A new focus on craft beer at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores includes a series of beer tastings held at various stores throughout Florida.
I attended one at the store on Apopka-Vineland Road a few weeks ago, and it is well worth the $10 it costs. A surprising variety of craft beers were poured, many by brewery reps, and the crowd was light enough that I could stop to chat about the beers with the reps.
At that tasting, Kurt Widmer of Widmer Bros. from Portland, Oregon, was pouring his brews himself. He was scheduled to appear that weekend at an event in Orlando, and took the time to hang out at the tasting and talk to the folks about his brews. (See him talk about it here)
The $10 admission includes a tasting glass to keep and a store coupon to use the night of the event.
The next ones will be tonight, Wednesday, November 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fernandina Beach store and in Tampa at the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits store at 330 E. Fletcher Ave. More than 60 beers will be poured, and rumor is that Bob Sylvester, owner and brewer of Saint Somewhere in Tarpon Springs will be in attendance.
Upcoming is a tasting on Wednesday, November 9, at the Coral Spring store.
See some more photos from the Orlando tasting here.
Yeah! Thanks Gerard. Nice article by the way, my son…
I feel blessed.
I met Bob Sylvester at the Florida Brewer’s Guild festival this year. He’s a very nice guy.
Just don’t tell him that. Ever since he was elevated to sainthood, his head can barely fit in his halo.