UPDATED: April 16, 2018 at 3:04 p.m.

Full Boar Craft Brewery and Tap Room was packed with people on Sunday afternoon, all holding wooden paddles that balanced different beers. Colorful doughnuts coated the tables in the back of the brewery. The doughnut station was flooded with guests waiting to try the sugary concoctions, while others crowded the bar, waving their tickets and ready to taste the beer.

The brewery teamed up with Glazed & Confused to host a beer and doughnut pairing on South Main Street in North Syracuse. This was the first time the two business collaborated. Their goal was to provide some entertainment, doughnuts and drinks, said Paul Valenti, one of the owners of Glazed & Confused.

The event included two seatings — one at 1 p.m. and one at 4 p.m. — and the bar was full of energy. Four beers were distributed, each coinciding with a specific numbered doughnut that guests could try.

The brewery has the feel of a sports bar with a ‘70s twist, equipped with a pool table in the back next to a jukebox and dart board. The restaurant, with dim but welcoming lighting, is lined with old-school stools. Guests pushed chairs together to weave conversations, and patrons shared their opinions on the beers and the treats.

Valenti described the event as an awesome opportunity to have a little fun.

“Full Boar Craft Brewery reached out to me about having a beer and doughnut pairing, and I loved the idea,” Valenti said. “We do interesting combinations all the time here, so the thought of beer and doughnuts wasn’t intimidating.”

Glazed & Confused, located in downtown Syracuse, is a doughnut and bakery shop that opened in November.

Izabella and Roman Valenti, Valenti’s kids and co-founders of the eatery, coined the name “Glazed & Confused” on their way home from vacation. And ever since, the family has been working to get their name out and spread the message of good food and good times.

Paul Schlesinger | Staff Photographer

Valenti likes to keep his shop like he keeps his doughnuts: inventive and fun. The place is lined with posters, a disco ball and live music to keep the atmosphere lively.

“You’re not sure if you are in a bar or a doughnut shop,” Valenti said.

The menu for Sunday’s event included four doughnuts from Glazed & Confused: crowd favorite “The Dizzy Pig,” which includes a maple glaze, bourbon sugar and candied locally-cured bacon; the “Pardon my French Toast” doughnut; a classic chocolate; and a chocolate doughnut stuffed with blackberries and a blackberry glaze.

“It was a grueling process picking the right beers and doughnuts, but we ended up getting it done,” brewery co-owner David Marchant said. “It got a little crazy, which was expected, but it was definitely fun.”

Marchant said they offered 200 tickets total for the two seatings, and the event ended up being sold out.

Co-owner Eric Petranchuk said that the “Gramma’s Pajamas” beer was a popular one, followed by the blackberry ale that was paired with the chocolate doughnut with the blackberry glaze.

Michelle Dellilo, from Glazed & Confused, thought the event went as planned.

“This was a really cool thing to be a part of,” she said. “Glazed & Confused has really been coming up in Syracuse. People are really enjoying what we put out there, and we are loving the response tonight.”

The brewery was never silent: People were squeezing through chairs, meeting new people and getting second helpings.

“I definitely want to do more of these in the future,” Marchant said. “We were hoping for a good time, and that’s just what we got.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, Michelle Dellilo was misnamed. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on April 8, 2018 at 9:49 pm

Contact Leah: ltoney@syr.edu