Beer Bites: Melancholy, Panhandling and Heroes

The bust of Lee Roy Selmon in the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Ordinarily, this time of year is a happy one for me because my birthday was Thursday and football season has started, but this week is book-ended by sad events.

The passing of Buccaneers great Lee Roy Selmon on Saturday struck many NFL fans right in their hearts. I and many others followed his career from his being the first-ever pick of the expansion Tampa Bay team in 1976, on to his stint as athletic director of the University of South Florida, where he proved instrumental in developing the school’s new football team (Was that rain on Touchdown Jesus’ face Saturday, or was it tears?). But his greatest legacy perhaps was his contributions to his community. I finally was able to shake his hand during the pregame tailgate party before the 2008 magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl, and knew immediately that I just met one of the finest men in this world. Rest in Peace, Lee Roy.

Of course, Sunday marks the 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Pause for a moment Sunday to remember those thousands of innocents and heroes killed in the attacks, and the brave men and women who have given their lives since trying to keep us safe. Raise a beer in their honor.

Dare I say it?

There seems to be at least a promise of cooler weather in the air the past couple of days. Don’t worry; the heat will return, but maybe this weekend we could grab some Ocktoberfest and pumpkin beers off the shelf and pretend we live in a place where there are more seasons than hurricane and tourist.

On with Beer Bites.

Celebrate the Heroes

Lagniappe Brewing Co., makers of Effinheimer beers, will hold a 9/11 Fundraiser from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday at its tasting room in Minneola. Proceeds will benefit the Minneola Firefighters Union, and NFL games will be on the TV screen. More information here.

Panhandling

The Emerald Coast Beer Festival takes place Saturday in Pensacola. This festival has been growing over the years, and the list of brewers at the fest includes a couple of Panhandle breweries that are new to me: Grayton Beer Company in Rosemary Beach and McGuire’s Irish Pub  in Pensacola.  A lot of homebrew clubs from across the Southeast will be there too. More information here.

Going South

An upcoming brewery in Boyton Beach got some nice features on some local TV stations this week. See the WPTV story on Due South Brewing here.

Speed Dining

The Palm Beach Post reports that area venues will host four beer dinners in a span of 10 days, starting with an Oskar Blues pairing on Saturday at JoJo’s Raw Bar. Read more here.

Putter About

The second annual PUTToberfest will be Thursday in Miramar Beach. The event at The Golf Garden features 18 holes of mini-golf with beer sampling stations set up along the course.  Presented by the Destin Area Sports Commission, the tournament also features a chipping contest, and prizes will be awarded. More information here.

Blog the Day Away

The Ticket Sarasota Beer Geek, aka Alan Shaw, gave Cryptkeeper Rick Andrews a forum to write about his adventures at the 2011 Beer Bloggers Conference in Portland, Oregon. Hey, I was there too! Rick, of course, is the mastermind behind Ales from the Crypt and Firkin Around.

Don’t Panic; The Beer is Safe!

Finally, you’ve got to love those student journalists at the University of Florida. They certainly have their priorities straight, as evidenced in this front page story  in The Independent Florida Alligator.

That’s it for this week’s Beer Bites. Have a great weekend. Go Bucs! Go Bulls!

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!

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