Halloween Weekend Beer Events

The end of October is here again. The kids are dressing up to go trick or treating. The adults are looking for some treats of their own and can find some at these events.

FRIDAY
Abraxas- 8:00pm-10:00pm- Join Brooklyn Brewery's Rich Nowak and the Abraxas staff in a tasting of their flagship Local 1 (Strong Belgian Golden) and Local 2 (Strong Belgian Dark) ales as well as their Lager, Brown and the latest offering in So. FL., their Black Chocolate Stout, an Imperial Stout (8.7%, 40 IBUs) brewed with two row pale, caramel, and other roasted malts and Willamette and American Fuggle hops!
Abraxas
407 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach
(305)534-9005

Luna Star Cafe- 8:00pm-11:00pm- Luna Star Cafe will be celebrating the release of Victory Brewing in South Florida with Victory's Prima Pils and Golden Monkey. If you have yet to experience the great Victory Brewing lineup this will be a chance to try two of it's finest beers. This will also coincide with the jazz and art event at the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art.
Luna Star Cafe
775 NE 125th St
North Miami, FL 33161-5611
(305) 799-7123

Windsor Gardens Hotel- 7:00pm-10:00pm- Windsor Gardens Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens will be hosting an Oktoberfest 5-course beer pairing dinner featuring Ayinger, Dogfish, Avery, and Victory. $39.95 in advance $49.95 at the door.
Windsor Gardens Hotel
11360 US Highway 1
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33408
(561) 844-8448

SATURDAY

Tuna's Raw Bar- Looking for something to do Halloween night? Tuna's Raw Bar will be having a Halloween party featuring Rouge Deadguy and Shipyards Pumpkinhead. They will be having live music and a costume contest as well.
Tuna's Raw Bar
17850 W Dixie Hwy
North Miami Beach, FL 33160
(305) 932-0630

Brewmasters/Laura's Cuban Resturant- Brewmaster's will be hosting it's Last Chance Oktoberfest dinner at Laura's Cuban Resturant starting at 5:00pm. The dinner will run you $50 per person but comes with a $25 coupon toward the purchase of homebrewing and wine making supplies, on-premise brewing and/or wine making, retail beer or wine purchases or future Brewmaster party cover charges. This same dinner will be going on on Sunday as well. The menu looks great!

The Menu:
Appetizers:
Wurst Platte : Authentic German cold cuts, pickles, and breads
Bratwurst: Brats sautéed in beer
Weiswurst: A spicier version of the aforementioned brat
Soups:
Griessnockerln Suppe: This is chicken soup with a wheat germ dumpling
Ungarishe Goulash Suppe: Hungarian style paprika and beef soup
Main Dishes:
Sauerbraten: Marinated Roast Beef
Schweinsbraten: Roast Pork
Paprikahendl: Sautéed Chicken in a Paprika Sauce
Side Dishes:
Tiroler Knödel: Bread Dumplings with smoked pork chunks
Sauerkraut: Pickled cabbage cooked with potatoes and bacon and spiced with caraway seeds
Kartoffel Salad: Gerry’s world famous potato salad
Rotkraut: A sweet and sour red cabbage
Kase Spätzle: Hand made egg noodles with cheese and caramelized onions
Dessert:
Apfel Strudel: Everyone knows what an apple strudel is right!
Kaiserschmarren: This is a pancake taken to the level of a dessert.

Laura's
2723 Hollywood Blvd,
Hollywood, FL
(954) 921-9990‎

SUNDAY

The Lodge- Looking for a place to relax after a crazy Halloween night? The Lodge is the place to kickback and watch some football and enjoy some beers. With $3 beer specials and $0.50 wings all day. If you are still around for the 8pm game you can drop $10 for Kill The Keg, all you can drink until the keg is dry.
The Lodge
200 S Federal Hwy,
Boca Raton, FL
(561) 392-5003‎

Review: Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale

Dogfish Head's Shelter Pale Ale is the first beer that Dogfish Head made when they started in 1995. This is beer is usually only available in the Mid-Atlantic area but South Florida got lucky and got a few cases of it this summer. Shelter is the easiest drinking Dogfish Head beer. It pours a nice amber with a slight foamy head. It lets off an aroma of citrus and bread, it goes down smooth with a citrusy overtone and a good hoppy bite that isn't as strong as an IPA. Its nice clean finish leaves you coming back for more. This is a beer, that if available all the time in FL, would be what Yuengling is now. You can still find a few bottles at Stop N Shop on 5885 Ponce and Sunset Corners in Miami and if you are over in Naples, they had six packs of it when I was there a couple weeks ago. Get it while you can.

The Democratic Republic of Beer opens in Miami

With little fanfare, the newest kid on the beer block has opened its doors in Miami. The Democratic Republic of Beer, or The DRB for short, opened its doors on October 15th. The menu states they have over 400 beers, making it the largest beer menu in South Florida. The food options looked pretty good too. I went and checked it out the other night and a full review will be coming soon. I will say that this small bar has the potential to become the new beer destination for anyone interested in craft beer without having to go to South Beach. The DRB is also looking for a knowledgeable staff right now so if you are interested, download the application on the website and bring it.

The DRB
255 NE 14th St.
Miami, FL 33132
(305) DRB-4161
www.drbmiami.com
7 days a week
5pm-5am (will be opening for lunch soon)

All About Beer celebrates 30 years

All About Beer has been writing about beer for almost as long as I have been alive. Starting 30 years ago they are the original beer blog and message board for beer. They were - and still are -the way to get news on beer.

To celebrate their anniversary they are offering a great deal. For the next 30 days (till November 19th) they are offering the lowest subscription price they have given in decades. You can get a year-long subscription (7 issues) right now for only $12.99. That is more than 50% off the cover price. With that, you will also receive a free copy of their 30th Anniversary issue. You can purchase the subscription by clicking right here. Help support a publication that helped make craft beer what it is today.

Rock Art Brewery Victorious Over Monster!!!

Last week, we told you about Rock Art Brewery's fight against Monster Energy Drink. (Check that out here.) Well, we have good news. With all the support from people all over the world Monster has backed down from trying to stop Rock Art from brewing their Vermonster beer. Rock Art will be able to continue brewing Vermonster. A full statement from Rock Art will be coming soon. Good to see the underdog win for once.

Rock Art Brewery Vs. Monster Energy Drink

VS

Rock Art Brewery out of Vermont has just stepped into the legal ring with the makers of Monster Energy Drink. The Hansen Corporation, makers of Monster, have sent them a cease and desist order over Rock Art's Vermonster beer. After consulting with various lawyers Rock Art owner, Matt Nadeau, has been advised that Hansen's lawsuit is just a "nuisance lawsuit" and that they have no legal right to its claims of confusion in the marketplace. You can see Nadeau's response here.

This should easily be cleared up then, right? Wrong. A tiny company like Rock Art doesn't have the money to fight a huge company like Hansen in court. Not only would it be one court case but multiple appeals could be filed leading to innumerable court costs. Check out this video below for more info on what is going on and if you feel so inclined, you can contact Hansen and let them know that you will no longer be buying Monster or any of its products until they stop this harassment of small independent companies.

We will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in the case.

2nd Annual Rocktoberfest

The second annual Rocktoberfest will be held this Friday from 5:30pm-11:00pm at the Las Olas Riverfront in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Rocktoberfest benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Riverwalk Trust. Tickets for the fest will run you $25 at the gate or you can purchase them online in advance for only $20 by clicking here. It will be hosted by Webby and OMG Mike from 105.9FM's Paul and Young Ron Morning Show. Guests will be able to sample food and craft beers from numerous beer vendors, bars and restaurants and enjoy live music from five bands. Some of the beers available will be: Abita Beer, Anheuser-Bush, Asahi Beer, Bud Light Golden Wheat Ale, Chang Beer, Exit 66 Beer, Fresh Beer products, Gold Coast Beverage products, Holy Mackerel Beer, Michelob, Michelob Amber Bock and Ultra Amber, Michelob Honey, Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus, Orange Grapefruit, Pomegranate Raspberry, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Native Brewing Company, Presidente Beer, Prestige Beer, Shipyard Brewing, Singha Beer, Stephen’s Distributing products. This is a good time to enjoy a nice night out, drink some beers and support a good cause.

Oktoberfests in South Florida

It seems that every bar, restaurant, and liquor store has some sort of Oktoberfest celebration this time of year. I will admit I have been a bit busy lately and missed a few good Oktoberfest activities but here are a few that you can still look forward to.

Fritz and Franz Beirhaus, Coral Gables- 10/2-10/11- Fritz and Franz has been putting one of the oldest Oktoberfest celebrations in South Florida. This being its 15th anniversary is the perfect reason to check it out this year. The celebration runs now through the 11th. They feature various Oktoberfest beers and other great German beers as well. You can also enjoy the sweet sounds from the groups Laterndl Trio from St.Johann im Pongau, Salzburg and Alpenland Gaudi from Hinterstoder in Upper Austria.

Fritz and Franz Beirhaus
60 Merrick Way
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 774-1883

German American Social Club of Miami- 10/16-18 & 10/23-25- Now, if you are going to attend an Oktoberfest party I can't think of anyone else but real Germans to throw one of the most authentic ones you will find. The German American Social Club of Miami is throwing a party for the whole family. Not only will they have the obligatory beer and brats but also will have carnival rides and activities for the kids. Folk dancing and two bands direct from Gemany will also be performing. $10 for 21 and over, $1 for kids 13-20 and under 13 is free. If you bring your current military ID you will also get in for free.

German American Social Club of Miami
11919 SW 56th St(Miller Dr.)
Miami, FL
(305) 552-5123
Fridays 6:00pm-12:00am
Saturdays 12:00pm-12:00am
Sundays 12:00pm-10:00pm

The American German Club of the Palm Beaches- 10/9-11 & 10/16-18- Considered one of the biggest Oktoberfests in the US is in Lake Worth. The 36th Anniversary of the American German Club of the Palm Beaches' Oktoberfest will have tons of German-centric activities; beer drinking, traditional dancing, bands direct from Oktoberfest in Munich, parade of flags and a beer-tapping ceremony. This is also a celebration for the whole family with lots carnival rides, food and arts and crafts. Admission is $7 for 12 years old and up and free for any kids under 12 years old.

American German Club of the Palm Beaches
5111 Lantana Rd.
Lake Worth, FL 33463
(561) 967-6464
Fridays: 5:00pm-11:00pm
Saturdays: 12:00pm-11:00pm
Sundays: 12:00pm-8:00pm

Upcoming Beer Events

Thursday
Abraxas- Oktoberfest week at Abraxas finishes up tonight. If you didn't check it out this week you should run by and check out the great deals they have going on on October Fest style beers. You can find more info on it here.
Abraxas
407 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach

(305)534-9005

Barracuda- Chris from Fresh Beer has made a move from the Mayfair down the road to Barracudas for his bi-monthly Thursday beer tasting. Same deal as the Mayfair tasting though, $20 gets you unlimited samples of about 40 different beers and some complimentary chicken wings. This great deal only runs from 7:00pm-9:00pm so get there early.
Barracuda
3035 Fuller St
Miami, FL
(305) 448-1144

FRIDAY
Abraxas- From Friday till Sunday Abraxas will be hosting another brewery with Shipyard getting the honors this time. They will have the Shipyard's Pugsley Series XXXX IPA and Smashed Pumpkin Ale on tap. This is a very rare chance to try these great beers on tap so you don't want to miss out on it. Abraxas will also have the rest of the Pugsley Series in bottles as well as other Shipyard favorites on sale all weekend long.
Abraxas
407 Meridian Avenue
Miami Beach

(305)534-9005

BX Beer Depot- The BX Beer Depot is hosting its weekly Open Mic Night and Beer Tasting from 6:00pm-10:00pm. They always have good music and great beers. Here is what they will be serving tomorrow:
St Bernardus ABT 12
Weyerbacher Hops Infusion
Brooklyn Lager
Stone Ruination
Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
Stone Cali-Belgique
Highland Mocha Stout
BX Beer Depot
2964 Second Avenue North
Lake Worth, FL 33461
561-965-9494

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino- The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will be hosting the inaugural "Rock N' Brew" festival this Friday from 7:00pm-11:00pm for $20 advance and $25 at the door. Their will be over 200 different beers and you can find out more info about it here.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
1 Seminole Way
Hollywood, FL
(954)327-7625

SATURDAY
Big Game Liquors- Big Game will be hosting its first beer tasting this Saturday. Stop on by and check out this new spot for craft beer in Miami.
Big Game Liquors
930 S LeJeune Road
Miami, FL
(305) 569-3040

Stage 84- The new Stage 84 will be hosting their Octoberfest celebration this Saturday from 5:00pm - 2:00am. They will have beer specials along with bratwurst and sauerkraut heros.
Stage 84
9118 West State Road 84
Davie, FL
(954)474-5040

Word on the street is that Stone Vertical Epic will be hitting stores in Broward today and Miami tomorrow. You can also find some of the great beers from the Shelton Brothers Importers in store now as well.