Union Beer Corporate Tasting Event | Metropolitan Pavilion
Updated: May 30, 2025
On October 28, 2023, the Metropolitan Building’s sun-splashed lofts—usually stocked floor-to-ceiling with antique mirrors, velvet settees and time-worn curios—were temporarily transformed into a brewer’s playground. Union Beer Distributors invited New York’s most influential bar managers, sommeliers and bottle-shop owners to sip, swirl and strategize at its fall Cultivating Craft portfolio tasting. Against a backdrop of rust-red columns and vintage chandeliers, guests roamed from table to table sampling everything from fresh-hopped IPAs and barrel-aged stouts to zero-proof spritzes championed by Blueprint Brands.
The day felt less like a trade show and more like a reunion of the city’s beverage brain trust—handshakes traded over half-pours, notebooks filling with SKU numbers and tasting notes, and brewers proudly coaxing visitors to try this year’s passion projects. Scroll on to relive the flavor, the camaraderie and the magic of a vintage factory brought to life—one perfect pour at a time.
