PHobia PHest: Six Years of "Beer With Attitude" at Pinglehead Brewing Company & Brewers Pizza

[Ed. Note: 10/28/2016: Tap list just released.... see the list at the bottom of this post]

With all the attention that clowns have been getting in the news lately, there's one that

you should really get to know, if you haven't already. You might not see it all around the state, but those in the "know," especially in the Jacksonville/North Florida area, recognize that it represents "Beer With Attitude" and some of the "biggest" beers to tease tastebuds. With Halloween hauntings lurking around the corner, on Saturday, October 29, the aptly named "PHobia PHest" celebrates six years of the beers of Pinglehead Brewing Company, along with its partner-in-pizza, Brewer's Pizza. 

Now in its third year, PHobia PHest is Pinglehead Brewing's and Brewer's Pizza's way of saying "Thank You" to their customers, through a celebration of food and beer, alongside a Halloween-inspired theme. This time around, Pinglehead Brewing will unleash two new bottle releases of beers that haven't even been served yet: Baba Yaga Imperial Stout and Spring Heeled Jack Barrel-Aged Barleywine. Frighteningly intriguing!

Wear your costumes for a chance to win the costume contest (popular vote). The party features music by Go Get Gone (Rockabilly) from 1-3pm, followed by Raggedy Man (contemporary) from 3-5pm. The tap list will include Pinglehead beers, along with special releases and treatments, and a limited guest tap from Harris Meadery, a new brewer of meads and honey wines in Orange Park. 

Is it a pizzeria, or is it a brewery?  Brewer's Pizza is located in a shopping center in Orange Park, just outside of Jacksonville. Make your way inside, and there's a small bar area, with 25 beer taps, and a cooler full of additional bottles and cans. Seat yourself at one of the tables or booths, and look over the pizza and sandwich menu. Casual pizza place, right? And, somewhere along the way, you'll notice it, on a banner or on the tap handles - the Pinglehead clown - almost looking back at you. Lore has it (or at least according to the guys over here) that Pinglehead is the mythical god of "Big Beer." Indeed, the beers brewed here are not for the faint of heart, as most are upwards of the 7% ABV range. 


In the rear sits the 7.5-barrel brewhouse of Pinglehead Brewing Company that conjures up beers with big flavors. The brewery has seven fermenters, with the largest being two 15-barrel tanks. Pinglehead started operations in 2010, and began producing beer for distribution in 2011. Not the largest brewery in town in terms of size, but one that's growing in popularity. "Pinglehead is growing within the market faster than we could put it out, thanks to our customers," says Steve Halford, the "head guy." 

Fans of Pinglehead aren't alone, as the beers "with attitude" have earned a number of medals at Best Florida Beer Championships, too: Mind Drive Imperial Porter (Gold, 2013 & 2015; Bronze, 2014); Dream Catcher IPA (Gold, 2013); Black hOPs India Black Ale (Gold, 2013); Xibalba Black Ale (Silver, 2013); Reign of hOPs IPA (Bronze, 2015); and the flagship Pinglehead Imperial Red (Silver, 2013). 

At any given time, the beer list might include Pinglehead Red (Imperial Red, 7.8 ABV), Black hOPs (India Black Ale, 7.7 ABV), Mind Drive (Imperial Porter, 10 ABV), Redemption (Brown Ale, 6.9 ABV), and Danse Macabre (Pumpkin Barleywine, 10.6 ABV), and on the lighter side, Magnolia Springs Lager (Lager, 5.3 ABV), and Endless Summer (Blonde Ale, 5.6 ABV). The tap list may also feature several additional IPAs, Belgian Ales, Double IPAs, Stouts, Altbier, Schwarzbier, and/or seasonal spiced ales. 

And, a word about the pizza .... While the menu is largely pizza -- choose from many different toppings or a "specialty" pizza --  there are also salads, calzones, sandwiches, appetizers, soups and breads. The "Florida Smacker" is a deep dish pizza. In this writer's opinion, the pizza here is some of the best you'll find anywhere in the area! 

Brewer's Pizza and Pinglehead Brewing Company are located at 14B Blanding Blvd, Orange Park, just south of the I-295/Blanding interchange -- look for the sign that says "Brewer's Pizza." 

If you're in North Florida and not going to the Florida-Georgia game on Saturday, check out the PHobia PHest party at Brewer's Pizza/Pinglehead Brewing Company! 

Looking for beerfests and events around Florida? Take a look at the BeerSPHERE Page. If you're in North Florida, click on the TAP THIS calendar page for a running calendar of tappings and beer events around the area ....

Happy Halloween! I'll be cuing up my "Thriller" and other ghoulish music for Monday night. 

Cheers!  
Til next time,



Linda

Linda Johnson, Certified Cicerone®

Ed. Note: Here's the tap list, released on 10/28 (This is some serious beer):

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