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Prost! Gsuffa! Coppertail Brewing's Dunkel |
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Like I said on social media: The sign doesn't lie! |
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And, what the firkin... Coppertail Dunkel! |
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Ein Prosit, Der Gemutlichkeit |
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German Dancers were entertaining, even a little slap-happy |
As seems to happen on every visit to Tampa, the rain came down for a while (postponing the stein-hoisting competition), but the large tents provided cover to enjoy those beers! A fun night of German beer, various Oktoberfest beers and German food offerings.
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You can't take it with you when you leave..... |
And, then ... I headed over to Coppertail Brewing, located in Ybor City, where I spent the rest of the afternoon. This wasn't my first visit to Coppertail, having braved the crowds after FBG Fest back in March on opening weekend of the big, new tap room, which was moved from the original small adjacent office space. As you'd expect, that opening weekend was just a bit on the crazy side, and I was looking forward to spending some time here under more "normal" circumstances. Zeus, the tap room manager, is a personable guy, so be sure to talk some beer with him, too.
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Photo from opening weekend, March 7, 2015 |
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Went for a Night Swim at FBG Fest |
The tap room is large, with a bar that faces the brewhouse, and a number of tables throughout.
And, tours are offered, too. The price of the tour includes a logo pint glass, a full pint of beer, and a few samples along the way. So, let's check this place out:
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View from the bar, through the windows..... |
Tyler, one of the bartenders, was our tour guide, and he knew his stuff. Did you know that this place used to be a Hellmann's mayo factory? Personally, I think it's put to better use now. The first stop took us to two 60-bbl french oak barrels, or foeders (foedre, foudre; pronounced "food"-er), which are wooden barrels for fermentation, usually used to age wine. The term translates roughly to "giant oak barrel." Yes, they are making sours and lactobacillus beers here.
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Foeders: From Coppertail Facebook page This beer is a Belgian |
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Look up! |
Coppertail was founded in 2014 by owner Kent Bailey, a "reformed" business attorney and homebrewer (according to the brewery website), and I think he's having a lot more fun in the beer biz. I also had a great time visiting with Kent in the tap room, talking about the bar (as in law) and the bar (as in beer). I can relate to that! Casey Hughes is the head brewer. These guys are doing some great things with beer, and they are brewing something sure to please every palate. The idea behind the Coppertail brewery was to bring more "hop-forward" and Belgian-inspired beer to Tampa and Florida.

Along the tour, we were able to sample a couple of rather unique beers. First, the Elder Mother, a collaboration with M.I.A. Brewing, another relatively new brewery out of the Doral area of Miami, Florida (I haven't been there yet, but it's on my list). This beer is a "tart saison"(6.8 ABV), a sour beer made with elderflower and French farmhouse yeast. Typically, I'm not partial to saisons, farmhouse ales, or sours, but I found this one to be true to the description, and you can really taste the flowery nature. This style is becoming more and more popular, so I'd suggest giving it a try.
We also tasted the Captain Jack's Stone Crab Stout, this a collaboration with a South Florida brewery that I have visited several times, Tequesta Brewing Co., (located in Tequesta, in the Jupiter area, in case you didn't know). Yes, it's made with stone crab, which I do like. I got a hint of the stone crab flavor, and overall, it's a chocolaty goodness, that I really liked.
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Oktoberfest bier |
Did I say Dunkel? Well, not only did they brew a traditional Dunkel, but they also put coffee in it! The Coffee Dunkel (4.8 ABV), made with local coffee, gives your taste buds a dark/bitter coffee alongside the dark, toasty lager. This is a good tasting beer, and I found that the strong coffee was tempered by the toastiness. Highly recommend it.
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I really don't drink coffee...unless it's in my beer! |
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Hoppuccino IPA: Came back in the growler, too... Now about that "Go Bucs" note..... |
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Glassware from the weekend... The growler was full at the time |
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You don't have to pray for a full beer: take home a growler. Yes, that's a confessional in the tap room... Nice lighting, too, eh? |
Last but not least, what's up with the name and the logo? Is it mythical? Apparently, Kent's daughter is a scholar ahead of her time, because she knew of the elusive and mysterious sea creature that roams Tampa Bay ... something to believe in ... like Kent and Casey following an idea. And, that's how Coppertail Brewing came to be.
And, yeah, Coppertail is definitely for real .... believe it.
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It was another great trip to Tampa, and, needless to say, I'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy the Florida beer! And, if you see me at an event, bar or restaurant, be sure to say Hi .... really, what could happen?
Til next time,
Cheers!