Tampa Bay Beer Week 2012

With nearly 100 events taking place for Tampa Bay Beer Week, it’s difficult to choose which ones to attend. Brasky has compiled a list of events that we recommend for the week. Visit the official web site for a complete list.

Green Flash Brewery – Meet the Brewers – Carrollwood
March 02 Friday	From 6 – 9pm the Brewery Reps from Green Flash will be in the building to mingle with all the guests and spread the word about their delicious new beer that just hit the Florida market. World of Beer Carrollwood 12904 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33618
Rally’s Denver Beer Tour – St. Pete, Clearwater, Pasadena
March 03 Saturday	Register for a 4-day / 3-Night trip for 2 to Denver, Colorado to visit some of the best craft breweries and taverns in the world. Registration opens March 3rd and the drawing is on May 1st. Includes airfare, hotel, rental car voucher, and VIP brewery tours. Must be a craft beer fan. Register at these Rally gas stations only: Rally 2131 4th St. N. (at 22nd Ave. N.) St. Petersburg, 33704 3400 Ulmerton Rd. (at 34th St.) Clearwater, 33762 1080 Pasadena Ave. S. (at Gulfport Blvd.) Pasadena 33707
Florida Brewers’ Guild BeerFest 2012 – Tampa
March 03 Saturday	Florida Brewers Guild presents Beerfest 2012. Come sample over 100 Florida-made craft brews at this wildly popular event held rain or shine in Centro Ybor! This event sells out every year, so get your tickets early. Advance tickets $30, day of (good luck) $40. Centro Ybor 1600 East 8th Avenue Tampa, FL 33605
Eggs and Kegs with Ballast Point Brewing at Cigar City Brewing - Tampa
March 04 Sunday	Join us at the Cigar City tasting room as we welcome the crew from Ballast Point Brewing in San Diego for a brunch like no other! Tasting Tampa will be sending a food truck or two with brunch foods and we will feature Ballast Point’s special releases along side your favorites from Cigar City Brewing! Cigar City Brewing 3924 West Spruce Street, Ste. A, Tampa, FL
Gift Basket Giveaway at St. Pete World of Beers - St. Petersburg
March 05 Monday	Enjoy something from the featured family of beers each day and enter to win a gift basket. World of Beer 5226 4th Street North St. Petersburg, FL 33703
Lagunitas Maximus Double IPA Tapping at Mellow Mushroom – Brandon
March 05 Monday	This is the only keg of Lagunitas Maximus Double IPA coming to Florida! Come over to the Mellow Mushroom in Brandon and have a taste! They are tapping it at 4:20, won’t last long! Mellow Mushroom 10959 Causeway Blvd, Brandon, Fl 33511
Cigar City & The Refinery Beer Paired Dinner – Tampa
March 06 Tuesday	Cigar City Brewing beer paired menu, a la carte style. Special Cigar City Brewing and Chef Greg Baker’s beer collaboration. The Refinery 5137 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603
Hops in the Cauldron at The Ale & The Witch – St. Petersburg
March 06 Tuesday	The Dunedin Brewery takes over the taps at The Ale and The Witch. Located in downtown St. Petersburg, come try Dunedin’s Pale Ale, Dropkick Murphys Red Ale, HopNOM, Nelson Sauvin IPA, Black Cherry IPA, and Hop Cauldron on cask! The Ale & The Witch 111 2nd Avenue Northeast  St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Cigar City Brewmaster’s Tasting – Tampa
March 07 Wednesday	The Shindy breaks out the big bottles! Come taste the less widely available brews created by Tampa’s legendary Cigar City Brewing Company. Relax on the patio or play darts inside! Cigar City 3924 West Spruce Street, Ste. A, Tampa, FL
Saint Somewhere Beer Dinner at Mr. Dunderbak’s - Tampa
March 07 Wednesday	Saint Somewhere Brewing Company Brewery and Mr Dunderbak’s Beer and Food Pairing. Come join Mr. Dunderbak’s and Saint Somewhere Brewing Company in a Belgium night, pairingtraditional Belgium flavors with hand crafted-beers. Come experience why beer pairs so well with great food. Tickets are $35, well worth it. Mr. Dunderbak’s 14929 Bruce B Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33613
Lost Coast Brewery’s Tour of St. Petersburg – The Ale & The Witch - St. Petersburg
March 08 Thursday	Meet Briar Bush, general manager of Lost Coast Brewery, for a beer at various locations in St. Petersburg. Each stop will feature a different Lost Coast beer. The Ale & The Witch 111 2nd Avenue Northeast  St. Petersburg, FL 33701
The Ale & The Witch – Cigar City Brewing Night – St. Petersburg
March 09 Thursday	Meet the crew and snag some raffles! Cigar City Beers showcased at this unique St. Petersburg venue. Come out to spend the night in the courtyard under the stars with live music and multiple taps (including some special release goodies) from Cigar City Brewing, meet the crew and grab your tickets to get a chance to win one of the items we will be raffling off. The Ale & The Witch 111 2nd Avenue Northeast  St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Highland Brewing Company Night at the Tampa Mellow Mushroom – Tampa
March 09 Thursday	The Tampa Mellow Mushroom is bringing in the Highland brews! Do not miss this event if you like Highland Brewing Company. The only way to try more styles from this amazing North Carolina brewery is if you go to Asheville! Look for rare and one-off beers. Mellow Mushroom 11955 Sheldon Road  Tampa, FL 33626
Hunahpu Day – Tampa
March 11 Saturday	Celebrate the release of Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout. On Saturday, March 10th, Cigar City Brewing will be releasing Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout. Just like the previous two times we’ve released it, we’re going to devote the day to its release. We plan to have several guest beers and other exciting stuff on tap, as well as, of course, our own offerings. Cigar City 3924 West Spruce Street, Ste. A, Tampa, FL
Sour Beer Big Bottle Sunday at the Seminole Heights Independent - Tampa
March 12 Sunday	Long Tampa Bay Beer Week? Sour Beer is the cure! Join us for some Rodenbach Flanders Red Ales and other delicious sours- don’t be afraid to get your Gueuze on! Seminole Heights Independent 5016 N Florida Ave, Tampa, Florida 33603

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Oktoberfest in Florida 2011

Oktoberfest is an annual event to celebrate Bill Brasky’s perpetual drunkenness. If you live in Florida, here’s where you should go to partake in the festivities.

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Tampa Beer Lovers: Hark!

Brasky.org received this urgent message from local beer heroes Southern Brewing and Winemaking this evening:

The Tampa City Council will be voting on our zoning requests for the new store location, (4500 N. Nebraska Ave.), this Thursday, June 9 at 6:00 in the City Council Chambers, located on the 3rd floor of City Hall, 306 E. Jackson St. Aside from a parking waiver, we have requested zoning allowing us to sell beer, wine and liquor on premise and to go. Our vision behind this is to open a small brewery and winery to compliment our homebrewing and winemaking shop, which will use half of the building. Wine and beer making hobbyists can experience the whole range of the craft by observing a professional brewing and winemaking operation, tasting artisanal beers and wine, interacting with the brewer and winemaker and shopping for equipment and supplies, all under one roof.

Our hopes are also to contribute to the revitalization of Seminole Heights by giving our newly purchased building a face lift and further establishing the neighborhood as a destination point for craft beer and wine enthusiasts.

So please show your support by attending the meeting or by sending an email to the Council members below. And if you are able to support us by attending the meeting, please join us at Tampa Bay Brewing Company afterwards for some great beer and wine.

BRSKY wants to see your magnanimous emails to the elected officials below:

Mike Suarez
mike.suarez@tampagov.net

Charlie Miranda
charlie.miranda@tampagov.net

Mary Mulhern
mary.mulhern@tampagov.net

Harry Cohen
harry.cohen@tampagov.net

Yvonne Yolie Capin
yvonne.capin@tampagov.net

Frank Reddick
frank.reddick@tampagov.net

Lisa Montelione
lisa.montelione@tampagov.net

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Go Here Drink This, Volume 1: Tampa Music Venues

In light of the upcoming Craft Beer Week, we here at Brasky are looking to shine a light on how to correctly enjoy the fruits of fermentation in the Tampa Bay area. So, in volume 1 of our new series ‘Go Here, Drink This’, we decided to showcase some of Tampa’s finest music venues. As Brasky knows firsthand, drinks at major venues are typically overpriced and underwhelming. They’re usually clear, yellow, overfizzed and nine dollars a pop, sometimes citing a ‘souvenir’ cup as incentive to overpay. Every cup is a souvenir cup if you take the damn thing home with you!

Luckily for you, it turns out that some music venues in the Tampa Bay area do strive to promise tasty and affordable brews for the nuanced imbiber. Brasky knows that there are times when a show that piques one’s interest may teeter on the brink of your attendance, requiring some intangible last push to get you out to see live music you may live to regret missing. For most of us here at Brasky, beer is that glorious shove. Each venue below gives an idea of the venue’s vibe, and of course, a GO-TO BREW to enjoy during your next visit.
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American Craft Beer Week in Florida

UPDATE: New Events Added!
American Craft Beer Week takes place from May 16th to 22nd. If you’re in Florida, here’s where you should be during this fine event.

CCB Craft Beer Scavenger Hunt – Tampa
May 16 Monday	Cigar City Brewing will be hosting a Craft Beer Scavenger Hunt, which will be on-going throughout the week starting on Monday the 16th. Cigar City Brewing 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida, 33607
American Craft Beer Week @ BrewGrrs – Vero Beach
May 16 Monday	Each day will feature the tapping of two small (1/6 – 1/4) exclusive kegs. BrewGrrs 390 21st Street Unit 104, Vero Beach, Florida, 32960
Meads and Ciders Night – Tampa
May 16 Monday	Mead tasting and cider specials starting at 7pm. Independent 5016 N Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 33603
Swamp Head Taproom Takeover at Cigar City – Tampa
May 17 Tuesday	Swamp Head Brewery will be putting their beer on tap at the Cigar City Tasting Room. Cigar City Tasting Room 3924 West Spruce Street Suite A, Tampa, Florida, 32607
Brews with Attitude – Tampa
May 17 Tuesday	Pepin Distributing is hosting the 1st annual Brews with Attitude Craft Beer Fest on May 17th, featuring Live Music, Food Concessions and home brewing demonstrations. Tickets are $20 in advance, with over 100 craft brews on tap. Our friends at Southern Brewing and Winemaking will be helping out with a homebrew contest… stop by the shop to pick up entry forms. Pepin Distributing Tasting Room 4121 N. 50th Street Tampa FL 33610
CC Taproom Takeover at Swamp Head – Gainesville
May 18 Wednesday	Cigar City will be putting their beer on tap at the Swamp Head Brewery Tasting Room. Swamp Head Brewery Tasting Room 3140 S.W. 42nd WAY, Gainesville, Florida, 32608
Hopheads Unite! – Tampa
May 18 Wednesday	American highly-hopped beer specials: Pale Ales, IPAs, and DIPAs. Independent 5016 N Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 33603
Beer Movie Night – Tampa
May 18 Wednesday	Cigar City Brewing will roll out the popcorn maker and host a Beer Movie Night! Enjoy a line up of both informative and entertaining movies devoted to our favorite topic, BEER! Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida, 33607
Cigar City Cheese & Chocolate Pairing – Tampa
May 19 Thursday	Stop by Cigar City Brewing for a  cheese and chocolate pairing event. Taste the beers from our own brewery and perhaps a few others paired with a selection of cheeses and chocolate all made by artisan producers. The tasting will take place in the tasting room beginning at 5:00 and going until 8:00. Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida, 33607
Southern Tier Tap Takeover! – Tampa
May 19 Thursday	Craft beer week in Florida enjoys some Northern exposure! Try many award-winning brews from this distinguished craft brewery from Lakewood, NY on Thursday. Pint and Flight specials all night starting at 7PM. Tampa Tap Room 13150 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, Florida, 33618
Intuition Ale Works – Jacksonville
May 20 Friday	Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena 300 A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida, 32202
Public Brew Session – Tampa
May 20 Friday	Ever want to try your hand at brewing? Here’s your chance! Come out to Cigar City Brewing and brew with Ben Romano, our pilot brewer. Ben will guide you through making a batch of beer as part of our pilot series for the tasting room. Time is to be announced, however, we will likely be starting in the morning and the brew day generally lasts about 6 – 8 hours. Space for this day will be limited, so if you are interested in attending email Travis to reserve your spot at travis@cigarcitybrewing.com. Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida, 33607
Swamp Head Releases 10-10-10 – Gainesville
May 20 Friday	Swamp Head will celebrate the release of its 100th batch of beer on May 20th, 100 days after it was brewed. This Imperial IPA, who’s roots came from our popular 10-10-10, got it’s name from the use of all centennial hops, 10 different hop editions and all multiples of 10 or 100 in all ingredients in the brewing process. Swamp Head Tasting Room 3140 S.W. 42nd WAY, Gainesville, Florida, 32608
Nielsbohrium Release – Tampa
May 21 Saturday	Cigar City Brewing is excited to release a very special beer we have been working on, Nielsbohrium, which is part of the collaboration we brewed with Mikkeller back in December. This Imperial Sweet Stout brewed with raisins has been resting in rum barrels for months and has just been bottled and will be ready to go just in time to be part of our celebration. More details on the release to follow, but the bottles will be available and it will make a very special, limited appearance on tap. Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida, 33607

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2011′s Publix Beer Cheers!

It’s been a full year since our last Publix Beer Cheers segment, and boy has a lot gone down. Our favorite local grocier, Publix, has begun a full-scale roll-out of delicious craft beers that has spilled over into end caps and coolers, bringing top notch libations to the free world and beyond. In honor of the bombers, six packs and finely packaged Belgian treats that we see on a weekly basis, Brasky would like to highlight five beers that you, the local hero that you are, can get at your neighborhood Publix. If you live in another part of the country, well, try Wegmans, Raleys, you get the drift. Publix is based in Central Florida, ok? Alright, now. Go on, read the beer cheers. Git!
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Hunahpu 2011 Sneak Peek!

Brasky staff was treated to an excellent surprise on Tuesday, when at a regional beer club meeting, Joey Redner from Cigar City Brewing showed up with a brand new case of 2011′s Hunahpu Imperial Stout. In addition to being subject to a sample six weeks before the official roll out (more info below), Brasky was privileged to pop tops in the company of some of Florida’s most distinguished beer aficionados. But wait a second, what’s Hunahpu? Don’t worry, son. Brasky will tell you.

2010′s Bourbon Barrel aged Hunahpu was the number 3 beer in the WORLD, according to RateBeer.com. The regular version? Number 17. No big deal. Not for a brewery in its second year of production. In 2011, Hunahpu and its various incarnations make up three of the top 32 entrants into best beer in the world, including #10 and 12 in the US, and #2 in the world for Stouts. What is it that makes this brew so unbelievable?

Take an award winning Imperial Stout recipe, add Mayan cacao nibs and Madagascar Vanilla beans, and you’re getting into uncharted territory. But top it off with a perfect dosage of Ancho and Pasillo chilis, take the ABV up to 11.5%, and this beer clearly has something special going on.

It pours flat, big black cocoa diesel fuel, clinging to the side of the glass with viscous alcohol legs. The nose is chocolate sweetness, and the first sip is an exploration of texture, as slight carbonation seeps out of a rich, savory thickness. The vanilla is more evident after the initial cacao explosion subsides, and just as one notices the alcohol linger the chili peppers match the tone with a numbing sparkle. Each sip is novel, and the intensity is so balanced and natural in flavor that even the most experienced tasters grasp at terms wise enough to encompass this taste. What amazes us is the sheer body of this beer; Russian imperial stouts and Baltic porters are notorious for their inky black thickness, but Hunahpu is something special. The sheer cojones it takes to dream of this beer are noteworthy, but to make it work, kudos. Kudos.

Cigar City will release the 2011 Hunahpu March 12 at the Cigar City Brewery in Tampa Florida. The Brewery is on Spruce Street just west of Dale Mabry Highway.

*NOTE* Limit four bombers per attendee… there are allegedly only 3,000 bottles available for the event. Plan your trip accordingly!
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Save Cigar City’s Tasting Room!

As we’ve mentioned before, Cigar City Brewing is widely considered the best thing going in Florida craft beer. With one of their beers, Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, regarded as one of the 10 best in the world by BeerAdvocate.com, it’s not difficult to argue Cigar City’s growing value to the city of Tampa. The increasing prestige and cult popularity of Cigar City’s beer does not appear to be fully understood by Tampa City Council representatives, however.
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Cigar City Brewing Featurette

Florida is characterized by beer distributors and wholesalers as ‘a light lager crowd’, or a major-brand-preferring consumer base, much the same as the general beer-drinking populace of North America. Although a ‘light lager’ is just the sort of brew meant to be enjoyed while lazing on the beach or pounding em back at a college party, what are Floridian beer snobs expected to do? There are many reasons for this barren beer landscape: Florida has a heterogenous mixture of transplant residents with no strong preference for any particular variant of tasty brew, it has the general lack of unique local restaurant chains that could be tempted to serve craft brews (Outback steakhouse and Hooter’s both started in the Tampa Bay area), and a dearth of local craft brewers. Luckily for Floridians, that last driver for the formation of a ‘light lager crowd’ is beginning to fall apart. Craft breweries are starting up all across the sunshine state (there’s a list at the bottom!), and some are producing downright sensational products. One in particular, Cigar City Brewing, is stepping up to the Craft Brew microphone and making a lot of noise.
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5 More Publix Beer Cheers

Time for another Publix dick-riding session! The following five beers are not the craziest, tastiest, or most amazing beers, but they are definitely more cost effective than the last five. These will all set you back about seven to eight bucks a six pack. If you’re not from the south, then you’re probably confused as to what I’m talking about. Publix is a grocery store that specializes in going balls-out for its customers. Its headquarters are in Florida, and the majority of its stores are also located within the penile state. I once read a ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ column in Reader’s Digest (the best the doctor’s office could afford) that claimed that a little girl mispronounced the pledge of allegiance by instead saying ‘and to the Publix where we buy our stamps.’ As if the world needed more convincing that little kids are stupid. That being said, we begin our list of Publix-available beers.
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