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RATEBEER sells minority stake to AB InBev's ZX Ventures; Dogfish Head Founder Requests Removal from Site

What Kind of IPA Are You, Anyway? Say Cheers to IPA Day!

American. West Coast, East Coast, Midwest. English. 

Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe. 

Citrus, Piney, Floral, Fruity, Tropical. 

Double, Imperial, Session, Black, Red, or just "plain" ol'. 

From Palate Wrecker to Heady Topper to Sculpin. 

Pliny the Elder to Florida Man.

Talk about some of our favorite things. We could be talking about a certain holiday in December, or we could be talking about ... Yeah, you guessed it: we're talkin' IPA!

Beer vs. Wine ThrowDown: A Chocolate Pairing at Alewife Bottleshop; Oh, Sweetheart .... Love a Glass of Beer with that Chocolate

Indulgence. Decadence. Cupid. Love. Hearts. Flowers. Sensuality. Chocolates. Wine. Beer.  

Beer?  At first blush, one might not immediately include beer in such a list of provocative elements often reserved at this time of year for Valentine's Day and the extravagance of the holiday of love. It's probably not every day that your taste buds experience the (over)indulgence of delectable and almost sinful flavor combinations. Like chocolates with wine, right?  Hold that thought....

We Got Funky: Maple Bacon Coffee Porter Day 2016 at Funky Buddha Brewery

I didn't attend the prior two Maple Bacon Coffee Porter Day festivals hosted by Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park.  Last year (2015), the event fell about a week before an already-scheduled weekend trip for a concert in Fort Lauderdale. I had tracked the release dates of the prized MBCP around Lauderdale, and I was thrilled to find it on tap at American Social.  By the way, if you haven't figured it out yet, not only does this beer have its own Day, it has its own acronym (MBCP; it IS a mouthful). 

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:

It Was Cookin' at Brewz n Dawgz' First Beer Dinner with Cigar City Brewing

When I first found out a couple of months ago about the first Beer Dinner being planned at Brewz n Dawgz in St. Augustine (December 22), I was intrigued.  After all, how does a menu featuring brats/hot dogs offer the culinary variety and flair usually associated with these pairings?  As I saw the food menu come together, my interest was further piqued (not to mention that it really sounded good). And, then I got the lowdown from owner Roger Lim on the beer menu (exclusive, I might add).  Nothing like a new place hosting its first beer dinner with some creative brews from the most recognizable craft brewery in the state of Florida, Cigar City Brewing.  

SaltWater Brewery Celebrates Two Years: Get Reeled In

Vanilla Sea Cow, tapped at 1pm;
Sea Cow Milk Stout, with, well,
vanilla ... As good as it sounds

What do you get when you combine 40 house beers, plus beers from other Florida breweries and three breweries-in-planning, three food trucks, all day music, timed beer tappings, an inside tap room bar, an outside beer truck, a souvenir glass and 70+ degree weather ... not to mention it's December? Pretty much everything you need for a rockin' Two-Year Anniversary Party at South Florida's SaltWater Brewery in Delray Beach. 

This past Saturday, December 19, SaltWater Brewery celebrated two-years young with an all-day Block Party. For several weeks leading up to the epic event, the brewery announced its taplist on social media -- and with each new post, the taplist grew.  There were four timed releases throughout the day, and at least 10 beers were on tap continously.  And, having simply one or two brews for each timed release just wouldn't be enough, so we're talking about ten beers for each tapping at 1pm, 3pm (Sour Hour), 5pm and 7pm. Following that, at 9pm, the taps rotated to "kick" those kegs!

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? 

Believe It .... Coppertail (Brewing) Is For Real

As many of you know, I haven't been a stranger to the Tampa area this year.  Between a number of concerts and the Stanley Cup Finals, I think I'm getting to know every bump and construction barricade along I-4 from I-95 pretty well. And, then, there's all that beer over there!  So, last weekend, I headed to Tampa once again, this time for the Jaguars-Buccaneers game and pre-game Bold City Brigade tailgate party (there are photos on social media about that).