Engine 15 Brewing Seventh Anniversary: Annual Chupacabra Three Ways

Last week, Engine 15 Brewing Co. hosted a Vertical Tasting of its annual Imperial Chupacabra Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, an event which leads into its Seventh Anniversary party and bottle release on Saturday, July 1 at its Jacksonville Beach brewpub. Masters of Ceremonies and Brewery Co-owners Luch Scremin and Sean Bielman imparted some humorous anecdotes much to the delight of the event attendees (picture bourbon barrels so fresh that they contained "charcoal black liquid" in 2014). The pre-anniversary event featured tastings of Chupacabra from 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, along with this year's 2017 versions (yes, that last one is plural). 

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June 20, 2017: ENGINE 15 BREWING CO. SETS STAGE FOR SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY WITH VERTICAL TASTING OF ANNUAL IMPERIAL CHUPACABRA, JUNE 22

Green Room Brewing Barrels Into Sixth Anniversary

With its laid-back beach and surfing vibe and named after one of surfing's most sought-after wave actions, Green Room Brewing in Jacksonville Beach is heading into its Sixth Anniversary on Saturday, June 17 with a quiet intensity. Much like being in the barrel of a wave for surfers, the brewery on Third Street will be the place to be when it releases its annual Secret Spot Imperial Stout aged in Dominican rum barrels for the special occasion. Festivities will begin at noon on Saturday, with limited bottles of the annual anniversary beer available for purchase. 

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QUETZALCOATL RETURNS TO GREEN ROOM BREWING DECEMBER 17

Intuition Ale Works Sixth Anniversary "Week" is Here

The week before Thanksgiving means lots of things. Around the Jax craft beer community, it means Intuition Ale Works hosts an Anniversary Party. And, not "just" a party -- an entire week of beer events leading up to an Anniversary Bash. This year marks Intuition's Sixth Anniversary, and the week-long celebration starts November 15. So, mark those calendars and join the party!

First of all, by now, you know that Intuition opened its new brewery and tap room on East Bay St. in Downtown Jacksonville adjacent to the Sports Complex in September, and closed its original Riverside location. (Just making sure. And, if you didn't know that, check out the preview story here.)

Hello, Wicked Barley Brewing Company!

[Ed. Note: Since writing this story, Wicked Barley has expanded its hours, and  it is now open seven days a week, opening on Mondays & Tuesdays at 4pm.]


Jacksonville's newest brewpub and brewery, Wicked Barley Brewing Company, opened its doors to the public today at 5pm with a soft opening. While the full-service kitchen serves its complete housemade menu items, the bar currently features 20 guest taps of beer and cider (temporarily) until the Wicked Barley "Naughty Ales for Noble Souls" are ready to hit the taps. The pub hours on Wednesday and Thursday are 11am-11pm. Friday is a day of preparation for the Grand Opening on Saturday, July 30 at 11am. 

Of Bus Rides 'n Beer: From Bold City to Cigar City, Beer Bloggers Conference 2016 Covered It

Around this time last year, I was following the tweets from Asheville, NC as those attending the 2015 Beer Bloggers Conference energetically took to social media to report their real-time accounts of the activities. I noticed a blend of snippets about beer education and beer drinking -- not too surprising, I concluded. I thought that maybe I should attend one of these conferences in the future, and awaited the announcement of the 2016 Conference location. And, with a rising level of fanfare, there it was: TAMPA! WooHoo! That's only a 3.5 hour drive from my home base in North Florida, so I was immediately psyched. 

Engine 15 Brewing Company: Enjoy the Ride!

When co-owners Luch Scremin and Sean Bielman opened Engine 15 Brewing Company six years ago in Jacksonville Beach, I wonder if they had any idea about the ride they would take: from homebrewing on a one-barrel system, to opening a brewpub in a shopping center on Beach Blvd. with a 5-barrel brewhouse system, to acquiring a warehouse production facility with a 20-barrel system and an outdoor beer garden, to a mead and cider operation. The brewery celebrated its Sixth Anniversary this past week (July 2), and it's clear that this Engine is on the move!

Catch the Wave: Green Room Brewing in Jax Beach

Five years ago: After moving to North Florida from the Midwest (five years ago this past April), I began reading about Green Room Brewing, a new microbrewery opening in Jacksonville Beach. Not too surprisingly, this sounded like a pretty cool place! It ended up being the first craft brewery in the area that I visited, and, five years later, I'm drawn to the surf-and-beach-inspired tap room and some of the most creative beers you will find anywhere.

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!] ....

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!] ....