Craft beer happenings are all over the place in Florida during the next few days, and not just in the physical sense.
Some real off-the-wall events are mixed in with the usual tastings, festivals and dinners, and it looks like the weather will be absolutely perfect for this time of year.
At the end of this week’s column, I posted a link to a story I wrote elsewhere about taking a Road Trip for Beer, which is a reminder to give all of you a reminder: Drink responsibly and use a designated driver if possible or make some other arrangements so that you won’t be behind a wheel if you enjoy a little too much of the fine craft beer that Florida has to offer.
This is especially important to keep in mind with the holidays approaching because there will be a lot of “amateur drinkers” on the road making conditions even more hazardous. Just be safe, please.
On with Beer Bites.
My Kind of Occupation.
Occupy Willard’s will be tonight beginning at 8 p.m. This is not some lame attempt to jump on the “Occupy (Something)” bandwagon. OK, maybe it is, but here’s how it’s described on the Largo craft beer bar’s Facebook page: “Tired of the status quo? Do you want to show big beer that you’re not going to take it anymore? Show your support for craft beer and occupy Willard’s this Friday night @ 8 pm. Wear your craft beer gear and bring your protest signs. Prizes will be awarded for the best signs.
To Commemorate our liberation from big beer we will be tapping a firkin of Avery duganA, dry – hopped with a pound of Chinook hops.”
Hell, yeah! Find more information here.
Open Door Policy
After a few weeks to work out the kinks, Gainesville House of Beer will hold its grand opening today. Read more here.
Take Me Back to Cigar City
A few bits of news out of Cigar City Brewing in Tampa.
The online store on the recently relaunched CCB website is now live. No longer will you need to make the trip to the tasting room to purchase your shirts, hats, glassware, etc., while sipping on delicious brews. Now that I think about it, though, that’s kind of a bummer. Regardless, here’s the link.
Cigar City is the main sponsor for Histeria: Try On Your Dark Side on Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Tampa Bay History Center in downtown Tampa. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door and includes food from Tampa restaurants, free valet parking, drink tickets and admission to the History Center’s new exhibit “Out of this World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television.” More details here.
On Monday, Paul Unwin from the Cajun Café on the Bayou in Pinellas Park will provide some of his restaurant’s fantastic cuisine – free! – at the Cigar City Tasting Room. If that isn’t enough to start your mouth watering, CCB will debut a new beer for the event: The Ragin’ Well-Spoken Cajun, described as a robust English porter brewed with chocolate and cayenne pepper. Read more here.
Drink ‘Em Cowboy
A little pricier than “free, “but for a good cause, Cows and Cabs will be Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Central Park-West Meadow in Winter Park. There will be food from top chefs across Florida, great wines from around the world and some really awesome local and national craft beers. Tickets for this Old West-themed event start at $110 for all you can eat and drink. There will be a band, a live auction, and a raffle with all proceeds benefiting Coalition for the Homeless, Community Outreach and the Winter Park Y Scholarship Fund. Cows ‘n Cabs hopes to raise much-needed funds for these nonprofits that work to instill hope and assist in stabilizing the lives of those stricken by poverty in our community. More information here.
Festivalia
A few beer festivals will be going on at nearly all points of the Florida compass.
- The fourth annual Rocktoberfest will be Friday in Fort Lauderdale.
- The Treasure Coast Beer Fest will be Saturday in Fort Pierce.
- Folio Weekly’s third annual Oktoberfest will be Saturday in St. Augustine.
- Orlando’s Downtown Oktoberfest will today from 6 to 11 p.m.
- The fourth annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival will be Friday and Saturday in Sandestin.
Oktober Out
As October nears its end, so does Oktoberfest season. Besides the ones listed above, there are a couple of other noteworthy events revolving around the theme.
Redlight Redlight in Orlando has finally received some special brews for its Oktoberfest celebration. Here’s the 911 from its Facebook page: “We have a tradition now of pouring Schneider Edel Weisse (an original Oktoberfest beer in Munich prior to 1945) out of wooden barrels and they’re in! We also have a special Oktoberfest beer from Austria based on a recipe from 1810, also in a wooden barrel. Big Bruno’s Bites will be here at 1:00 till he runs out of food! He’ll be cooking up some German classics!”
Here’s the tapping schedule.
1:00 Schneider Edel Weisse
3:00 Hofstettner Hochzeitsbier von 1810
5:00 Schneider Edel Weisse
Get your fill of brats, kraut and cheeses at the Oktoberfest wingding taking place at Growlers in Sarasota. Oktoberfest beer specials begin at 3 p.m. Here’s more.
Beer Tour
And finally, I filled in this week for the vacationing Alan Shaw, the Beer Geek columnist at Ticket Sarasota. The column talked about taking a Road Trip for Beer in Florida, but not just any road trip. This one outlines a trip to visit all five of the Florida breweries that brought back a medal from the Great American Beer Festival competition. Read it here.
That’s it for this week’s Beer Bites. Join us next week as I write about … well, I have no idea, but there’s always craft beer goodness happening somewhere in Florida. Be safe.
Please email trips4beer@gmail.com with any ideas or story tips. You can also like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Until next time, Florida, remember: We are Here! We are Beer!
