Beer Bites: News and Updates from Florida’s Craft Beer Scene

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I’ll be taking a road trip for beer Saturday on Florida’s West Coast, starting at the Celebrate Sarasota festival in the afternoon, where I’ll have to limit my intake of beer because I’ll be next heading up to the Dunedin Brewery for its Stogies and Stout event in the evening. I’ve booked a motel room within walking distance of the brewery, so no limitation of beer consumption will be necessary (other than, you know, still being able to walk). Both events look pretty awesome. Celebrate Sarasota promises samples of more than 100 beers, tastings from the competitors in both chili and wing competitions, live music and lots more. I’m especially excited for the Stogies and Stout event because: A) I love a good cigar and a good stout; and B) This will be my first visit to the Dunedin Brewery.

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

Speaking of road trips, Shipyard Emporium Winter Park will be the host for Saturday’s Beer Bomb Bike Tour to New Smyrna Beach. A group of 24 beer-and-biking enthusiasts and their bicycles will jump on The Shipyard Bus for a trip to the east coast, where they will check into a motel and then pedal their way around the town on a tour of bars and restaurants, with a featured craft beer at each stop. They’ll return Sunday after lunch. Sounds like a blast!

Mmm, Lobster …

Speaking of Shipyard Emporium (the segues keep coming!), the Winter Park brewpub got some nice press this morning by Kelly Fitzpatrick of the Orlando Sentinel. She gave high props to the Emporium’s “Live Maine Mondays,” where customers can get “a whole Maine lobster, new potatoes and corn for $18.95 and pints of Shipyard brew for $3 a pop.” I attended the brewpub’s chaotic grand opening last month, but haven’t had a chance to go back. Sounds like I’ll have to schedule my return for a Monday night. You can check out some pictures I took at the grand opening night right here.

Mmm. Girl Scout Cookies …

Speaking of pictures, picture this (Ouch! Apparently the segue well has run dry): Girl Scout Cookies and craft beer, two great tastes that taste great … together? Find out Tuesday from 8 to 11 p.m. at Mr. Beery’s Sarasota, when the bar will host a pairing of four craft beers paired specifically with four different Girl Scout Cookies.  It is not known if any squads of the diminutive dealers of drug-like delicacies darling little Scouts will be in attendance, but there are plenty of options out there for scoring your Thin Mint fix. If you don’t live in the Sarasota area, it certainly sounds worthy of a road trip. And now that we’ve come full circle …

That’s it for Beer Bites this week. Feel free to email trips4beer@gmail.com with any ideas or story tips, and please use our interactive calendar to get the word out about any upcoming craft beer events.

Until next time, Florida, remember: We are here! We are Beer!

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