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2012

In 2012 there will be more craft beer and food events than ever. As the craft beer movement grows and matures beer and food pairings are coming into their own. Many establishments have noticed this phenomenon and are scheduling beer dinners, food and beer pairings and beer pairings with their regular menu items. This has been several years in the making and will continue this year. The year kicks off with the Field of Beers event the night before the Jupiter Brewfest. This event is all about food and beer. There are 16 stations each with a brewer and a chef with a pairing that has been created just for this event. See last years video here. Here, in south Florida there are more beer bars, brespubs and breweries opening. To keep up with all the action subscribe to my monthly "Beer Blast" e-mail. South Florida is one of the areas of the country that has room for growth for the craft beer industry. There are areas that have many craft beer venues; here we are just getting started. So, get out there and try some new beers and breweries and I'll see you there! My usual trips to the Sebring races, and North Carolina will happen. I always find some new beers then. Update: For the second year I have qualified as a semi-finalist in the Beerdrinker of the year contest. (Top ten.) The top 3 finalests are flown to Denver for the Finals on February 25, 2012.

Cheers, Larry

Wynkoop Brewing of Denver CO. has been running this contest for the last 16 years. I entered the contest three years ago for the first time. This year I revised and updated my Beer Resume and placed in the top ten for the second year in a row! This is quite an accomplishment in this prestigious national contest! The three finalists have been named and I didn't make the cut. Still a top ten finish is great and I will try again next year! Good luck to the three and may the best beerdrinker win.
Past reviews 2006 - 2011 Click on each year. Enjoy, Larry Wynkoop Beerdrinker 2012 Webpage
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Tequesta Brewing Company_Tequesta, FL

Tequesta Brewing Company - Tequesta Florida

Florida breweries are really growing and making some great beer. Tequesta is a great example of the growth adn the good beer. Last year they were just starting up and now they are all over south Florida. I had lunch at a local eatery, Food Shack, and they had several Tequesta brews in tap. ( I really enjoyed the California Commons Ale and recommend Food Shack for great food too.) I have seen their beer down in Miami as well. This weekend they had an all Florida line up which would have been almost impossable a few years ago. While at the brewery several beers were enjoyed; both Tequestsa's and other Florida breweries. Green Room, out of Jacksonville had several as well as Cigar City (Tampa) Brewing. The brewer, Matt Webster, was there and our group met him and talked beer and heard about what they were doing for the coming events in Jupiter. (See below) Since it is a brewery, with no food service, they are allowed to sell growlers of beer to go. The Corner Cafe is next door and patrons can call for a to go order to enjoy with the good beers. Tequesta Brewing is a cool place to visit and have great beers too. We saw them out at both Jupiter events later that weekend.

Tequesta Brewing's Facebook Page or Website.
Field of Beers 2012 Homepage
Field_of_Beers_Dogfish / Stone_Brewing
Jupiter_Craft_Brewers_Festival_2012
Funky Buddha / Swamp Head Brewing
They Love Their Beer! / Fun Group
Harpoon Brewery / Cigar City Brewing

Field of Beers Craft Beer and Food Pairing - Jupiter, FL

The fourth annual Field of Beers was, once again a great event. This year the weather was unusually warm and no sweaters or jackets were needed. The event brings together 16 different beers with special paired food dishes. I started in the left field dugout, at Roger Dean Stadium. A few highlights: First up was Brooklyn Lager paired with New England clam fritters fried in a sea salt batter with chipotle tarter sauce. Great start! Next door was Lobster Mac and Cheese paired with Florida Brewing's Florida Lager. Then came Coffee Rubbed Osso Bucco and grits paired with Tequesta Brewing's Vier a Belgian Quad. This was just the first three I visited. Several memorable pairings from the other areas: Wild Antelope and White Bean Chili paired with Saint Somewhere Cynthiana Belgian Ale. I would like to get this recipe so I could make this dish. La Caja China was a Smoky, slow roasted marinated whole pig with “Rincon Heat” gourmet hot sauce paired with Brewzzi Double IPA. This style is new for Brewzzis which usually brews German styles. They have a new brewer who is trying new styles to reflect the changing market in craft beer. Good job. There was Fresh Florida Wahoo Ceviche Marinated in Ligero Lager with onion, mango and cilantro paired with Cigar City Ligero Black Lager a traditional German Schwarzbier. Dogfish Head beer brought their 120 minute IPA and paired it with NY Style apricot cheesecake on a stick, dipped in dark chocolate, rolled in smoked toasted almonds, and finished with gingersnap dust. What a combo! The intensely bitter and hoppy IPA went well with the incredibly rich cheesecake "pop". For the complete menu click here. The event was small enough to meet people both participants, brewery reps and cooks. There was ample time at each station; it is hard to keep moving so they all can be tried. The focus on Florida beers and food was really good to see. Florida has come a long way in a few short years. Look for tickets in December if you want to go in 2013.

The 6th Annual Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival Jan. 28, 2012

The sixth annual festival theme was "We'll Leave the Tap on for You!" The entrance went smoothly; the organizers have it together by having 2 lines and limiting the attendance. Once inside the taps were, indeed, on. A map is handed out so you know where favorite breweries and new ones are located. It is crowded but there is enough space to make it work. We headed over to the Funky Buddha, a local brewery, as they always have something interesting. They had Apple Pie a beer that tasted like you had just had a piece of apple pie. I am not a big flavored beer guy; this was good but I probably won't have several on a Friday night. next door was Victory with several selections.. Swamp Head Brewing, from Gainesville, was there with all six of their beers available. They aren't in this market yet but will go statewide at some point. Existing Florida breweries really have taken off; they can't keep up with demand. Swamp Head is one good example. The beer is good too! Tequesta Brewing and Brewzzi were next door; both with local beers available. The brewers were both there for the festival. Tequesta brewing just celebrated their first year in business. We then headed across the festival to Due South Brewing a new local (Boynton Beach) brewery. They are still building the brewery but had some beer ready. The brewery will open in March; meanwhile they are getting their beer out for people to try. They had a good IPA, Caramel Cream Ale, Porter and several rotating beers. This new local brewery was very popular. On my way home I stopped by Due South Brewery, but there wasn't anyone home. Now I know where they are. (A minute off I-95 and Gateway Blvd.) Bluepoint Brewing was nearby and had their IPA and BP Toxic Sludge available. The IPA is excellent and the Toxic Sludge was from the Field of Beers event. It is a Black IPA with extra malts for a hoppy yet malty dark beer. Rob, the national sales manager said that it was so popular that they are going to add to to their regular line up. (It was a one off beer.) We talked beer for a bit then I met some folks that liked my beerdrinker shirt. One lady's name was Wynkoop and she had never see the name like this. She said the name was Danish and I didn't know where the brewery got their name. (They named it for the first sheriff of Denver.) The music played on and the festival was at full speed. We found Green Room Brewing with only their IPA left. (That was fine with me.) Bold City was out but Sierra Nevada had something. I wanted to try their new Rye IPA but it wasn't there. (Why? A beer festival is all about introducing your beers to new customers; a new SN beer doesn't come out every week!) Greenman Brewing was a great wooden table with 4 taps running the entire festival. They are from Asheville, NC and may expand to Florida in the future. They are making some good beers and have a new brewery with additional capacity. This was the fun area of the festival and where we would finish it. By Twisted Pine there were some folks that really enjoyed the "Billy's Chilies" beer. They were carrying on about it and I tried it. It has a very accented pepper taste through out the tasting. It would be good with Mexican food but it's not a drinking beer. The Hoppy Boy is a decent IPA I would like to try it on tap sometime. Cigar City, Lakefront and Brooklyn were all near this area. Our day finished at the Holy Mackerel table where founder and brewer Robert Gordash was there and they had several beers on tap. There were pitchers of Mack in Black an Imperial Black Ale. I had a couple of beers and met some fun people who were taking pictures of everyone and having a good time. My day finished there as closing time came. The word went around that everyone had to quit pouring and start to head out. I did manage to get a lady to take my picture, in the Beerdrinker shirt, and got it sent to my e-mail. That picture is on this page just roll over the Jupiter logo, to the left, to see it. It was a good time and I represented the Beerdrinker of the Year well.This is a great fun event where "good people drink good beer" See you next year!

Website: Jupiterbrewfest
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Good people driink good beer. Hunter S Thompson
© 2012 larrygoeser.com