On Friday January 25th I headed to Jupiter for the weekend festivals. Along the way I stopped by Due South as I haven't been there for a while. Back in 2012 I was there for the grand opening. I have been by several times since and they have come a long way. Each time I visit there are changes and improvements that any growing business would have. The taproom has been expanded as has the entire brewery. Due South is now one of the older established breweries in south Florida; I see their brews in cans and on tap all around the area. Not only is the facility improved the beer selection and quality is up as well. There were almost 20 brews available this day; many speciality brews along with the regulars. It was early in the day so samplers were ordered. There are several IPAs which always pleases me as well as some of the Mariana Trench imperial stout from the festival the weekend before. There are several variants; mint chocolate, aged and the original. My favorite IPA was the Nun with a Chainsaw which is brewed with Amarillo, Azacca, and Idaho 7 Hops. This is a good one and also available in cans to go. The different Mariana brews all were enjoyed and some were available to go. It was good to 'catch up' with DSB and the staff was friendly and helpful to everyone. This is one of the better south Florida breweries and a must stop when traveling on I-95 as it is only 2 blocks form the highway at the Gateway road exit. Stop in for a quick brew or an entire evening; looks like fun with great beers to go with it. Website: DueSouthBrewing.com

The Field of beers was in it's "eleventh inning stretch" and the festival in it's thirteenth year. Both went well with some rain at the festival for the first time in thirteen years! The rain didn't hurt anything; people made the best of it and still had a good time. At the FOB there were 15 stations with small bites of food paired with a special beer form each brewery. There were several memorable pairings. Kurobuta Pork Sliders paired with Funky Buddha Stick Nuts, a peanut infused blonde ale that tastes like peanut butter. Nearby was festival regular Rincon Heat a local hot sauce with fresh sucked oysters. New West Palm Beach brewery, Steam Horse had a "double play" with 2 beers; a light lager and a black lager. They were paired with Bauernwurst and Grainy Mustard German potato salad. Double the pleasure... Last but not least was the "Doughnut Forget" dessert and beer pairing all the way out the third base line. As always this was one of the best festivals; it's a tough ticket but well worth the effort to attend.

The Saturday festival had new brewers and is practically all Florida beers as there are so many. In year one there were probably five; now they are the majority of breweries in attendance. Some highlights. Copperpoint Brewing had six beers and the best was A-10 Hop Hog a red IPA. That is now available in a store near you. Gulfstream Brewing of Ft Lauderdale makes best new brewery this year and one of the best. I met the owner, McKay who is from Oregon and is bringing quality Oregon brewing methods and thinking to the south Florida beer scene. I visited later (see below) and really like the taproom and top notch beers from a brewery only open for months! Quality regulars include: Cigar City, 26 degree, Salt Water, Devour, NOBO and Intercoastal of Melbourne. These all are Florida brewers of different sizes and markets. Remember the names. The band was great for the rainy day; they continued to play many familiar covers and were fun to watch. A lady taught me and Mitzie to do the "Lambada" in the pouring rain! All in good fun and the singer played different roles well. A great afternoon of good craft brews, music and fun. See you next year! Website: JupiterCraftBrewersFestival.com

At the-Jupiter festival (above) I met the owner of Gulfstream, McKay. I didn't get to try many beers as they had run out of some. This was no surprise as I would find out later. McKay is from Oregon and has brought his beer industry experience to south Florida. I appreciate his background and attitude about brewing and the business. Oregon is way ahead of us here in south Florida, beer wise. There are many details that less experienced people don't know or forget. An example is is the water at Gulfstream. They get city water from Fort Lauderdale and it isn't great for brewing. McKay and his group spent a long time just getting the water right for brewing. (An important, if not the most important element of brewing.) With this attention to detail and the background Gulfstream is brewing some of the best beer in south Florida. There are twenty brews on tap at any given time. There is something for everyone. There was a good pilsner and a hefeweizen. For me there were 4 IPA's and a red. For dark beer fans there were several porters and a sour beer as well. If you can't find something here, you probably don't like beer! My sampler has Rated R IPA, Departed Red IPA, Graphic Hazy IPA and Holograms Double IPA. The Graphic is an outstanding hazy; not too bitter, juicy (not overdone) and plenty of hops. The place has a laid back vibe and a fun crowd. Locals were friendly and everyone was having a good time. The building is an older place with a high ceiling. All of the brewing equipment is in sight and adds to the atmosphere. I have now visited twice and everyone I have brought along loved the place and we all wish it was closer to home! When is Fort Lauderdale, don't miss this one! Website: GulfstreanBeer.com

The owners of Khoffner Brewing have had "beer in their blood" since 1933! The current owner is the third generation of brewers going back to Germany and Turkey. This brewery is the third of the family's locations. Many of the beers are German styles brewed following the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law. There are also some interesting ales of English organ. Located in an old industrial area of Fort Lauderdale; I almost missed it driving by. The brewery / taproom has a funky feel and there is old brewing related equipment all around. The long bar area looks right into the brewing equipment, with a small room with tables off one side. Tasters were ordered and the styles are varied. I found a hoppy ale that was tasty and my dank beer loving friends had a good selection. Several stouts were enjoyed as well as a Dunkel style dark brew. The pumpkin rye ale was out; too bad it sounds tasty. Khoffner has a local following; most of the folks we spoke to were regulars. This was later at night; they get busier just after work as many nearby workers like to come in for an after work brew or two. Overall a good visit and a decent selection of beers. No food that we could see. Website: Khoffner.us

LauderAle Brewing can be hard to find. After going in circles it was finally spotted from the nearby street. The nearby Port Everglades and the owners marine background make the seafaring theme of the brewery appropriate. Beer names, decor; even the sampler trays look like propellers. The place looks like a lot of fun; indoor and outdoors with many events happening all the time. We were closing the place down so it was fairly quiet on this visit. There is an outdoor stage for music and other entertainment. The next day the brewery was having a super bowl party with a big screen outdoors, food trucks and specials all day. We got the last few spots on the "squares" as we left. (To no avail!) I got a sampler 'prop' with 4 brews. Monkey Road Red Ale was a hoppy red ale with good malts in the background. Hop Mess is a hoppy pale ale - a modern interpretation; almost an IPA. Immigration IPA was a New England IPA with lots of citrus tastes and aromas. This was my favorite of the night. Foxy Christmas Monkey was a dark spicy Christmas ale clocking in at 10.5% ABV. Another good Fort Lauderdale brewery with a big selection of beers all the time. An afternoon or evening here will be fun. The website (LauderAle.co) has an updated beer list and an events page with upcoming events and food trucks.

I first tried Orchid Island Brewing (OIB) back in 2013 at the Jupiter brewfest. They were just starting and trying the idea of making their beers reflect where they are from. Orchid Island was famous for the citrus grown there and that the weather favored it in not freezing ever. So, the idea was to put a bit of Orchid Island in the beers. That first year they put way too much grapefruit in an ale I tried. By the 2014 festival, the beer was greatly improved and I told them so. The people at the booth were good folks and learning the business. The brewery taproom would open later that year. Fast forward to 2019 and I (finally) made it to Orchid Island to try the beer and food. The idea of terroir is relatively new in the world of beer. OIB has nuanced it well and most beers have a bit of the island in them. The Grove to Glass project has produced some unique and tasty brews. OIB also has Farm to Table foods with local top quality food available along with the beers. I had a four beer sampler and tasted all six. The citrus is subtle and adds to the beers. My favorite was the Monster Hole Pale Ale and Star Ruby Imperial IPA brewed with ruby red grapefruit. The venue is a cool place with a fairly laid back crowd; Everyone was friendly and I met several locals who really like the place. OIB should be on any visitors list as the food and beers are great together. it's a bit off the beaten path and will worth visiting. See OrchidIslandBrewing.com for menus and hours.

American Icon Brewery is housed in an iconic, historical building im downtown Vero Beach. Built in 1926, it was used as a diesel run power plant until the 1960's when it was replaced by a stream powered unit. The building and contents would sit for forty years including the generators. One of those generators remains as the centerpiece for the brewery taproom. It too is iconic in that it is American made and representative of a bygone era when huge industrial manufacturing dominated the country. Other icons are all around you; Elvis, Jim Morrison and several others are pictured in various areas of the brewery. AIB is a very cool place the the beer and food didn't disappoint. There is a good selection of brews of many styles. Icon IPA is the flagship and a good one. There also was Juice Box, a 'juicy' NE IPA and my favorite Island Hopper DIPA. Ticker Tape is an authentic Belgian Tripel and Hot Shot is a barrel aged Imperial stout. Of interest was Dragon's Glass a chocolate caramel lager which was copper in color, sweet and light drinking. This was different and probably quite popular. The gastropub food menu had something for everyone and went well with the beers. I appreciate the in house quality food' this makes for a better experience. AIB is a food destination too! Recently AIB has opened a satellite taproom in Ft. Lauderdale.. Website: AmericanIcon.com

What better day to take a three brewery tour than St Pat's day? Having come to the Vero Beach area, after the Sebring races, two breweries were visited on the first night. (See above) There are five breweries between Vero and Sebastian so that left three for St Pat's day. Just a few years ago the area had very little to no craft beer presence. In 2019 there are now five breweries; all making good beer, most with excellent food and friendly great service all around. Sunday March 17, 2019 was a beautiful spring day; perfect for a walk / drive along the Indian River Lagoon and visiting local breweries for lunch and tasters. I was accompanied by two beer loving friends and we headed to Pareidolia Brewing Co. in Sebastian. Pareidolia was easy to find and not too busy in the ear;y afternoon. Located in an old post office building; the taproom has a 'funky' feel about it with breweriana everywhere. The bar was almost full so we took a high table facing the bar. The beer list had 12 house beers. I found four IPA's and my friends got some darker beers. My favorite was 32958 Hazy IPA which was hoppy and not too bitter. Got 12 bucks DIPA and Divot Maker IPA both were good as well. The session IPA didn't do much for me. On the dark side the appropriate Irish Stout and two porters were enjoyed. I met Lynn, one of the owners, and learned about the background of Pareidolia. She and husband Pete have lived in San Diego and the Pacific northwest and their craft beer knowledge and experience shows. A good selection of styles and pub grub that works well with everything. Try the panini grilled sandwiches; mine was great; they found panini in the northwest. A few blocks north is Mash Monkeys Brewing Company. By now, the St Pat's celebrations were in full swing. MM has a loyal local following; the brewery makes a variety of styles. Some styles are unusual but all are true to the style and the locals like it that way. Everyone had green on, the bar was full and pool tables were busy. The sampler went from light and clear to dark and opaque brews. My favorite was Barfight Irish Red and Acqua Pazza IPA. Old man's Vienna Lager was popular with several locals nearby and my friends liked the foreign extra stout. We tried every beer and the crowd was friendly. It was Sunday and many of these folks had work in the morning. The place started to clear out and we had one more brewery to get to. Back in Vero Beach is Walking Tree Brewery, located in a large old warehouse near the airport. St St Pat's day was winding down and the brewery closes at 8 on Sundays. WTB is a great brewery and has one of the coolest taprooms / buildings. Old and new work together here. Just take the wood. The rafters are original old Florida wood and the new tables are cut and polished in long swooping shaped. Nothing square or cut off. Scattered around is interesting artworks and other cool stuff. The beer list has over 25 different brews. There is something for everyone. our sample tray was an old muffin pan with five brews and a glass with crackers. Nice touch. i liked all five but the Buttonwood Hazy Imperial IPA was excellent and the St. Mulways Vitro Scotch Ale was delicious. We tried small samples of many of the beers; most were really good. I even got a 22oz to go of the Aged barnacled manatee Barleywine 2017 to go. WTB is a cool place and I would like to return with more time. It was time to head on for dinner to end a fun St. Patrick's day! Erin go bragh! See the GBL FB Album for pictures.

Backyard Brewery is a huge place. When I pulled up to the large barn like structure I walked up to where I thought the taproom was and found the brewing area. Brewer Paul was busy at work when I came in. This isn't the entrance for the lounge so I found my way around the the other side of the building. This side has a large patio area and the correct entrance. Upon entering I could see the brewery, behind glass and one on the many dining areas. I was directed back to the lounge area. This is a large area with a full bar and dining area behind. The next room also has another complete bar / dining area. Later, I spoke with a manager who told me that the place gets very busy at night. It was quiet on this Thursday afternoon. I ordered a flight of four beers. Curious Kiwi IPA was made with all New Zealand hops. We don't get too much NZ hops on the east coast and this was quite tasty. Rocket S.H.IPA is part of their single hop IPA series. This one was made with hops sourced from Gorham, Maine. It was different, but good to taste something really local. The Lazy Daze IPA is a hazy NE IPA with pineapple and other citrusy notes. Monkee Bars was a Belgian Dubbel with authentic tastes and flavor. I got a taste of Solstice; a dry hopped Saison which I enjoyed the most. I had a pint with my lunch. Backyard has a full menu and it looks good. The Haddock Chowder was excellent. It was filling and full of haddock meat. Backyard is a top notch brewery and restaurant and the facility is top quality as well. I would like a place like this near home as there is so much variety I would never get tired of it. It is only about ten minutes to the Manchester airport so it would be a great stop if waiting for a flight. A first class operation; I recommend it to anyone in that area. I finished up and headed to the airport to pick up someone and head to my family reunion about 50 miles away. Website: backyardbrewerynh.com There are a few pictures on the GBL photo album page.

Brickyard Hollow is located in Yarmouth Maine in an area filled in with ash from a local paper mill. This 'hollow' divided the fishing industry area from the rural farming area. This was in the early 1900's and BHBC is surrounded by buildings from that era. The rural farming area is still there and farm fresh products are available just a few minutes away. I visited, on my first day in Maine, with my cousins who live nearby. We went for a late lunch / early dinner and to try some of the beers. There were 9 brews on tap this day. There is a good variety of styles; Blueberry IPA had big aromas and low bitterness. The DIPA was a New England style (Hazy) brewed with pale malt, wheat and German ale yeast; it was quite tasty. The Irish stout was smooth and has a slight coffee taste in the finish. Amber Ale was malty, slightly sweet with toasty tastes. My favorite was the DIPA and the cousins liked the stout. The food here is mostly local and top quality. Since I was in Maine, a lobster roll was in order. Big chunks of fresh lobster on a grilled roll made my first day in Maine complete. There is a wide selection of different items so I will, one day, enjoy a return visit. Website: BrickyardHollow.com

Do what's right. This is Maine Beer's guiding principal in all aspects of the operation. This is a great concept and more companies should be run this way. There are three parts to this: How they treat the staff, the environment and beer. (Of course.) This is spelled out on the taproom wall; it isn't on the website so I took a picture of it which is HERE. This way of doing business is just good old fashioned American common sense and decency. As for the beer, it's some-of the best I have had, lately. Mostly hop forward brews; there were three pale ales, three IPA's. two Double IPA's, a red and a stout the day I was there. It was almost like going into a time machine: no sours, no clear fermented beverages or flavored brews. How refreshing! The recently expanded tasting room shows how well the company has done "Doing what is right". It is a beautiful space; all modern look and a big space. At one end the brewing operation can be seen behind glass. A brick pizza oven offers excellent in house made local food. I appreciate that the pizza is house made not a food truck that changes all the time. Lunch is an IPA, named after a local whale, that had many tropical notes and some malt sweetness as well. Even though all the brews are hop forward, the malts haven't been forgotten. Another One is exactly that; another great IPA. This one was more citrusy with some pine notes. Still a light straw color but a bit darker than Lunch. Second Dinner is a DIPA that had a citrus / pineapple taste with string fruity aromas. Meant to be drank fresh (as are most IPA's) I did just that! Zoe, named for the daughter of one of the owners, is an Amber Ale that features the malts. The chocolaty and caramel tastes really came through. Hops add some citrus notes but the malts are the feature here. It was a short visit as I was heading out to sail on Casco Bay with my cousin. A nearby local had a great lunch; eight sample glasses of great beers! Now that I have discovered Maine Brewing Co, I will be back for a longer visit to enjoy the beers and a great tasting room full of good people. I visited 20+ breweries this year and Maine Brewing gets Brewery of the Year from me. They are 'doing what is right' in all aspects of the business. Most importantly, they make outstanding beer. Mainly hop forward, which I like and am glad they still feel this way instead of brewing the latest 'fad' style. Website: MaineBeerCompany.com there are a few photos on the GBL FB page.

Liability Brewing was the first of three breweries visited with local friends. It was the perfect start as Moe's Original Bar B Que is next door. We got an early start so a filling lunch was a good plan. Moe's didn't disappoint; everything is to go and Liability is on the 'delivery' list. Walking into Liability, there was a private party at the indoor table area. They were still open; the bar area was available or beer could be taken to the outdoor patio. Since it was cool and windy outside we chose the bar. Liability is a cool place and the beer names are just the beginning. For more about this see the 'our story' page on their website. These guys are all about fun, irreverence and, of course, good beer. The flights are served in a lunchbox which was perfect for the occasion. Vice Principals IPA was hazy with good hop aromas and tropical fruity tastes. It Has Been 0 Days Since Our Last Incident IPA was a 5.8 ABV session brew. Not as tasty as the others but a good lunchtime brew. My favorite was Mortal Wombat IPA. With great aromas and citrusy tastes this 6.5 ABV brew satisfies. The odd beer out here was a collaboration with Iron Hill Brewery. Heavy Metal Oomph Band was a festbier, created to celebrate the change into fall. I got a bready slightly appely (?) taste here. I like the beers and the taproom in general. The Star Wars clock was a nice touch as well. LBC will certainly be on my list for my next visit. Website: LiabilityBrewomg.co

Tetrad Brewing Co. was our next stop. Tetrad is defined as "a group or set of four". When we asked about the meaning there was some confusion, originally. There are four ingredients it takes to make beer. Water, Malted Grains, Yeast and Hops. This is just the beginning. It is also "...the four spores produced after meiosis of yeast... OK enough here, Google it if you want more! There were three of us that day so we didn't fit the mold. However the two week old brewery didn't disappoint. The sampler you see to the left was probably the most colorful of the day and there were four glasses. There were five of their brews on that day. There will be more as they get production going. Tetrad West Coast Pale Ale was light in color but a great newer interpretation of the style. Pale Ales were the start of the craft beer movement years ago. At 5.2% ABV , with three hops and good bitterness make it much tastier than it's ancestors. Tetrad IPA was slightly hazy and had great citrusy tastes with piney notes. Irish Gentleman was an Irish Red and i was pleased to find it here. Tetrad Stout was excellent. The 7.4% ABV really brought out the chocolate and coffee notes. Backed up by a resiny hoppy and bitterness at 70 IBU. This was a good one and I would like to share some with s couple of Stout guys I know. TBC is off to a good start and I look forward to seeing how they grow and make different beers. Website: TetradBrewingCo.com

The final stop was at Yee Haw Brewing Company. It was cool and breezy but there were still some colorful trees just outside the taproom. Yee Haw is a big place withe a bar, several table areas and an outside patio. It wasn't too busy when we arrived and sat at the bar. The large colorful menu is just behind the bar and it has a wide selection of different styles of beer. There were the usual styles with some that I don't see much. My favorite, hands down, was the Rye IPA. Quite tasty with the rye malts really shining. It's not part of their "star lineup" but should be. A seasonal lager, Winter Porter was another I don't see too much. It is a Baltic Porter just in time for the cooler days. It was lighter drinking than some as the ABV is 6%. Many Baltic Porters are near 10% so this was a nice surprise. Another seasonal lager was the Oktoberfest. Copper colored and with a sweet malty taste it was another easy drinker. I know that lagers are making a comeback but most are light in color. These both were darker and really had good tastes. Yee Haw IPA was a good one; hoppy but not too much bitter aftertaste. They have several different seasonal that I didn't try. Chocolate Stout, Wonka;s Violet (A blueberry pale ale) and a Dopplebock. There is something for every beer drinker here. Yee Haw is a small chain with three other locations in Tennessee. You can't go wrong with a visit to them...Yee Haw...Website: YeeHawBrewing.com

It was a good day of tasting some of Greenville's new breweries. There are many more to try. Our day included a Tetrad of breweries. The first stop was at 8th State Brewing, famous for their sours and IPA's. We spoke with some of the people working but they didn't open until four. Oh well, next time.

Unseen Creatures Brewing is Miami's newest brewery. Opening in mid December they already have a good following. The brewery wants to get some "Miami" in all their brews. This will be accomplished by using local sources as much as possible. The yeast and fruits used are all local creating terroir in the brews. Local hops and malts help depending on where the brewery is located. With all the experimentation and environmental changes going on, Miami grown malt and hops might not be too far away. Unseen is located just off the Palmetto Expressway and Bird Road in the Bird Road Arts District. Their block is all warehouses and the brewery is at the end of the street. There were 6 house brews and 6 guests. Unseen is doing some blending; the Wild Ale had four different flavors. The house IPA,Pursuance, is an easy drinking well balanced brew. Simcoe and Citra hops will help create this as a favorite, I'm sure. I tried First Ray of Light a Still Wild Ale had properties of wine (grapes?) blended in. It wasn't my favorite and the other sours were better. Several guest beers also were good. There were beers from Civil Society (Jupiter, FL), Equilibrium (NY State) and Tripping Animals of Miami. Cool guest list; I have found that new breweries seem to get some beers I don't usually see. Equilibrium's Supreme Mathematics Triple IPA was really tasty and smooth. Unseen is off to a great start and I look forward to visiting again soon. Website: UnseenCreatures.com