On Friday and Saturday, the Heineken Inspire Tour stopped in New York, the third city for the promotional summer series that launched in Miami at the end of May. To tailor the two-day event—a sort of indoor festival combining music, beer, food, and activities—to the city and its eclectic residents, the brewer filled the enormous warehouse space of SoHo's St. John's Center with street food carts doling out hot dogs, falafel, and other iconic New York bites alongside a mix of DJs, rappers, and indie bands.
The Relevent-produced affair carried over components that debuted in Miami, including a station for custom silk-screened T-shirts, guitar lessons in the Fender lounge, and a tasting area where consumers could learn to pour beer from certified beer expert Steve Riley. It also introduced some new elements. Unique to New York was a beer garden-like outdoor section set with Astroturf, umbrellas, and white fencing that held games and a photo booth where guests could pose for mock Rolling Stone magazine covers. And for the musical entertainment, Heineken brought in DJs Atrak, Vice, and D-Nice, bands Cold War Kids and Rogue Wave, rappers J. Cole and Wale, reggaeton singer Tito El Bambino, and three Latin DJ mashup groups known as Heineken Mezclasonic.
Like the other stops on the tour, the event was open during the day, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m, and at night, between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. The tour will make its final stop in Los Angeles August 27 and 28.
