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!