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Thursday, September 30, 2010

WOB Viera News

Breast Cancer Awareness!
Starting this Friday, October 1st till October 31st purchase a select Terrapin draft and we will donate $1 per draft to Breast Cancer Research. Terrapin Brewery has also commited to match beer for beer by donating a $1 for every draft we sell. So get here and drink some great Terrapin Beer towards a cure.

10-12-10!
Tuesday October 12th, we will be having a beer and chocolate pairing. We will be featuring beer from Stone Brewery with chocolate from Sunseed Food Co-op. You will be amazed how the flavor of the beer is enhanced when paired with chocolate. The featured beers is Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10 on draft and Stone's 12th Anniversary Ale in bottle. You do not want to miss this event.


Great American Golf Tournament!
Get ready Space Coast. On November 13th, 2010, we are holding our first annual charity golf event - the World of Beer Great American Golf Tournament, in benefit of Nana's House children's charity. This extrordinary charity helps neglected, abused, needy and/or abandoned children. Take our word for it when we say this is unlike any charity golf tournament that you have ever participated in. Aside from playing 18 holes at the beautiful Duran Golf Club, you will take a trip through America's finest craft beer offerings with all-you-can-drink complimentary beers from different regions of the United States served by friendly World of Beer representatives.

Player registration also includes complimentary breakfast, lunch during play, and a dinner and awards banquet/after-party that will be full of the good people and fun times that you've come to expect from us at World of Beer. Click here for more information about the tournament, sponsorship and Nana's House.

Barbecue on Sunday! On Sunday, October 3rd, we will pulling out the barbecues for the NFL football. It starts at 1:30 till the food is gone. Also we will be tapping the Terrapin Hopzilla for everyone to try. Come hang out at WOB, watch your favorite team, have great beer and complimentary barbecue. See you this Sunday!


WOBtoberfest! Did you mark your calendar for October 22 and 23rd? Save these dates because we are having the best party in Brevard County. We will have live music, complimentary food and of course great beer! This weekend event will be something you do not want to miss.



New Bottles

  • Cigar City Jose Marti, 8% (Florida)
  • Coney Island Freaktoberfest, 6.7% (New York)
  • Dogfish Head Bitches Brew, 9% (Delaware)
  • Fox Barrel Black Currant, 6% (California)
  • Great Divide Hoss, 6.2% (Colorado)
  • Hoppin Frog Turbo Shandy Citrus, 7% (Ohio)

New Drafts
  • Coney Island Luna Lager, 6% (New York)
  • Great Divide Rumble, 7.1% (Colorado)
  • Swamp Head 10-10-10, 10% (Florida)
  • Terrapin Hopzilla, 10.7% (Georgia)

Live Music This Week
  • Thursday - Micah Reed
  • Friday - Matt Adkins & Jay DiBella
  • Saturday - C-Lane & Beav

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Reading Mash

Woohoo! Just Finished Hops and Glory by Pete Brown and must say, twas a jolly good read which has once more entrenched in my lingo quaint British sayings for as long as they shall linger until someone has the jolly good manners to take that piss out of my musings. Posh to that, I say!

Next up is the 6th fully revised edition of the legendary Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. No, not the one gloved wonder, but the beer hunter and whisky chaser who though I never met will always live on in my heart and my muse through his clarity of passion and inspired penmanship. Will I read this newest compendium of single-malt wonders from front cover to back cover in all her 441 pages? You better darn tootin' I will, am, and shall!

I am a geek of many trades, after all.

WOB Viera News

NFL Sunday During the NFL games not only we are providing complimentary food but we are tapping a special keg every Sunday. It starts this Sunday. So come by grab a great beer, some food and watch every game on our flat screen TV's. This Sunday we decided to give you a preview of Beertopia. We are tapping Cigar City Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. Come on Sunday to try this great beer before this Tuesday's event.
 

Did you get your Boot? We still have some boots left and they are going fast. Stop in and purchase a boot, it's $20 and includes a select Oktoberfest beer. The best part is you can bring it back until October 23rd and get refills for $10. It a whole liter of great beer. Don't wait because it might be too late to get one.

Cigar City Beertopia! This Tuesday, September 28th, we are tapping eight different kegs from Cigar City Brewery. The line up includes some old favorites as well as new kegs that have never been released in Brevard County. And here they are: Cigar City Jai Alai, Maduro Brown, Double Cream, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Tocobaga Hoppy Amber, Good Gourd Pumpkin Ale and Rye Porter. Also we will have three bottles that include Jose Marti, Jai Alai and Humidor IPA. You don't want to miss this event! Click
here for more information.

Breast Cancer Awareness! Do your part by purchasing a select Terrapin draft during the month of October and we will donate $1 per draft to Breast Cancer Research. Terrapin Brewery has also commited to match beer for beer by donating a $1 for every draft we sell. So get here and drink some great Terrapin Beer towards a cure.

WOBtoberfest! Need I say more!? Alright....it will be here before you know it. It will be the best party in Brevard County. Live music, complimentary food and of course great beer! Mark your calender for October 22 and 23rd because your weekend should be spent with us.

 

New Bottles
  • Great Divide Rumble, 7.1 % (Colorado)
    Shipyard Pumpkinhead, 5.1 (Maine)
    Smuutynose Pumpkin, 6.3% (New Hampshire)
    Terrapin Hopzilla, 10.7% (Georgia)
    Terrapin Pumpkinfest, 6.1% (Georgia)
    The Bruery Autumn Maple, 10% (California)
    Tommyknocker Golden Saison, 5% (Colorado)
    Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, 11.1% (Pennsylvania)
    Weyerbacher Hops Infusion, 6.2% (Pennsylvania)

New Drafts
  • Great Divide Baltic Smoked Porter, 6.2 % (Colorado)
  • Unibroue Terrible, 10.5 (Canada)

Live Music This Week
  • Thursday - James Johnson
  • Friday - Matt Adkins & Jay DiBella
  • Saturday - C-Lane & Beav

Cigar City Brew News

Humidor IPA wins GABF Silver Medal, Willards Tap House on Wednesday, Fruit in the Room on Saturday!

We did it! Again! Last week much of the brew crew went out to Devner for the Great American Beer Festival and we didn't come home empty handed either! We won again for our Humidor IPA, this time a silver medal but it is still very cool to win a medal for the same category 2 years in a row. With over 3000 entries from over 1500 breweries, taking home a medal in one of the 79 categories is quite a feat.

Last week we were also named best brewery in the Tampa Bay area by the readers of local paper Creative Loafing in their Best of the Bay edition, the publication itself also declared Jai-Alai the best beer brewed in the Tampa Bay area. Awesome! We are so glad that everyone loves our beers as much as we love making them! Like I said previously, maybe Joey will let us throw a party.. Stay tuned we're working on that one.

Join us tonight (September 22nd) at Willards Tap House for a keep them pint night, they will have 7 of our beers available as well as a very special cask of Madagascar Vanilla Bean Good Gourd. It all starts at 7pm and goes on until they close the doors and kick us out! It should be a good time with lots of great friends!

Saturday is Fruit in the Room and we are stoked! All of the beers we have been preparing are coming out very nicely and will be all ready for your tasting pleasure on Saturday throughout the brewery. If you have not already, get your tickets today they are going fast! There are still a some tickets available too at Oldsmar Taphouse, Willard's Tap House, both Dunedin and Palm Harbor House of Beer, and Peg's Cantina so if that is closer for you, stop by and have a pint at one of those locations and pick your ticket up.

We have another surprise too! Seems like Capricho Obscuro batch # 4 has shown it's face and will be ready this Saturday to be released to the public and since we're having a special event, why not make it even more special?! This release, a blend of barrel aged Rye Porter, Warmer Winter, and Big Sound is bottle conditioning as we speak and will be perfect to hold on to, or drink immediately! With only around 800 bottles total available they will go fast and will only be available for sale at the brewery. Sales will begin on Saturday night, so everyone with a ticket for Fruit in the Room will have the first shot at it. So there's another reason to come out Saturday night if you were on the fence! The limit will be 6 per person.

As always, more to come..

Cheers!
Travis

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Town Crier Pub *update*

Due to unfortunate circumstances the Bourbon Dinner has been cancelled. I'm bummed cause not only am I a beer aficionado but a bourbon one, too. BUT!!! All is not lost for I already have in my hot little hands the date for the next Brewmaster Dinner which is October 25th, Monday. It shall be a day of feasting, drinking, and celebrating for in grand style this shall be an Oktoberfest to best all Oktoberfests. Know it! Covet it! And look for the menu and further details here very soon.

Beerly,
Kristyn Lier

Sunday, September 19, 2010

French Quarter Beer Dinner ~ September

When: September 19th, 2010 **TODAY**
Where: French Quarter in downtown Vero Beach, FL
Time: 5pm - 9pm
RSVP: yes please!!! 772-770-4870 (limited seating)
Cost: $29.50 per person (does not include tax & gratuity)
Menu:

Photobucket

Thursday, September 16, 2010

BEERflections ~ Vine & Barley Dogfish Head Kegs Like Clockwork

“Off-centered ales for off-centered people.”
“Think global. Drink local.”

From the very beginning of Dogfish Head’s inception, these two declarations of individuality have stood proudly firm through good times and bad times, each in their own transporting Sam Calagione and his Dogfish Head family into our hearth and home. His philosophy of alt-culture and person-unique rang true for this beer geek and others during our meeting of off-centered ales and off-centered people at Vine & Barley of St. Lucie West. A hop skip and wee drive away, she is nonetheless a fine member of my beloved Treasure Coast. Judging by all the friendly faces, I am certainly not alone in this sentiment. For hours on end, we added further depth to Sam’s dream of drinking local and keeping it real within our own alt-culture of flavor diversity. Likewise, Sam and family added further depth to our Kegs Like Clockwork event by blessing unto our eclectic palates six equally eclectic beers: Festina Peche, Midas Touch, Theobroma, Raison d’Etre, Palo Santo Marron, and Sah’Tea.

Our divine dementia of off-centered ales rang true Monday, August the 16th as off-centered peeps and peepettes invaded Vine & Barley over a set period of one hour and thirty minutes. Did we linger longer afterwards? Yes. But more importantly, within that hour and a half, three separate tappings occurred in deuces while Dogfish Head 90 Minute flowed freely at a killer mark of $3.95 all day long. Our first deuce was at 5:45pm sharp, and as the minute chimed, two glorious Dogfish tap handles stepped onto the stage of beery celebration. One was decked out in Midas Touch regalia befitting the legendary king of lore, the other in tart peaches and wheat which could only be the playful Festina Peche. The second deuce rolled in at 6:30pm sharp as yet two more Dogfish handles joined their brethren to the whoops and hollers of an eager crowd. Taking the stage for this round was the mythical mystical Theobroma hailing from ancient Honduras to toast our special occasion. Following its own path of awe inspiring purpose was Raison d’Etre for to ask any beer sophisticate beer is the reason, meaning, and gateway to life at her finest. The third deuce graced our humble persons at the sounding of knell of 7:15pm. At this, our final hour of Dogfish Head beer bewitchment, darkness decadent slipped from the sultry covers of her Palo Santo Marron barrel into glasses of humble reverence. Equally gracious as she bridged local and global was the Sah’Tea, a quirky tribute to Finnish tradition and unadulterated deviance with some help from Asian Black Chai Tea and Juniper berries.

From 7:15pm onward it was everyone’s pleasure in whatever beery nectar filled their glass. At least, almost. See, Vine & Barley did things a smidge different for this particular event. Instead of working through the craziness of disorderly orderly crowds scrambling to lay claim to as many brimming tulips of off-centered tastiness possible, structure and a plan were put into place. Why? To ensure as best as humanly possible the chance for everyone to savor the special family of beers on showcase. To do this, a special Kegs Like Clockwork sign-up board was assembled and split into – tadah – three sections. Three separate tappings, three separate sections. Got it? Good. Each section was split into two numbered columns for you and me to stake our claim to the beer of our desires with a flourish of the mighty pen, not twice but just once per section. The number of blank name slots represented the potential number of pints that keg would yield before bleeding dry. Of course, some beerly minded peeps of clever genius grouped together to pool their beer quota in mutual matrimony of share and share alike. All was well in the long run though as these devious doers of trickery were figured into the master plan, a plan clear only to the level-headed wisdom of Mark Carbone and Tim Hebeler.

So how did Kegs Like Clockwork fair?
Unbridled success!
And how beautiful she tasted to one and all.

The process of each dual tapping was expertly executed by Mark, Kevin, Danette, Eric, and Joann. Unusual for a beer event was the notable absence of my Timmy-poo, but he had other unavoidable responsibilities to tend to that day, much to everyone's regret. No worries. We were all in capable hands and as names were boisterously announced, eager hands reaching for that holy grail of beer, I did my best to snap away with camera infamous while staying out from underfoot. There were a couple times I’m pretty sure some toes were stepped on, and for that my sincerest apologies. Overall though, I divided my time between eagerly reaching for my own holy grail of beer, lavishing love on said beers, and flashing away like a stripper without the pole.

Hm… a new calling perhaps…or perhaps not.

Many a familiar face beamed, smiles stretched far and wide, laughter twinkled merry, and together we proved that while global is never truly that far away in our thoroughly modern world, local truly does matter. A toast from me to those of you (whom I can remember) for sharing a lovely night of memories:
Laura, Eric, Alyson, Kenny, John, Marc, Tom, Mark B, Randall, Allison, Melanie, Bryan, Phil, Eric C, Ty, Mathew, Aaron, Etienne, Rick, Gerry, John H, Nicole, Melissa, Kathy, Jason, and Aimee.
Now let’s pause for a moment to discuss me, Kristyn Lier, and names. Quite frankly my dear, we don’t get along even though I do give a damn. Thankfully I have the power of internet on my side, specifically FaceBook. So for those who smartly tagged yourselves in my photo album extraordinaire, thanks bunches. If you don’t see your name above, please don’t think that I love you any less. I heart all my fabulous peeps and peepettes. Truly, my life would not be as rich as it is right now if you weren’t a treasured part of it. Should I ever greet you with a knowing smile without the name, please offer it unto me so that I can even better cherish our life and times together. Should I still forget and there’s a good chance I will once or thrice, threats of public embarrassment works wonders.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Seeing that the early beer geek gets the beer, with the generous assistance of my lovely Laura and her trusty steed, Sir Focus, I made it safely to our own little Camelot of barley and hops without the spamalot. Our ride safely hitched, we wandered inside to find much to my expectations a solid showing of my beerly regulars who also like to show up early and leave late. Grabbing a table this time instead of a bar top, I acquired a West End Grille menu and much to the delight of thine sourful eyes, a Duchesse de Bourgogne on draft. Laura got her evening started with a Stone Ruination IPA and so beers in hand, food menu at the ready, we approached in reverence the sacred board of clockwork kegs. Pondering carefully our choices, I chose the Festina Peche to further soothe my sour tooth followed by Theobroma to tease my tastebuds with chocolate spice and all things nice and then rounded the bend with Sah’Tea, a beer I truly can never get enough of. Ever. Love it. Of course, I had special plans for the Palo Santo Marron, my dark and dreamy cigar accompaniment once the lights had dimmed and night risen. While not necessarily a full-time cigar aficionado, I do enjoy a good cigar with an appropriate beer to which Palo Santo Marron provided quite the pleasant tryst.

That was later though. Long before the festivities kicked into high gear there was food to be indulged and heavens to barley, a 1997 JW Lees Harvest Ale. Thank you Randall for sharing such a treasured treat; it is always appreciated. My impressions stood that while tasty her flavors were a bit weak, her body a bit thin, and any potential future was lost to our tasting. See, beer ages not in a straight line upwards before spiraling horribly downward into undrinkable mediocrity but in multiple ups and downs with various peeks, lows, and in-betweens. For me, the 1997 JW Lees Harvest Ale was inbetween. Whether she was on her way upward to a new and different tasting crest or on her way downward to a new and different tasting low will never be known…and that’s quite alright. Beer is an adventure much like life, and answers will not always be but the very moment of living within it will always be.

Tasting the Harvest inbetween starting my Duchesse and finishing her, I knew well enough to both cleanse and trust my palate. Practice rarely makes perfect, but with determination and wit it will make better. With my JW Lees all gone (what – you didn’t think I wasted mine did you?!) some water was supped before returning to the welcome embrace of my Duchesse once more. Named in honor of the very real Mary of Burgundy, sole daughter of Charles the Bold, she died after a tragic horse-riding accident at the tenderly wizened age of 25 but lives on in this most beloved Flemish Red Ale. It is a personal honor and selfish pleasure to indulge in her ruby-hued nectar whenever possible, so thank you Mary of Burgundy, thank you Flanders, and thank you Verhaeghe. Cheers!

Just as Duchesse and I parted ways, our West End Grille nibblies arrived. (Okay, I walked over and picked them up but same difference.) For yours beerly, their Wings!Wings!Wings!, mild, and for Laura their Cobb salad minus the tomatoes. Bellies full, appetites sated and thirst not anywhere near being quenched, the countdown commenced. As the clock struck 5:45pm organized chaos reigned and beers were dispensed with flair and finesse.

So…what about those beers?
What about Dogfish Head?
Huh? Huh? Huh?

On special from open to close was their 90 Minute IPA, an India Pale Ale of imperial proportions that are truly one of a kind. The original continuous hopper bit the dust after the first batch but after the success of the sessionable 60 Minute IPA came her majesty the 90 Minute. Besides being hopped for a continuous ninety minutes, her IBUs (International Bitterness Units) also tap out at a clean ninety. Big in both hops and malts, grab your tulip or snifter, sit back, let her warm just a bit, and savor the flavor.

As an aside, the 90 Minute is best enjoyed fresh (within a few months) so always be sure to note the bottling date on the neck of your beer bottle before purchasing. Thankfully, the kegs never last that long and can almost always be counted on to be fresh. When in doubt, ask the bartender. If they don’t know, then tis probably not a good sign of supping to come.

Crazy as it may sound to some, I can get 90 Minute on draft pretty much all the time at my local craft oases. What I cannot get on draft except for rare special occasions such as Vine & Barley’s Kegs Like Clockwork event are the few and the proud:

Midas Touch. We’ve all heard the legend of Midas and his curse where all he touched turned to gold. His lustful material desires once thought to be the bringer of joy and happiness instead quickly morphed into the bringer of remorse and suffering. Richness is not measured in gold (material wealth) but if the archaeological remains discovered in his pristinely preserved tomb are any indication, than beer may just be that measurable richness of heart and hearth. Teaming mad molecular archaeologist, mad brewer, and the scientifically evaluated remains of clay vessels that once escorted Midas on his road to that which awaits, the beer Midas Touch was born. Brewed with hops (of course), his story comes to life once more in the barley, honey, white Muscat grapes, and saffron used as they were used thousands of years ago to slake the thirst of a King.

Sour rules my world. Typically associated with Belgium and her Lambics, there is another little known sour beer of equally regarded pedigree: Berliner Weisse. As her name hopefully implies, the style originated/evolved in Berlin, Germany, land of lagers, pilsners, marzens, rauche, and Weisse to name a few. Weisse being wheat/white depending on who is translating, the Berliner Weisse is unique in a very certain and specific way: lactobacillus. A bit of a funky wild yeast, she likes to turn up the fun a notch by adding a bright tart-sour character to any beer she touches and Berliner Weisse is no different. The wheat enhances the freshness and thirst-quenching character of this stylish beer that is thankfully experiencing a resurgence of interest. A quirky beer needs a quirky brewer to which the Dogfish Head family is most suited. Bringing the Neo to the Old, Festina Peche was born with wheat in one hand, peach nectar in the other, and an extra dosing of lactobacillus to keep the funk. The end result is a seasonal revered the world over, Treasure Coast included, when each Spring she graces our fridges and hopefully our local watering holes.

Since the only thing more fun than science is mad science, the devious duo of that molecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern and Super Sam Calagione hooked up once more at their secret base of brewy nefariousness. Based once more on a chemical analysis, this brew hails to us sunny Floridians via Delaware from Honduras, specifically Honduras of right around 1200 BC. Yes, that’s Before Christ though most certainly not before the very first discovery of man’s love for beer and beer’s love for man. That particular historical tidbit would stretch us all the way back to around 6000 BC with further archaeological and sociological rumblings pushing that date back even further by a few thousand years. Phew! Can’t wait to taste that beer! But first let’s taste some Theobroma. Literally “food of the gods”, she is quite the particular ale brewed with Aztec cocoa powder, local cocoa nibs from Delaware’s own Ashinoise Chocolate, honey, chilies, and annatto. When I first read about Theobroma last year annatto was as foreign as foreign can be to me. A wee bit of research later and it turns out that annatto is quite simply a seed of the achiete trees commonly found in the tropical regions of the Americas. What makes annatto seeds unique are their distinct flavoring attributes, peppery with a hint of nutmeg, and to some extent, coloring. How much coloring it may have lent to Theobroma is not knowledge privy to this beer geek, though it is a curiosity. Our end result is a privileged balance of sweet, spicy, chocolaty, earthy, and nutty with a tickle of heat in the back thanks to the chilies.

Still with me? Good. Only three more beers to go and they are not to be missed.

Raison d’Etre is obviously a play on the popular philosophical musings of “reason d’etre”, or for the lay person, the reason of life. Is beer the reason for life? Quite possibly yes, and maybe not just for the beer aficionado and novice but for all of humankind. Hallelujah peanut butter. Bring out the bottle openers, crack a cap, and savor a glass rich in a brewery’s philosophy and hope in life. One of Dogfish Head’s early beers, she has stood well against the ebb and flow of craft beer consumerism. Her Belgian yeast offers complexity, depth, and sophistication to her cauldron of green raisins, beet sugar, malt, and hops for a beer of complex musings. Liquid bread in fine form, she may be savored fresh or she can be left to age in cool dark mellow silence to reemerge a few years later all that much wiser for her years. You get to decide which quite frankly is half the fun, though I personally enjoy sharing the love over months on into years so be sure to save a few bottles.

It can be typical in a beer centric event to highlight the flavorful array of tastes and aromas from lesser complexity to BAM! in your face complexity. Because all Dogfish Head beers are uniquely flavorful in directions where no others boldly go, there really is no need to exact such an order when the beauty of unique flavorful beer is solely in the interests of said unique flavorful beer and the people who appreciate it.

This passion for flavor regulations be darned is equally evident in the Palo Santo Marron, a sultry brunette aged within the comforting embrace of Palo Santo wood. Her heavily dense and oily decadence pervades and persuades the brown ale within to achieve a supple sophistication while remaining close to the Earth which gave her purpose. Palo Santo literally means “holy tree” and once one wraps reverent lips around her generous curves, the heavens open, angels sing, cherubs harp glorious melodies, and all is right in the world. Melted caramel, oils, a sense of aged earth and time unspoken, fudge, spicy cigar leaf, and so much more reveals a flavor exploration as layer after layer unravels, twists, turns, and blends into the other in languid beerphoric bliss. As if her flavor alone wasn’t big enough, the large barrel custom cut and coopered from the Paraguayan Palo Santo wood is the largest barrel in America since the repeal of prohibition. Considering her generous personality, I find it strangely appropriate than that on an everyday basis she should grace my presence within the simple trappings of a standard 12oz beer bottle, brown glass of course.

And thus I come unto the Sah’Tea, a tribute to the drink of her people, the original and still very native Finnish Sahti. Fermented from a variety of grains both malted and not, the additional flavoring components of juniper berries and hops almost complete this family favorite. Once fermented and before bottling, the complex brew is then filtered through a bed of juniper twigs for an extra kick of floral-herbal character. Long a beverage of hearth and home, much like beer and homebrew was for centuries before the gradual rise of industrialization and commercialization, native Sahti is only just now experiencing a limited insurgence of commercially produced brands for purchase. Overall though the majority of Sahti is still a time and family honored tradition. In place of my eventual trip to Finland, here in the USofA and my sunny state of Florida do I enjoy Dogfish Head’s Finnish tribute, Sah’Tea, thusly named for the off-centered addition of Asian Black Chai Tea. And why not?! Different? So what! Tastes amazing and for this flavorholic that is pretty much all that matters. There are always exceptions after all, but tis no mind. Taking that extra laborious step of love to make their Sah’Tea uniquely traditional, Sam and family throwing into the wort white-hot river rocks to stimulate a further fermentation even as the rocks caramelize the residual sugars for an extra special flavor treat. Complimenting her sweetly caramelized personality are the addition of Dogfish’s own Asian Black Chai blend, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, and a dash of je ne c’est qoi for a timeless work of art.

So, are you thirsty yet? Is Dogfish Head on your brain? Have you cracked open a brew yet?
Psshhh. Glugluglug. Sip. Savor.
Hits the spot, yes it does.

The clockwork frenzy long past, peeps familiar and new mingled long into a night well spent. I know I had zero regrets, a shared sentiment felt all around me and within me. As the number of stragglers slowly dwindled, I lazed away on my cigar, Palo Santo and friends by my side, until the sly creep of sleep started to wrap her arms around me. Sated in mind, body, and soul, there was no other place I would rather have been than at Vine & Barley that evening of August 16th, 2010. My thanks to all the fine folks who made my night perfect and my thanks to Dogfish Head for thinking global to allow my drinking local. Stay off-centered my friends.

Even though I wasn’t driving thanks to the gracious deeds of lovely Laura and her trusty steed, Sir Focus, a party is never fun when appreciative responsibility is forsaken for disorderly drunkenness. In no rush, we eventually moseyed out of there around midnight. Grooving to the soulful tunes of Koko Taylor, home eventually crawled atop midnight’s horizon to welcome me in. Good nights exchanged, Mr. D greeted me at the door with a purrfect smile before I slipped into sleepy comfort, my own reason d’être fulfilled once more.



(an original written work by Kristyn Lier. plagiarism is not tolerated)

New Beer Reviews

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(original written works by Kristyn Lier. plagiarism is not tolerated)

WOB Viera News

Did you know?
We have football every Saturday and Sunday with the ESPN Gameday Pass and NFL Ticket. Bizzarro Pizza will be back this Sunday afternoon serving complimentary pizza. For more information click here. Also, have you registered for the Pick'Em Challenge? It's not too late. Click here for more information.

Das Boot!
This Saturday, September 18th, we will be celebrating the start of Oktoberfest. From September 18th to October 23, you can purchase a boot (1 liter) filled with your favorite Oktoberfest beer and keep the boot for $20 (while supplies last). The best part is bring it in any time during the month till October 23 and get refills for only $10. Hurry, before they are all gone.

Cigar City Beertopia!
Tuesday, September 28th, we are bringing Cigar City Brewery to you from Tampa. We will have an extensive line up of drafts which includes an exclusive release of beers that are not found anywhere except at the brewery. Keep reading you newsletter for more information.

WOBtoberfest!
WOBtoberfest is around the corner. Mark your calender for October 22 and 23rd. This will be the best party in Brevard County. Live music all weekend, complimentary food and great beer! Stay tuned for more details.

New Bottles
  • Anchor Porter, 5.6% (California)
  • EKU Pilsner, 5% (Germany)
  • Monchshof Kellerbier, 5.5% (Germany)

New Drafts
  • Allagash White, 5% (Maine)
  • Great Divide Hoss, 6.2% (Colorado)
  • Great Divide Rumble, 9.1% (Colorado)
  • Great Divide Triple, 7.1% (Colorado)
  • Magic Hat Hex, 5.4% (Vermont)
  • Smuttynose Pumpkin, 6.3% (New Hampshire)
  • Weyerbacher Hops Infusion, 6.2% (Pennsylvania)

Live Music This Week
  • Thursday - Adam Moreno
  • Friday - Wilcor
  • Saturday - Iris

Cigar City Brew News

Great American Beer Fest, Final Push, and Fruit in the Room!

The brewery crew takes off tomorrow to Denver for Great American Beer Festival, we will be pouring our beers on the floor and hope to see everyone who makes it out there at the booth! We will be in the Southeast section along with an impressive assembling of Florida breweries, most likely the most that has ever been at the festival. Be sure you check them all out in your rounds. We've also entered our beers for judging, and love those medals so hopefully we will bring home one (or two)! We will let you know!

While everyone else in the brewery is gone having fun at GABF the tasting room staff decided to have a little fun on our own and will be putting "Final Push" on tap for the weekend to share with all of the beer lovers in the area who could not make the trek to Denver for the GABF. For those who haven't had this most interestingly conceived beer it's an infusion of Kopi Luwack coffee from Indonesia, Cacao Nibs, and Vanilla Beans with Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout.. For those not familiar with this very complex coffee, here is a little more info. It won't last long on tap so if you are close, come and get some but you'll have to enjoy it here, not enough around for growlers. Sorry..

Are we near our fruit beer tasting tickets are selling briskly and we are putting together all of the last minute details, below we've posted a little teaser of what we will have Just a little taste of what we will be pouring:

Guest Beers:
  • New Glarus Belgian Red
  • New Glarus Razzberry Tart
  • New Belgium Eric's Ale
  • RJ Rockers Son of a Peach
  • Ommegang Zuur
  • Bell's Poolside
  • Peg's Rainbow Jelly Donut

From our own minds:
  • Strawberry Kiwi IPA
  • Peach IPA
  • White Oak Tropic-Ale IPA
  • Papaya IPA
  • Blueberry Maduro
  • Pommegranate Double Cream Ale
  • Peach Double Cream Ale
  • Fig Double Cream Ale
  • Lemon Party Saison
  • Chocolate Cherry Porter
  • Peach-Apricot IPA

Don't forget, if you live in Pinellas county you can pick your tickets up at Oldsmar Taphouse, Dunedin House of Beers, and Willard's Taphouse.

This week new on tap we have the "Soggy Loaf Rye Porter" a beer that is only available two places in the Tampa Bay area, at Datz' deli and right here in the tasting room at the brewery. This beer, truly liquid bread captures everything we love about Pumpernickel, with a hit of rye and just begs for a piled high deli sandwich that Datz' is quickly becoming famous for in South Tampa! We love those guys and this beer is a labor of that love. Be sure to go by there and try it with some of their amazing food, then come by here for a growler or two!

Also on tap this week at the tasting room:
  • Jai Alai IPA
  • Maduro Brown Ale
  • Cubano Espresso
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
  • Tocobaga Red
  • Jose' Marti' American Porter
  • Puppy's Breath Robust Porter
  • Guava Grove Saison
  • Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout
  • Good Gourd Pumpkin Ale
  • White Oak IPA

Guest Tap:
  • Southern Tier Iniquity Black IPA

This Saturday (September 18th) at 2pm Scott Deitche will be here signing his books such as Cigar City Mafia,The Silent Don, and his recent release, Green Collar Jobs: Environmental Careers for the 21st Century. He will also have some of his books for sale. What could be better than great works from a local author, with great local beer? Not much in our opinion..

Cheers!
Travis

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Bourbon Dinner @ Town Crier Pub

**You better believe I'll be there. Mm... bourbon cocktails, awesome food, AND a bourbon-barrel aged old ale. YUM!**

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2nd Annual Octoberfest ~ Broken Barrel Tavern

Our second annual Oktoberfest, sponsored by Samuel Adams but featuring a multitude of German and Craft Brand Oktoberfest beers as well as Fall Favorites! Beginning at 5pm on Friday, and ending at 2am Saturday Night (technically Sunday), we will have live entertainment indoors and outdoors. Saturday during the day we are featuring a kid zone, with bounce houses, face painters and all kinds of fun for the whole family. We will be cooking up some authentic German Cuisine, as well as your Broken Barrel favorites, so come on out and celebrate the changing of the season and experience a two day gathering of friends, family, free give aways and the finest selection of Craft Beer on the Space Coast

The dates are Oct 8th & 9th!

There will be live entertainment outside, on Saturday we’ll be setting up bounce houses and what not for the kids, and we will be dressing the part too!

Beers,
Kevin

Cigar City Brew News

Hill Farmstead/Grassroots/Cigar City Collaboration Recap....
Sunday I drove the last house guest to the airport. It was the end to a busy week in which we hosted brewers from Denmark and Vermont for a collaboration that will, when it is complete, result in a total of four beers, two brewed over two days at Cigar City and the other two brewed in Vermont and Denmark sometime in the near future. Things got started on Thursday when Ryan Witter Merithew of The Grassroots Brewery located at the Fanoe Brewery in Denmark arrived along with his brother Justin. We quickly got them squared away and headed to Cigar City so Wayne and Ryan (friends from their days brewing in North Carolina) could get reacquainted. Beers were consumed. The breeze, it was shot. And the evening ended late with myself, Ryan and Justin at La Terisita where I gulped down a chorizo and queso omelette and the brothers each devastated a Milanesa steak. True to his word Ryan awoke at 6 AM in time to be at the brewery by 6:30 for the start of the brew day. Justin and I slept in, hitting the brewery around 9 AM.

Later, we collected Henrik Brolling from Drikkeriget who will be assisting us in getting the results of the collaboration to Denmark. Still later we fetched Shaun Hill from the airport. Shaun got The Grassroots project off the ground in Denmark an endeavor that stemmed from his brewing days at Nørrebro Bryghus and Shaun recently opened Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT on farmland that his been in his family for eight generations. Shaun was nice enough to bring a keg of his Abner (all the beers he brews are named after family members who have lived on the Hill Farm) Double India Pale Ale. It lasted about as long as you'd expect an amazing Double IPA to last in a brewery full of hopheads. A few of the regulars got to try it, but by and large it was crushed by the brewstaff.

About the Beer
We went back and forth over a month or more trying to come up with a name for the beers we were planning to brew. In fact the recipes for the beers were done long before the beers were named. The beers are basically black IPA's brewed with lots of citra, mt. rainier and simcoe along with Thai Thai honey from North Florida aged on medium toast Spanish Cedar. There are different hop additions in the Hill Farmstead/Grassroots version and the 2-row base malt in the CCB version is replaced with Pilsner malt in the Vermont/Denmark version. There are also some process differences which is one of the purposes of a collaboration; allowing breweries to learn from each other.

Anyway, we'd finally settled on a name for each beer which involved the physicists Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac when Shaun related a story and suggested what we all finally agreed was the perfect name for the beers. Remember the goal was to make two beers that were alike, but slightly different due to preferences in regional approach and access to ingredients. Furthermore the two beers are being packaged together in a split case with 50% of each beer per case. So beer buyers will be able receive both of these alike, but subtly different beers at the same time. So the final name selection just worked. The four beers in this collaborative series will be named:

Either, Or, Neither and Nor.
Either and Or will release first and the other two will follow. Both Either and Or were brewed at CCB, but Neither and Nor will be brewed as single batches in both Vermont and Denmark. Wayne and I will likely make the trip to Denmark and the current plan is to send our brewer Tim Ogden to assist Shaun with the Vermont brew, which I plan to be present for as well.

Getting back to the brew day. The first day of brewing on Thursday went well and Tim and Wayne ended with a great yield and all the numbers where they wanted them. The out of towners lunched on Cuban Sandwiches from The Columbia in Ybor and all in all things went as well as we could have hoped.

The following day, bright and early and after they managed to outsmart my house alarm, Shaun and Ryan got started on the Denmark/Vermont half of the collaboration. For us it was a learning experience because these guys know a trick or two and introduced us to their way of doing things all while getting some experience with how we approach brewing with the ingredients and equipment we have at our disposal. Like I said, I think the exchange of ideas and brewing philosophy is extremely valuable and everyone at the brewery was thrilled to be able to interact with and learn from the experience.

Of course as the brew day closed to an end more beer was tipped back, the breeze was further obliterated by a fusillade of conversation and we invented a new game of darts called Dartstraction that I have every confidence will sweep the nation and I am not saying this because I won the first game ever after only two hours of play. We made it to Mema's Alaskan Tacos for dinner and a quick beer at The Independent in Seminole Heights before finally calling it a night. We said goodbye to Shaun as he had to fly back to Vermont unfortunately missing out on a variety of excellent beers we'd set aside for the evening. The next day Ryan whiled away the afternoon looking up the word ejaculate (it has an innocent meaning, just ask Sherlock Holmes) and Henrik and then Ryan (after losing and the tracking down his passport) headed home.

It was a busy week and we have the craziness that is GABF coming up this week, but I feel like we accomplished much and learned even more and I am looking forward to seeing how this collaboration develops as it heads to Vermont and overseas to Denmark. As of today both Either and Or are happily bubbling away in their fermenters on their way to becoming the beers we imagined they would be.

Cheers,
Joey Redner

Thursday, September 09, 2010

BrewGrrs and Me *update*

For all you eagerly awaiting anxious souls, a word of reassurance. BrewGrrs is making good headway and we will be opening sometime soon. Patience will reward, trust. Be ready cause we may open with a bang, or we may open with a whisper. Only time will tell...

Bwahahahahahahaha }:D

Beerly,
Kristyn 'Beer Ambassador' Lier

3rd Annual Treasure Coast Beer Fest *update*

Check out these two excellent and differently viewed articles on our now only 2 days away beer fest in the downtown Fort Pierce City Hall Parking Garage.

With Home Brews and Microbrews It's All About the Taste

Suds, Fun Ahead at the Treasure Coast Beer Fest

Cigar City Brew News

Good Gourd now on tap! White Oak IPA coming in on tap and in bottles this week! Hello beer people! Hope you are having a great short week!

Good Gourd hit the taps in the tasting room on Monday and we are enjoying this little taste of fall, despite the typical Florida weather. We are pouring quart growlers of this and since we did not bottle it, this is the only way you can take it home so be sure to stop by for a snifter or two and take home a few quarts, maybe one will make it to Thanksgiving!

We have just completed the packaging of the White Oak IPA, it will be on tap in the tasting room and throughout our distribution area in limited quantities and also in 12 oz. 6 packs. We have the 6 packs here at the brewery and they are available now, and it will hit the taps tomorrow (Thursday) for pints and growler fills.

On September 18th at 2pm we will be hosting local author Scott Deitche for a book signing event. Scott has written books such as Cigar City Mafia, The Silent Don, and his recent release, Green Collar Jobs: Environmental Careers for the 21st Century. He will be in the tasting room signing his books and will also have a few to sell in case you haven't picked up a copy.

Tickets are selling rapidly for the Fruit in the Room tasting on September 25th, we have began putting together our offerings for the fest and personally I think that these will be some of the shining stars for the fest, although we will sure enjoy drinking some of these hard to find fruity delights more while they are here, many in such a short supply. On the 25th during the tasting we will be having a people's choice award which will allow you to vote for your favorite beer of the night, one caveat to this is that our beers will not be in the judging, so you might have to choose your second or third favorite! From the winning beer with the most votes we will pick out a ticket and if we call your name you will be showered upon with Cigar City goodies (well maybe not a shower, but definitely a shirt, growlers, and a few other goodies) so be sure to vote! Look out for the first list of beers for the tasting to be out the beginning of next week as we are still working our magic as we speak!

On the 27th of September our good buddy Paul from Cajun Cafe on the Bayou in Pinellas Park will be here for a little tasting of sorts, come by after 7pm and enjoy some of the bay area's best cajun food along with a tasty pint or two. Paul will be here as well to engage in conversations about beer, football (soccer for us Americans) and will definitely be ready to beat you at a game of cricket! As we get closer we will post all the yummy grub he is planning on bringing, it's all good to us, especially the Whiskey Bread Pudding!

Don't forget that we are now open on Sundays from 11am-9pm, stop by to get your growlers filled before the game, to celebrate (or drown your sorrows) after the game, or just because you don't like football but love fresh local beer!

On tap this week in the tasting room:
  • Jai- Alai IPA
  • Maduro Brown Ale
  • Cubano Espresso Ale
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
  • Tocobaga Red Ale
  • Guava Grove
  • Batch 69 Double Cream Ale
  • Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout
  • Puppy's Breath Robust Porter
  • Jose' Marti' American Porter
  • Good Gourd Pumpkin Ale
  • White Oak Jai-Alai IPA--COMING ON THURSDAY (9/9/2010)

Always more to come.. But that's it for now!

Cheers!
Travis

WOB Viera News

Football is here!
WOB is your place for football! This weekend catch all the College and NFL games on all our flat screen TV's with the NFL Ticket and ESPN Game Day Pass. Complimentary food will be served every NFL Sunday afternoon during the regular season and playoffs. This Sunday, complimentary food will be provided by Bizzarro Pizza. Make WOB your place to be for football. For more information click here. Also, it's not too late to sign up for the Pick'Em Challenge. Simply pick the winners of each week's Pro Football and/or College Top 25 games for a chance to win weekly local prizes and an overall grand prize of a $200 WOB gift card. Double your winnings by playing both challenges! Click here for more information.

Beer God Sightings!
This past weekend we had three more loyalty card holders achieve the status of "Beer God." They were very very quiet and didn't want a lot fanfare. If you see Tom L., Drew T. and Greg S., congratulate them on their achievement. We are not done yet! This week we will have one more join the status of "Beer God." Jeff G. will be making his journey complete this Saturday, September 11th at 3:30. Stop by this Saturday and welcome Jeff to the club.

Erie Brewery Night!
Tuesday, September 14th, is Erie Brewery Night. We will have a great line up of Erie drafts which includes Derailed, Golden Fleece, Misery Bay, Presque Isles and Smokebender. The party starts at 5 pm, so don't be late. Click here for more information.

Das Boot!
On Saturday, September 18th, the Schottenhamel tent is the place to be if you are in Germany but since we are in Melbourne, we have brought the "Boot" to you. From September 18th to October 23, which is our WOBtoberfest (October 22nd and 23rd), you can purchase a boot (1 liter) filled a Oktoberfest beer and keep the boot for $20 (while supplies last). The best part is bring it in any time during the month till October 23 and get refills for only $10 of your favorite Oktoberfest. Get yours before they walk out the door.

New Bottles
  • Blue Point Hoptical Illusion, 6.8% (New York)
  • Magic Hat Hex, 5.4% (Vermont)
  • Ommegang Zuur, 6% (New York)
  • Spaten Oktoberfest, 5.9% (Germany)
  • Stiegl Radler Shandy, 2.5% (Austria)

New Drafts
  • Lagunitas Downtown Pale Ale, 6.4% (California)
  • Magic Hat Hex, 5.4% (Vermont)
  • Terrapin Pumpkinfest, 6.1% (Georgia)
  • Terrapin Side Project #12 Hopzilla, 10.7% (Georgia)

Live Music This Week
  • Thursday - Micah Reed
  • Friday - C-Lane & Beav
  • Saturday - John Neff

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Sunday, September 05, 2010

3rd Annual Treasure Coast Beer Fest *update*

CHECK IT OUT!

See and listen to Kristyn Lier and Mark Carbone talk about the upcoming 3rd Annual Treasure Coast Beer Fest on our very own local Channel 10 of Vero Beach, FL, a proud city in the heart of the Treasure Coast and active participant in this year's beer fest.
  • Mon-Thur: 4pm, 7pm, and 11pm.
  • Friday: 8pm - 11pm, midnight - 7am *every 15 minutes*
More information can be found on this fabulous beer fest at our website. Tickets are limited so wait not and pre-purchase yours at any of the locations listed online. The newest beer count puts us right at about 200 different beers.

I'm exited!!!

BEERflections ~ French Quarter Beer Dinner August

It’s always a nail-biting affair starting something new, a permanent fixture without fads or gimmicks. If the hearty showing at our 2nd beer dinner at French Quarter in Vero Beach is any indication, good libations are surely abloom. The community within French Quarter and French Quarter within the community is soon to be synonymous with gastropub delights, opening the world of good beers and good food to all. Not the first and certainly not the last, this isn’t some childish competition to see who can be bigger, better, stronger, and fastest. We are building a community, an enrichment of life and times along horizons broadened and memories cherished. Bloated impersonal chains of the lowest common denominator need not apply. This is local and local matters.

Our beer dinner format is familiar to those who have attended their wine dinners. On the flip side, our beer dinner format is different than most that have a set starting hour for the festivities to begin, requiring all parties to be present and seated on time. During these beer dinners ala social affairs, brewery reps and chefs take turns dishing out tantalizing tidbits about the beers, the food, and the two together as eager tables fill the air with the cozy din of social cheer. One could say that in those few short hours a new community is born, enriched, and shared. Having participated in both, I can say that neither is better, just pleasantly different. For our purpose though, relaxed and personal is the chosen format. As I gaze upon my beer dinner tables and feel the warmth of personal space sharing in precious memories, I know well enough to leave magic alone unless invited.

It’s a bit of an unspoken rule in life that when building something new, something lasting, a minimum of three tries are needed to feel at least one foot firmly planted while the other prepares to move further forward into tangible realization. The first dinner’s turn-out wasn’t meager, but it certainly wasn’t what we were hoping for. A few notable factors became readily apparent, two of which were addressed for the second dinner in August:
  1. Hosting a beer dinner in the middle of the week, Wednesday, is not conducive to people’s schedules.
  2. Scheduling and promoting a new endeavor in just over a week’s time is not enough notice for planning one’s attendance.
So, this time around we planned for a Sunday, the weekend, with an ample three weeks advance notice to entice the beer and food curious into adding us to their planner.

Lessons learned. Knowledge filed and stored. Success gained.

For our second beer dinner on Sunday August 15th from 5pm to 9pm burgundian aspirations reined with a total of twenty-two confirmed reservations, zero cancellations, and a few additional walk-ins. Fabulous! Something very special is happening; I can feel it. As I release unto the eager ladies and gents of Vero Beach many more beer dinners of varied origin and style, a solid mix of tasted veterans and newly curious will fill hearth and home with good times and cherished memories for all. Seeing as the seasons are creeping upon us, look forward to a bit of something different this September and beyond. Far be it for myself or the French to keep it the same when there is so much room for playful fun. It will not to be missed. Trust.

But! If for some reason you are still not convinced, stay with me as I delve deep into mouth-watering detail after mouth-watering detail in sweet literary love.

That being said, a few shout-outs are do for the fantastically generous showing of my fellow burgundians united under the flag of beer dinner nirvana: To you, the Colontrelle 5. To my hot rod duo, Mike and Paula. To Robert and family, happy birthday and cheerio. To Laura and Tammy, keep it real sisters. To Timmy-poo and Ryan-boo, stay thirsty my friends. To Alex, the good times have only just begun. To dynamic Dave, jiggy Johnson, and your lovely ladies, see you soon. To John and Patty, Go Gators!

And to all of you fine ladies and gents who graced our resplendent evening, Thank You very much. Be sure to keep those calendars open for future beer dinners because you aint seen nothing yet, baby!

Arriving early and staying late, I enjoyed the campy company of an eclectic mix of their Sunday staff. Boinky Boinkertons, a true blast and heavens if I can’t remember your birth name…and that’s ok. Also helping to mix the funk up Sunday night were Eeyore and Noodles while Spence rocked the night away in his duckly decorated khakis of dangerously sexy proportions. Our chef du jour was the one and only Ed-tastic *kisses* and of course, a heartfelt thanks to all the lil helper chefs unseen but well-tasted. Good show.

My peeps pimped and culinary wizards crowned, tis time to hit up the trio of tantalizing dishes you have read so patiently through to savor.
  • Appetizer – manila clams steamed (and thirstily paired) in Avery White Rascal with the equally fabulous additions of garlic, butter, and scallions for a light and flavorful broth.
  • Main Course – braised Angus short ribs with a bacon mushroom bread pudding, glazed carrots, and frizzled leeks paired with Oskar Blues Old Chub.
  • Dessert – dark chocolate pate with fresh berries and vanilla bean ice cream paired with Lindeman’s Kriek.
If those brief descriptors alone weren’t enough to set the tastebuds tingling in anticipation, maybe a twinge or two of envy, then let me digress…

Part of my reason d’être behind choosing the White Rascal from Avery for the appetizer was for the very real reason of Monsieur Rascal himself. Not the childhood character of yore, but the devilish rascal on the label smiling at you and me, glint in his eye and tasty beer in hand. That same devilish rascal also graces a classically retro poster found within the comfy confines of the wine bar. The only difference is in the bottle of vino being held versus the bottle of beer, a fitting union of our two worlds of flavorful libation in a setting where beer and wine diversity is celebrated.

As for the first pairing…fabulous of course.

I’m well familiar with White Rascal and have demolished quite a few shellfish ala Belgian Wit pairings. Manila clams were the shellfish of choice this round, a tasty twist on a mussel’s classic. There was certainly no shame felt here as I thoroughly ravaged my clams and Rascal. A light sauce, her whitish hue revealed gentle spices and a soft mouthfeel exquisitely received and reciprocated in the beer in hand. Scallions crunched with a zap of heat before letting green herbs, lip-smacking butter, and a whisper of garlic take over. The clams were tender morsels of earthy brine and sweet dew drops bursting before my reverent ministrations. Not to be outdone but instead to stand hand-in-hand, my White Rascal was decked out in her finest Belgian whites. Hidden within were brilliant notes of blanched wheat, sprightly lemon zest, orange kisses, and mischievous nips of white pepper and coriander. Twas a luxurious cruise of flavors joined and parted in unspoken harmony, sending these tastebuds into an orchestrated dance of delight.

Being a relaxed affair, I slowly savored each course in all their aromatic flavorful glory. Last dinner I dined with Patty and John. This time around I dined in the dashing company of Tim and Ryan with a late-night showing of Alex. The appetizer having duly got the party off to a tastetacular start, we awaited the timely arrival of our main course amidst beery banter.

Enter the tenderest slices of braised Angus short ribs ever to seduce my senses. Ever. I’m still not quite sure why they included a steak knife. It made me feel a smidge guilty for woefully neglecting her proud purpose for the simple function of the fork. Pushing guilt aside, upon placing my fork over the thin slices of braised Angus ribs, she parted neatly and effortlessly into mouth-filling morsels of orgasm inducing proportions. Foodphoria all over again…and again…and again with each heavenly bite. Tender. Juicy. Succulent. Brown sauces meet beef juices and flavor harmony sings. Not to be outdone, the bacon mushroom bread pudding was differently and equally flavorphoria inducing. Ohmygawd. Firstly, bacon anything is good. Period. Add to that one of my favorite fungi, mushrooms, wrap it all up in a mini loaf of melt-in-the-mouth bread pudding and my tasteometer rocketed through the upper stratosphere in negative zero seconds. All savory bites thereafter sent delightful shivers from toes to nose and back to toes again. A moment please… Okay, onto the glazed carrots and frizzled leeks. I like me some sweet and crunchy glazed carrots, the frizzled leeks not so much. Overall though, she was a culinary culmination of life-affirming proportions. Her beer in arms was the Old Chub from Oskar Blues, the first craft brewery to solely can their beer. Old Chub is a Scottish-style ale whose rich flavors of candied apples, dark pitted fruits, black breads, treacle, and shadowy smoke was the only accompaniment needed. No other beer need apply which makes sense since Ed builds the dishes around each particular beer of my choosing. Hands down, a team effort I am proud to be partner to.

A full tummy would hardly be conducive to an enjoyable third and last course no matter how fanfreakingtastic it may, should, and will be, and so time was taken. Minutes laze on by. Then our mini siesta over, it was time to bring out the chocolate and the cherries. If you didn’t like this dessert than it is my solemn duty to inform you of your failure as a human being, your existence on this fine planet relevant no more. Sad but true, yes sir, yes ma’am.

Dark chocolate pate, how I love thee, let me count the ways… Up until that evolutionary moment of foodvana Sunday August 15th, I had no clue what dark chocolate pate was, tasted like, and how horribly incomplete my life had been. Rich, heavy, moist, and light all at once. Sliced into reasonably thick pate slices, two graced my dessert plate decorated in raspberry and chocolate drizzles with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. Voila! Life was complete. Judging by the judicious low moans of myself, my merry mates, and patrons aplenty, she was a tantalicious sentiment shared by all. As my imagination contemplated the tastefully naughty potential of a dark chocolate pate Kristyn sandwich, casting avarice my way was a champagne flute of luxurious berry hues, the Lindeman’s Kriek. A Belgian Lambic, she is brewed and fermented with their native Schaarbeekse, a naturally tart and mildly sweet pitted cherry.

To try and explain here what was and is Lambic would require its own epic dissertation, and so I will offer a smidge of what I can and leave the rest to the reader’s adventurous curiosity:
Lambic is a beer style native to the Pajottenland region of Belgium which enjoys an official EU Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) of origin. Brewed almost continuously for over 400 years, Lambic has earned a unique pass on the foils and tribulations of encroaching time and overzealous modernization. Choosing the unique micro-climate of Mother Nature over Mankind, the Lambic brewers revere wild yeasts along with the wood barrels and old barns they call home. Touch not the cobwebs. Disturb not the dirt and dust. Lambic breweries exist outside of time as one of the last and greatest micro eco-systems. These rare living liquid works of art and history are reverently treasured for their wild funky tart musty rustic old-world nature, and I wouldn’t have them any other way. Young, blended, or an old gem straight from the barrel, Lambics are one of the most coveted works of beery culture still alive today.

Now, throw in some of Belgium’s sour-sweet Schaarbeekse cherries and my dessert pairing was off the chain. An amazing fusion of new world and old world all wrapped up in flavortastic funk, her simplicity of pleasures were profoundly moving.

Simple is beautiful. Taste it. Share it.

As much as I dreaded this turning point in my beer dinner evening, doors were inevitably locked as the last of my peeps and peepettes left in contented silence. I lingered at the bar with Alex for a while before we too bid farewell. Confirmation of a third beer dinner officially on the calendar (and approaching fast) my mind was already pondering what next. Mix it up a bit. Do a little something different. Keep the adventure pumping. While those thoughts mused amongst themselves in the annals of my brain, Alex and I headed my way home for a nice bourbon nightcap. Thank you Palm Ridge Reserve for bringing good bourbon home to Florida. As a native, I couldn’t be prouder.

Finally sated and sleepy, I answered the sandman’s call and drifted off to slumberland where dreams unexplored lay in wait.



(an original written work by Kristyn Lier. plagiarism is not tolerated)

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Cigar City Brew News

**In an effort to keep my blog as local as possible, I'm cutting back on some of the news stuff to keep it all Treasure Coast and Florida centric.**

New Brews and Taproom hours expanded AGAIN!!

Now you can hit us up for growler fills and pints of your favorite Cigar City beers right from the source 7 days a week! Starting this Sunday we will be open on Sundays from 11am-9pm. This is great in all sorts of ways, including a place to fill your growlers up on the way to tailgate before the Buc's game and a killer after party spot!

Also, we WILL be open on Labor Day, Monday September 6th from 11am-9pm so if you're off and looking for something to do come by and see us!

This week's new brews in the tasting room are Puppy's Breath Porter and Tocobaga Ale. Both of these beauties will be draft only so they only way to enjoy will be by the pints or growlers. They will be going out into the Florida market soon so look for them at your favorite spot!

Puppy's Breath Porter is a rich, malt forward robust porter weighing in about 8% abv. This was a beer that had quite a buzz about it from those who tried it during the pilot phase during construction. Once those of us who weren't lucky enough to try it then got a taste we knew why!

Tocobaga Ale is a deep colored amber ale , with hop flavor and aromas dominating and a subtle caramel malt sweetness to balance in the finish. It's coming in at 7.4% abv. and is quickly becoming a favorite quaff of the brewery staff. This recipe was dreamed up by Tim Ogden our brewer who used to moonlight in the tasting room.

Jose' Marti' American Porter hit the taps in the tasting room last week and is now available for pints and growlers, it is also available in 12 oz. 6 packs in the tasting room and will be coming to retailers near you soon!

Good Gourd will be on tap starting this Monday (September 6th) we are very excited for this to be on tap, we're sure you'll love it!

The following Monday (September 14th) Pumpernickel Rye Porter will be on tap, this one was brewed exclusively for Datz' Deli.. Try it there first, it will go on tap on the 9th of September with a HUGE release party planned! It will only be available at Datz' and here in the tasting room so be sure to try it at one or why not both spots!

Tickets for our upcoming event on September 25th Fruit In The Room are selling briskly, be sure to get yours today if you are planning on coming and have not yet gotten them as they are limited. To make it easy for people on the other side of the bay area we have a few ticket venues set up in Pinellas county at Oldsmar Taphouse, Dunedin House of Beers, and Willard's Taphouse if you live over that way, stop in and have a beer or two and grab your tickets there, it's going to be a very fun evening!

Cheers!
Travis

Hoggie's Latest & Greatest

**To my main man Roger and his missus Jessie, gonna miss you. Good luck on your move and venture. Let's keep in touch!!**



y'know

**I can't stand bringing politics/religion/whatever you want to call it into my public life, not personal life, but I guess at some points it becomes unavoidable. And so I find myself now, surrounded by 2-faced arrogant prejudiced ignorant bigotism in the face of hard times and a "black" president, that I can't keep shut. This may be the last or it may be the first of a very few and far between beer-removed posts, but good beer begets good people and if you're not any of the above, then I have hard second thoughts about having a good beer with you. I'm just sayin..**
*it's all stream of thought so pardon any grammatical misgivings*
pft. how easy it is to forget how the last 8 years sucked just cause we whiny bitches aka Americans don't like the fact that our current president cant snap his fingers like some make-believe Disney figure and make things all better.
wah. wah. wah.
get over it. bush sucked. Sarah Palin would have made me move to another country. we aint all that. we're so lost and fucked up right now that you could give me all the monies in the world and immunity and i still wouldn't want to be president. and yet someone has to. and so we voted Obama in (i voted for him) and suddenly cause our snivelly pissant selfish no-sided wants can't be met...life sucks.
wah. wah. wah.
seriously. no one pities ourselves more then we do which means we seriously need a re-adjustment and alignment of priorities and no matter the president, white, black, ethnic, purple people eater, if we can't get over our own perverted shit, we will never be happy. period. nuf said. and yes, i hate American politics. if i found someplace happier would i move? absofreakinlutely. we're fucked. we're fucked with crisco and poppers.
America is at a threshold of change. no matter "who" is in office, they are fucked. until we get over/accept/adjust/work with change (it's inevitable people. accept it.) then we are just some sad sops who know nothing else other than how to whine, bitch, and complain, despite knowing full well that if ourselves or our "savior" were in office we would still be fucked, though possibly without the crisco and poppers.
this is Kristyn Lier signing out.
now where is that tropical island in the middle of nowhere I'm moving to cause in the end...hell yeah.
I'd also like to say before i crawl into bed and bid the putrid world of corrupt "politics" aside that we are in this mess of no fault other then OUR OWN. I'm as guilty as the next. i spent money i didn't have. i bought corporate and not local. and now i am working on paying it off and living on my money and my money alone.
for every dozen jobs sent overseas by mass conglomerate corporations dozens upon hundreds of thousands more were sent overseas and duh! of course they accepted. we were stupidly willing enough to send our own communities and commerce overseas so why NOT accept if you were the bloke on the other end. it's as much our fault as it is their gain.
and yet we want a person. ONE person to blame when really, it's our own selves in the mirror and even more so, the bloated corrupt politics and megalopolic companies and corporations and system set up of our day that is mostly, not wholly, at fault.
don't like mass produced? what about small and asrtisanal?too expensive? too limited?why is that?
maybe cause it's to the benefit of the larger, not smaller, and so the big bloated companies can charge less for a lesser product the same of which a smaller producer could charge equally for a better product? even if just a few cents more, the value is indisputable.
notice how all things of their origin are amazingly affordable and cheap by our standards and our "great" goods are the most expensive. local is supposed to be accessible and affordable: that's the meaning of local. I'm not going to knock immigrants cause we are all mutts. illegal is a matter i won't dip into, but we are all a mixed breed of some sorts. i myself am of at least a half-dozen nationalities that i know of, which probably means i am of more, and that's great. get over it people. stop using one person's presidency as an excuse to sugar-coat or cover-up your prejudice and ignorance.
period.
nuf said.
cause any more and i'll get aggravated.
(original written work by Kristyn Lier.plagiarism is not tolerated)

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

WOB Viera News

Football Season 2010!
Only a few more days till football! It starts this Thursday for the first college game. We will have the NFL Ticket, ESPN Game Day Pass and FSN for all the NFL and college games on all our flat screen TVs. Complimentary food will be served every NFL Sunday afternoon during the regular season and playoffs. Make WOB your place to be for football. For more information click here.

Football Pick'Em Challenge!
Did you sign up for the football challenge? It's not too late. Simply pick the winners of each week's Pro Football and/or College Top 25 games for a chance to win weekly local prizes and an overall grand prize of a $200 WOB gift card. Double your winnings by playing both challenges! Click here for more information.

Customer Appreciation!
This Sunday, September 5th, stop by WOB, grab a beer and have some barbecue on us. Because we want to thank all our customers. The fun starts at 2 pm till the food is gone. Click here for more information.

Meet and Greet!
Also this Sunday, September 5th, the King Bee,Tom Moench, of Orange Blossom Pilsner will be here for a meet and greet that afternoon. Don't miss this opportunity to have a brew with a brew master.

Fantasy Football!
It's not too late to join the WOB Fantasy Football League. We still have several spots available for Tuesday, September 7th. Drafts start at 7 pm and will be held at WOB. Attendance is mandatory. Contact Greg if you are interested by e-mail at gstow419@aol.com. It's first come, first served. Good luck to all and let's have some fun!

Erie Brew Party!
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 14, because we will have a great draft line up from Erie Brewery. Keep reading your email newsletter for information.

New Bottles
  • Abita S.O.S., 7% (Louisiana)
  • Blue Point Old Howling Bastard, 10% (New York)
  • Brooklyn Oktoberfest, 5.5% (New York)
  • Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin, 5% (New York)
  • North Coast Acme IPA, 6.5% (California)
  • Paulaner Oktoberfest, 5.8% (Germany)
  • Sierra Nevada Autumn Tumbler, 5.5% (California)
  • Wittekerke Framboise, 4.5% (Germany)

New Drafts
  • Blue Point Pale Ale, 4.6% (New York)
  • Blue Point Summer, 4.4% (New York)
  • North Coast Acme Pale Ale, 5% (California)
  • Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin, 9% (Maine)
  • Weyerbacher Hops Infusion, 6.2% (Pennsylvania)

Live Music This Week
  • Thursday - Wilcor
  • Friday - James Johnson
  • Saturday - Matt Adkins & Jay DiBella

Victory Expansion & Tipping Point Babbles

**Nice to see Victory looking to move into two more states; so long as it is feasible and they want to, I say why not. On the flipside, would sure love to see more variety in my dune of the beach, the Treasure Coast of Florida. I love Prima, Golden Monkey, and Hop Devil, but there are also so many other Victory offerings I'd drink and sell.**