A Pint in the Sunshine: December 2015

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.

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!