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Craft Beer Blast
April, 2013 |
| From Larry... | |
The Beer Festivals continue... From April 4 - 7th Brew on the Bay craft beer and homebrew competition is in Key Largo. This festival has three days of beer related events scheduled. Veritage Miami presents a craft beer tasting at Wynwood Walls on Wednesday April 17th.
The "Style of the Month" for April is American Amber Ale, similar to pale ales but with more body, caramel richness and balanced toward malt instead of hops. American Ambers first were popular in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest before spreading all around the country.
The Brewery of the Month for April is Lost Coast Brewing in Eureka, CA. Open since 1990, LCB is one of the oldest breweries in Humboldt county. Over the years the brewery had developed a great selection of west coast influenced ales. Now available in over 22 states and Canada, LCB has fans in many different places. I visited the brewpub last August and enjoyed several brewery only ales, and a menu with a great selection of foods to satisfy everyone.
The craft beer category continues to grow. New breweries are opening or being planned all over Florida. In this month's Florida Brewery Corner, I visit The Hourglass Brewery, located in Longwood, FL just east of Orlando. It was great day to visit, St Patrick's day, and the beer was good too.
This just in...while creating The Blast another new brewery was discovered. Moron Brothers Brewery is somewhere here in Miami. I know nothing about them, just that they will be pouring at the Brew on the Bay festival this weekend. The FB page shows a zip code less than 2 miles form where I sit! Can't wait to see what it's all about.
Coming next month: the 4th annual Brew at the Zoo. Also, American Craft Beer Week is May 13 - 19th 2013. More next month.
Cheers,
Larry |
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Brew on the Bay - Key Largo Craft Beer Fest.
This weekend, April 4 - 7th. Brew on the Bay has three days of beer events planned. On Thursday, a Homebrewers Showcase Competition will be presented at Doc's Diner in Key Largo. Friday there is a "meet and greet" of brewery reps and brewers from Saturday's festival. This event is included with your VIP ticket for the festival. On Saturday, the main event is from 1 - 5 PM at the Rowell's Marina property located at MM104.5. This festival looks like a good one with over 80 craft beers on the menu. With the island atmosphere and great weather it promises to be a fun weekend. There is also a "hangover cruise" brunch from 11 - 1 aboard the Island Time Paddlewheel Riverboat on Sunday. For more details see the website. |
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Style of the Month
American Amber Ale
American amber ales are light copper to light brown in color. Hops are present but not pronounced. The malts should balance the hop flavors and bitterness. When drinking it starts with a sweet maltiness followed by a caramel flavor. Usually pours with a big white head. Amber ales are similar to pale ales but darker in color, with more body, caramel richness and balance more toward malt than hops. A refreshing ale; many spring seasonal beers are amber ales. Bluepoint's Spring Fling is a good example of the style. (They call it a copper ale.) Lost Coast Brewing makes Alleycat Amber, a good west coast example of the style. When I visited LCB, they had a dry hopped version which was hoppier than many amber ales. |
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 Brewery of the Month Lost Coast Brewing In the mid 1980's Barbara Groom and Wendy Pound had a dream. They thought "What could be better than making your own beer?" Well, making your own beer and selling it. After test brewing and planning for years, along with visits to many English pubs, Barbara and Wendy opened the Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe in Eureka, California. The brewery opened in July of 1990 in a 100 year old restored wooden building. The Pythian Castle sits on the Redwood Highway (US-101) and is a great fit for a brewpub. With high ceilings and several different seating areas, it has a great atmosphere for locals and visitors alike. The cool climate and clean water of the Humboldt Bay area helps in brewing exceptional ales. By brewing with Western Plains barley and wheat, master brewer Barbara has created a 'west coast' feel and taste to her beers. In the early 2000's LCB outgrew the original brewery and moved production down the street. Now sold in 22 states and Canada, Lost Coast is planning yet another expansion. The brewpub remains at the original location and is a must visit when in Humboldt. I visited last summer, and my review can be seen on my 2012 review page. |
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This Month
The 2X Ultra IPA, Blackstar BIPA and Dublin over Irish Red are on now.The specialty beers continue...cask conditioned Rye will be on this week; stop by for a pint before it's gone
Sports Grill SoMi presents Terrapin night on April 4th. The tap takeover includes many Terrapin brews along with one super special keg. Stop on by! |
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More Beer Stuff..
Wynwood Brewery brewmaster Naga is making some great beers. They are dealing with the usual red tape to get the brewery open. Follow their progress on the Facebook page. They hope to be open in late spring.
World of Beer Dadeland Bluepoint Brewing is the featured brewery of the month with their beers on tap or in bottles all month. At the end of the month there is a raffle for a special basket of Bluepoint swag. April 9th is Due South Brewery Night, with a wide selection of Due South brews on tap.
WOB Kendall April 16th is Stone brewery night with some great Stone beers on the menu. See the event calendar for more details. Throughout the month Beer Bingo will take place on Tuesday nights. |
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Florida Brewery Corner
Hourglass Brewery in Longwood, FL is one of Florida's newest breweries. I visited on St. Patrick's Day and really enjoyed the beer and tasting room atmosphere. Brett is making some good brews and many beer enthusiasts were there. Read more on my
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© Larry Goeser
Miami, Florida Good Beer Larry |
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