Anne and I spent Saturday afternoon at the Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room. In addition to being a cool place to hang out and have a pint or two, there’s the added bonus of getting a tour of the brewery. The Tasting Room draws a nice crowd of people from all ages, and the novice [...]
There was a 1970s commercial from Maxwell House stating that their coffee was “good to the last drop.” And there’s an ale from Cigar City that lives up to this adage as well. Cigar City Cubano Espresso (Cigar City Brewing; Tampa, FL; American Brown Ale; ABV: 5.5), an offering from the brewery’s Maduro series, is [...]
Thanksgiving is always a festive time of year for us. Whether it’s enjoying turkey with all the trimmings, spending time with family and friends, or watching a little football, this holiday is one that we definitely look forward to. I was also looking forward to trying a new anniversary ale brewed in a limited release. [...]
San Diego based brewery AleSmith has crafted an impressive list of world class ales. So it was a no brainer to try their offering of my favorite style of beer. AleSmith Old Numbskull (AleSmith Brewing Co.; San Diego, CA; Barley Wine; ABV: 11.0) is a classic West Coast barley wine. It pours a deep amber [...]
As anyone who follows the news knows, South Florida is awash with pythons. Since escaping into the wild from private owners or zoos the last decade or two, they have bred like rabbits and threaten to disrupt the ecosystem. Fortunately, there’s a python that you won’t mind coiling up to. Coney Island Albino Python (Shmaltz [...]
I opened the first bottle from my Mr. Beery’s gift basket last night in Naples, and Anne and I enjoyed a remarkable saison before heading out to dinner. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (Boulevard Brewing Co.; Saison / Farmhouse Ale; ABV: 8.0), brewed in the brewery’s infamous fermenter number 7, is a straw colored ale [...]
We stopped by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Pinellas Park on Sunday for dinner, and noticed that they had an abbey ale as the special on draft. Beer Advocate had it listed as retired, but BJ’s is brewing it again. I can definitely attest, after a couple of pints, that everything’s back to Normal! BJ’s [...]
It’s an annual right of passage at the beginning of February that two world renowned Imperial IPAs make their mark upon the craft beer world. The first, Russian River Pliny The Younger (Russian River Brewing Co.; Santa Rosa, CA; Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 11.0), has become the Holy Grail for many beer enthusiasts. While [...]
With the explosion of the craft beer industry, it seems like ales and lagers are giving wine a run for its money as the drink of choice. In fact, many breweries have started to age their ales in oak barrels which give them a distinct wine like character. This “crossover” is producing beers that appeal [...]