On the way to the Jupiter Festival weekend, I usually try to visit and try some of the local breweries. The last time I visited Due South Brewing which closed recently. Fortunately, there is another brewery, Copperpoint, nearby. I have had some of Copperpoint beers as they have been open since 2014. Copperpoint believes in using local suppliers and top quality brewing ingredients. There is more about these principles on their About page. The large brewing area is just behind the taproom bar and accessable to patrons. My favorite brew is the A-10 Hop Hog Red IPA. i have enjoyed it in cans for years; fresh on tap is even better. It's hoppy but also has a good malt flavor as well. There were 13 on tap that day; I tried about five samples and each was unique and true to the style. High Ridge IPA was a hoppy West Coast IPA. at 6.5% ABV the bitterness stands out and it was tasty. Citricity is a Hazy Double IPA that clocks in at 8.5% ABC. This isn't evident in this easy drinking brew. They also had several special brews. Goaterator was an excellent German Dopplebock with great taste. I would like to have an entire glass of this one as it was special. At 8.0% ABV it really isn't a lunchtime brew! There was a Apple Brandt Bock which was a German Bock aged in apple brand barrels. An interesting mix but the Goaterator was better for me. The A-10 remains my favorite Copperpoint brew but everything they brew is top notch. It would be good to visit with a food truck there and stay nearby. Website: CopperpointBrewingCompany.com

Stormhouse has a nice selection of brews and good food to go with them. Six IPAs and a decent selection of other styles. The Sweater(ish) Weather Red IPA was excellent and had some malty notes and is brewed with a mix of four hops. Perfect beer name for the day. Cool out but we were able to sit outside. Being the end of 'Dry January' I was looking for 'healthy' food and there are several selections on the menu. I had The "Healthy Fitness Plate" which had grilled chicken, Mahi and Shrimp. (Dry January is suspended for the Jupiter event each year!) Other brews tried were Pressure Drop a NE IPA and Path of Destruction Imperial IPA. It had a good bitterness and 8%ABV. Great find here; I see lunch and brews there again, next year! Website: StormhouseBrewing.com

Located in the Northwood neighborhood, near Palm Beach, Skunkworts is named in tribute to Locked Martin's Skunk Works. The original Skunk Works was a secret laboratory / research center where Lockheed worked on advanced aircraft opening in 1943. The focus here is on brewing and enjoying beer with a healthy serving of aircraft / flying history. The walls are covered with 'plans' for old parts, old plane dashboards and turbines hang from the ceiling. There even is an old jet engine on the outdoor patio. The place fits the neighborhood well The area looks much like it did in the 40's and 50's with small single story shops, galleries and restaurants. It has a funky vibe to it as does Skunkworts. It was quiet when I came in; there were seats at the bar. Looking at the beer list, I found several IPA's and a Double IPA. I started with the IFR a Hazy IPA. (Another Hazy!) It was opaque and had a good hoppy taste it. There is great attention to details here; all the glassware was for the style requested. The IPA was served in tulip style glass with the flared top to catch the aromas. As it got later the place started to fill up. I could see that it was popular; by the time I left the bar was full. Next I had the Double IPA, Moose Twister is a West Coast style DIPA and was bitter and hoppy. The 9.0% ABV was hidden well; I enjoyed it and the entire brewery taproom. Skunkworts is a cool place and should be visited if in the area. See the GBLFB Album for more photos of the taproom. Website: Skunkworts.com

This years 'theme' was "Still The best day of the year so far!". this theme was a throwback to 2008, the second years of the festival. The festival location also was moved back to the original location, in the Abacoa ampthieater. A lot has changed since those original years but the event is always fun and has plenty of great brews. Back in the day the festival would make an effort to get Florida breweries to come to the event. There weren't many but they did come. Most still do as this festival is one of the favorite events of the breweries. Of course much has changed; the industry has grown up and the beer is more varied and 'better' with many new styles now here. The 'Hazy' or New England IPA hadn't been ';invented' yet and IPA wasn't nearly as popular as it is now. As always the weather cooperated and we got a beautiful January day for the event. Upon entry the first booth was Barrel of Monks Brewing of Boca Raton. They brew authentic Belgian ales and have special events at the brewery. (Beer and Bacon etc.) I discovered them at this festival years ago and really appreciate their brewing skills. The pandemic was tough but they made it and continue to make top quality Belgian ales. They had Wizard Wit and a Belgian Quad; both were the real deal. Next were several local home brew clubs; Palm Beach Draughtsmen and Brewmaster's. These guys go all out; there were probably 15 different beers between them. This first group also was 'seeing the Haze' as everybody had a Hazy IPA or two!. The festival now has more breweries from within 50 miles that all the Florida breweries at that 2008 festival. NOBO Brewing, Ookapow Brewing, Skunk-worts Brewing, Steamhorse Brewing, Civil Society and Sailfish Brewing to name a few nearby breweries. The rest of the state is represented with Tampa and Jacksonville area breweries several that I have seen here for years. As the festival continued the 'Silent Disco' was going and music started on the stage. If one area was too busy; the best thing to do is try another. This way more breweries can be tried. There was good food available and pretzel strings that we had brought with us. I have visited Pareidolia Brewing, in Vero, and they had a good selection of brews; As usual, some started to run out of beer which means that the event is almost finished up. I returned to a couple of favorites and ended at Sailfish Brewing Company of Fort Pierce. The music was still going and they still had an IPA available. At the designated time it was over. It was great as usual and my group will return next year. We hope that the Field of Beers event will also be back. See you in 2023! Website: JupiterCraftBrewersFestival.com

Lost City Brewing is located in a small back road warehouse area in North Miami. The small district has filming / movie making businesses nearby. It is just a coincidence that there is a movie The Lost City that opened recently. The brewery is operated by the owner of the old Abraxas Lounge of South Beach which was one of the first bars to serve craft beer on the beach. The bar here is the original from Abraxas. There are 16 taps all of their house brewed beer. There is a variety of styles available and the place is getting a reputation for unique local brews. My group ordered several flights to try most of the beers. I had Pelican Head IPA and Oleta River IPA to start. Both were good; the difference was in the hops used. The Pelican got my vote with more bitterness and a malty taste in the finish. Holy Scribe Belgian Tripel was authentic to the Belgian Trappist style. Nomi Pale was a modern (Miami) take on the pale ales of the past. It was hoppier with a good malt sweetness. At 6.1 ABV is stronger then the originals. The classic Pacific Northwest hops gave it the citrusy taste expected. The variety here is a tribute to good brewing. Keeper of the Grail was a Quad that packed a punch and had complex flavore throughout. The Dunkerweiss was quite tasty as well. We had arrived before dark and the place filled up as the evening went on. By the time we left the place was full and-the crowd expanded to the front outside the building. this was a young crowd; may arrived on bicycles or wheel-boards. Regarding those boards, I have no idea how the rider stays upright! Overall a fun place and a good 'expedition' for local color and brew. Website: LostCityBrewing.com

Things happen at night...how true and NightLife looks like a good start to any night in Miami. This isn't an ordinary brewery; it's a full night club with good beer and drinks. NLB is located by the parking building at the Miami Marlins stadium near downtown Miami. It was early on a Saturday night and the place was already busy. Coming in it looks like a nice night club complete with a dance / stage area with two disco balls! There are ten brews on and it is a good variety of styles. the brewer puts a 'Miami' spin on them and there are cocktails as well. Beer choices included Hefeweizen, Pilsner, Sours, IPAs and a Stout. I liked the IPAs and sampled several others. Outside, a DJ was playing and the crowd was getting started. Truly a great place to "Seize the night". Website: NightLifeBrewingCo.com

Mutation Brewing had been open less than a month when I visited. It was close by and I wanted to try it. A big feature here is that they have a separate BBQ place inside the brewery. A real kitchen beats a food truck any day, in my opinion. There were seven beers and one seltzer; I tried the 2 IPAs and a hoppy pale ale. The Double IPA was the best by far. ATL Traffic Elixir would certinaly make the traffic easier to deal with. At 8.0 ABV you might not want to drive after a few! It was hoppy with a malt sweetness and pineapple notes. Something to look forward to after the commute! The in house BBQ rocks as well. My brisket could be cut with a fork and the different sauces all were good. The BBQ is totally separate doom the brewery; probably some old Georgia law made them do it this way. it worked well and I will visit again. Website: MutationBrew.com

Jekyll Brewing is in the city center of Alpharetta where there are many venues all around the area. Jekyll has an indoor taproom and an outside seating area as well. There is a good selection of brews and a complete food menu. I sampled thee IPAs sand all were good. Southern Juice IPA was hopped with two hops and hazy as are many 'juicy' IPAs. The flagship, Hop Dang Diggity IPA, is a 'southern' IPA. At 6.7% ABV it has a good malt / hop balance with piney and citrus notes. The Double Dang Double IPA was my choice to go with my lunch. It is more hoppy and piney that the original. At 7.5% ABV it bumps up the tastes without raising the ABV to higher levels. There is a full menu and the fresh shucked oysters were excellent. Best lunch of the week for sure. Jekyll was a good stop and I will return for more geest beer and fresh oysters! Website: JekyllBrewing.com

I was in the area and found From the Earth while searching for breweries. The results got me close; after some different turns I finally found the place. It is in a large shopping center right in the center with a huge clock above. Nearby is a display 1960's local cop car. I may have found the brewery of the year here in February! The outside is deceiving; walking in they have done an excellent job with modern brewpub decor, greet beer and chef created food. This isn't your typical painted warehouse brewery. I sampled several house brews and enjoyed them. Goin' West IPA is a west coast style with 7.5 ABV. It was hoppy and bitter as it should be. Can't Find Your Way Home DIPA was tops and the 10% ABV isn't evident. That name could be appropriate! The menu is creative and looks great. The pretzel bites were perfect with my beers. There was a pre - fixe menu with choice of filet or grouper for the main course. I imagine they have beer pairings here with chef inspired foods paired with the house brews. This was a highlight of my visit and plans are being made to come and have dinner here. Website: FTEBrewing.com

Pontoon Brewing taproom / brewery is in a large converted warehouse. They are brewing many different styles; all the IPAs were hazy in keeping with this years theme. The place is huge; they are brewing and canning enough beer to distribute to surrounding states. I got a sampler of four brews. Ryes or Die Trying is a NEIPA with spice rye notes and citrusy tastes. At 8.0% ABV this one has a kick to it. Aquatronic is an Imperial IPA. Brewed with three hops gave it good citrus and fruity tastes. This Juicy DIPA is "Juiced" up at 8.0% ABV. But Did You Die? is a Triple NEIPA is a collaboration with New Image Brewing. Brewed with five hops and special 'Cosmic Punch' Yeast allowed for incredible tropical fruit flavors. At 11.0 ABV drinkers can be asked "But did you die?" Pounding' Pecan Pie is an imperial brown ale with 8.0 ABV.. It was brewed with pecans, vanilla and cinnamon. Website: PontoonBrewing.com

Slow Pour is a fun local brewery in Lawrenceville, GA. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. I was there om a Saturday evening and watched as the place filled up with locals out to have fun and drink good craft beer. I tried two outstanding brews while there. In Good Spirits Double IPA is a triple dry hopped brewed with three types of hops. This combo gave it a good citrusy taste and aroma. Crimson Sun Imperial Red is a malty red like the style was back in the day. Not a Red IPA but a red ale which I look for but don't find very often. It clocks in at 9.7% ABV with a malty caramel taste. This one is easy drinking and the ABV is not evident. The place was jumping by the time I left. There were may different groups there including a large birthday celebration. Website: SlowPourBrweing.com

The Sweetwater Brewing taproom has a long history. It started out as a Thursday after work thing when the brewery was new. After moving and expansion the current facility is looking great. There are 21 house brews, many of which are taproom only. H.A.Z.Y Hop is a double dry hopped Juice Bomb' IPA. The Imperial IPA clocks in at 9.1% ABV. It was, indeed, a hazy hop bomb! I enjoy IPAs but found that Sweetwater makes several good dark brews. The 25th anniversary ale was Dark Cherry Imperial Stout. This was a really good stout with the cherry flavor bouncing off the dark malts and hops. Happy 25th! Festive Ale is a Spiced Porter with cinnamon and allspice notes. The malts rule in this 8.1% ABV winter warmer. Cheers! Website: SweetwaterBrew.com

Biggerstaf Brewing has been rated as one of Atlanta's best new restaurants. They offer New American cuisine featuring locally sourced food and drink. They also 'brew' coffee; there is a separate coffee bar inside. I was there for a short visit and will return to try some of the slow cooked smoked food. There is an assortment of beers available for all tastes. I had Harvey, named for a family member, which is an American IPA. Brewer with 3 hops, Mosaic, Citra and Nelson Sauvin. This combo was low iin bitterness and had a slight orange taste at the finish. Everything on the menu varies; looking at the current menu it it totally different than when I was there. It all still looks great and I look forward to trying more in the future. Website: BiggerstaffBrewing.com

Blackbeard's Triple Play, located in Downtown New Bern, NC, has three different places under one roof. A small in house brewery, a distillery and a full restaurant and oyster bar. We were there on a dreary chilly Monday and were happy to come into the warm, dry brewery area The rest was closed for the day. It's a cool place inside; it's like being inside a big wooden barrel with wood strips all around. They have 4 of their own beers and many more when the entire place is open. I had IPA - ZY which wasn't memorable but good to have. We met an interesting (crazy) tourist during the visit. The brewery and distillery were directly behind the bar. We enjoyed our time there and headed out and found several bottle shops and beer bars within a few blocks. There was another brewery, Brewery 99, which was closed that day. Website: BBTriplePlay.com

After a long day we had a top notch fresh fish dinner along the Moorehead City waterfront. After dinner we walked around the area and discovered Tight Lines Brewing Company. Being Monday and still chilly and windy there were only a few people inside. Tight Lines looks like a good place for a few brews after a day on the water. Or to watch a game and have a good meal from the extensive menu. I tried two brews for my nightcap. Don't Feed the Seagulls is their flagship IPA. It's a Hazy NE IPA. Brewed with two types of hops it was 'juicy" with strong citrus notes and low bitterness. At 6.7 ABV a few would be great after they day on the water. Big Rock Double IPA, named for a local fishing spot, has good well balanced maltiness and hoppiness. ABV is 8.5%. Website gone; Facebook only.

After a ferry trip to Lookout Point lighthouse we returned to Beaufort for lunch. We found Finz a local watering hole right on the water. Fresh local fish was had and we were ready to go south. On the way to the car we saw FishTowne Brew House. It looked llike a cool place so we stopped in. This one looks great but we had just had lunch and were heading on. It's a local small brewery with 12 of their own on tap. The inside is long and narrow; you are sitting right by the brew tanks and equipment. Here are some of the brews: Flounder Eye IPA, NetHouse Belgian IPA, Wade Ashore Wheat, Turn the Page Cantaloupe Saison, Ship Faced Belgian Golden Ale, Munden Fog NEIPA, Total RAD Raspberry Wheat and Quaker Shaker Imperial Stout. All appropriatre seafaring names and quite tasty, I'm sure. We will retunr next year for a fulll tasting. Website: FishTowneBrewHouse.com

Salty Turtle Beer Company is about half way between Beaufort and Wilmington, NC. The beer tender at FishTowne (above) told us it was a cool place with good beer. We weren't disappointed. The chilly weather had passed on and the outside seating was full. We went inside for a sampling. The flight holder was cool; it's shaped like the state of NC. They had four different IPAs. Hey Zey is a NE IPA 6.3 ABV; hazy and 'juicy' with citrusy notes. Surf City Sunrise is another NE IPA. This one has 6.6% ABV with good hop bitterness and different fruit notes. Fog of Topsail is an American IPA with tropical citrus notes. hop bitterness with a lower ABV of 5.9%. Alligator Bay IPA has grapefruit notes and a malty nose. This well balanced 7.2% ABV IPA was my favorite of the group. Website: SaltyTutrtleBeer.com

Wilmington has become a big craft beer town. In 2021, I visited and found many breweries for a town that size. They all were good and each was unique. I an visiting, again, in 2022, and there are more breweries than ever. I don't think that any of the earlier places have closed. (There has been a lot of that going on lately.) Ironclad Brewery is in the historic downtown area in a building that is almost 100 years old! n the 1950's it was a auto dealership. Everything was repurposed; creating a large event space that is the brewery and can be rented out for weddings etc. We visited one evening when it wasn't too crowded and really like the space. I was able to try three of the ten house brews that night. MI Home is a 7.7% ABC Hazy NEIPA. The four hops varieties were all grown in Michigan and worked well together. In Hops we Trust is an American IPA, 6.0% ABV, brewed with five hop varieties. They work together for a piney taste with a fruity finish. Cloud Collision, 7.2%ABV, is a Hazy, Juicy brew with tropical notes. Website: IroncladBrewery.com

Broomtail Brewery has a small 'funky' taproom at their original location. It's a neat place with a theme of fusball and older arcade games. There are several small rooms with the beer ordering counter at the front. Broomtail makes some 'clean' traditional beer styles; trying to produce them as close to the original style intent. This involves such details as water properties from where the style was created. This is cool. Speaking of funky, there is another larger location called the Sour Barn where they brew their sour line up. Again details are done the way these styles were crested. (Mainly in Belgium.) For more look HERE. I tried two of the 'clean' brews; Elysium a Bière de Garde; a farmhouse ale with Belgian taste with clove. Red Roan Dopplebock is a red lager brewed with NC malts. This is a malty flavorful brew and the 8.6% ABV is hidden well. Website: BroomtailCraftBrewerey.com

Drumtrout Brewing is a small brewery on a corner of a large shopping area. From outside you would never know that it is a favorite local hangout making some great brews. Open less than a year they already have a large following. The theme of the brewery is fishing, boating, and local art. The name came from the owners first boat which is one of the paintings up in the taproom There are events to support local artists and musicians. Fish Widow IPA is a west coast style with plenty of hops and fruity tastes and aromas. That was my favorite. There is a list of 12 house brews; NE IPA, Session IPA, Brown Ale and a Porter. A couple of fruited sours round out the lineup. Everything I tried was good. There is a chill atmosphere with friendly people. I met a guy, a big fisherman, who advised us on where to get great fish on our trip to Bald head Island / Southport. Fishy Fishy was the perfect old time place on the water.. Thanks. Website: DrumtroutBrewing.com

Wilmington Brewing Company recently moved into The Venue their new state of the art taproom It was built next to the original building which says it all "For people who drink good beer". Now, that's a great motto for any brewery. They live up to that billing; everything I tried was brewed to the style using top quality ingredients. The brewery also has a home brew supply store which led to only using the best in their brews. The flagship Tropical Lightning IPA is a west coast IPA with grapefruit notes and a nice bitter finish. Pretty Pumpkin Ale had pumpkin flavors that don't dominate so it's more like a lightly flavored brew. Sneaky Goose Triple IPA was my favorite. A west coast style DIPA with fruity notes. Sneaky is a good name as the 9.3 ABV isn't evident; it could sneak up on you. I tried samples of Cold IPA a 'new' varient of IPA and a session IPA. The Venue will be great; with different events and WBCs excellent beers on tap Website: WilmingtonBrewingCompany.com

Flying Machine Brewing Company has two locations. The Wrightsville Beach location has all the beers and a full restaurant. The day I was there it was quiet and a new menu had just been introduced. It was totally different than the posted menu we saw a few days earlier. The beer was the star here; the restaurant needs some work. A couple of days later we visited the main production brewery and taproom. The taproom is very cool; various 'flying machines' and assorted implements were all around. This evening there was no food truck; a couple we had met earlier came in with their dinner and verified how we felt about the other location. No worries as we were there for the beer. Ink Jet DIPA is my favorite at either location. It has notes of tangerine and a light melon taste as well. There is a long list of brews; several different IPAs were tried and enjoyed. We liked the vibe here and will return in the future. Website: FlyeingMachine.Beer

Gizmo Brew Works has three locations. The Chapel Hill location, off Franklin Street, was the UNC Rathskeller (aka The Rat) going back to 1948. The Rat closed in 2007 andn sat empty for years. Gizmo is an appropriate successor to The Rat; serving beer and wine as it always has. The place had to be remodeled to modern standards which is why it sat empty for so long. It's job well done as it is clean and comfortable. (At least the day I was there!) I started with a flight of 6, pictured to the left. There are over 40 different beers on tap; perfect for thirsty students. Why couldn't we have had something like this back in the day? The choices of brews is awesome; we had the big 3 which were basically all the same; now they have a wide variety of brews, wines, seltzers and ciders. There were 8 IPAs on that day. Fake News is a NE Hazy IPA. This 5.8% ABV is not too bitter with tropical notes. Heavy is the Head is another NE IPA; this one at 6.9%ABV with citrusy notes. Carolina Pine is a 7.1% ABV West Coast IPA; with grapefruit notes and bitter finish. it's a Vibe is a Double Hazy IPA. 8%ABV added a nice pop to this bitter ale. It was my favorite brew here. There is something for everyone at Gizmo. Website:GizmoBrewWorks.com

Carolina Brewery is the oldest operating craft brewery in the area. Established in 1995, it's older than most of the breweries in NC. The Chapel Hill Brewpub has all their brews, fresh, on tap and serves scratch made food. I wast here for dinner before heading out of town the next day. The brewery theme is all outdoor activity around the Carolinas. There is plenty of adventure all around and pairing beers with it is a good idea. The food was good; street tacos were tasty and a salad was enjoyed. The beers are 'old school'; the recopies probably are very similar to the originals from the '90s. American IPA is an east coast IPA which is not as bitter or hop forward as its cousin the west coast IPA. Easy drinking at 6.0% ABV it is perfect after a day of outdoor adventures in NC. Copperline Amber is a smooth, slightly sweet 5.4% ABV ale with caramel notes. I'm in! Website: IroncladBrewery.com