Key West Brewfest - Part 1

When I was told last year that I had missed the deadline to take part in the Key West Brewfest I was, in a word, devastated.  Not only is the Brewfest held in a town that every beer rep north of the Florida Keys wants to go to, the organizers sport us two days hotel accommodations to do it.

Needless to say, it is obvious that putting on a great festival is number one on their list of priorities.  When you have the gumption to put together a festival that locks breweries out and offers a weekend in paradise with nice digs to boot, you are creating for yourself the luxury to pick and choose.  Very, very smart.  So this year I was lucky enough to attend.  I was lucky enough because I begged Mr. Jeff Brown, owner of Boulder Brewing, to reserve a spot last year for this year's event.  Thank goodness I did.

A little about the event itself:

This year was the third year the event was held.  It is held by the Southernmost Hotel Collection in conjunction with the Key West Sunshine Rotary to raise money for their charitable causes.  It was held over Labor Day Weekend which makes it an awesome 3 day weekend and offers us a chance to get down there, enjoy ourselves, and make it back without sacrificing a day of work.  Held on Saturday is good.  Held on the beach in Key West makes it darn near incomparable.

I headed down there with Renegade Rip and his lady Rachel for the weekend and we all got dudded up in our Boulder brewing gear.  As much as I like working with multiple brands, it is somewhat nice to have a singular focus every now and then.  We left Friday afternoon with plans to stay overnight in Marathon Key, wake up early, and finish off the trip to Key West.

Once we get south of Miami and move our way into Homestead, we figure it would be a great idea to grab some Hornitos, limes, and maybe some premix shots.  We stop by this awesome liquor store, pick out some bottles, and I find a bottle of The Dalmore Gran Reserva.  The Dalmore was the whiskey that made me a scotch lover all those years ago and I have never seen the Gran Reserva.  The description is as follows:

"Our Master Distiller selects our most intense whiskeys, typically aged from 10 to 15 years, drawn exclusively from first fill oaken casks for this unique expression.  the assemblage combines whiskies from both Oloroso sherry butts and Bourbon barrels in an approximate two thirds to one harmonious fusion.  When married, the liquid is then returned to upstanding sherry butts for a further six months, delivering an enhanced, intense taste experience with a sweet finish."

I digress with way too much information, but this whiskey is really good and is everything it promises to be.  If you're a whiskey lover make sure to check it out.


Back to the story at hand.  We finally arrive in Marathon Key at the Sombrero Resort and Marina about 4:30 and our room is awesome!  Sitting on the river, it has a bedroom, a living room, and a nice bathroom.  Also connected to a golf course and has a boat slip.  Now if only I had my clubs with me.  Point is, room was awesome and I found it on Priceline at the cheapest possible price.  Way good price for this time of year.  Full kitchen and full sized fridge.  Enough for beer AND Diet Mountain Dews!

Given the long day and our days upcoming, we decide to drink on some Hornitos and dig into some Hoopla Pale Ale.  The beer is intended for sampling at the festival, but I can't help myself as I love this beer and we just got it in.  A double shot of tequila, a glass of whiskey, a can of Hoopla, and a bottle of Hazed & Infused down - I'm ready for some fish tacos.  We went to King Seafood there on the island (see previous review) and dug the whole experience.  Love it when a plan comes together.  Early night in and early to rise because we have a loooooong few days ahead of us.

Waking up in the morning, approximately 8:00 am, we get showered and get on the road.  A nice 42 miles to Key West from Marathon Key; down a tediously long bridge, fuel prices that increase 10 cents each subsequent island, and the constant threat of massive iguanas walking in front of your car.

We get to our hotel at about 10:00.  The Best Western Plus Hibiscus that the event organizers had set up for us.  Super nice place!  Hardwood floors, nice pool, one street from Duval, one street from The Southernmost Point.  No complaints here.  Add to this - one block from the event!

No time to check in and with it being so early, it will be a few hours.  Problem is - we have to be at the event at 2:30 and if we get started on par-tayin' now, it's gonna be a long night.....  As it turns out, it's gonna be a long night.  Figuring that Renegade Rip had not been to Key West and that we worked at Adobe Gilas together, Fat Tuesday's would be a good place to start and we could take it easy on some slow-drinking Slurpees.  If Brain Freeze is good for one thing, it's keeping you from drinking too fast.  We head down to Fat Tuesdays and each order a Rum Runner.  Rum Runners mean vacation to me and I refuse to drink them when I'm not on vacation.  Self-inflicted Pavlovian reaction.

We play a little Big Game Hunter, slurp down the drinks and grab one to go.  Figuring we had better eat beforehand, we head over to Blue Heaven for some grub.  The food there is always good and the atmosphere is awesome, so with the good weather, there is nowhere else I figured we should be.

Entering Blue Heaven, we are told they are not serving lunch until 1:00.  This is going to put us close on time, but if we don't eat, thar be rough waters ahead.  We grab a seat a the bar and an awesome bartender rolls up to help us out.  Pointing out that they have some specialty drinks that are native to them, we all decide to give them a roll and see how they are.  Naturally juicy and rum-based, they are of course delicious and hevvvvy on the alcohol.  Not so heavy, though, that we don't see the PING PONG table on property.  Time for a game.  Ping Pong goes back for me and Rip to the days when we used to go to Dolly's, drink Miller Genuine Draft, and play game after game with our buddy Trueblood.  Good times, good times.

If I recall correctly, I won.

We get our table, all order fish, and it is all delicious.  However, we are running late and still have to check in to the hotel.  No time for dilly dally and unfortunately we are in full stumble mode.  No worries, it's a beer festival and we will fit right in.  So after check-in the amble to the Key West Brewfest begins.  More about the rest of the trip upcoming.  As it stands, I am tired and this is a good place to stop.  Cheers!

A Sepia shot that we took of the water.  Not perfect, but i kinda dig it.

Losing A Bet and Paying for It - In Dunedin

Sometimes you get to lose a bet and still be a winner.  This was the case when a month ago, my buddy (Steve Defran) and I made a weight-loss challenge.

The standards were pretty well cut.  The person who loses the most weight in a 30 day period wins the bet.  The loser drives the winner to Dunedin for fish tacos and all the beer you can drink.  A trip that we assume will cost the loser in the neighborhood of $300.  Not an easy pill to swallow, but my thoughts were that if I can lose 10 pounds, my buddy loses more, and I lose - hey we both won. And anyway, there are worse ways to lose than to have to go to Dunedin and eat my favorite fish tacos in Florida, right?

Throughout this challenge, myself and Defran did our best to support each other while chiding each other into letting the loser know they are in for it when the day of weigh-in came.  As it turns out, I lost the bet.  But I did lose 10 pounds in the process.  Fat boy Defran lost 18.

So when the day came to get our party on (a Saturday night as it turns out), we started out with some pretty special brew.


The beer that turned me into a beer lover was a 3 year old bottle of Ommegang Abbey Ale, or just plain old Ommegang as it was referred to at the time.  In homage to this experience, I try to keep a few cases of 3 year old Ommegang around at all times for special occasions.  This was such an occasion.  to make it even more fun, our driver is a big Bourbon barrel aged beer fan and I just happened to have a bottle of 2007 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout laying around.  For the guy who was about to put us in a car and transport us 2 miles southwest, a bottle of 12% beer seemed the perfect thing to calm his nerves.

Getting on the road, we set up all of the electronics, got the radio adjusted, and discussed our plan of attack.  The great thing about Dunedin is that you have Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin House of Beer, and 7eventh Sun Brewery all within walking distance of each other.  This way, you can have some of the best beer Florida has to offer without ever getting in your car.  This being the case, a good plan is necessary.  Whatever the plan turned out, fish tacos was priority 1.

Heading out after catching a small buzz, our path down I-4 was halted by a need to stop by a bar along the way.  A curious place on HWY 27 just off the interstate that I've wanted to stop at for some time.  A little Irish place behind the 7-11, I wasn't expecting too much but figured a nice drink halfway to Tampa is not a bad thing.

We park the car and walk into this very dark space with some televisions, a jukebox, full liquor, and some drafts on a wall. The bartender asked us what we wanted and we just asked for a couple of drafts, planning on having only 1 drink each.  When I reached down to grab my wallet, I realized I forgot it at home.  

Naturally, forgetting your wallet at home when you are supposed to be the host of a cross-state drinking binge is suspect.  I'll be the first to admit, it takes the air out of the ball when you say "you pay for everything and I will pay you back."  Kinda loses its luster to be the winner of a bet.  But we were where we were and given the distance we didn't want to drive back to DeLand.  I took a good ribbing for it, but being the buds we are, Defran agreed to pay and I'd pay him back with Tomo holding the receipts.  Sucks, but what are ya gonna do?

Back on the road, we had to fill up with gas and my favorite gas station is at exit 14 on I-4.  A great stop right before you get into the Tampa area, you can fill up the tank, take a whizzer, and grab a Slurpee.  In this case, we snagged some cheap road beers and some sodas to last us the rest of the night.

Back on the road and we ain't stoppin' til we hit Dunedin Brewery and a rendezvous with some fish fa fish fish tacos.

When we do arrive around 4:30 pm, the parking lot is packed and we have to go to an adjacent lot to park.

Walking into the Dunedin Brewery, my usual spots at the bar were full.  In fact, the whole place was full.  I am usually at the brewery on weekdays in the daytime so I'm a tad spoiled when it comes to my fish tacos and the bartenders who I've come to know.  We had to wait a bit for a seat, but someone came around to see if we wanted a beer.  Ooooooh yeah.

My first choice was the Vortex on the Bay IPA collaboration with Fort George Brewery out of Oregon.  Defran had the brown and Tomo went with the coffee stout.  Finally a spot at the bar opened and we were seated to start on some tacos.  Now here is where we ran into some problems.  As it turns out, my buddy Defran is not open to eating fish tacos.  Tells me he hates fish and hates tacos!  All this time talking about this trip and the sucker never mentioned that he wasn't gonna indulge in the deliciousness.

So we ordered two orders of fish tacos, some of the incredible cheese curds, and Defran ordered something I don't remember.  I've gushed about the tacos over the course of 2012 so I won;t bore you with the descriptors.  I WILL say, however, that I talked my closed minded buddy to at least give a try of a fish taco out of my plate.  He did, and he dug it.  Not.A.Shocker.

After another beer, The Rock Double IPA, we decided to go hit 7eventh Sun Brewery for a beer or two before hitting Dunedin HOB and getting back to Dunedin Brewery to finish off our night.

Stepping into the 7eventh Sun Brewery, the guys were shocked at how small the place was.  This is what I try to explain to people that they don't seem to get - you don't need a huge facility to produce some great beers and as a start-up, is a great way to hedge your bets on the possibility that your product didn't catch on.

As an avid lover of the beers from 7eventh Sun (I love Saisons and they always have some great ones), I was completely comfortable with Defran and Tomo ordering whatever they wanted and we could be confident that the product would be of top quality.  This is not always true of a place still in its infancy but at this place, not a worry.

So we each have a Saison (of different sorts) and get to chattin' about what a great time we had had so far.  Next thing I know, Tomo is talking to some folks near us and came over to introduce us.  Now, if there is one thing I know about Tomo, he has a knack for randomly meeting people.  One of the friendliest people I know, I can always count on him to strike up a conversation everywhere he goes.  Somehow, some way, the folks we ran into were some friends of his that just happened to be there!  Once again, you never know who Tomo will run in to.

After a few beers at 7eventh Sun, we decide to move the party to Dunedin HOB.  This is the point of the night where we started to go sideways.  You know when you can go out and very distinctly point out the moment where perhaps the night could have, or should have, ended?  This was that moment.  The voices got louder, the conversation got more "poetic", and the language devolved into a series of emotional arm-throwing and four letter words that we were able to release by only pronouncing two of the letters.  We were now becoming the guys who I dreaded seeing in my bar ownership days.

the House of Beers was packed!  The vibe was awesome and when we walked in I began salivating for a beer.  For me, I saw just what I wanted to see.  They had Boulder Brewing Flashback Brown on draft!  One for me please.  While we're at it, let's increase our chances of getting onto trouble and get one for Defran as well.

My buddy Rick, who owns the bar stopped by to say hello and to be honest, I personally don't remember leaving the bar.  I do distinctly remember enjoying myself for the few moments that I was cognizant and I always have a great time there.

So this is where it gets interesting.  The plan was to go back to Dunedin Brewery and have another round of fish tacos.  I can remember with great clarity, thinking to myself how much I am going to enjoy those things.  If I was not drooling, I was very close.  Starving, drunk, and looking forward to fish tacos - not a bad life.

We walk into Dunedin Brewery - first myself, then Tomo, and lastly Defran.  When Defran stumbles in, one of the bartenders looks right at him and says "He can't come in here."

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?  But I was dying for some of those delicious tacos that I only get once a month at best.  But I'm starving.  But I'm having a great time!  But we planned this trip so that we could have fish tacos, not so that we couldn't have fish tacos.

Still somewhat in my wits, I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of one of my favorite breweries, so we shuffled Defran out the door.  So now it is try to get us home - or so I think.  Luckily, we were parked across the street and had plenty of room to let El Boracho (Tomo's nickname for Defran) stumble about, accidentally bump into cars, and as it turns out, fall over an 18 inch wall.  (See pics)

After a profanity filled tirade that I caught on film (in editing now), assembled in the car.  Discussing how good those tacos could have been, Tomo and myself agreed that we were both starving and needed some grub.  Remembering that The Taco Bus on Hillsborough Avenue is open 24 hours a day, we agreed upon a spot.


For those not familiar with the Taco Bus, the one on Hillsborough is not in t he nicest of areas.  You're as likely to come across a prostitute as you are anyone else and I'm sure if we were looking to get high, good product couldn't have been too far away.  This being said, the atmosphere at the Taco Bus is awesome and once you're on property, the crowd is fun and amenable.  Moral of the story, as long as you're there, no worries.  Venture off - and you could probably find some trouble.

Tomo parked the car at the Taco Bus and got out of the car.  Defran was passed out in the back, so we figured we'd let the sleeping dog lie.  In an area such as this, perhaps better we don't let him out among the general public where he can get us beaten or worse.  The plan was to go up to the bus, order some food, come back to the car, wake Defran up, get some food in him, and get on the road.  Fairly simple as far as plans go.

Good news for me, Taco Bus has not only fish tacos, but tempeh tacos as well!  And the tacos are not just good - they are great.  As a side note, if you are in the area, it is definitely worth checking out (especially in the daytime).  There website can be found at http://www.taco-bus.com/#!.

While I  am waiting for the tacos, Tomo decides to go back to the car.  Wattya know - no Defran.  Disappeared.  Vamoosh.  In the wind.

At some point, El Boracho woke up and decided to take a walk down Hillsborough Avenue at 2:00 am on a Saturday night.  Not only was he walking, he was obviously drunk and obviously didn't fit in there with his Double Zero Drunky the Bear jersey that he wears way too much.  Well, I'm not leaving without those tacos.  I asked Tomo to watch Defran flounder down the road while I waited for the Taco Bus to finish preparing our meals.

A brilliant plan and one that could only come around while you are drinking.  We decided to get in the car, drive past him, sit in the car and eat, and just wait for Defran to ramble on down to us.  Instead of stopping and catching him, we'd just let him wander right into the car.

So sitting in the car, enjoying some 2:00 am snacks, the jester finally showed up, got in the car, fell back to sleep, and we finished our tacos in peace.  The drive home could not have been filled with more peace than this great night had provided. Cheers to El Boracho for winning the contest, cheers to Tomo for driving and babysitting us, and thanks to the wonderful bars we visited for your hospitality.  Cheers!

Rip and Mellow Mushroom

So my boy Rip has been getting out and about a lot more than I have lately.  He's been all over Florida tasting out beer and getting to know folks who I'll never get a chance too.  Lucky man selling great beer to lucky people.  I was very excited when he set this little shindig up, as I have been wanting to do more business with the legendary Mellow Mushroom and I am dedicated to getting some Hazed & Infused going throughout this can of delicious pizza purveyors.

As it turns out, the night Rip set up this event was perfect, as we had some Hazed flowing and a great crowd to slurp up its dry-hopped deliciousness.  As we all know by now, I have an uncommon affinity for Hazed & Infused and just love it when we get an opportunity to educate new folks on how deceptively complex this brew is and how much flavor you can pack into a 4.85% abv beer.  Uncommon indeed.


So on this Thursday night of nights, we had organized a great pint night with some raffle items that are really exciting.  One of the great things that I love about working with Boulder Brewing is that they have some of the best wearables in the business.  Two things that really get folks going are the great "Get Hazed" license plates that work as decor, but look unbelievable on the front of a beautiful vehicle (such as a red 1970 Ford Galaxie Convertible, pictured below :-))

The other little piece of foresight that the brewery had is making wearables for the girlies.  As it turns out, the beer industry tends to look after the male consumers a little more than the ladies and very few make clothing for the ladies.  The girls go crazy over the girly tees that Boulder offers and it always gets them charged up when they win one in a raffle.  Not only that, but I have yet to see a lady who does not look absolutely HOT in a Boulder short - or hat for that matter.

The Renegade Mobile

This night was no different as you can see.  We poured a ton of Boulder Beer and got those not initiated into the Boulder world.  We love our beer, we love our fans, and we love making people happy.  Here's to the folks at Mellow Mushroom for allowing us to make that happen on this night.  Cheers!