Happy Father’s Day weekend to all the beer-loving Florida dads out there. Unfortunately, my pop left this mortal coil a while ago, but I’ll still be sure to toast him on Sunday. Sorry, Dad, but it won’t be with Old Milwaukee, though I do owe you a few that I pinched from the fridge when I was younger.
So in honor of our dads, we’ll start off this week’s Beer Bites with a few ways to treat the old man to a beery special time this Sunday.
Brunch and Beers
- The Villa de Flora restaurant at the Gaylord Palms resort in Kissimmee will hold a Father’s Day beer brunch beginning at noon. Options include a flight of three beers to accompany the meal.
- Bring Dad into Orlando Brewing and use this coupon to get $5 off a growler or refill. And if you’re looking for a present, you can buy a $50 Orlando Brewing gift card from now through Father’s Day and get a $10 gift card free. (No need to tell Pop about the second card. Also this weekend, Orlando Brewing will release its Pale 500 to commemorate its 500th batch of beer. It’s described as an amped-up version of its signature Pale Ale.
- Up in the Panhandle, Pensacola Bay Brewery is knocking 25 percent off its gallon growlers and refills for Father’s Day weekend, as well as 25 percent off T-shirts. And for $40, you can get a $55 gift certificate.
Behind The Green Room Door
Jacksonville’s Green Room Brewing finally opens its doors today at 4 p.m. Unfortunately, the permitting is not quite together enough for Green Room to serve its own beer, but there will be 16 taps pouring Florida-made craft brews until then. Oh, and if you didn’t get the reference in the subhead, here you go.
Festive Occasions
- Beaches Summerfest in Jacksonville Beach will be Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Marriott Courtyard Oceanfront. There will be tastings from local craft brewers, as well as wine, music, food and a silent auction, all to benefit MDA. Ticket information here.
- The Hoptomic Bitter Beer & Food Festival kicks off at 2 p.m. in the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. This festival sounds like a hophead’s dream – organizers say there will be NO beer with less than 35 IBUs. Click here for more details.
Another Reason to Visit the Keys
A Facebook fan let me know about another craft beer bar in Key West. Krawl Off Duval opened in April and seems to have a pretty impressive craft beer offering and wine list. Its website isn’t active yet, but posts are regularly made on its Facebook page. And apparently there’s a “Mustache Party” the second Friday of the month, and ladies are welcome (the ‘staches need not be real).
And now for the odd news
Bet you never thought you’d find a Florida beer profiled in Oprah’s magazine, but it happened. The feature, “The 10 Best Microbrews,” profiles various beers from across the country. Cigar City’s Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale made the list, deservedly, but the article itself has a flaw that shows it was likely edited by someone who doesn’t know much about craft beer. Each beer is introduced with “If You Like: (macrobrew, mockrobrew or … wine?) Try: (the craft beer). In Maduro’s case, it was “If You Like: Guinness.” Now, I hesitate to cross the most powerful woman in the world, even though she’s never given me a Cadillac – yet – but Guinness? It’s not even the same style, and the flavors are not similar at all. Maybe “Newcastle Brown Ale” would have worked better? This part of the feature was off for nearly all of the profiled beers. Anyway, here’s the story so you can judge for yourself.
That’s it for this week’s Beer Bites. Enjoy your week of exploring Florida’s craft beer scene.
Reminder: Please use our free interactive calendar to promote your upcoming craft beer events. The link’s at the top of this page.
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Until next time, Florida, remember: We are Here! We are Beer!
