2019 Riverside Craft Beer Festival, Jacksonville: Map Your Course February 23

Entry at the 2018 Riverside Craft Beer Festival
under the Bridge (photo: Linda Johnson)

January 11, 2018: The 6th Annual Riverside Craft Beer Festival presented by Riverside Rotary returns to the Riverside Arts Market under the Fuller-Warren Bridge in Jacksonville on Saturday, February 23, 2019. For craft beer enthusiasts, the "RCBF" has become a mainstay on the beerfest calendar and has experienced growth and an evolution of sorts since it began (and, yes, that's based on personal experience as a volunteer and "beergeek in attendance" each year!).

J'Ville on Jacksonville: Engine 15 J'Ville Lager
on the Jacksonville skyline, as seen from
Riverside Craft Beer Fest 2018 (photo: Linda Johnson)

Get ready to map your course through six geographical sections and sample beers from Florida, regional, national and international breweries. Last year, the RCBF introduced a new layout with breweries grouped according to geographical location. That format made the journey through the beer easy to manage and remember. Found a beer that was particularly noteworthy? No problem to find it again! The regional layout will return this year, said Callie Hugo, RCBF Committee Member and Liaison for Riverside Rotary and Community Hospice & Palliative Care in an interview. Of course, a number of local Jacksonville breweries will have a strong presence in the Florida section, along with many other favorite breweries across the state. In addition, attendees will enjoy beers from breweries located in the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, West Coast and International. The current brewery list includes just under 100 breweries. 

Upstart Brewery Hyperion Brewing Company, Jacksonville, Offering Pre-Construction Tour Saturday, January 7

Following a final vote and Land Use Zoning approval in December, Hyperion Brewing Company is wasting no time in moving ahead with its construction plans. The new nano-brewery, located at 1740 N. Main Street, just north of downtown in Jacksonville's Springfield area, is taking over property occupied by a former pawn shop. According to Alexandra ("Alex") McKeown, Hyperion owner, the space is essentially empty, and any remaining demolition work should be minimal, paving the way for the build-out.

Last year, McKeown and head brewer/partner Troy Orton held several free tastings around Jacksonville where the public sampled some of the upcoming brews that the brewery will feature once opened. At this stage, Hyperion intends to pour its house beer from 12-15 taps. McKeown isn't committing to an opening date just yet, allowing the construction to dictate when the doors will formally open and thereby avoiding opening delays. 

Happy Brew Year!

January thru December 2016,
and then some!

Happy Brew Year, everyone! Or, you may hear it called "Happy New Year!"  Well, whether you loved it or hated it, 2016 is on its way out. As I was going through my 2016 stories and photos, I realized that I wrote quite a bit this year, and I took more than a few photos. Looking back on it, damn, it was a busy year! 

Sure, there was some beer involved! A few beerfests (really, I don't make this stuff up). A few beertrips. A few concerts and meet 'n greets. A few sporting events. A trip back to Indiana to see family -- and a visit (finally) to Three Floyds! A trip to Chicago for Game 2 of the NLCS to see the Cubs -- and what a World Series it turned out to be, with the Cubs getting it all done in what has to be one of the most thrilling sports events of all time! Did I mention brewery visits? How about a few behind-the-scenes-before-they-opened brewery visits: Hell 'n Blazes in Melbourne,  Bog Brewing in St. Augustine, Wicked Barley in Jax. And, this site was the first to report the soon-to-open Southern Swells in Jax Beach and Old Coast Ales in St. Augustine. 

Star-Gazing With a Mermaid: First Magnitude Brewing Springs to Second Anniversary

[Ed. note 8/21/2016: The Second Anniversary Party was an awesome event. Huge crowds attended all day long, and the tap list was phenomenal! Check out my photos on social media and in the Photos tab on this website. Congrats to the crew!]

It seems like ... well ... just last year about this time, I wrote about First Magnitude Brewing Company's first anniversary bash in Gainesville: an all-day party with special tappings, music, and a whole bunch of enthusiastic beer fans inside the tap room and outside in the beer garden. It's now a year later, and First Magnitude Brewing celebrates its Two-Year Anniversary on Saturday, August 20. What can you expect? How about an all-day party with special tappings, music, and a whole bunch of enthusiastic beer fans! So, let's get ready to do this again ......

Back Again ... Another Weekend in Tampa for Concerts and Beer!

When you visit Tampa two weekends in a row, life can't be all that bad! If you follow this blog, you know that I attended the opening fest of the six-city Beer Camp tour last week (check out the story on the home page). It just so happened that a while ago, the rock band Journey scheduled a concert in Tampa, along with The Doobie Bros and Dave Mason, for this past weekend at the Amphitheatre, and that meant back-to-back trips to the "city by the bay" on Florida's Gulf Coast. (Some of you might even get that reference to Journey's song Lights. And, yes, I know it was actually written about California).

If You Drink It, You Can Help Them Build It: Daytona Tortugas Beerfest to Benefit Miracle League of Volusia County

It gives new meaning to "take me out to the ball game."  The Daytona Tortugas, the "Advanced A Affiliate" of the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team, is holding a beerfest Saturday, June 4, from 4-7pm along the Riverwalk at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach to benefit The Miracle League of Volusia County. 

The fest, featuring around 20 local and national breweries, will also include raffle items from local businesses. It's a picturesque setting for a beerfest, along the Halifax River in front of the ballpark, affectionately known as "The Jack."  On a couple of trips to Daytona, I visited the park for the first time and also spoke with Rick Spraggins, the President of the Volusia County Chapter of The Miracle League.

So Close, You Can Taste It (This Weekend): Preview of Wicked Barley Brewing Company

[Ed. Note, 5/29/2016: So as not to confuse anyone, these tastings occurred Friday/Saturday, May 27 & 28, 2016. But, read on, because you're going to want to go here when it opens. The beers offered at the tastings were on point: A good mix of styles, and some creativity. I loved the Black Rye IPA (in fact, that was my new No. 1800 beer checkin, a special occasion!) See photos on social media sites. See also, my story on the Beer Bloggers Conference, which included a visit here. Yeah, this is gonna be good .....][Opening Day is July 30, 2016, at 11am. They'll be serving food, along with beer from 20 guest taps until they get their federal brewer's license.]

Let's Have a Beer .... in Jacksonville, Fla! (repeat trip)

[NOTE: I thought it was time to write about the Jacksonville breweries, and, really, it's been long overdue. I am thrilled to have written this story especially for the Beer Bloggers Conference (BBC) 2016, and it was posted recently on the Beer Bloggers Conference website as a lead story. The Conference is held in a different beer-centric city each year. This time around, it heads to Tampa July 8-10, along with a featured pre-con visit to Jacksonville. I'm excited to be a part of the BBC this year and want to say "Thanks" to the BBC for this opportunity. This is the first in a series of the Jax area breweries, so stay tuned.  And, by the way, a special "thank you" goes out to the Jax area breweries!] ....

Happy American Craft Beer Week! A Few of My Favorite Things......

Cheers to American Craft Beer Week!
National Toast: Thursday, May 19, 8pm (ET)

HAPPY AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK!  I thought I would take a look back over the past year at some of my favorite things ..... BREWERY VISITS!  In case you missed any of these, sit back, grab your snifter or pint glass, and get to know some of these Florida breweries (these are the ones I posted, with the most recent  on the back end). Trust me on this, you'll want to go to each of these!  I think I want to go back already! More on the way as I continue to make my around the Sunshine State in search of local beer!

The Round-up: A Round at TPC Sawgrass, and Have a Round in Jax Beach Afterwards! Round 1: The Players Championship®

It's now a tradition in the month of May. Last year, 191,000 people attended.  It's the busiest week of the year at Jacksonville International Airport.  Over 400 businesses take part through corporate hospitality and tickets. It reaches one billion total households via broadcast in 226 countries. It generates significant funds for charities: in 2015, over $8.1M raised for over 300 local organizations. The tournament record is 264 (-24) by Greg Norman in 1994.*  

Two words, that's all you need: THE PLAYERS®. 

Let's Have a Beer .... in Jacksonville, Fla! (Tour 1)

[NOTE: I thought it was time to write about the Jacksonville breweries, and, really, it's been long overdue. I am thrilled to have written this story especially for the Beer Bloggers Conference (BBC) 2016, and it was posted recently on the Beer Bloggers Conference website as a lead story. The Conference is held in a different beer-centric city each year. This time around, it heads to Tampa July 8-10, along with a featured pre-con visit to Jacksonville. I'm excited to be a part of the BBC this year and want to say "Thanks" to the BBC for this opportunity. This is the first in a series of the Jax area breweries, so stay tuned.  And, by the way, a special "thank you" goes out to the Jax area breweries!] ....

Florida Brewers Guild FBG Fest Recap (Retap)

Swamp Head Brewery's Udderly Calm Milk Stout
in the new Fest glass.... sweet!

This past Saturday, March 5, over 1500 beer enthusiasts filled the grounds of downtown Tampa's Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park for the annual Florida Brewers Guild Beer Fest. The weather was perfect for roaming around the riverside park, talking to brewers, beer industry folks and beer-lovers, and, of course, for drinking Florida craft beer! The Fest also kicked off the fifth annual Tampa Bay Beer Week, running this year from March 5-13 all around the Tampa area. 

See You Under the Bridge: Riverside Craft Beer Fest Set for Saturday in Jacksonville

Get ready, Jacksonville! The area's first large-scale beer fest of the year is coming your way Saturday, February 27.  Here's the what, where, when, who, how and why. It's a big party along the river that you won't want to miss!

What is it?  Third Annual Riverside Craft Beer Fest presented by Riverside Rotary Club of Jacksonville.  

Where is it?  Under the Fuller-Warren Bridge at the home of the Riverside Arts Market, Jacksonville.

When is it? It's this Saturday, February 27. An early VIP entry starts at 3pm, with General Admission at 4pm. Fest runs til 7pm. 

Shhhhh! ..... Bog Brewing Company Ready to Open in St. Augustine

EDITOR'S NOTE: OPENING DAY IS FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 12pm
See also: my follow-up story from March 5
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Quietly, over on West King St. in St. Augustine, just west of the US 1/King St. intersection which leads to downtown, three guys who love beer have been hard at work converting a building which previously housed a former pawn shop and an old drugstore/soda shop into a craft brewery and community tap room. 

From the outside, you may not have noticed much going on at 218 W. King St., but inside, the transformation is just about complete, and within the next couple of weeks or so, you'll be able to visit and taste the small batch brews crafted by Bog Brewing Company. 

DeLand Craft Beer Fest: Rain Didn't Dampen Our Spirits

Cloudy with a chance of rain ... later, after 5pm.  Saturday's early forecast for DeLand, Florida didn't include a postcard-perfect sunny Florida day from the get-go, but it looked like the rain would at least hold off until just about the time that Volusia Beer Week's DeLand Craft Beer Fest would wrap up.  Uh-uh. Around mid-day, Mother Nature decided to exercise her prerogative to change her mind for some reason, and she opened the clouds upon central Florida (sometimes I think she really needs a beer).  By this time, there was a line of patrons awaiting entry to the fest in downtown DeLand. Umbrellas popped up, and those stylish plastic rain ponchos became the wardrobe of the day (be prepared: always carry one).  But, hey, this was a beer fest.... and, a little rain wouldn't dampen the spirits of these beer-drinking fans. So, over 1000 of us picked up our fest mugs and made our way through the entry tent and proceeded onto Georgia Ave.

Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival 2016: South Florida Sure Can Throw a Party!

Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, Florida -- Sunday, January 31, 2016, 10am:

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! 

The Point Is ..... When In South Florida, Make a Visit to Copperpoint Brewing Co.

About a week before the Holidays 2015, I found myself in South Florida for a weekend -- you know, that drive south down I-95 that I like to do (mainly for beer, but there are other things, too).  On Saturday night, I thought I'd stop at Copperpoint Brewing Company in Boynton Beach.  I had heard good things about the place, and it was "on my list."  Before I start rambling, let me just say that the "point" about this is .... you should visit here, too.  That said, here we go......

Engine 15 Brewing Company to Introduce Engine 15 Ciders and Meads

The big macro guys aren't the only ones making some news and shaking things up in the brewery world in the latter days of 2015.  

Big, breaking news from ENGINE 15 BREWING COMPANY in Jacksonville Beach hit social media last night in a short statement asking if anyone is ready for something new in 2016, accompanied by a new logo:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

May your pint glasses, steins and mugs be full of Christmas cheer!

Thank you!

Peace, Love, Pints®

Linda

You Really Can Take it with You ... at Really Good Beer Stop in Jax Beach

Have you ever visited a bar or restaurant where you found a beer that you had been waiting to try, and, after your tastebuds were deliriously happy from that pour in the pint glass, you then wished that you could take some of that draft beer back home with you? (in an appropriate sealed container, of course).  What if there were a  place where you could not only get "really good" craft beer "to-go," but you could also try it before you buy it?