Daily Loaf

Big Sound Scotch Ale, the latest seasonal release from Cigar City Brewing, can be purchased in 25 ounce bottles at Whole Foods, Leukens, Kingdom Liquors, World of Beer Clearwater, and several Total Wine locations. But get it soon; bottles are going fast, and once they’re gone, there’ll be no more until next year.

Luckily enough, I was able to persuade Wayne Wambles, the head brewer and man with the beer plan, to score a bottle that we could split. So we sat down at the Oldsmar Tap House and proceeded to geek the hell out on a really great beer. Read the rest of this entry »

May 22 – Free craft beer tasting at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Petersburg. Craft brew specialists will be sampling beers from upstart sensation Cigar City Brewery, as well as the new Levitation (a sessionable brew) from Stone Brewing, and a selection of beers by Southampton Publick House. Event runs from 1-5pm. Free Southampton glassware with purchase.

May 23 – Spring Beer Fest at Tank’s Tap Room. Free tasting featuring yummy brews from Tampa’s own Cigar City Brewing, Gordon Biersch, Bell’s, and many, many others. They’ll also be unveiling a new food menu, raffling gear for The Little Patrick Foundation, doing giveaways, and hosting games. Live music performances and Romel from the Havana Cigar Factory offering live cigar rolling demonstrations and specials. Festivities kick off at 2pm and continue to close. Call (813) 961-BEER (2337) for more information. Read the rest of this entry »

Not only will they feature your unfortunate photos on their website, you also have a chance to be on Schmaltz’s Jewbelation 13 label! That’s worth embarrassment, right?

For some reason, pseudo beer drinkers everywhere have become enamored with a certain amber ale that goes by the name Fat Tire. As a beertender, I couldn’t go one night without being on the receiving end of some nonsensical harangue about how Fat Tire is the best beer ever made and every bar in the world should have it on tap. Folks, I’m here to tell you, and I might catch a fair amount of sass for this, Fat Tire is the Schlitz Malt Liquor of the New Belgium product line.

Before I begin, I’d like to point out that the company responsible for brewing Fat Tire demonstrates admirably sound environmental practices and crafts outstanding beer masterpieces like Le Terroir, La Folie, and Abbey Grand Cru. Let me make this perfectly clear; I’m not dissing on New Belgium Brewery. This diss is directed specifically toward Fat Tire Amber Ale. It is, perhaps, the least good beer produced by New Belgium, yet it’s wildly fashionable even in areas where it isn’t available. I am convinced the popularity of this foul brew is purely a result of the want what we cannot have phenomenon coupled with euphoric delusions brought on by travel situations. Read the rest of this entry »