Beer in Florida’s Father’s Day Beer Gift list

In years past, the beer consumed by the stereotypical father was usually a watery pilsner mass-produced by a brewery named after a mid-1800s German immigrant. No more. Now dads are as likely to be consuming an IPA, porter, saison, gose or other specialty ale crafted by a local brewery. And in Florida, it might have been brewed by one of the nearly 150 craft breweries right here in the Sunshine State.

Dad loves beer, and you love Dad. If he’s like most fathers, he’s not particularly mushy so you might share your feelings only once a year on the rapidly-approaching holiday. If you’re not the sentimental type either, you might just tell him with a gift.

With that in mind, here are some beery ideas for Pop’s special day. And to make it even sweeter, the people behind them are all based in Florida.

No more breakage

The B Cup – stackable and unbreakable.

I’ve been testing one of the new-to-the-market B-Cups for a few weeks now, and I’m sold. It’s a non-glass alternative to the oddly shaped IPA glasses being adopted by brewery taprooms across the country. But this isn’t the plastic tumbler or Solo cup so often resorted to in situations where glass isn’t allowed. The B Cups are made from a rigid, shatterproof, fully transparent, BPA-free plastic (think Gatorade bottle). These are perfect for Dad’s outings on the boat, the golf course, and the beach, and you’re not limited to pouring IPAs in it. Any good beer tastes great in it. One warning: As noted on the packaging, these are not dishwasher-safe. Fortunately, a quick rinse under running water is usually enough to clean them up for your next beer.

• Founder: Joel Bigham of Tampa.
• Cost: $15 per four-pack includes shipping.
• Order here 

Show his love of beer on his chest

If you’ve attended any recent beer festivals in the state, you might have seen the Hopcloth T-shirts for sale. You’ve certainly seen them adorning the bodies of attending beer geeks and geekettes. Some of the more popular are from the “Drink Beer From Here” series, which includes an outline of Florida – or any of the other 49 states and Washington, D.C. Other slogans include “Real Women Drink Craft Beer” and “craft beer. it’s not alcoholism, it’s a hobby.” I own a few of these, and can attest to their quality. The lightweight and durable material makes it perfect outerwear for the Florida summer.

• Founder: Jeff Smith of Tampa.
• Cost: $20, a buck or two more for larger sizes.
• Order here

Chilled beer makes for a chill dad

Dad’s thirsty and you have beer, ice and a cooler. Unfortunately, the beer is warm and he doesn’t want to wait 20 minutes for the cooler and ice to do its magic – he’s thirsty NOW! Enter the SpinChill, a nifty little gadget that spins a can or bottle in the ice and cools it down in only minute or so. It’s hard to describe how it works, but it does. Check out this video to see it in action. The creators of this product developed several prototypes before finally making the one that went to market. I have had a SpinChill for about a year now, and there have been a few times where it really has come in handy.

• Founders: Trevor Abbot and Ty Parker of Gainesville
• Cost $29.99
• Order here.

Read all about it

Time for a shameless plug. My first book, “Florida Breweriescame out in April 2014, and a lot of folks bought it for their fathers (or themselves) last year, but it’s still available if he missed out. It tells the stories of 66 Florida breweries, and there is a list in the back of 40-plus more that were not open by my publisher’s deadline. Granted, a few more breweries have opened since it came out, but the book also contains chapters on beer chains, beer in theme parks, beer festivals, and more. There’s non-beer-related information about each section of the state – places to stay or eat, things to see, historical spots, and so on. Not to mention everyone’s favorite – a glossary! The link to its Amazon page is below, but if you’re interested in receiving a signed and personalized copy, shoot an email to me at gerard@beerinflorida.com and I’ll give you the details. Also, if you see me around, I usually have a few copies for sale in my car’s trunk.

• Author: Gerard Walen
• Cost: Depends where you buy it. Retail price is $19.99.
• Order here.

EVENTS

Gifts are great, but memories last a lifetime, or something like that. Here are a few craft-beer related events you can treat Pop to on his special day:

Praise the Lard: Father’s Day Eggs & Kegs: 11 a.m. at the Cigar City Brewing tasting room, Tampa. LOKO Cuisine serves its always-mouthwatering brunch the third Sunday of the month. In this case, it’s Father’s Day so they made it extra special with a self-serve four-course feast loaded with pork, bacon and more bacon. The brunch includes a pint, an equally priced snifter, or a cider. Details here.

Coppertail Crafts Day: Once you’ve filled your tummy, head just a few miles away to Coppertail Brewing Co. to help Dad build a terrarium. OK, this is really geared toward the younger kids and their dads, but everyone is welcome. Jamie O’Berry of O’Berry’s Succulents will guide the creation of the gardens in a glass, and a beer for Dad is included in the price of admission. Details here.

The return of an icon: Legendary Gainesville beer bar Stubbies and Steins shut its doors last year, but its spirit lives on, at least in the form of authentic German sausage. Gainesville’s Cymply Fresh Café will feature Stubbies’ signature tube dish along with tasty German brews in the café’s biergarten. And it’s a weekend-long event, so get your father into his lederhosen and bring him down Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. or Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. Details here.

Even if it’s not a Father’s Day-themed event, any local brewery taproom or craft-beer-focused bar or restaurant is bound to be a great place to bond with Pop over a great brew. Many of them have gift shops, or at least some merchandise behind the bar, so you can sneakily purchase him a gift while he’s off to the restroom recycling that last ale. Check out their websites, too: Often there is merchandise you can purchase online if you need to send him a present because he lives elsewhere.

And if like me, your dad is no longer with us on this mortal plane, there’s no better way to honor him that lifting a glass of locally produced craft beer to his memory. I know I will.

ADDENDUM

Rather than make this any longer, here’s an abbreviated list of some other Florida-based merchants who offer beer-oriented products.

Beer mustard – The Urban Canning Company (St. Petersburg)

Beer soap – St. Pete Soaps

Beer-making kits – Craft A Brew (Orlando)

Posters and T-shirts – Growler & Sons (DeLand)

Beer marshmallows – Wondermade Café (Sanford)

Cigar City Brewing wooden razor blade handles – Handmade in Tampa

Craft beer gift baskets – GiveThemBeer.com (Pinellas Park)

Disclosure: I get a very small percentage of sales of products sold through Amazon links. There is no other financial compensation from any of the companies mentioned. Regardless, all opinions are genuinely mine. Drink Local, Drink Florida.

FLORIDA BREWERY LIST AND MAP

Share this: