And, The Winners Are ... Best Florida Beer 2019

March 6, 2019: With 825 judged entries in 46 medal groups, Best Florida Beer announced the 2019 Gold, Silver and Bronze professional brewer medalists at the annual Brewer's Ball in Tampa, on Sunday, March 4. Early results began circulating through social media on Sunday afternoon, with more photos streaming over the airwaves on Monday. 

Brewers submitted entries in January 2019. To be eligible for judging, beers had to have been made available for sale or poured onsite by January 31, 2019. Judging took place in early February, and while category medalists were notified that they had placed among the top three, the medal status was not revealed until the announcements at the Brewer's Ball beerfest at Water Works Park. 

And, the winners are ....

making HEADlines: HalfwayThere to TBBW, August 25

making HEADlines:

TAMPA BEERFEST, AUGUST 25, CELEBRATES "HALFWAY THERE" TO TAMPA BAY BEER WEEK

[Ed. Note, 8/22: Fest is SOLD OUT!]

 August 15, 2018, Tampa, FL:  Mention the "first week in March" to a Florida craft beer geek, and eyes might light up in anticipation of one of the biggest beer weeks anywhere: Tampa Bay Beer Week. With major beerfests being weekend bookends for a week full of daily tastings, get-togethers and dinners, the over 70-brewery Tampa area can celebrate beer on a grand scale (see the 2018 preview  and subsequent fest recaps on this site from March 2018). 

So, why not hold a beerfest at the "Halfway There" point to the 2019 TBBW? Why not, indeed! TBBW organizers are bringing back the annual event on Saturday, August 25, from 2-6pm at the recently renovated Armature Works Neighborhood Market on the banks of the Hillsborough River.  The fundraiser for TBBW gives attendees a chance to sample beers from over 58 local, national and international breweries, play arcade games by Lowry Parcade, and sip cold brew coffee samples from Commune + Co. Food is available in the Heights Public Market. 

Curious as to which breweries will be there? Take a look at the participating brewery list and plan accordingly! 

"Halfway There" tickets, $35 in advance/$50 at the door, include sampling and a commemorative fest tasting glass. Limited parking is available for $5, and the parking ticket may be used as a voucher for food purchase at the Heights Market. Out-of-towners can receive 15% off room rates at partner hotel Tampa Marriott Waterside, a short walk from Armature Works. 

The Halfway There fest is the major fundraiser for Tampa Bay Beer Week, which was established in 2012 and has hosted over 750 small- and large-scale events. Tampa Bay Beer Week, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) organization dedicated to advancing the Tampa area beer culture through education, events and marketing.  TBBW begins the first Saturday in March and runs over the course of eight days. And, 2019 will be here before you know it.

Cheers!

Linda Johnson,
Certified Cicerone®
www.brewnymph.com

Hunahpu's Day 2018 Scores with Change of Venue and Layout

March 14, 2018: 
With Raymond James Stadium looming in the background, Cigar City Brewing hosted its 9th annual Hunahpu's Day® beerfest celebrating the release of its Hunahpu's® Imperial Stout in Tampa on Saturday, March 10, 2018. 

The change in venue this year at Parking Lots 5 and 7 on the stadium grounds also set itself up for an entirely new layout, providing six oversized beer tents, a food truck area with around 15 food trucks, large tented shaded areas with picnic tables, water bottle stations, a brewers' area, and a Jameson whiskey-tasting tent. The day might have been a bit cooler and cloudier than expected, but it didn't seem to make a difference to the few thousand beer geeks there to sample beers from around 175 breweries.  

Once again this year, admission to the sold-out fest was by pre-purchased wristband, which included allotments of Hunahpu's Imperial Stout in quantities of either 4, 8 or 12 bottles, available for pickup at Cigar City Brewing's brewery and tap room a short distance away on Spruce Street. 

Even before the fest started on Saturday, locals and visitors alike were in town for Tampa Bay Beer Week (see recaps on this site from FBG Fest and Best Florida Beer held the weekend before). A stop at Cigar City Brewing on Friday night revealed the new logo on the signage: 

All Florida Beer and Sunshine at Florida Brewers Guild FBG Fest, Tampa

March 8, 2018:  
The Sunshine State was just that on Saturday, March 3, as the Florida Brewers Guild hosted its annual celebration of Florida breweries and beer at its Craft Beer Festival ("FBG Fest") at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park along the river in downtown Tampa. It was all sun and smiles on the first official day of Tampa Bay Beer Week. 

The Park is no stranger to beer fests, and the FBG Fest has been held here year after year. It was a beautiful day along the river to drink Florida beer and meet Florida brewers!

All proceeds from the fest go back to the FBG, a nonprofit trade association dedicated to preserving the rights and interests of the state's craft brewers. The funds are used for lobbying efforts, educational outreach and programs, member events, and additional public events. With over 70 Florida breweries behind the tables pouring between 3-5 beers (or more) each, attendees had the opportunity to taste a number of beers from all across the state - and, yes, that can translate into a beertrip down the road! 

Best Florida Beer Medalists Announced at 2018 Brewer's Ball in Tampa!

March 5, 2018: The top beers in Florida, as determined by Best Florida Beer, were announced at the annual Brewer's Ball beerfest on Sunday, March 4, at Water Works Park in Tampa. 

Judges in the AHA and BJCP-sanctioned professional competition tasted and judged over 815 entries in 38 medal categories over the weekend of February 10-11. Although the finalists were notified, specific placements of Gold, Silver or Bronze medals were not known until names were read during the official ceremony. The Brewer's Ball featured only the medal-winning beers, with signs identifying the brewery, beer and category above each keg. Upon entering the fest, attendees received a booklet, which also listed each brewery and beer. Category announcements of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were announced first, with Best of Show awards capping off a spectacular day in the park. The official list of winners, along with photos taken by this site during the fest and during the medals ceremony appear below! Congratulations to all!

Tampa Bay Beer Week is Marchin' In, March 3-11

March 2, 2018: Four words pretty much sum up this next week: Tampa Bay Beer Week. 

In what just might be a MOAB of its own, Tampa Bay Beer Week brings its mother of all beerweeks to the Tampa area March 3-11. Established in 2012, the ginormous week of events dedicated to growing the local craft beer community includes nine official days of virtually nonstop beer-centric events, including three epic beerfests! Looking for a beertrip? You found it.

Florida Brewers Guild FBG Fest Was a Walk in the Park

On March 4, the Florida Brewers Guild ("FBG") hosted its annual signature event, simply known as "FBG Fest," at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park along the Garrison Channel and Tampa Riverwalk in downtown Tampa. Upon arrival at the venue, brewery tents could be seen lining each side of the waterside park (see last week's preview story). Tickets to the all-Florida beerfest went on sale around the first of the new year, as either VIP (one-hour early access) or General Admission. The VIP tickets sold out the week of the fest. 

When you see two of the FBG Board members scanning tickets at the Fest entry, you know that this is truly a "brewers" fest. Vice President Byron Burroughs (Proof Brewing) and Board Member Jay Dingman (Barley Mow Brewing) were kept pretty busy manning the scanners as the VIP gates opened at 1pm. 

Tap Into Florida Craft Beer: Florida Brewers Guild FBG Fest, Saturday, March 4

The most extensive beer week in the Sunshine State returns this coming weekend. Whether you live in the Tampa Bay area or not, chances are pretty good -- in fact, I'd bet a Pair O'Dice Hop Bet Red -- that you've heard of Tampa Bay Beer Week, which "officially" starts Saturday, March 4 (after several pre-TBBW events). It seems only fitting that the Florida Brewers Guild will once again kick off the mega-beer week with its annual FBG Fest Saturday, from 1-5pm, at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park along the Tampa Riverwalk. 

Florida Brewers Guild Craft Beer Festival Tapped It as Tampa Bay Beer Week 2015 Opened

Last week at this time, I was heading across the state from St. Augustine on the ocean to Tampa on the bay, where the breweries seem to be opening faster than a hard pour.  The duffel bags were loaded with too many clothes for a 2-day trip, and the cooler was enjoying its quiet time off while dutifully awaiting its return cargo. It had been a couple of years since I visited Tampa (see the two "WaZoo" posts from August 2013), and it was time to go back.