Tours of brewers from around the state.
Twisted Trunk is the second brewery from Fran Andrewelevich and Matt Webster, the creators of South Florida’s 1st microbrewery Tequesta Brewing. But Twisted Trunk is much more than a rebranded Tequesta.
As their sales guru Jason let me know, Twisted was intended to feature its own beers and its own image and style.
In the shadow of Tropicana Field, a few blocks away from 3 Daughters Brewing (literally), is the corner of 1st Avenue South and 20th Street South. On the southeast corner is the brand new Pinellas Ale Works.
Directly across, on the northwest corner, is the relatively new Cage Brewing. Look for the octopus and you can’t miss it.
“When a brewer makes a beer, they’re not just making a beer. They’re telling their story about that beer.”
Outside Khoffner Brewery
Speaking with Rauf Khoffner, owner and brewmaster of Khoffner Brewery USA in Ft. lauderdale, pieces of brewing wisdom such as this flow as easily from him as the delicately swirling smoke from one of his classic cigars.
Bangin’ Banjo Brewing is a brand new brewery firmly located in Pompano Beach, FL. Not Alabama. Not Georgia. Not Kentucky. It’s in South Florida.
Which means I have to figure out how a brewery was named after an instrument that is decidedly not typical of the region.
Welcome to Bangin’ Banjo.
The story starts (frustratingly enough for an FSU grad) in Gainesville, where lifelong buddies Adam Feingold and Matthew Giani started homebrewing. One friend of theirs just happened to be incredibly good at playing the banjo, and for his birthday they brewed what would eventually become their signature beer and namesake: Bangin’ Banjo Black IPA.
They both moved back home to South Florida around 2010-ish, officially formed Bangin’ Banjo Brewing in 2014, and opened the doors to their tap room on July 24th, 2015. Continue reading
If you weren’t familiar from some of my earlier blog posts, Sarasota, Florida is also known as Circus City as a result of its connection to businessman John Ringling and the still well-known Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus.
So when homebrewer Josh Wilson opened a production brewery based on his recipes, it was only natural he named it for Sarasota’s circus past: Big Top Brewing.
Big Top Brewing sign
As a soon to be father of a daughter, it’s nice to be able to talk to a man who has three daughters of his own and can give you advice.
Of course, when that conversation also focuses on beer, that’s just a win-win situation all around.
3 Daughters Brewing
Devour Brewing is the newest brewery to open in Boynton Beach. Situated almost perfectly halfway between Due South and Delray Beach’s SaltWater Brewing, this new 1-barrel brewhouse and tap room is owned by husband and wife team Chip and Tricia Breighner.
Devour Brewing logo. Image courtesy of Devour Brewing.
And here’s where I have to pause for a second to explain the name of the brewery.
Disclaimer: I am a sucker for Belgian beers. High malt, low hops, inventive and complex yeasts, and sometimes sky-high alcohol contents. And I still want a Westy 12…
When I found out that Boca Raton was about to get their first production brewery, Barrel of Monks, and that brewery was going to focus almost exclusively on Belgian-style ales, You can imagine how excited I was.
I just didn’t expect how good it was going to be. And how it’s lovingly tucked away in… an office building?
Barrel Of Monks brewery and tap house.
Florida Beer Blog 