Stopped by Willards Tap House in Largo on Wednesday night. St. Pete’s Trigger City Trio was on hand to entertain the crowd with a mixture of rock, funk, reggae, and blues, from their original music to unique covers such as Stevie Wonder’s “Sign Sealed Delivered” and The Beatles’ “Back In The USSR.” And of course [...]
I received a couple of sample bottles from Newcastle of an ale that’s part of their Limited Edition series. As I’d enjoyed their Newcastle Winter IPA from a previous sampling, I was looking forward to trying this latest offering. Newcastle Founders’ Ale (Caledonian Brewery; Edinburgh, Scotland (UK); English Pale Ale; ABV: 4.8) is a fine [...]
My friend Steve and I dropped by Cigar City Brewing in Tampa yesterday to check out the latest brews on tap. While the Tasting Room had a great selection of CCB beers on draft, it was a guest beer, enthusiastically recommended by a beer representative from J.J.Taylor, that really caught my attention. Hill Farmstead Edward [...]
We spent the holidays in Charleston last week, and on Thursday decided to go on The Original Pub Tour of Charleston. This wasn’t just any pub tour, as our guide Ben took the group on a nearly 3 hour journey of the city itself, educating us on all of its rich history, in addition to [...]
Had a chance to visit a couple of Jacksonville breweries that had been on my radar. The first, Bold City Brewery, caught my attention when I sampled a bomber of their 1901 Red Ale (Bold City Brewery; Jacksonville, FL; American Amber / Red Ale; ABV: 8.0), a robust and complex ale with big notes of [...]
I received several samples this past week of an IPA that is part of Newcastle’s Limited Edition Series. Having enjoyed several of the Scottish brewery’s offerings in the past, including New Castle Brown Ale and especially their John Courage Amber Ale when it was available in the U.S., I was more than curious to give [...]
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 [...]