Brew Review – Beers and Ice Cream at Big Storm Brewing @bigstormbrewing

I am a big fan of Big Storm Brewing, and now that they have three different locations to choose from along the Florida West Coast, I have multiple options to get my Big Storm fix in.

That being said, I always prefer going to the main production facility in Clearwater, since that’s where most of the really fun stuff happens. Obviously it’s got the huge production facility behind giant picture window, but there’s a great chef driven menu that I took my family to for dinner one evening.

We had ulterior motives for going as well, but I will chat about those a bit later.

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Brew Review – 2018 Gallery Series at Concrete Beach @ConcreteBeachFL

It’s been a while since I graced the doorstep of Miami’s Concrete Beach Brewing. And, truth be told, I drove right past it. I’m used to the giant vacant lot that used to be next door to the brewery, wholly unprepared for the gigantic high-rise that is now being built in its place.

It’s actually a bit of a shame, as I liked some of the tiny little art installations I usually found in the trees that are now long gone. C’est la vie.

Brewery Visit – Crooked Thumb @crkdthumbbrew

It’s got kitties.

Crooked Thumb Brewing is nestled amongst large, Spanish Moss-heavy tree canopies in the sleepy little Pinellas Co. hamlet of Safety Harbor. Named for the bizarre look of Pinellas County, Crooked Thumb has been a staple of the Tampa Bay Beer scene for a couple of years now and has recently begun to distribute canned beer in the area.

On a cool and lazy Saturday afternoon, I brought my favorite date (being my three-year-old daughter) to go and relax for a little bit. Once we parked, we both saw the star attraction of Crooked Thumb very quickly.

Event – Fall Festival and Homebrew Competition with Riverside Market @riversidemarket

Riverside Market is something of a pilgrimage site when it comes to South Florida craft beer. This stalwart of the Broward County brewing scene has been around for years, and one of their big events is an annual homebrewing competition.

This year was different, as they partnered with the Riverside Park Residents Association to take the homebrewing competition and expanding into a larger Fall Festival.

Location visit – Brewhouse Gallery @brewhouse720 feat. @hourglassbrew @redcypressbrew

Lake Park, Florida, is not exactly the lap of luxury.

Yes, it is in Palm Beach County. But whereas other Palm Beach cities such as West Palm Beach and Boca Raton are definitely for the more affluent, Lake Park is a bit more unrefined. I’m not saying it’s a bad place to be, but this is not the sort of high society gathering place that you would see somewhere else.

I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.

I’m a big fan of scrappy little towns that give their residents the freedom and the space to create inventive, exciting things. One such place is the Brewhouse Gallery, which was a tap room so incredible I cannot believe that Florida is lucky enough to have it.

Brewery Visit – Angry Chair @angrychairbeer

You went to high school with a kid who already knew who they were by that time.

They were into music that wasn’t necessarily popular for the time, didn’t dress in clothes that were socially mandated, and they didn’t care. This isn’t because they were trying to make a point, they were just comfortable with the person that they were and they decided to be. And then you see that person 20 years later, and they haven’t changed at all. Sure, they are an expert in the career that they have chosen, and are doing incredibly well, but they are still comfortable with exactly the person they knew they were back then.

That’s the feeling I got from Angry Chair Brewing.

Brewery Visit – In The Loop Brewing @InTheLoopBrew

US 41 in Pasco County isn’t exactly the most gorgeous road that you’ve ever been on.

The sides are populated with car garages, gas stations, run down and abandoned buildings, and the kind of old Florida plant growth that is not as carefully pruned and expertly manicured like a stereotypical Florida postcard.

Somewhere along the road, in Land O Lakes, you’ll come across an old salmon-colored Spanish style house, quietly situated next to what looks to be a warehouse. That house, vacant for years and recently renovated, is the home of the city’s first brewery, In The Loop.

Brewery Visit – St. Pete Brewing @StPeteBrewingCo

St. Pete Brewing is one of those breweries that I’ve seen so often, but just never managed to make it in. It’s the signature anchor and oars in the classic skull and crossbones formation behind the bar that I’ve always seen, at least on digital media.

And then there I was, in downtown St. Pete, sweating ever so much on a warm Florida day (because they’re all warm) a flight in front of me and the anchor and oars off in the distance. I had finally made it to one of the breweries I had always wanted to go to.