Since this article didn’t make it into Coastal Life, I am posting it here.

On Saturday, March 29, the First Annual Clues and Brewz fundraising event to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Lee County was held at Gulf Coast Town Center. The event was sponsored by The House of Brewz  and featured a scavenger hunt followed by a craft beer festival.   The money raised goes to help NAMI  Lee County provide free support, education and training to those with mental illness and their families.  NAMI Lee County also provides crisis intervention training to law enforcement and first responders to help them interact with individuals with mental illness. 

 

The scavenger hunt took place in the morning from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm.  Participants were given clue books to find certain locations or perform certain tasks in Gulf Coast Town Center.  Executive Director, Vacharee Howard, said that many participants were so excited by the hunt, they wanted to do it again.  

 

The craft beer festival  took place after the scavenger hunt. The idea for this part of the event grew out of Howard’s husband’s love of home brewing.   Unlike other craft beer festivals in the area, the Clues and Brewz highlighted local Southwest Florida breweries and showcased our growing craft beer culture.    The event featured several local breweries  that have recently opened or are planning on opening in Southwest Florida within the next few months.  Local distributors also brought beers from Sarasota, Orlando, and Tampa area breweries.    

 

Howard said she really appreciated the support that NAMI Lee County received from the local beer community. She pointed out that  many of the brewery owners were in attendance to pour their beers and that really showed their commitment to helping combat mental illness in Lee County.

 

Bonita Springs’ new brewery Momentum was in attendance with three of their brews: Dress Down Nut Brown, Ride It Like You Stole It Stout, and Knee High IPA.  Momentum hopes to have their brewery off Bonita Beach Road open in the summer. 

 

 Fort Myers Brewery, which recently had its one year anniversary, featured a hefeweizen and their High 5 IPA.  Their tasting room is open Thursdays through Sunday (check website for hours)  and is located off Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers. 

 

Point Ybel brewery also attended with a black IPA, Black Mangrove, and their Snakebite IPA.  Point Ybel is open 7 days a week (check website for hours) and is located off of San Carlos Blvd north of Fort Myers Beach.

 

Among those in attendance opening later this summer were Old Soul Brewing, to be located at US 41 and Boy Scout Drive, and Bury Me Brewing, which will be located in The House of Brewz.  Bury Me Brewing hopes to be brewing by June and to provide 10 locally brewed beers on draft.  Bury Me Brewing has some creative names including From My Cold Dead Hands IPA and Dirt Nap Honey Brown.

 

Noticeably absent was Naples Beach Brewery located off of Enterprise Avenue in Naples.  Naples Beach Brewery is open for tastings Fridays and Saturdays (check website for hours) and brews are carried in several local establishments.  Fat Point Brewery in Punta Gorda was also not in attendance, although they  attended the last Hammond Stadium Festival of Beers.   Gulf Coast Town Center will also soon feature a BJ’s Brewhouse, which will offer its own line of beers.

 

Despite the possibility of inclement weather, 165 people attended the event.  Howard states that the event was so well received they have already started planning for the Second Annual Clues and Brewz. For more information about NAMI Lee County, visit their website at www.namilee.org or phone 239-337-9024.

 

Local Breweries

Momentum (to open summer 2014) 9786 Bonita Beach Rd, SE, Ste. 1-2, Bonita Springs, FL 34135, www.momentumbrewhouse.com

 

Fort Myers Brewing Company, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, #28, Fort Myers, FL 33913, open Thursdays through Sundays

 

Point Ybel  Brewing Company, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #4, Fort Myers, FL 33908, open 7 days a week, www.pointybelbrew.com

 

Bury Me Brewing (opening summer 2014), located in The House of Brewz, 10045 Gulf Center Drive, E110, Fort Myers, FL 33913, www.burymebrewing.com

 

Old Soul Brewing (opening summer 2014), 10970 S. Cleveland Ave, #402, Fort Myers, FL 33907

 

Naples Beach Brewery, 4110 Enterprise Ave, Ste. 217, Naples, FL 34104, open Fridays and Saturdays, www.naplesbeachbrewery.com

 

Fat Point Brewery (unknown open date), 611 Charlotte St, Punta Gorda, FL 33950