Month: November 2012

Real Beer in Naples, FL!

Standard

I am so glad to see that Naples is finally catching up to the rest of the world and now has good, locally brewed beer available.  The Naples Beach Brewery is a breath of fresh air to an area that has been a virtual desert of local beer.  Last week, the Naples Beach Brewery had its inaugural tasting event and the beers were quite a treat.  I had tasted some of their local brews a few months back at a local establishment, South Street Bar and Grill.  However, although better than anything Naples had to offer, some of the brews were a bit underdeveloped.  Now, the beers really have come a long way and have a lot to offer.

Most improved has to be the Mango Ginger Tripel– a few months ago it had an odd aftertaste which was sort of sweet yet sour. Today’s brew has a totally different taste that hints of mango and ginger but in no way overpowers the palate.  If you have read my previous blogs, you know that I am a fan of the hops– you can’t go wrong with hops! The Pale Ale has a nice hoppy flavor but not quite as strong as an IPA. For me, this was their best beer of the night.  The Weizen was also quite good and very true to the style.  I am generally not a fan of the darker beers but both the Black IPA and the Stout were quite good– even for a pale ale and traditional IPA drinker.  The Rojo Especial, a red ale, was my least favorite;  however, many others seemed to enjoy it. It was an attempt to do a red ale in an English style and so was a bit on the bitter end for my taste.

The cost of the tasting was quite reasonable–$15 for 6 tastes and 2 pints (well almost pints).  I highly recommend if you can make the next one that  you do so. Support our only real local brewery and have some great beer. Oh and the staff is very friendly too– you get to learn about how the beer is made and have the option to watch a video series on the making of beer while sitting on a comfy garden chair.  The brewery is located at 4110 Enterprise Ave., Suite 217, Naples, FL 34104 and it can be a bit difficult to find as it sits in a warehouse area– my hint look for the Cuban deli and the brewery is in the next big building about 3/4 of the way to the end.  The scenery could be better but the beer is great!

Looking for a Brewery in Ybor City

Standard

For those of you who don’t know, Ybor City is the kind of hip, happening area of Tampa.  The area used to be where cigars were made but now it is filled with trendy restaurants, clubs, and shops.  The draw, of course, are these trendy attractions but the area also has a small microbrewery, The Tampa Bay Brewing Company.  Although there are better restaurants in the area, it is worth a stop to sample the brews. Although none are especially exceptional, they are good enough to stand on their own. If you are in the area, stop buy and try a sampler!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Vermont– Land of the Microbrew

Standard

Vermonters will tell you that their state has more per capita than any other state.  From my experience, that is probably true. If you want good beer, go to Vermont!

Vermont’s “star” brewery has to be Magic Hat.  The Magic Hat brewery sits a few miles outside of downtown Burlington in a pretty unimpressive strip mall area.  You would miss it, except that Vermont is really into great signage for their attractions.  The brewery is very ecclectically decorated, just like the bottle labels for their brews.  The “tour” consists of walking up a ramp and looking over the brewery floor. However, once you are done with the tour, you get to the tasting bar.  There is a real bar with several groups of taps where really friendly staff serve you as many samples as you want at no cost (they do encourage tips for the staff).  I went back a couple of times while in Vermont.

There are also dozens of smaller breweries throughout the area. Downtown Burlington hosts the Vermont Pub and Brewery. This brewery has a great local following and pretty good food. It is a great place to go for a bite and brew while downtown.  Middlebury, VT, about an hour from Burlington, hosts Otter Creek Brewery. Otter Creek is also a bit hard to find as it sits in a kind of industrial area slightly off the main road.  Long Trail Brewery sits in Bridgewater Cors, VT.  This place has a great outdoor patio right next to the river which is a great location to sit on a warm day.  We were in Vermont right after Hurricane Irene and were impressed that this brewery was doing a lot in the community to help relief efforts, including developing a special beer, Goodnight Irene. The beers here are great and a good selection to suit every palate.

I can’t forget to mention that Harpoon Brewery now has a satellite facility in Windsor, VT.  You can’t go wrong with Harpoon and their signature IPA. This has to be one of my favorite beers of all times. Harpoon’s UFO series is also a good bet.  The Windsor brewery has a great brew pub with excellent food. I would highly recommend a stop here!

Finally, I have to mention the other great places to visit in Vermont.  I was shocked at the number of wineries in Vermont.  I would highly recommend stopping at as many as you can. The staff in each one we visited was very friendly and the wines were quite good. I really would have never imagined good wine could come from Vermont.  Vermont is of course known for its maple syrup and there are lots of great places to stop and get a sample.  Cabot cheese is also a Vermont favorite.  There are several places around the state that have cheese tasting bars and the Cabot facility is a great place to stop.  Of course I can’t forget the other Vermont staple, Ben and Jerry’s. The tour of the factory is a bit crowded and touristy but they do give you a free ice cream at the end.

I highly recommend getting a car and just driving around the state while stopping at everything that interests you.  You can’t go wrong in Vermont, unless you do what I did and eat cheese, maple syrup, and ice cream while washing it down with wine and beer.  This has a tendency to make your stomach hurt!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.