Round Seven: Get Kicked! It's Time for Some Reef Donkey

It's December, and I'm ready to bring you another beer review. 

This one is coming out of Tampa Bay Brewing Co.

Reef Donkey is an American Pale Ale. It has won the BFBC Silver Medal and the GABF Bronze Medal. You can pick up a four pack for $8.99 at Publix, Total Wine, and ABC Liquor.

Tampa Bay Brewing Co has been brewing since 1995, and has a location in historic Ybor City District. This is my first beer crafted by this brewery.

It pours a opaque gold -I know I say that a lot- very crisp almost orange tinge to it. The picture at the top was taken after the head subsided some, before that it looked a lot like this:

Tremendous, and that lasted for a few minutes. Haha.

The smell had a strong burst of citrus, maybe some grapefruit... pineapple?
Very complex and pungent.

The taste was nice and strong, shocking with the hops leaping up at you, followed by oranges. This is a great American Pale Ale, It has that distinct Pale Ale flavor, but the follow through is astounding. It kicks, but then let's you off the hook -Ha, because the Reef Donkey is a nickname for a fish.

The hops leaves your tongue wanting more, and the mouth-feel is specifically dominated by the citrus after tones.

Would strongly recommend this beer. I would not suggest it for those that sly away from hops, but if your a fan of Pale Ales, this guy won't let you down.

A Crisp Beer and a Florida Movie: Craft Film Festival at Green Bench Brewing

We sat under the crisp, clear night sky. There was a light breeze, and the whisper of hops and wheat were carried with it. Holding a perspiring beer, I sat down a few rows back of the projector screen. Around us hanging lights glow. It's time for a movie.

On big projector screens Florida films were aired at the Green Bench Brewing Co. They were celebrating their first Craft Film Festival, put together by Green Bench and Pilot Moon Films.

On Nov. 20 and 21 chairs were set out in three different areas: the beer garden, their brewing space, and the warehouse recently acquired by Green Bench. I was there as a Journalist for the Crow's Nest, my schools newspaper. Here is the article.

It was a really great experience. On the first night I was invited to go back in the brewing space to attend a premier party for the crews of the different movies presented in the festival. It was dark, with a light projection of the Craft Film Festival symbol on the wall. A few tables littered the floor, and near the entrance a woman was taking professional photographs of the guests.

It took me a bit of time, and some encouraging words to approach the other guests. I have always been a bit of a stand-offish person, but getting a story is more important. So, I met a group of guys about my age...

They were visiting from Tampa, students of the University of Tampa. The group had worked on a movie called Blackwater, which aired the next day in the Drama block. I met with the director Zane, and we talked about the film school and beer. He was from Australia, and he brought a few of his friends with him to the event.

I've heard that films are considered little miracles, that it takes a very special set of circumstances to create one to its end. I bet getting on the big screen is next to impossible. Yet, here were a bundle of film makers all trying to learn from each other, get recognized, and share their work. Here they were, not being paid a great deal, but excited none-the-less to be involved in another film festival.

Audience watching the Drama Block in the Warehouse next to Green Bench

The Craft Film Festival was free and open to all ages. On Saturday, Nov 21 the events began at noon. I showed up earlier to see if I could get a feel for what was going on. I tried to capture a few photographs, but mostly just wrote notes and listened to Colin Lyman and Lea Umberger direct people.

All day the clouds hung, limp melancholy reminders of Florida weather. The crew had to pull all of the chairs out of the beer garden. The equipment couldn't be moved easily if the rain clouds decided to release.

I would have thought that this would have spelled disaster, but Colin and Lea had planned for this. They adjusted a bit of the schedule and there was no need to cut any of the films.

Colin Lyman, Green Bench Tap Room Manager, is on the left. David Allison, Co-Creator of Pilot Moon Films, is on the right. Here they get a movie ready to be shown in the brewing space behind the taproom

Craft beer attracts people, it provides an exclusive experience that speaks to the pride of hometowns. The beer you drink at a brewery was crafted right there, and I think people react to that affectionately.  So, mixing it with films seems more natural than I would have thought.

Throughout the day people filed in, grabbed beers, and settled down for the movies. There were some great films being shown. One director specifically captured my imagination. Banks Helfrich created the film Fat, Dumb, and Happy. It definitely had a Woody Allen feel to it, and I can dig on a Woody Allen style of film making.

Talking to a lot of the movie creators, it seemed many were impressed by the style of this current film festival. Each agreed that they enjoyed the atmosphere, and the professional way in which the event was put on.

Tap Room Bartender Matt O'Connell

I hope that events like this continue to go on. I think that it is important for breweries to tap into the communities around them. That is the difference between craft beer and mass produced, craft beer is infused within the area it is established.

Cheers!

For your enjoyment here are a few music videos created by Pilot Moon Films in Green Bench:

Have Spirit- Four Chambered Heart

Kristopher James- Fire and The Fuse

The Hummingbirds- Horses and Rattle Snakes

Reunion at Jdub's: A Brewery Review

Life moves too fast. People move away, leave, get new jobs and stop calling. It happens all the time, and we can't stop it. But, if you're like me, a phone call or text from a friend you haven't seen in a long time really brightens up a dull week.

So, when Randy, a friend I haven't seen in a few years, asked me to meet him at a brewery in Sarasota called Jdub's I was in.

Jdub's is located out in Sarasota, Florida. It's an hour away from me, over the sky-way. I'd drive farther for a chance of catching up and good beer. 

The entrance to Jdub's

Jdub's atmosphere is very Florida. It has a lot of sunshine and palm trees, but there is an underlying current of insanity.

You get it. 

The main room can be seen in the picture at the top. The bar runs down the right side, they serve around 10 beers on tap, and normally have something new every week. There are a few tables in the main room, which offers wide windows into the brewery on the left. If you arrive early enough, you can drink a beer and watch the guys who made it hard at work making more.

Travelling through to the back, and exiting the door leads you to the beer garden. There are two separate patio areas to relax, a bit of ambiance with some hanging string lights. The garden itself is fenced in, and spacious. There is even room for a weekly yoga session meet up. Yes, you can do yoga in the same place you drink beer.

You can do Yoga when those benches get moved!

Let's talk beer. I sampled three different brews while I was there. I tried one of Jdub's flagship beers, the Up Top IPA. The Up Top has an abv of 6.5% . A solid IPA with notes of citrus and that delightfully shocking hop pop. Jdub's has begun canning the Up Top IPA and their Poolside Kolsch. These two beers are being sold at over 150 different places.

I also had the Das Alt, a German style Amber ale, it is a crisp beer with a bitter finish. Yet, the beer that really took my taste buds to town was the Cherry Vanilla Berliner Weisse. A sweet sour beer that is crafted with fresh cherries and vanilla beans. It was 3.9%ABV, and the flavor was excellent.

The beer in the Snifter glass on the right is the Cherry Vanilla Berliner Weisse. 

The beer and the atmosphere were really good, the bar felt comfortable, with a slight crowd. I spoke to Taylor Pogue, the social media marketer and bartender, he let me check out the brewing room.

Inside I walked with Raul Armengol, who is a co-owner of Jdub's. He helps to keep things running with the owner Jeremy Joerger. Raul walked me around the brewing space and told me what was what.

Jdub's has been in business for just under 2 years. They have already grown more than original business plan and are considering expanding. Currently they are running two separate barrel systems. The first is a three barrel that allows them to create smaller batches of beer for the taproom. Because the system is small, they can afford to be a bit more inventive with the beers that decide to craft. 

There is also a 15 barrel system that takes up most of the space inside the brewery. The larger system crafts for their distribution side. As I said earlier, Jdub's is beginning to distribute to 150 other places. They are getting their beer shelved by larger companies like Total Wine and ABC Liquor. 

 

"We want to make the beer we like to drink," says Raul, "Our motto says it all: we strive for quality, innovation, and culture." 

Raul hinted about two new "flagship" beers that Jdub's hopes to get out. These beers will be canned and distributed as well. Hopefully news on that comes soon.

I'll wrap us up here by saying that Jdub's is a step in the right direction. I spoke to Taylor about the why "connecting with the community" is important to Jdub's. 

"We want to give back to the community, and let them know that we care." he replied. Jdub's is running a Street Team, which is a group of about 15 people who get together to provide help to the community. They help food kitchens for a day, or work with habitat for humanity. After the work is done, the crew meets at the brewery to enjoy a keg of beer for free. 

It's small projects like this that help provide recognition for breweries in the best way possible. I like the idea a lot, and was impressed by the creative ways Jdub's provides events at their brewery. I mean, I can't get over it, Yoga day!

Taylor Pogue, social media and taproom guy! 

Round Six: Dreams of the Beach, Trying the St Pete Orange Wheat

Wheat Beer is one of my favorite styles, and drew me into to drinking craft beer early on.

I moved away from them, sinking nice and easily into IPAs etc. Yet, every now and then- on a hot day- I return to the easy to get along with wheat beer.

Today, I want to bring you a review of the:

St Petersburg Brewery’s- St Pete Orange Wheat.

That rolls nicely off the tongue.

You can now find these beers in a lot of grocery markets; normally labeled “Craft” or “Local Beers” (for you Florida residents) and they sit next to St Petersburg Brewery’s Milo IPA.

Recently, St Petersburg Brewery celebrated their one year anniversary, and they are taking off pretty quickly.

But, let’s get into the beer!

Appearance: The Orange Wheat is a pale yellow color, with a lot of fizzle after the pour. It is opaque or cloudy at first, but becomes clear after 5 minutes of sitting.

Smell: A strong wheat aroma with hints of orange and coriander. Those are the two main ingredients for flavor, so that isn’t surprising.

Taste: A sip of this beer is a lot like having a Dr Pepper for the first time in months. It has a strong carbonation-like kick. Strong notes of wheat, but they are not overpowering. An after taste of orange, floral notes and coriander exist.

The beer leaves a pleasant sensation of wheat and oranges in your mouth afterwards.

I like it! Yes, I know that doesn’t come as a surprise, but if I were heading to the beach and needed something refreshing without being overwhelmed with taste I would grab this beer. It goes down very smoothly and I find myself reaching for another sip quickly.

This beer can be found anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, and for good reason. It is a solid all around beer, with no overwhelming taste in any direction.

Grab a Beer for Your Lady: Breaking the Gender Stereotypes of Beer

I need to get something off of my chest.

This is going to be difficult to say but…

I used to think that beer wasn’t a beverage for women.

Man. That looks even worse typed out. I can feel the bigotry pulsating right out of the words.

Yes, when I was a younger man, or boy, I thought that beer was only for men. Reflecting back, 

I don’t think I was alone in thinking that.

This isn't quite the video I wanted, here is a link to the real one 

If college has done one thing for me- one very expensive thing- it has challenged the way I think. Right now, I am in a course called Anthropology and we are studying sex and gender. Those two ideas are separate.

Biological sex is the anatomical end result of the type of X and Y chromosomes you have. It determines the type of sexual organs and hormones that your body will naturally produce.

Gender is much more complicated than your biological sex. Why? Well, first we need to understand that people are taught gender. It is something we are shown. Little boys are not born instantly liking sports and things that are blue; little girls are not born loving dresses and things that are pink. This is a culmination of society and their relationship with the world. Nothing is natural about the way Western society- specifically America- thinks gender should be applied.

So, the reason I just gave you a run-down is to explain this: Beer is not a gender specific beverage.

It sounds so simple, it is simple. Yet, I can’t help but think back to television ads I watched early on. I remember a lot of women in bikinis finding men with beer attractive. I remember seeing men in movies challenging each other to keg stands, and flip cup. I do remember girls with red plastic cups in their hands, but never to the extent that the little plastic cup was shown being chugged down by a bro.

Beer is only beer. People are people, everywhere. And everyone deserves a nice beer.

Round Five: We Make a Dirty Deal with the Unholy Trippel

Coppertail is a brewery based out of Tampa. It has been distributing to  grocery and liquor stores all over Florida. I have seen them in Publix, Winn-Dixie, ABC Liquor, and Total Wine. They have gotten popular for their quality and stylish design.

So, today I decided to try a Trippel, a beer I am pretty unfamiliar with. 

Trippels are known for their high alcohol content. They were once crafted by monks, and received their name because they had three times the malt of a standard Trappist brew (though this point is debated among historians). Trappists are rare beers made by monks, there is only 7 breweries that can call their beer Trappists. 

Anyways, Trippel's have since grown in popularity. The Unholy Trippel by Coppertail is not a "true" trippel, but rather an American trippel.  It is brewed with Sacrilegious Hops (a specific strain) and sits at 9.00%ABV.

Here are some links for more information: Beer Advocate and Wikipedia

Now, let's talk about the beer:

First, the beer pours an opaque gold. It is cloudy and dense, with a head the dissipates rather quickly. 

The smell is malty, creamy, with the smell of alcohol lying just beneath. 

Sharp as it washes against the tongue, the malt transforms into a wheat burst, with a creamy residue that sits brilliantly. As you breathe out the alcohol washes in, and you know exactly where the 9.00% ABV went. 

Coppertail didn't try to hide the taste of alcohol in their trippel, instead they took it on by it's horns, mastering it with the sharp malt. The creamy mouthfeel only serves to add to the pleasure of drinking this beer.

I could not have this beer frequently, it is something that I would only drink a few of before switching to something less potent. That being said, having a fresh draft of the Unholy Trippel would be the highlight of any evening. 

I recommend this beer to anyone who loves a bit of kick, I don't recommend it for first time beer drinkers, or those who don't like the taste of alcohol.

What do you think? Do you agree? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below, and have a great week.

Take a Seat at Green Bench Brewing: A Review

It was a quiet Thursday night, people in scattered groups enjoying a few after work beers.There was a crisp breeze keeping cool those who decided to sit outside on the fine wooden tables under hanging string lights.

I was excited: another brewery review. It's been over a month since I visited Rapp Brewing in Seminole. Now, I'm just a little closer to home. For this week I decided to visit

Green Bench Brewing Company

Green Bench is pretty easy to find, at 1133 Baum Ave, right off of Central Ave. Just outside of Downtown.

I'm not really into the hustle of the bar scene that is prevalent in downtown St Pete. More often, I would rather sit and have a nice conversation with good people. This brewery caters nicely to that with their outside beer garden.

Photo credit: Keep St Pete Local

November is a great month to get down there: sitting in a lawn chair with a cold beer, the crisp air and a slightly cloudy sky, make for a serene night. Green Bench also runs a few movie nights on the brick walls that line the beer garden. Here's a link (They even have a Walking Dead night if you're into that sort of thing)

Connected to the beer garden is a over-head covered patio with long wooden tables. Groups can gather and get goofy, discussing the merits of IBC Root Beer's "crafty-ness"

Moving inside there is a lot of space. Along the front wall are long windows that face Central Avenue. The bar also has glass windows that expose the brewery behind it.

Photo Credit: I Love the Burg Blog

Now, all of this is great. I mean, atmosphere counts for so much when you're looking for a place to drink with a few friends. But, let's talk about something that's more important... How is the beer?

This is the Sunshine City IPA

They have a constant rotation of fantastic beers. A few shout outs are the Surrealist IPA, a sour IPA made with grapefruit; their Middle Eastern Brown ale, crafted with Yemeni spices, dates, raisins and allepo peppers which gives it a subtle almost curry spice; and their Stay Dry Stout, which is one of the most drinkable stouts I've ever had.

With a 15 barrel system it is no wonder they have so many beers on tap.

Green Bench is also reaching out into distributing their beer around the country. They have signed a deal with Shelton Bros. Distribution to get their cans out into retail stores. Right now, if you're in certain parts of Florida you can find Green Bench beers in ABC Liquor and Total Wine.

But, I have to say the most impressive piece of equipment in the brewery is their foeder.

This foedor is made of Oak wood, more specifically 75% French Oak, and 25% American Oak. This foedor will be used to craft their Belgian ales, with a specific Belgian strain of yeast.

The nice thing about using the wooden foeder is that with each brew, the yeast will soak into the wood saturating it, and over time the beer taste will become more complex. 

Touring Green Bench was incredibly fun, and I have to thank Matt O'Conell for showing me around the brewery. He was informative and patient with me. 

Here is a quick look at the cans to come! I've been seeing them pop up around town, and hope to see a lot more: