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| the day after...... |
Other than the sound from a couple of leafblowers cleaning up around the grounds, it was quiet. Empty. Someone walking a dog. A small flock of ibises wandering around the grassy areas.
Before I left Jupiter to head back to North Florida, I had to get an "after" photo. What a difference a day makes! Tents, tables and fences were packed up during the night. Less than 24 hours earlier, the area was bustling with festival attendees, beer vendors, lively music, and....BEER!
Welcome to the 10th edition of the Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival January 30, 2016! Held at the outer park area of the Roger Dean Stadium in the Abacoa development of Jupiter, the beerfest site is adjacent to the Abacoa Town Center and Florida Atlantic University. The stadium hosts spring training for the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals MLB teams. This fest holds some special memories for me, as it was the first beerfest I worked (2013), and I was back behind the jockey box and taking photos again in 2014. When I missed it last year, I promised myself that I'd be back in attendance in 2016 -- it's one of my favorites in one of my favorite places to visit (there's some excellent golf there, too, along with some great birdwatching), and this fest sets the stage for the upcoming "Beerfest Season" in Florida! (see my January blog post about beer fests on the way).
Tickets for the general admission fest (1-5pm) went on sale in mid-December, and, once again, the online allotment sold out quickly. (You might want to make a note of that for December 2016; remember this: I told you so). Only 1000 same-day tickets were available at the gate on festival day. Hey, it's South Florida in January! It was a 72-degree day, with partial sun, and no rain! So, what happens when 3000 beer-loving enthusiasts invade the tents featuring 50+ breweries for four hours? Well, for one thing, there was a lot of good beer here -- from South Florida and all over Florida, and across state lines. Take a look at the brewery list on the festival website -- there should be a salivation warning attached to it.
And, in a reverse chronological sequence, here's a sampling of what happened:
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| The silent disco was a hit, especially later in the day. Crowded on the dance floor. |
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| 4pm tapping of Silky Johnson at Due South tent. It kicked in less than 15 minutes! Oh, well, maybe next time I'm in Boynton. |
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| What beer to get next? A few thirsty folks here. |
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| There was a Celtic band... more on that later. |
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| So, hey, what's the next beer? |
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| Midnight Oil from Swamp Head: Still one of my favorites |
Speaking of beer, I mostly looked to try new ones, but I had a few tried-and-true favorites along the way, too. And, I ran across the style board: pale ale, kolsch, cream ale, IPA, porter, stout. For the most part, I went with the "light-to-dark" method, and by the time I was drinking the delectable dark beers, my taste buds were in a state of malt-and-hop infused euphoria. And, as happens at every beer fest, at some point, some of the beer does run out. But, not to fear, there was plenty of beer, and accolades to the brewers for bringing different styles - a vast assortment for every palate (note the spelling there, by the way).
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| Orchid Island's Jungle Trail Black IPA: a 9% brew with Indian River white grapefruit; roasty, citrus, nicely bittered! |
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| Tequesta Brewing's Udderly Delicious Milk Stout: 6.1%; coffee/vanilla. I think they got the name right. |
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| Copperpoint's signature Lager: Smooth, toasty, malty One of my favorites from the tap room! |
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| SaltWater Brewery's MayDay Imperial Chocolate Porter: chocolate, roasty, lactose; not over the top on the chocolate: awesome beer! |
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| Newcomer to the SoFla beer scene: 26 Brewing: This a A1A IPA: made with citra hops; solid IPA |
There were more brews, but you get the idea. After all, a beerfest is a great place to try new beers. Yeah, my Untappd checkins got a bit of an increase on Saturday. And, then there are people -- I don't know about you, but the people behind and around the beer really make this event, and I ran into some awesome "beer people" (that just seems to happen everywhere I go):
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| How about these guys from Intracoastal Brewing (Melbourne)! Got to be friends with them from a prior beerfest (blog post, btw) And, the "Fashionably Late" Egg Nog Cream Ale was so good! |
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| With Tomoka Brewing (Port Orange): always fun! The Peaty MacPete Scotch Ale: will be featured at their Anniversary 2/12-13. You should go.... |
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| And, caught up with Coppertail Brewing (Tampa): fest was just about over... We gave it a thumbs-up! |
Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival caps off South Florida Beer Week, along with another festival held a bit further south, the Miami Beer Festival. All week long, there were numerous events all around Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties to celebrate beer. On the night before the Jupiter fest, the "Field of Beers" beer-and-food pairing event takes place inside the Roger Dean Stadium. That event features about 18 breweries, and sells out very quickly each year. Although I did not attend the Friday night event, I could hear music coming from inside, and the food aromas were making me hungry as I walked around the Abacoa Town Center that night. This is how the Beer Fest venue looked Friday night as set-up began:
...and on Saturday morning, they started lining up around 11:30am to get the limited tickets available that day:
Once inside the gates, there was ample seating and picnic tables. It got a little (?) more crowded as the afternoon went on (see the above photos).
Now, I mentioned the Celtic band ... an entertaining bunch.... I did a double take when I heard the kilted version of the favorite sing-a-long "Sweet Caroline":
And, as with all beerfests, at some point, the beer starts to run out, the event winds down, and take-down becomes a reality ....
But, there were a few after-parties around the Town Center, including this one at Das Biergarten:
It was another great day at Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival. Like I said, mark your calendars for the last week in January 2017. South Florida sure knows how to throw a party! I'll see you there!
Hey, that's a wrap! Welcome to Florida Beer Fest Season, and be sure to check out my BeerSphere™ Events page for info and links for upcoming fests (all around Florida) and special events..... I think, maybe, just maybe, there might be another beerfest this coming weekend........
And, if you have an event or know of one that you'd like to see listed here, just let me know! It's easy (email brewnymph@gmail.com, or thru contact box in sidebar).
Til next time,
Cheers!
Peace, Love, Pints®
Linda