Lighten Up with Nights of Pints at St. Augustine Breweries

UPDATE: 11/17/2018: Nights of Pints got underway on Friday, 11/16, with kickoff events at each of the four breweries, and Keepers of the Coast on site at each, as the event charity partner. The new event shirts are now on sale, and the beers released! Get that shirt and go!

New Shirts on display. Take a look at the sizes, then buy one!
This from Bog Brewing. Photo: Linda Johnson, 11/16/2018

Shirts, punch cards, and one of the collab beers: Double Fudge Stout,
Bog Brewing with Ancient City Brewing. Beer available ONLY at Bog Brewing.
(photo: Linda Johnson, 11/16/2018)

HAPPY NIGHTS OF PINTS!
(Here with the Double Fudge Stout at Bog Brewing)
(photo: Linda Johnson, 11/16/2018)

November 11, 2018: HoHoHo, the Holidays are here! It's time to "lighten up already," as St. Augustine's four breweries bring back the popular Nights of Pints visit-your-local-brewery travel program for the second year. Designed to coincide with the city's famed annual Nights of Lights twinkling holiday display featuring millions of lights shimmering around the downtown, Nights of Pints is a fun respite from the walking and hiking -- after all, hydration is a necessity! Participation is easy: just purchase your official Nights of Pints event shirt (cost: $30) at any of the four local breweries, and get your passport punchcard good for a beer at each brewery. Then, walk around more, sip a beer, and head over to the next one! 

The 2018 Nights of Pints passport punchcard. With all of the walking, you'll be ready for a beer!

It all starts Friday night, November 16, one day ahead of the city's "Light-Up Nite." Start your holiday season with Nights of Pints launch parties at each brewery at 7pm on Friday night. This year, the breweries collaborated with each other to brew special event beers. One collaboration brew will be available at each: 

Bog Brewing: Double Fudge Russian Imperial Stout, brewed with Ancient City Brewing;

Old Coast Ales: Belgian Dubbel, brewed with Dog Rose Brewing;

Ancient City Downtown Taproom: Belgian Dubbel Christmas Abbey Ale brewed with Old Coast Ales; and

Dog Rose Brewing: update: Fezziwig Brown Ale with Orange Zest brewed with Bog Brewing. 

making HEADlines: Florida Nominations in USA Today "10 Best" Awards Polls

making HEADlines:

FLORIDA GETS NOMINATIONS IN USA TODAY'S "10 BEST" READERS' CHOICE POLLS

February 26, 2018: Last week, USA Today announced that it was turning its attention to craft beer in its latest rounds of Readers' Choice "10 Best" polls. The poll includes 20 nominees from across the nation in each of seven categories: Best New Brewery, Best Brewpub, Best Beer Scene, Best Brewery Tour, Best Beer Festival, Best Beer Bar, and Best Beer Label. Florida received nominations in four of the seven categories.  Voting ends March 19 and the winners will be announced on March 23. Shout-out to the following Florida nominees. Links include a list of nominees and voting information:

St. Augustine Breweries Light Things Up With Nights of Pints

November 2, 2017: The four St. Augustine breweries are lighting things up this holiday season by introducing the first "Nights of Pints" celebration of local beer in the historic city during the annual Nights of Lights tradition. 

Ancient City Brewing, Bog Brewing Company, Old Coast Ales and Dog Rose Brewing have teamed up to highlight the city's craft beer presence and give locals and visitors alike a fun way to experience their breweries -- and, receive a complimentary pint of beer at each. To participate, just purchase the special-edition Nights of Pints commemorative t-shirt ($25) at any of the four breweries, get your beer passport, and get ready to explore!

Old Coast Ales, St. Augustine, Set to Share the Beer on Opening Day, February 1

1/31/2017: For Jon Boisclair and Matt Hooker, the past three-plus years of planning, building and crafting their local, community-inspired brewery are about to give way to the reality of opening their doors to the public. 

On January 30, Old Coast Ales, 300 Anastasia Blvd., held a "soft opening" preview night and will make it official on Wednesday, February 1, when the long-awaited Opening Day finally arrives. 

Old Coast Ales: Riding Into St. Augustine on a Bicycle Built for Brew

[Ed. Note: I am thrilled to have been the first writer and site to publish a preview story about Old Coast Ales.  The new brewery held a soft opening on January 30,2017, and will open to the public on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.]

The wheels are in motion for Florida's newest brewery to open during Nights of Lights in the nation's Oldest City. Inspired by the St. Augustine community and a passion for brewing locally-made beer, Old Coast Ales is gearing up for an opening date by the end of 2016.