Mark your calendars for Florida beer events in February

The final weekend of January wielded some heavy-hitting craft beer events throughout Florida, and February will bring a lot more.

• Down south, hundreds of craft beer lovers descended on Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday for samples at the Jupiter Craft Beer Festival. The night before, a lucky 300 were able to partake in a variety of beer-food pairings at the Field of Dreams event.
• Also on Saturday, Mr. Beery’s in Sarasota held its first “Total Tap Takeover” of the year, when the craft beer pub’s 25 taps each flowed with a different brew from Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing.
• In Winter Park, I covered the Friday night grand opening of the Shipyard Emporium brew pub and market. Opening night, unfortunately, was overcrowded and not planned well. Those attending endured 30- to 45-minute waits to order a beer, and the creations from brewer Ron Raike tapped quickly. The establishment has promise, though, and I will return to give it a fair evaluation. (Here are some pictures from the grand opening).

Here’s what to look forward to in February:

• Friday to Sunday, February 11-13: Coasters Pub in Melbourne will hold its second annual Belgian Beer Fest through the weekend. Organizers expect to offer about 50 different Belgians over the course of three days, with 35 kegs tapped at any one time. If you’re a fan of Belgian beer … well, just check out the list.
• Saturday, February 12: The annual Bands, Brew & BBQ festival kicks off at SeaWorld Orlando. Organizers have put together a pretty impressive craft beer list. Busch Gardens is holding a similar event in Tampa, and though the beer list is shorter, there will be an all-you-can-taste option.
• Friday to Sunday, February 18-20: Bon Beer Voyage, a Florida-based beer tour company, will hold its second annual Tampa Beer Safari Weekend. The package includes visits and tastings at Cigar City, Saint Somewhere and Dunedin breweries, a visit to Tarpon Springs, transportation to breweries and tour sites, two breakfasts, a beer-paired lunch and two gourmet beer-paired dinners to be hosted at Bernini’s in Ybor City and Fleming’s Steak House. The best kind of road trip: Someone else does the driving!
• Saturday, February 26: Celebrate Sarasota at Phillippi Estate Park promises (taking a deep breath) more than 100 beer samples, tastes of more than 50 chili and wing competitor recipes, live music from six local bands, cornhole tournaments, a bike show, a mechanical shark ride, sumo wrestling and more than 50 other vendors. (pshew!) And my friend Jennifer Borresen designed the poster! She does great work. Check it out here.
• Saturday, February 26: The Stogies & Stout party at Dunedin Brewery offers two of my favorite things. This 11^th annual celebration of good beer and good smokes attracts a sell-out crowd every year, and blues legend Eddie Kirkland will perform.

Also, I just found out that New Leaf Market  in Tallahassee holds a craft beer tasting every Saturday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Its website boasts that the store has a 16-foot-long beer cooler, so it sounds like it would be worth a stop if you’re in the area.

And before the month is out, be sure to mark your calendar for the annual release of Hunahpu Mayan Chocolate Imperial Stout at Cigar City in Tampa on March 12. This beer has gained a cult following across the country, and hundreds of people will travel to the Cigar City Tasting Room to get a chance to buy some bottles. Reports from those who have tasted this year’s version say it’s the best yet. Expect a big party and lots of beer-loving folks.

Also coming up in March is the annual Florida Brewers Guild Beerfest on March 5 in Tampa’s Ybor City. This festival brings brewers – and their beer – from across the state, where craft beer fans can mingle with them and taste their creations.

If I missed anything, please add it in the comments section or enter it into our interactive events calendar. If you would like to give me a heads up on any craft beer event coming up in Florida, shoot me an email at trips4beer@gmail.com.

Cheers!

Share this: