Brewzzi Wins Silver and Cigar City Wins Gold at Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO went on this past weekend and if you weren't able to make it, like myself, you can still try some of the award winners from the festival. The festival is the US premier beer festival. With 49,000 attendees, 457 breweries at the festival serving 2100 different beers and 495 breweries having entered 3308 beers in the competition, it is pretty much the Oscars of the beer industry. As the only brewery from South Florida to win an award Brewzzi came out with a silver medal in the German Style Altbier category for their Boca Alt. Tampa's Cigar City also came home with a gold medal in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer category for it's Humidor Series IPA.

Here is a list of all the winners that are available in South Florida(0r will be shortly).

American-Style Cream Ale or Lager
Gold: Milwaukee's Best, Miller Brewing Co.
Silver: Hamm's, Miller Brewing Co.
Bronze: Red Dog, Miller Brewing Co.

American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast
Silver: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing
Bronze: UFO Hefeweizen, Harpoon Brewery

Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer
Silver: Imperial Chocolate Stout, Rogue Ale

Specialty Beer
Gold: Chateau Jiahu, Dogfish Head Brewery
Silver: Palo Santo Marron, Dogfish Head Brewery

Rye Beer
Bronze: Hoss, Great Divide Brewery

Specialty Honey Beer
Bronze: Midas Touch, Dogfish Head Brewery

Session Beer
Bronze: Bam Briere, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Out Of Category - Traditionally Brewed Beer
Silver: Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, Brooklyn Brewery

Gluten Free Beer
Silver: Redbridge, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer
Gold: Humidor Series IPA, Cigar City Brewing

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
Silver: Barrel Aged Gonzo, Flying Dog Brewery

Aged Beer
Gold: Horn Dog Vintage 2007, Flying Dog Brewery

Smoked Beer
Gold: Smokejumper, Left Hand Brewing Co.

International-Style Pilsener
Silver: OE800, Miller Brewing Co.

Bohemian Style Pilsener
Gold: Vermont Lager, Otter Creek Brewing/Wolaver's Organic Ale
Silver: Gordan Biersch, Czech Pilsner, Gordan Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group
Bronze: Bell's Lager Beer, Bell's Brewing, Inc.

Munich Style Helles
Bronze: Gordan Biersch, Golden Export, Gordan Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group

American-Style Light Lager
Gold: Budweiser Select, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Silver: Keystone Light, Coors Brewing Co.
Bronze: Michelob Ultra, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

American-Style Lager or Premium Lager
Gold: Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Co.
Silver: Miller High Life, Miller Brewing Co.

American Style Specialty Lager
Gold: Keystone Ice, Coors Brewing Co.
Silver: Pre-Pro, Coors Brewing Co.
Bronze: Steel Reserve, Miller Brewing Co.

German Style Marzen
Gold: Dogtoberfest, Flying Dog Brewery

American Style Amber Lager
Silver: Killian's Red, Coors Brewing Co.
Bronze: Michelob Marzen, Michelob Brewing Co.

European Style Dunkel
Silver: Gordan Biersch Dunkles, Gordan Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group

American-Style Dark Lager
Gold: Session Black Premium Lager, Full Sail Brewing
Bronze: Saranac Black Forest, Saranac?F.X. Matt Brewing Co.

German Style Dopplebock or Eisbock
Gold: The Kaiser, Avery Brewing Co.
Silver: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co.

German Style Kolsh
Gold: Kolsh, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Bronze: Stoudts Kolsh, Stoudt Brewing Co.

Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter
Gold: ESB, Red Hook Ales

Irish Style Red Ale
Bronze: Saranac Irish Red Ale, Saranac/F.X. Matt Brewing CO.

German Style Altbier
Silver: Boca Alt, Brewzzi West Palm
Bronze: Gordan Biersch Alt Bier, Gordan Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group

Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
Silver: Tripel, Allagash Brewing Co.

Robust Porter
Silver: Mocha Porter, Rogue Ales

Imperial Stout
Gold: Gonzo Imperial Porter, Flying Dog Brewery
Silver: Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing Co.

Barley Wine Style Ale
Silver: Treblehook, Red Hook Ales
Bronze: Old Ruffian Barley Wine, Great Divide Brewing Co.

If you want to check out the full list of winners you can see it by clicking here.

Brewzzi of Boca Raton
2222 Glades Rd
Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561) 392-2739

Brewzzi of City Place
700 South Rosemary Ave
Suite 212
West Palm Beach. FL 33401
(561) 986-BREW
www.brewzzi.com

Oktoberfest Week at Abraxas

All through October you'll be seeing October Fest activities going on. Abraxas is hosting one of the first of the season. It actually started this past Friday and will run till this Thursday. They will have specials on all of these beers till Thursday:

Spaten Oktoberfest on tap
Ayinger Oktoberfest (16.9oz)
Penn Oktoberfest (PA)
Avery Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest (22oz) (CO)
Left Hand Oktoberfest (CO)
Samuel Adams Octoberfest (MA)
Warsteiner Oktoberfest
Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest
Erdinger Oktoberfest Weizen

If those beers weren't enough reason to head down to Abraxas, they just got one of the first shipments in from Shelton Brothers. You can now get all of these world renowned beers there as well:

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Oatmeal Coffee Stout (.5L)
Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA
Dieu du Ciel Soulstice D'hiver Barleywine

8 oz. Burger Bar's New Mixed Beer Menu

courtesy of BurgerBeast.com

Starting today 8 oz. Burger Bar will be introducing it's new mixed beer menu.

8 oz. Burger Bar Blended Beer Menu

Black Velvet
Shipyard Bluefin Stout layered with Moet Chandon
$ 10.00

Prima-Lada
Prima Pilsner with Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, ginger Beer and candied ginger
$ 10.00

Shocktop Citronage
Shocktop Belgian Style Wheat Ale with Citronage Orange Liqueur
$ 10.00

Choco Berry
Young's Double Chocolate Stout layered with Lindeman's Framboise
$ 10.00

Zacapaneca
Shipyard Bluefin Stout with Zacapa Dark Rum and brown molases can cacao nibs
$ 10.00

Honey Suckle Rose
Boulder Brewery Hazed and Infused wih Blue Head Reposada, honey salt rim and rosemary
$ 10.00

Sweet Wine
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Housemade Sangria, Cherry Herring served over ice
$ 10.00

Mixed Berry Beer Float
Lindeman's Framboise, Seadog Bluberry Wheat Ale, Grand Marnier and Vanilla Ice Cream
$ 10.00

Drunken Monk
Chimay Triple Grand Reserve with St. Germaine Elder Flower Liquor served with fresh mint
$ 10.00

Boiler Maker
Victory Prima Pilsner and a Shot of Maker's Mark
$ 10.00

The Premier Cup
Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA, Pimms, Hendrik's Gin, salt and pepper Rim served with sliced cucumber
$ 10.00

Pumpkin Bomb
Shipyard Pumpkin Head Ale, Goldschlager with brown sugar cinnamon and star anise
$ 10.00

Black and Blue
Seadog Blueberry Wheat Ale layered with Shipyard Blufin Stout
$ 8.00

Snake Bite
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout with Kelly's Hard Cider
$ 8.00

Chavela
Prima Pilsner, clam juice and house ceyane tomato juice over ice with celery salt rim and lime
$ 8.00

Black and Tan
Shipyard Bluefin Stout layered with Boulder Brewery Hazed and Infused
$ 8.00

Ok, I know what you are already thinking because it was the same thing I thought when I first heard about this. Mixed beer? Sure, we have all heard about Black N' Tans, Snake Bites, maybe even a Dirty Hoe but those are all beers mixed with other beers. The mixed beer menu at 8 oz. is made up of beers mixed with everything from liquors, sodas, sugars, herbs, veggies and anything else 8 oz. thinks might be edible.


They have greatly expanded their draft beer selection with the addition of 12 new draft lines. Although the beer prices always seemed a little high the addition of the new draft system now gives me more of a reason to use the bar section of the restaurant. With a new happy hour running Monday-Thursday from 4pm-7pm starting October 1st, you can even get half off all of these draft beers. This past Tuesday, Jackie from the New Times invited me to try out some of these new creations with her. Eric, the owner of 8 oz., sat us down at the bar and gave us a taste of the new mixed beer menu. It went a little something like this...

Shocktop Citronage

Shocktop Citronage- I was scared that this was what we were starting with since I am not a fan of Shocktop beer. After tasting it though it actually made the Shocktop into what it should be, a citrus drink. The mix tastes less like a beer and more like an citrus mixed drink which was actually a good thing. At least Shocktop now has a purpose as a mixer.

Prima-Lada

Prima-Lada- You couldn't taste the beer in this drink much either. It was very similar to a shandy - nice and light tasting. This would be great drink for sitting on the beach all day.

Honey Suckle Rose- With this one, the first thing you get is the great herb aroma from the rosemary which mixes well with the sweetness that hits your lips as you taste the Agave nectar and natural brown sugar rim. Just when you think you are going to go into sweetness overload you get a nice hoppy finish that reminds you that this is a beer drink. I think that maybe this drink could do without the simple syrup but overall was one of my favorites on the menu.

Drunken Monk- Eric said that he had been working on this one for a while and wasn't sold on how it was coming out. They changed things up a bit from the original recipe and it came out pretty good. All the components came through with the elder flower giving it a perfume-like overtone that made the drink drier than most of the other drinks. It also had a sweetness about it from the simple syrup and malt from the Chimay balancing it out in the end.

The Premier Cup

The Premier Cup- Eric started out with making the drink with the 60 Minute but I thought the hops in the 90 minute would compliment the pepper on the rim best. Once we tried it with the 90 Minute I thought it made the drink perfect. It had bite from the pepper in the beginning, was nice and smooth in the middle and the taste of hops at the end. Hopefully they end up making this with the 90 Minute. If not, I think it is worth asking for the 90 Minute upgrade.

Sweet Wine, Honey Suckle Rose and Snake Bite

Sweet Wine- Once again, another one that I didn't think I was going to like as much as I did. This is like having a fruity 90 Minute. The fruity upfront taste with the hoppy bite at the end made this quite enjoyable. This would be a nice way to get your friend that doesn't like hoppy beers to ease into them. Plus 8 oz. makes a mighty fine sangria.

Snake Bite- Ah, a Snake Bite's a Snake Bite. The addition of Young's Double Chocolate Stout instead of Guinness gives a bit more dimension to your usual Snake Bite but it was by far, one of the most unadventurous drinks of the night. Definitely a safe choice if you are looking to try something on the menu without straying too far from what you know.

Zacapaneca

Zacapaneca- Ok, if you are going to order just one drink from this menu this would be my choice. I could drink this all day. Even if you aren't a fan of stouts this drink will change your mind. The cacao nips on the glass' rim pair perfectly with the roast from the stout and the sweetness from the rum. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it. This is the perfect drink with dessert or just for dessert by itself.

Choco Berry- Do you like chocolate covered raspberries? Then you will probably like this. The two beers balance each other out with the fruitiness from the Lindeman's and the roast chocolate from the Young's. Again, not the most creative beer mix on the menu but a good standard for those playing it safe.

Mixed Berry Beer Float- Yes, that is right, a beer float. And it is damn tasty. This is another one on the menu that sounded scary because of the thought of ice cream and beer together but the end result was nothing short of delicious. The fruitiness from the Seadog Blueberry and the Lindeman's Framboise mix nicely with the creaminess from the ice cream making for a big glass of beautiful, creamy, fruity, beery goodness. If you get one of these at your table I guarantee everyone else will order one as well. Skip the other desserts on the menu and just get this.


Overall, I was highly impressed with the drinks that 8 oz. came up with. This is the first time I have seen drinks like a lot of these. I'm sure there will be imitators in the future but just know that in South Florida, 8 oz. was the originator of the mixed beer menu.

8 oz. Burger Bar
1080 Alton Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 397-8246
www.8ozburgerbar.com

Brooklyn Brewery's Oktoberfest available now

It's that time of year again. The time that people decide it's getting a bit nippy(OK not so much in FL) and that they need a beer to warm their bones. October is right around the corner and Brooklyn Brewery has rolled out their Oktoberfest beer once again. South Florida is only getting a very limited amount of the beer so head out to these fine locations and grab it while you can.

ALL TOTAL WINE AND MORE STORES
STOP N SHOP PONCE- 5884 PONCE DE LEON BLVD, MIAMI
ZEKE'S ROADHOUSE- 625 LINCOLN ROAD, MIAMI
TOWN KITCHEN AND BAR- 7301 SW 57TH CT, MIAMI
WHOLE FOODS MARKET- 6701 RED ROAD, MIAMI
JOHN BULL ENGLISH PUB- 801 VILLAGE BLVD # 309, WEST PALM BEACH
HOWLEY'S RESTAURANT- 4700 S DIXIE HWY, WEST PALM BEACH
CROWN WINE & SPIRITS #5- 1030 NE 15 AVENUE, FT. LAUDERDALE
BX BEER DEPOT-2964 SECOND AVE NORTH, LAKE WORTH

Treasure Coast Beer Fest

The 2nd Annual Treasure Coast Beer Fest gets underway next Saturday from 1:00pm-5:00pm in downtown Fort Pierce in the covered parking garage centered right behind Ft. Pierce City Hall. Last year was such a success that they have twice the brewers than they did last year. Some of the participating brewers include: Abita, Avery, Bell Haven, Bell’s, Boulder, Brooklyn, Bx Beer Depot, Chimay, Cigar City, Dogfish Head, Florida Beer, Flying Dog, Harpoon, Holy Mackerel, Leinenkugels, Monk in the Trunk, Orange Blossom Pilsner, Oskar Blues, Paulaner, Rogue, Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Terrapin, Twisted Tea, and Yuengling. Back by popular demand are the Treasure Coast Brew Masters and their Kustom Keg on wheels.

If all the great beer wasn't enough the people from Beerworks Charitable Foundation(founded last year from the profits from the 1st Treasure Coast Beer Fest) will be donating this years portions of the proceeds to two local charities: Kate's Hope and Learn to Read of St. Lucie County. So now you can feel good about all the great beer you'll be drinking.

The event has limited tickets, as only 1000 people will be allowed into the event. With the price of the ticket not only do you get admission to the event but you will also receive an exclusive tasting cup. Tickets are on sale now through September 24, 2009, at: Vine & Barley in St. Lucie West, Roy’s Liquor in Ft. Pierce, BJ’s Bar & Grill in Stuart, A Picky Gourmet Supply in Jensen Beach, Great Spirits in Vero Beach, Downtown Produce in Melbourne, Corner Café in Tequesta, BX Beer Depot in Lake Worth, and online for $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

BX Beer Depot Upcoming Events

The BX Beer Depot in Lake Worth has been a hotbed of events lately and it's not stopping anytime soon. They are the only homebrew store in South Florida so if you have ever wanted to brew more than the Mr. Beer Kit that you can buy at Target, this is the place to go. Not only do they carry the components to make your own beer, but they also carry some of the best and hardest to find beers from around the world. The fairly new addition of the Tiki Bar has also added a place for people to gather for some friendly beers on occasion. The Tiki Bar also has a draft system to try some of the best beers on tap. Here is some of what the BX Beer Depot has going on in the next few weeks.


Everybody Must Get Stoned- Friday, Sept. 18th 6:00pm-10:00pm

This Friday, BX Beer Depot will be hosting a very special tasting of some of Stone Brewings rarest beers. They will serving up Sublimely Self Righteous, 13th Anniversary, Cali- Belguique, Smoked Porter and Ruination. The Branch Floridians will also be playing as you enjoy these fine brews. Cost is $5 in advance and $8 at the door. You don't want to miss out on this rare beer event.

Pub Crawl- Saturday, Oct. 17th 10:45am-6:00pm
Join BX Beer Depot, the Lagerhead Brewers and Palm Beach Draughtsmen for a Miami Pub Crawl. They will be visiting Titanic, The Abbey and Gordon Biersch. The bus will pick up at the West Palm Beach Airport Hilton at 10:45pm and return around 6:00 pm. Tickets need to be purchased at BX Beer Depot(cash only) and must be paid in advance. There are limited seats so this is 1st come, 1st serve.

Open Mic Night and Beer Tasting- Every Friday
Every Friday from 6:00pm-10:00pm you can head over to the BX Beer Depot and unwind with some great beers and some good music.

NFL Football- Every Sunday 1:00pm-8:00pm
Every Sunday, during football season, you can sit under the Tiki hut and enjoy some good beers and some great football games. The BX Beer Depot has shelled out some clams to get the Direct TV Sunday Ticket package so you can enjoy ever game that is on anywhere in the country.

The BX Beer Depot always is announcing more and more events so be sure to checkout out events calender to stay up-to-date on all of their upcoming event.

Sunset Tavern Beer Tasting 2.0

Sunset Tavern/Deli Lane in South Miami will be hosting yet another beer tasting on Wednesday, September 23rd from 7-9pm. They looked to have added more food than just the chicken wings they had last time. You can read about how much fun the last tasting was here. You'll for sure want to signup before hand since the last one was quite packed. Check below for all the info.

WHO: Deli Lane Café & Tavern
WHAT: Sunset Tavern Beer Tasting - Sign up at http://www.delilane.com.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 23 from 7 to 9pm
WHERE: Deli Lane Café & Tavern - 7230 SW 59th Ave. South Miami, FL 33143
WHY: For $20, guests will be able to sample fried clams, ginger, chili and soy glazed boneless strips, conch fritters, and Cajun chicken egg rolls plus Sam Adams will be giving everyone a 7 oz collectable glass.

Also, the following beers will be tasted:

Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Falkensteiner
Falkensteiner Dark
Falkensteiner Dopplebock
Hobgoblin
Holy Grail
Lagunitas IPA
St Ambroise Wheat
Xingu Black Beer
Weihenstephan
Weihenstephan hefeweissen
AVB Poleeko Pale
Hofbrau Oktoberfest
Blackthorn Cider

World Beer Map

The people over at Pure Travel had put together this "World Beer Map" that features over 80 beers from around the world. Click on the picture to see a bigger version of it.

Beer Tasting At Clark's TONIGHT

If you are looking for a good spot to get your Saturday night going then I suggest you head on over to South Beach and join Chris from Fresh Beer for a tasting at Clark's on South Beach. Clark's is located in the more laid back section of the South Point section. You don't have to deal with as much of the craziness that South Beach usually has in this area. The tasting starts at 6:00pm and goes till 7:30pm. It will run you only $10 to try out the new selection of microbrews that Clark's is now carrying along with some paired appetizers. And if that wasn't good enough the beers that you will be sampling will be half price from 7:30pm - 10:00pm for the participants. I have yet to go to Clark's but from the look of the beer selection and menu I will be hitting it up soon enough for a full review.

WHERE: Clark's
840 First St.
Miami, FL
(305)538-9885
WHEN: Saturday 9/12/09
6:00pm-7:30pm
COST: $10

The Burgie Awards

My good buddy, The Burger Beast, is hosting the first Burgie Awards at John Martin's Irish Pub this coming Monday, September 14th at 8:00pm. He was kind enough to ask me to present the award for Best Chicken Wings in South Florida. If you are a fan of burgers John Martin's will have great menu that will only be available the night of the awards. The last event The Burger Beast hosted at John Martin's had a similar menu and the burger I had was one of the best burgers I've ever had. I hope to see you for some burger AND beer fun. Here is what The Burger Best has to say about the event:

Since burgerbeast.com's inception we've glorified what Rick from South Florida Daily Blog has called "everyman food". These awards will occur to not only celebrate my blog's 1 year anniversary but to celebrate South Florida "everyman food" .

The categories will be:

Best Burger
Best Hot Dog
Best Side/Appetizer
Best Frita
Best Cuban Sandwich
Best Croqueta
and last but not least:
Best Burger - Reader's Choice

So who's going to decide the winners? Local bloggers who I've been in contact with along with the Cast of Characters will be allowed to place one vote for each category. The Reader's Choice will be via write in and that particular portion will start on Monday of next week(ed., the voting has ended already).

Will there be an event? Absolutely. The Burgies Award Show will take place at John Martin's in Coral Gables on Monday September 14th at 8pm. The Burger Beast menu will again be available that night as well as some new additions. If you attended our last event there, then you know we'll have some giveaways which will include Burger Beast T-shirts, Burger Beast Caps, Giftcards and a few other things. It should be a great night and I invite everyone to attend. Come by and join the fun. I look forward to seeing you all there.

The menu:

MILK SHAKES

VANILLA, CHOCOLATE, or STRAWBERRY (NON ALCOHOLIC)
IRISH COFFEE
Espresso, Baileys, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Vanilla Ice Cream
STRAWBERRY BANANNA
Strawberries, Bananas, Strawberry Vodka, Banana liquor, Vanilla Ice Cream

APPETIZERS

SHEPHERDS WEDGES
House fries topped with our “shepherds pie” ground beef, jack cheese, and scallions, smothered in Guinness a jus
SOUTH WEST CHICKEN ROLLS
Served with spicy avocado cream
IRISH NACHOS
Fried potato slices with cheesy jalapeño sauce, bacon, scallions, and jack cheddar
Served with sour cream and ketchup
BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS
Chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce topped with blue cheese crumbles served with ranch dressing
BLACKENED FISH TACOS
Three soft corn tortillas with blackened dolphin, citrus coleslaw, mandarin oranges
And spicy avocado cream served with black beans and Mexican rice
BURGER FARM (FOUR MINI-BURGERS)
BISON: brie cheese, mushrooms, honey mustard
TURKEY: blackened pattie, blue cheese, crispy onions
LAMB: olive Tapanade, feta, red pepper
BEEF: bacon, onion, cheddar cheese, bbq sauce

BURGERS

BRUNCH BURGER
Bacon, fried sunny side up egg, American cheese and HP mayo
MEDTERRANEAN BURGER
Lamb Burger with olive tapenade, grilled red onion and pepper, feta cheese
Served with tzatziki sauce
SALMON BURGER (GRILLED OR BLACKENED)
Grilled red onion and cucumber with lemon, caper, and dill sour cream sauce
STUFFED, BLACKENED BISON BURGER
Blackened Bison Patti stuffed with stilton cheese, topped with bacon,
Mushrooms, provolone, crispy onions and HP mayo
GRILLED CHEESE-HAMBURGER
Beef Pattie between two grilled cheese and ham sandwiches
THE BURGER BEAST(TWO BURGER PATTIES, FOUR CHEESES)
Spicy 1,000 Island, pickles, pattie topped with cheddar and Swiss cheese, Spicy 1,000 Island,
Pickles, pattie, topped with American and pepper jack cheese served with cheesy jalapeño sauce
BLACKENED TURKEY CLUB
Blackened Turkey Burger with avocado, bacon, blue cheese, grilled onion and a sun dried tomato mayo
VEGETABLE BURGER
Olive tapenade, fried eggplant, grilled tomato and onion topped with goat cheese

DESSERT

HOT FUDGE OREO BROWNIE SUNDAE
Gooey walnut and chocolate chip brownie topped with hot fudge, oreo cookie crumbles, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream

Cheapest drinks in Miami

This past Saturday night I ventured over to the newly renamed Midtown Sports Bar on NW 36th St and NW 2nd Ave. This space used to be a hispanic dance club and has recently been turned over for a different clientele. Although the bar is not in one of the most desirable areas of town it is just on the edge of the up and coming Wynwood district. The guarded parking lot added some sense of security. The door guys checking women's purses and patting down the guys made me a little uneasy as to what I was going to find inside though. The room is certainly not the most glamorous place in Miami but it does have the homey corner bar feel that a lot of bars are missing. The L shaped bar in the corner had people from all walks at it. There were a couple of thug looking guys with gold teeth, an older guy who looked like his butt had been occupying that same stool for some time, and a bunch of younger artsy types from the neighboring Wynwood area. The best part of this mish mash of society was that there was absolutely no tension in the room whatsoever. The arty kid was playing pool with the thug. The old hispanic lady was picking out songs on the jukebox with the young punk kid. It was a nice place to be in Miami and not feel like you were being judged because you weren't wearing the newest Prada shoes. If this big pile of unity wasn't selling feature enough, the drinks were the cheapest I have seen in Miami. Domestic drafts were $1.75 and imports were $2.50. Let me repeat that. Domestic drafts were $1.75 and imports were $2.50. No, these weren't happy-hour-on-a-Wednesday prices only. This was a Saturday night at 11pm. My friend ordered a Jameson and that only ran $4.00. Now, I'm not going to go and say this is the mecca of craft beer just because of these prices but they did have Yuengling (which they don't consider an import like a lot of other places) and Stella, along with the usual Bud and Miller selections. If you are looking for a nice, laid back place with cheap drinks then you may want to check out the Midtown Sports Bar.

Best Beer Gift Ever

This weekend I was visiting with my best friend, Alex, and he told me that he had gotten me something. He had gotten me a present for my wedding. The wedding was in February but the wait was well worth it. Alex had ordered the world's strongest beer from Germany, Schorschbräu Schorschbock 31%. With an alcohol content of 31% this is more of a liquor than a beer. There are only 250 bottles of this in the world and I now have #20. Each bottle is hand numbered and signed by the brewer, and here is what the Schorschbräu brewery website (translated from German) has to say about the beer:

"The strongest beer in the world!
After the 'strongest lager beer in the world' and the 'strongest wheat beer in the world', both of which are caused by pure fermentation, there was only one last title win: the 'strongest beer in the world to brew' to.
With the help of traditional Sudhausarbeit, the rarely used Eisbockverfahrens and extremely long storage (at least 6 months) are at the end it became 31% alcohol, more than 3% above the previous world record."

I'm waiting for a very special occasion to crack this one open. At the moment, I can't even think of what would be special enough for this. When I do I'll be sure to let everyone know how it is.

Thanks again, Alex.