It may be Spring Training elsewhere in the Sunshine State,
but yesterday, St. Augustine witnessed
its own Opening Day: Bog Brewing Company officially opened its doors to the
public. Serving up six original house
craft beers, owners Steve Mendoza, John France and Jeffery Hayes unlocked the
front door at 218 West King St. to guests already waiting to be among the first customers to sample their beers. With a soft
opening scheduled for noon, Steve let those folks in a few minutes early, and
the steady stream of well-wishers continued throughout the day. I arrived
shortly before 4pm, and I found the place humming with guests at the bar and
tables. If you haven’t heard about the
newest addition to the local North Florida brewery scene, take a look at my
earlier story from a couple of weeks ago, where I got a sneak peek before
opening day.
So, against that background, let’s get right to the
beer! Bog Brewing listed the six
available beers on the chalkboard behind the bar and also had laminated menu
sheets describing each. There’s also wine available.
Bog Brewing intends to rotate the selection of
beers, and on this Opening Day, they hit a home run with this team: Wheat IPA, Single Hop IPA, Cream Ale, Peach Mango IPA,
Chipotle Porter and Chipotle Cream Ale. I like to try different beers, so I
checked out a flight consisting of the first four.
![]() |
L to R: Wheat IPA, Single Hop IPA, Cream Ale, Peach Mango IPA |
At the outset, I’ll say that Bog Brewing scores with its
Cream Ale (6.0 ABV), a lighter brew that has good character. It’s a refreshing
beer that’s a bit different from other cream ales in that there’s a noticeable,
but yet subtle, spiciness from the Fuggles hops. It’ll be a go-to for Bog
Brewing customers, as well as craft beer newbies alike.
Moving on to the Peach Mango IPA (6.7 ABV), this one has a
pleasant light fruity aroma, with a touch of mango and peach flavor. Nice
balancing with the citrusy hops, the result is a blend of flavors that work
well together, with a dry finish.
When I visited the guys a few weeks ago, I sampled the Wheat
IPA (6.7 ABV), and I was looking forward to having another one! The wheat gives
this beer a bit of fluffiness, which complements the citrus overtones from the
Cascade and Centennial hops. What stands
out here to me, though, is that the citrus doesn’t overpower your tastebuds.
Another reliable beer.
Last of the flight was the Single Hop IPA, featuring the
fruity New Zealand Pacific Jade hop, along with caramel malt. I also detected
spicy/herbal notes. This beer is just hoppy enough without being a hop-bomb, is pleasing to the palate,
and is highly drinkable.
![]() |
Rounding out the beer selection was the Chipotle Cream Ale
(6.0 ABV). It’s a hot version of the Cream Ale, aged on chipotles. I didn’t try
this one, since I figured I had been daring enough already with the Porter, but
I heard it packs a punch. That’ll be for
another day.
And, you’ll probably want to take some of those brews back
home with you, so get a quart growler to go (yes, they were filling them).
Bog Brewing is open 5 days a week, closed on Mondays and
Tuesdays. Stop by and see these guys,
and enjoy a pint or flight in a friendly, neighborhood bar. The beer selection will change as they brew
new beers and add to the roster, so you might want to check out this all-star
opening lineup.
Til next time! Cheers!