Tag Archives: floridabeer

Florida Beer Company’s road to Denver

This year interest continues to grow in the quintessential beer festival that happens in Denver annually, the Great American Beer Festival. This year was particularly competitive with brewery participation growing by 12%, and brewery space selling out in about two hours. Tickets sold to the general public at an alarming rate, selling out the entire festival in about two hours. Even for one of the largest craft breweries in Florida that is working on opening a massive new brewery to the public, showcasing their beers in Denver proved to be a challenge as well.

Melbourne’s Florida Beer Company was in a pickle: they were not going to be able to compete and defend their medal for Hurricane Reef Pale Ale. Instead of bowing out of the festival, Florida’s largest craft brewery decided to go to Denver as a festival sponsor. This move will allow Florida Beer Company a larger booth and a more prominent location on the festival floor.

From the FBC Blog:

We will be pouring our FBC core brands along with some unique new additions that will be released at the festival! Our sponsorship booth will encompass the Florida lifestyle and culture throughout the three-day event!

With the addition of Florida Beer Company to Florida’s GABF lineup, that makes seven Florida breweries going to Denver to represent the Sunshine State.

The Great American Beer Festival will take place October 10th, 11th, and 12th at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

Cigar City’s beer selected as most refreshing

Cigar City’s Cucumber Saison recently competed in a head-to-head tasting competition put on by the Brewing News publication.

The competition, called the Global Warming Open, convenes every year to select from a field of 64 beers drafted to compete for the title of “Most Refreshing Beer in America.” 64 beers are selected and tasted by a panel of brewers and half of the entrants are eliminated in a series of rounds beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-July.

After every one of the 64 beers is tasted and judged, they are then eliminated based on criteria of the judges, and one winner is left standing. 2013’s Global Warming Open winner was Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing’s Cucumber Saison, a sessionable Saison infused with cucumber. Cuke Saison defeated runner-up Widmer Brothers’ Hopside Down India Pale Lager to win the GBO crown. This win produced no bitterness, since the two breweries are coming off of a recent collaboration beer that brewed at the Portland, Oregon Widmer Brothers Brewing called The Gentlemen’s Club which should be hitting Florida shelves this week.

See the other entrants at the Global Warming Open website.

When asked about the GWO win, Cigar City owner and founder Joey Redner said in typcial tongue-in-cheek style, “That is pretty damn cool! Which is perfect since it is pretty damn hot out.”

Congratulations to Cigar City for their latest accolades.