating a warm, friendly bar atmosphere and finding the best brews to share with his devoted following of regular beer compatriots.

Giving back has always been part of the Blind Tiger credo. At the party, which took place on Sunday March 25, 2012, he provided an endless supply of Chef Tommy's tacos and enchiladas and all the delicious fixin's for the crowd, free of charge (including vegetarian options, thank you very much). And while the Tiger can often be mobbed with an after-work crowd that opts for cask over Coors, and though the bar has become a craft beer Mecca for many from afar, there's always a little love for the local regulars. That goes all the way back to the beginning and the Connoisseur Club, in which members who logged at least 51 different beers at the bar were given special happy hour privileges, a t-shirt, and their name engraved on a brass plaque which was mounted on the wall. You still get bragging rights, a t-shirt, and a plaque but the cards are history.

Your Carte Orange for beer travels.

In this week's bonus podcast, Dave tells us about the start of it all. A note about the podcast, though -- the sound quality is quite bad, because we recorded it on a Blackberry's "voice notes" program, which is not meant for high quality audio. So, we'll probably avoid that in the future.

Dave thanks the devoted Tigerites, just before opening a
3-liter bottle of Sly Fox to share with everyone.

In addition to it being the anniversary of the bar, it's also the 14th anniversary of the Vermont Beer and Cheese event. This Wednesday March 28, 2012, the Blind Tiger will offer up some very special kegs from the Green Mountain state, including 4 special kegs from Hill Farmstead, a 50-liter keg of Heady Topper, something from Zero Gravity, and much more. Oh -- and cheese!

Jen, Dave and Connoisseur B.R.

Congratulations to Dave -- a great person and a tireless supporter of good beer and of the people who make good beer possible -- and congratulations to the Tiger and all of its capable, friendly, helpful staff! We all wish you good luck and great success long into the future!