American Craft Beer Week is nearly upon us, and the Tampa Bay Area is going all out. On both sides of the bay, craft beer enthusiasts will be celebrating in grand style. In fact, there is not enough space in this article to post every event for each day, but here are some highlights. Weeklong [...]
If someone was to take away only one thing from Saturday’s Hunahpu release extravaganza at Cigar City Brewing, it would be that Florida’s growing craft beer culture is alive and kicking. Over 1000 strong showed up for the chocolatey-spicy brew release, and were treated to an incredible lineup of beers. Most impressive to me, however, [...]
Gainesville’s Swamp Head Brewery won the day on Saturday at the 2011 Best Florida Beer Championship with seven Gold Medals overall, and taking both first and second place in the Best of Show award. The Best of show winner was their new Blackwater Floridian Dark Ale. There has been some debate nationally over what to call [...]
Following on the heels of a most excellent Stogies & Stout night at Dunedin Brewery, the Tampa Bay area will be keeping the craft beer love going – and flowing – for another couple of weeks. Just as a quick recap, Stogies & Stout was amazing. Twenty-two different American stouts that ran the gamut from [...]
Its that time of year again: the annual Stogies & Stout event at the Dunedin Brewery returns this weekend, Saturday, February 26th. With over twenty top-notch stouts to taste (and there will certainly be many other beers around as well if last year is any indication), this is a can’t miss event. Some of the breweries [...]
No beer culture, you say? Tell that to the craft beer lovers in Florida now that the latest Ratebeer.com Best 2011 Awards have been released. From breweries to beer bars, brewpubs to restaurants, Florida has onace again made a showing in this reviewer-driven recognition. Although anchored by the ongoing success and popularity of Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, [...]
Is the release of Cigar City‘s much-ballyhooed Hunahpu’s Mayan Chocolate Imperial Stout becoming an event along the lines of Dark Lord Day or Kate the Great? While it may not be at that level yet, it certainly seems to be moving in that direction. Last week, Cigar City Brewing released the details of the Second [...]
So have you ever wanted to have your artwork show up on a craft beer label? Maybe you fancy yourself the next Randy Mosher or Ralph Steadman. If you were asked to create a label or logo for your favorite beer, what would you do? Well, Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida is asking. In [...]
The day of reckoning finally arrived, and the good guys emerged victorious, once again. The Tampa City Council voted by a margin of 4-3 to approve Cigar City’s wet-zoning, and effectively keep the tasting room open. I have not been to a City Council meeting since 1992 in Cotati, California to support my local watering hole, [...]
Each year, local magazine Creative Loafing holds an online auction to benefit The Children’s Home, an 118-year-old organization providing safe haven for neglected and abused children and helping nearly 12,000 adults and kids annually. Items run the full spectrum from DVD packages and spa days to even “owning” the cover of the magazine for an [...]
