Beer in Florida

The South’s second largest craft brewery announces distributors and launch festivities.

Here’s the news release:

ATLANTA (October 5, 2012) – Kicking off the week of October 15, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater natives will officially be able to get their hands on SweetWater Brewery’s lip-smackin’ lineup.

“After an arduous and comprehensive wholesaler assignment process, we are glad to announce that we’ve selected Pepin Distributing Company for the Tampa market, and Great Bay Distributors for St. Petersburg and Clearwater,” said Dave Guender, Director of Sales for SweetWater Brewing Company. “We are stoked to be adding these great markets to our distribution footprint, and the anticipation of our fine brews making their way further into southwest Florida has been fantastic.”

SweetWater is bringing “the beer you’ve been training for” to thirsty locals starting with 420 Extra Pale Ale on draft at bars and restaurants, following later in the week with distribution of SweetWater brews in 12-ounce bottles to include the following brands:

• 420 Extra Pale Ale – SweetWater’s 420 Extra Pale Ale is a West Coast style pale ale with big hops and a crisp finish. First brewed on April 20, 1997, this beer has developed quite the following in the Southeast. 420 is extremely well-balanced which makes it a perfect introduction to a new town … that’s why we say “drink ‘em if you got ‘em!”
• SweetWater Blue – SweetWater Blue is a unique, lighter-bodied wheat ale enhanced with a hint of fresh blueberries. This brew’ll give folks a good whiff of a blueberry influence, with a subtle taste and an extra clean finish. This ain’t no fruit beer, but it is our breakfast beer, and perfect for hanging outside in the Florida heat.
• SweetWater IPA – This mammoth India Pale Ale (IPA) is dry-hopped to the gills delivering a kick-you-in-the-teeth hop chop. The brew is unfiltered and, like all of our beers, always unpasteurized to leave all the natural flavors intact. SweetWater IPA recently won first place in a blind tasting against 15 of the best IPA’s in the country held by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Get in on the action! A crew from SweetWater Brewery, along with its Founder and Big Kahuna Freddy Bensch, will be flooding the market with sampling celebrations and sponsored festivities including:

• Weds., Oct. 17 – Pub crawl featuring SweetWater samplings, specials and meet-and-greet with Freddy in Tampa (times/locations TBD)
• Thurs., Oct. 18 – Pub crawl featuring SweetWater samplings, specials and meet-and-greet with Freddy  in St. Petersburg (times/locations TBD)
• Fri., Oct. 19 – SweetWater’s presents Olde Bay Café’s Craft Beer & Crab Festival at Edgewater Park in Dunedin from 2-10 p.m.
• Fri., Oct. 19 – Brews featured at Safety Harbor 3rd Friday in downtown Safety Harbor from 6-10 p.m.
• Fri., Oct. 19 – SweetWater will be flowing at the JJGrey & Mofro show at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg at 8 p.m.

Online fans can wet their whistles too by following SweetWater’s Florida Facebook page at facebook.com/SWHeadyPeddlersFlorida for details on how to enter the “Catch a Trout Tap” contest. The challenge rewards the first 20 folks to spot, capture and post photos of the brewery’s iconic trout tap handles around town with SweetWater Schwag.

To learn more about SweetWater Brewing Company and its full lineup, visit www.sweetwaterbrew.com.

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