Take me out to the ball game..

Spring time in Dunedin, Florida..

A wonderful time of year, pretty much anywhere in Florida the sun is getting higher in the sky and the little bit of cooler weather is gone but not yet replaced by the hot, humid summers we are used to. Perfect time for a few days of spring training baseball games, especially Blue Jays games since they are after all less than a mile away. Now I am not really a loyal baseball fan, on TV the games are the best way for me to be seduced to a nap, but to go and see a game and have a hot dog and a beer IS truly an "All-American" pastime. There is only generally one problem with this.. Beer at my local stadium sucks! I was lucky enough to sit in one of the luxury boxes for one of the games and had a never ending supply of Labatt's Blue which was palatable but when you are down in the regular Joe seats it's more meager.. The big "AB selection" and not even the new more "handcrafted" Michelob products just Regular, Light, and I think I have seen the Lime for the really adventurous.. If you really want to throw your money down the tubes you can drink Corona or Corona Light, and the guy will even hook you up with a lime..GREAT! Yuck!! I choked through 2 of them when a pal button hooked me and announced he wasn't drinking anymore at a recent game.. I thought about tossing it, but I am a little cheap so I suffered through it cursing my buddie the whole way. Man, I never thought they could make that beer less enjoyable, and I am usually the proponent for canned beer but that was another story.
Now I have to be subjective, and like I have noted before faced with the prospect of drinking cheap beer that I really do not like I consider it a learning experience. I drink a few and realize why I am dedicated to my mission to help everyone consider better beer, they are right you want it to be cold, really cold because if you taste it you might not finish believe this in their million dollar advertising campaigns..

By the way, the Phillies stadium in Clearwater has made the commitment to better beer even having Dunedin Brewery's Piper's Pale Ale on tap for the last 3 seasons now. In addition to this they have about 100 other selections in bottles and a few others on tap, definitely an easier place for a person like me to watch a ball game just not easier to get home from afterwards. I also know that soon the Devil Rays will be playing their regular season games at the Trop in St. Pete and this is another place I know you can get a quality pint if you look hard enough at least in the past. I will have to wait for an update from the beer geeks who will get down there as soon as the season opens to find out if it is still that way this season too. GO RAYs!

More later..

Cheers!

big mouths and free beers..

I have to say thank you to whom ever is actually reading this thing.. I have been to a few of my usual haunts in the past month or so and been treated to a pint or two from my gracious friends who run these places because of people who have seen them mentioned on my feeble little rant they call a blog (your here now!)... Again, THANK YOU!! The free pints help, I'm a working man after all! Really, I am just happy first that people are reading, and of course that people are finding the places I am mentioning because I would never steer anyone wrong but you know that already. I hope. I owe you all a pint one day, and hope to pay up soon, but in the mean time keep supporting local establishments that support local and for that matter better beers in general.

Dunedin House of Beers is going strong with a majority of their draft system up and running with a few goodies and lots of the usual better beers on tap, they are on Broadway Ave in Dunedin if you have not checked them out. Parking is a bummer but go around back to find a spot.

In other news the Dunedin Brewery will be releasing a "Wee Heavy" Highland Games Ale and " The Rock" Double IPA within the month to the pub and a few very thirst and worthy local establishments. So far initial tastings of these beers show them to be big-assed ball busters but maybe I am biased.. You should come check it out for yourself but give it a few more weeks (mid April) we will also have a cask night with "The Rock". Will keep you posted.

Cheers!

Amatuer Night

So tonight is St. Patrick's Day, that joyous day in which everyone claims to be a little bit Irish and is usually filled with beer, corned beef, and obnoxious clothing as I have noticed more and more to name a few of it's better features.. I work for a brewery remember, so after years of seeing this be a crazy drunken night of people who really wait for that one day of the year to lose their sense of moderation I usually do not drink on this night. As an advocate of the more than occasional beer, there are few days of the year that I do not drink and this is one of them probably the biggest..

I was in Amsterdam once during St. Patrick's Day and you would never know it was going on if you did walk by the couple Irish Pubs in town and it was mostly Americans who we heard drinking heavily being loud and crazy. I thought it was kind of funny, and a little bit of home in an unfamiliar place though I did not go into any of those places (no need for that much a taste of home).

Sorry to be the party pooper on this one.. It is still a special day for me, in another way.

Cigar City Brewing is now available on Tap in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, Maduro Brown was released in fact the first keg was tapped at Redlight, Redlight probably a blast of a party! I am sure the Taphouse will be getting it soon if not already so I am sure I will be enjoying a few of them soon. The CCB kick off/initial release party will be at the Oldsmar Taphouse by the way on March 28th starting at 2pm I believe. They will be tapping special kegs all day long.

Cheers!

What a long strange trip...

Stogie and Stout was a success, but it seemed to start a chain of events and other things to do that have kept me away from the computer. We ended up with 35 beers total, including 2 on cask and 5 in bottles! Cigars were from Don Pepin, Fuente, Rocky Patel and others.. The event was attended by about 250 people total, up from last year.

I am working on a few more festivals.. Maybe an IPA fest in May? Keep your eyes out for more info..

Now things are seemingly back to normal and have quieted down a bit which is good for the chores and other things neglected around the house while I am off drinking beer..

Yesterday was the BFBC's Brewer's Ball, the once a year that seems to be the crescendo to the month of judging and events in line with the "Best Florida Beer Championships" the Stogie and Stout being a part of that. The Brewer's Ball is always a crazy party with all of the gold medal winning beers on tap from the competition for you to try at your leisure, in fact go ahead and pour it yourself! This is the one time a year everyone for the most part comes together, and for a lot of us the only time we see each other each year. To see old friends in the brewing industry around Florida and otherwise is always fun and needless to say most wake up the next day moving a little slow..

Another beer bar is a brewing in Dunedin, the House of Beers is already open for the bottle only trial run and I am told the taps will be installed this week and they will be up and running within the next few weeks.. The location is not perfect but I think Rick and Andy will find success in their endeavors as Dunedin is quite a beer friendly town. I wish them the best and will probably be bellied up to the bar some nights as it is bicycle distance to the house and it is never the drive to my beloved Oldsmar Taphouse that is hard, it is the ride home.. Or most honestly picking it up the next day! Seriously, by the way don't booze and cruise. Not to sound like any ones momma, but be smart.. The House of Beers is set for 40 taps and about 200 bottles, there is sure to be something tasty to drink on tap or in the bottle. I look forward to it!

Lately I have been able to get Dragon Stout from Jamaica, this beer I found out is available after a long time of not being available in the states. I have not seen it a lot of places, but it is JJ Taylor (Tampa Bay Miller/Coors, craft, etc. distributor) that distributes it. This is a Sweet Stout, really almost cloying but with a cigar or the right food or mood it is really good. The sweetness is not lactic as it is with a lot of craft brewed stouts of this style, Dragon's is almost of roasted/burnt molasses, with a small crisp spice from the small addition of what hops they do add. This same brewery brews Guinness for the island of Jamaica, which is a different recipe even than the Export we can get here in the states. I have had both in my trips and this is pretty much as good as it gets for the beer snob in JA.


More to come..

Cheers!