The Auld Allance was an alliance forged between Scotland and France, lasting from 1295 until 1560 when the Treaty of Edinburgh was enacted. And it’s also the namesake of an ale that was collaborated on by two of Tampa Bay’s elite breweries. Cigar City Auld Alliance (Cigar City Brewing; Tampa, FL; Scotch Ale / Wee [...]
The Art Institute of Chicago is a must see on your next trip to the Windy City. The museum houses more than 300,000 works of art, from ancient artifacts through the Impressionists era right up to modern works. And the city has much to offer in the way of artisan ales as well. After an [...]
Anne and I stopped by Mr. Dunderbak’s the other day for lunch and to enjoy a beer or two. While talking beer with J.B., he introduced me to a truly exceptional Helles lager traditionally featured at Octoberfest. Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff (Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG; München, Germany; Munich Helles Lager; ABV: 5.7) hails from a brewery that [...]
One of the highlights from Tuesday night’s Beer Nerd Night at Mr. Beery’s was the sour ale presented by Mark. It was another outstanding offering from the Chicago brewery Goose Island. Goose Island Juliet (Goose Island Beer Co.; Chicago, IL; American Wild Ale; ABV: 6.7) truly deserves its world class ranking. Aged in cabernet barrels [...]
It was a very festive St. Paddy’s Day yesterday. I started out at Shakespeare’s, said hi to the gang, and had a couple of pints with my corned beef & cabbage. From there, I headed down to the very busy Gulf Gate area to meet my friends Steve and Bill. We started and finished at [...]
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 [...]