I’m glad to see that one of my favorite Flemish ales, once brewed in a limited basis, is finally available here in the Tampa Bay area. Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale (Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.; Ertvelde, Belgium; Flanders Oud Bruin; ABV: 5.5) is brewed in Belgium for the acclaimed Philadelphia brewpub. This exceptional sour ale [...]
While Italy is widely known for its wine culture, the country has a lot to offer in the beer world as well besides Peroni and Moretti. The Italians have had a thriving craft beer industry over the last few years, and we got “A Taste of Italy” when stopping by Mr. Beery’s on Sunday. Stew [...]
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 [...]
Anne and I were up in Dunedin on Sunday to do a little holiday shopping as well as checking out the latest craft brewery to open in the Tampa Bay area. Seventh Sun Brewing Company, owned by Justin Stange and Devon Kreps, officially opened this past Friday evening. Taking a back to basics [...]
During our trip to Jacksonville this past weekend, Anne and I decided to drop by one of the country’s premier gastropubs. Situated in the Riverside section of the city, which has a Portland like vibe to it and houses such notable craft breweries as Bold City and Intuition Ale Works, Kickbacks Gastropub has 84 craft [...]
Anne and I were in Chicago this past week on vacation. We enjoyed everything that this world class city had to offer, including exceptional food and drink. And you knew we just had to pay a visit to one of my favorite breweries, Goose Island, on Saturday. Their Clybourn brewpub is located in Lincoln Park, [...]
Marzens tend to be traditional Fall beers, but I had the chance to try a different take on this beer style at Crum’s Bar and Grill recently. Cigar City Marzen Spring Lager (Cigar City Brewing; Tampa, FL; Marzen; ABV: 5.5) is also known as Cigar City Oktoberfest Marzen when it’s released during the autumn months. [...]
You can add Crum’s Bar and Grill to a growing list of exceptional brewpubs in the Tampa Bay area. Located in downtown St. Petersburg, and owned by Chris Crum and Lanette Miller, Crum’s Bar and Grill offers craft beer, food, and live music in a hip casual setting. Speaking of which, there’s 52 selections of [...]
The last time I was at the Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room in Tampa, I learned something new. Did you know that bats pollinate blue agave plants, which provide the ingredient found in tequila? So it’s fitting that I tried a double cream ale, named for the bat, that’s aged in tequila barrels. Cigar City [...]