In 2013, maybe the food will be to SAVOR.

One city's loss is another city's gain. It's sad news, at least for one year, for fans of good beer in the Washington, D.C. area. It's good news for New York City, and something for fans of good beer in that city to to look forward to, as the city continues to deal with the cold and wet aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Here are the details about SAVOR's 2013 250-mile trek north: a press release from the Brewers Association, an advocacy group for U.S. breweries producing fewer than six million barrels of beer per year.

SAVOR℠ HOPS TO NEW YORK CITY IN 2013
Big Apple Hosts Premier Craft Beer and Food Pairing Experience

Boulder, CO • November 8, 2012 – After five consecutive years of hosting  SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience in Washington, D.C., the Brewers Association is bringing the event to New York City. In 2013, SAVOR will be held on June 14 and 15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion and adjoining Altman Building in Manhattan. The two-night event will return to the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. the year after on May 9 and 10, 2014.

As the benchmark beer and food pairing event, SAVOR’s format will remain the same—an intimate and engaging reception, with a menu carefully designed by Brewers Association culinary consultant Adam Dulye, chef/owner of The Monk’s Kettle and The Abbot’s Cellar in San Francisco. As in years past, small and independent breweries representing all geographic regions of the country will be selected to participate by a lottery drawing. Guests will be served by the notable personalities behind the craft beer brands and have an opportunity to interact with them during private tastings throughout the two nights.

“Part of our mission as a national, industry association is to promote small and independent craft brewers and their craft brewed beers to audiences around the country,” said Sam Calagione, chair of the Brewers Association’s board of directors. “Moving SAVOR to New York City, the culinary capital of the world, in 2013 is an incredible opportunity to showcase craft beer from a diverse sampling of small U.S. producers who have helped shift the perception of beer from something predictable and homogenized into the dynamic, flavorful, food-friendly beverage it is recognized as today. Craft brewers, beer lovers and foodies who attend SAVOR contribute to a historic localization of beer and a shift in the culinary arts world.”

The nation’s capital will play host to other Brewers Association events in 2013. The industry-only Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America® will be held from March 26-29 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The craft brewing industry’s largest annual event gathers thousands of small and independent American brewers and their trade partners for workshops, collaboration, education and discussion on important matters facing the community.

“With D.C. hosting the Craft Brewers Conference in 2013, this was the right time for the Brewers Association to bring SAVOR to a new market and expand the audience,” added Calagione. “We’re excited to see what New York has in store for SAVOR, and look forward to returning SAVOR to the National Building Museum in 2014.”

Tickets go on sale to the public April 17, 2013. A ticket pre-sale exclusively for members of the American Homebrewers Association and the Brewers Association will take place April 16. For more information about SAVOR, visit SavorCraftBeer.com

I attended the first SAVOR in 2008. I've avoided each subsequent confab. The raison d'etre of SAVOR is the pairing of beer with food, and the delicious combinations that can result. The beer at SAVOR has been stellar; the event seems to have morphed into a Great American Beer Festival 'lite.' That's not a bad thing. But, each year, reports have been that the food remains unmemorable, and, in fact, sometimes downright poor. If I had taken a doubter of the delights of beer-with-food to SAVORs past, she would not have been converted.

New York City is, among many things, a foodie-haven. So, maybe, just maybe, SAVOR's one-year jaunt may change the event. Maybe, just maybe, the food will also be to savor.

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UPDATE: I should add that in talking to attendees of 2012 SAVOR, and in reading on-line reports, I did notice more mixed reviews rather than pans for the food this year. For example, here were two Tweeted responses to this blog post:

• I thought the food last year was much improved, but yes, pairing world-class beer with catered food isn't optimal. Via JacobSBerg.
• Food shifted to one-bites, critical w/ beer events. Via DCBeerBill.