Stopped by The Shamrock yesterday afternoon and was pleased to learn from James that a porter I have wanted to try was on tap. Described by Ommegang as a “Belgian Love Affair”, I was quite eager to try this latest offering from the Cooperstown brewery. Ommegang Seduction (Brewery Ommegang; Cooperstown, NY; Porter; ABV: 6.8) is [...]
We attended the Seventh Sun Brewing Company release party in Dunedin on Saturday, as a packed house was on hand to usher in the new Tampa Bay area brewery’s first official pouring. Local bluegrass band the Crackerbilly’s entertained the crowd, and tasty cuisine was provided by Dunedin’s Olde Bay Café and Tampa gourmet caterer Wicked [...]
With numerous church steeples dominating the city skyline, and a tolerance for all religions dating back to the original 13 colonies, Charleston is known as the Holy City. And during our recent trip, I became a true believer in their craft beer scene as well, since the area breweries have a gift for brewing some [...]
Anne and I were invited by Greg Rapp, brewer extraordinaire and founder of the Pinellas Urban Brewers Guild, to his home on Saturday for Rapp on Tap. The event featured more than 20 craft beers, including 16 of Greg’s brewings on tap, in addition to offerings from other PUBGuild members. There was a great turnout [...]
It’s always a culinary treat when Pure Indulgence Catering of Sarasota is on hand for a food and beer pairing at Mr. Beery’s. Whether its sliders or grilled cheese sandwiches, there’s always something scrumptious on the menu to enjoy with some tasty brews. For last Tuesday night’s theme, it was Cookies & Beer. Trust me, [...]
Anne and I went up to Cajun Cafe On The Bayou in Pinellas Park on Saturday to attend their annual Fall Craft Beer Festival. Rated by RoadTripsforBeer.com as one of the country’s Top 10 Fall Beer Festivals, this event featured more than 100 homebrew, craft, and imported beers. Tampa Bay is fortunate to have a [...]
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 [...]