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Summertime, and the beer goes down easy.
Boy is it HOT! So hot that when I open the patio door for even a second I feel like I have to raise the air conditioning immediately. I keep my beer all ready in a bucket in the fridge just so I could quickly fill it with ice when I bring it down to the patio to grill for dinner.
But it does feel nice to have a cold quaffable beer while the warm sun is shining on you after a long day of work--quaffable meaning easy to drink; "goes down easy," sessionable, if you will. I'm talking about the kind of beer that you can sit around with your friends and have a a few without thinking about a new beer; it's not too much of one taste, but rather just enough that your palate could drink another one without thinking twice.
I recently had the choice to go for a 12% barrel-aged porter (yum) or a very hoppy kolsch (also yum). When checking out some new craft beer bars around town, it was hot outside and I would be walking down the street to another bar right after this one, but wanted to stay long enough for two beers. Needless to say I went with the lower alcohol, hoppy kolsch. Great flavor, but easy enough to drink two in one sitting, leaving me ready for my last beer of the day at the next bar (which could very well be that barrel-aged porter).
So when you're making a decision on what beer you're going to drink, think about how long you'll be there and where you'll be drinking it, so you know whether to buy a nice quaffable brew rather than a high-gravity brew. Besides, who doesn't like using the word quaffable?
Cheers, Brown Specialty Team P.S. Don't drink and drive, drink and walk if possible! If not, cab it or get a designated driver.
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06/21/13, 5:00 PM, ST. PETERSBURG
Highland Brewery Tasting at Shep's from 5-7pm. Taste a few varieties and pick up your favorites from the store. ...>06/25/13, 6:00 PM, PENSACOLA Sea Dog IPA, Sea Dog Hazelnut Porter, Sea Dog Blueberry, and Sea Dog Brewer's Choice will be on draught starting at 6pm. Keep the pint glass when you purchase one of these beers while supplies last. ...> Erie Pint Night @ Rogue Pub 06/25/13, 7:00 PM, ORLANDO Meet the Erie Brew Co. Team! Buy your first pint of Erie and keep the glass (while supplies last). Raffles for Erie shirt giveaways as well. ...>06/25/13, 7:00 PM, GAINESVILLE Oskar Blues Brewery Spotlight Night featuring: G'Rauch, Sandy Saison, Old Chub, Dale's Pale Ale, Gubna, Mama'a Pils, G'Knight and Deviant Dales. ...> 06/27/13, 5:00 PM, LAKELAND As part of a special event for the Breckenridge Tap Takeover for the month of June at the Lakeland Brass Tap, a very special firkin of a treated small batch 471 (treated with pineapple!) will be tapped at 5:00pm. This won't last long! Meet the Breckenridge Brewery rep as well as you share a pint of a great craft beer. ...> Highland Pint Night with a Side of Burgers and Fries 06/27/13, 6:00 PM, TALLAHASSEE At Vertigo Burgers and Fries, they're adding some craft beer samples to their delicious burgers and fries all in one price to enjoy the best of both worlds. $20 gets you a slider, fries, and 6 Highland Brewery beer samples. That's right, it DOES sound amazing and it IS amazing. Also, take home a Highland Brewery pint glass while supplies last. ...> 06/28/13, 5:00 PM, WINTER PARK Hang out with the Shipyard Brewery rep at Odin's Den! Door prizes and raffles happening all night long. "Enjoy a night of wicked Mainah Style - Grab a wicked Shipyard pint and kick off the summah!" On draught: Chamberlain, Export Ale, Monkey Fist IPA, and Applehead ...> 06/28/13, 8:00 PM, ORLANDO Erie Brewing Co. Spotlight! Live Music, Raffles & Prizes. ...>06/29/13, 7:00 PM, ORLANDO World of Beer Dr. Phillips is having a Breckenridge Brewery Night featuring: Buddha's Hand Wit, Imperial 72 Chocolate Cream Stout, Oak-aged Pandora's Bock, 471, Small Batch IPA, Summer Bright Ale, Avalanche Amber Ale, Agave Wheat, and Vanilla Porter. ...>07/01/13, ALL MONTH, CRYSTAL RIVER A variety of local beer from Florida will be featured throughout the month of July! ...> Cigar City Spotlight @ Engine 15 07/03/13, 4:00, JACKSONVILLE BEACH Cigar City Spotlight at Engine 15! Featuring: Cucumber Saison, Horotacha, Italian Plum, and Homefront IPA. A very special lineup from a local Tampa brewery at your local Jacksonville brewery. ...> For all events, please see our event calendar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We want to see your beer pictures! Feel free to share and post pictures of the beer you are drinking at our events or on your own on our facebook pages with us, or hashtag #BeerExpertsFL.
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NEW AND RETURNING PRODUCTS
VISIT OUR BEERFINDER TO FIND THESE PRODUCTS
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Avery 20th Anniversary XX IPA
What else would you expect from a bunch of severely hop-obsessed brewers to celebrate such a glorious occasion? Anything other than a massively hopped IPA would be an affront to Avery's rich history of loving excessive use of that beautiful flower, Humulus Lupulus. 9.7% ABV
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The Bruery Bois
Their fifth anniversary ale is brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using their house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method, where a portion of each of their anniversary ales is saved in barrels and blended with the next year's production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with age. 15.5% ABV
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Belhaven Black
Belhaven Brewery is extremely excited and proud to announce the launch of the newest member of their family--Belhaven Black Scottish Stout. Bursting with roast coffee and chocolate flavors, this is a truly genuine and premium pint. It's brewed using pure Scottish water and a unique blend of Scottish triple malts sourced from the finest locally grown barley. 4.2% ABV
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Coronado Frog's Breath IPA
This limited release beer derives its bright citrus flavor from Centennial hops plus the addition of Kaffir lime leaf, lemon and orange zest. Originally a collaboration brew with two local home brewers/retired frogmen that became an instant favorite. Powerful in every way we felt it the perfect IPA to pay tribute to Coronado's large military population that's contributed to our hometown success. 6.5% ABV
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Lazy Magnolia Backwoods Belgian
Lazy Magnolia releases Backwoods Belgian Ale as this years limited summer seasonal. This summer ale is a Belgian-Style Golden Ale brewed with a "Southern" infusion of Honeysuckle flowers. It pours pale gold under a fluffy white head, lightly hopped, with fruity esters of orange, banana, and traces of sweet honey in the nose. Effervescent and refreshing, this full-bodied Golden Ale is their interpretation of the classic style with a touch of Southern sweetness. 8.5% ABV
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Ommegang Double White
Brewed in honor of Belgian Independence Day, this limited Double White is brewed with pilsner and Munich malts, red and white wheat, oats and dextrose. They used Hallertaur Spalter Select hops with bitter orange peel, coriander and chamomile. A mixed culture of Ommegang house yeast and unique Belgian yeast is used for fermentation. 7.2% ABV
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Wells and Young's McEwan's Scotch Ale
William McEwan opened the Fountain Brewery, Edinburgh, in 1856 and by 1889, it was the UK's largest brewery in the hands of a single owner. One of the most successful and best-loved beers from the Fountain Brewery was McEwan's Scotch Ale, fondly known as "Red Top" by its legion of fans. McEwan's Scotch Ale has gained a fiercely loyal following throughout the years, especially in North America; and its rebirth is a direct result of customer demand. Wells & Young's Brewery has resurrected this iconic beer using the original recipe that made it so famous. Proudly bearing its Highland roots, Scotland's most iconic Scotch Ale returns to the States. 8.0% ABV
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7venth Sun White Shadow
A Belgian White brewed with orange peel, coriander, cardamom and grains of paradise. This beer is super sessionable for a humid day. 5.5% ABV
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Cigar City Cucumber Saison
It's back! Summer Seasonal and GABF Bronze Medal Winner 2012. Cucumber Saison pours a clear golden-yellow with a thin white head. A sweet, herbal aroma with notes of floral hops, saison yeast, cucumber and fresh squash. A crisp, refreshing taste of herbal hops, yeast, sweet malts, cucumber & a light hoppy bitterness.
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Highland Razor Wit
Returning Seasonal. This Belgian-style Wit, or "white" ale, is an unfiltered wheat beer brewed with traditional ingredients and a Highland twist. Wits are conventionally brewed with noble hops, pale malt, unmalted wheat, orange peel, and coriander. We have made this beer our own by adding other unique spices to create complex aromatics, a refreshing taste, and a crisp finish. Light in color with a smooth body, Razor Wit is perfect for hot summer days and sultry summer nights. 4.5% ABV
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Look out for new and returning favorites like Boulder Kinda Blue, Harpoon Summer Ale, Cigar City Humidor IPA, and 7venth Sun Red D'or.
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*Check with your Brown sales representative for availability or products not available in certain areas
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"What's going on in my mouth?"
By : Alyssa and Ian, Brown Distributing Specialty Division
This past weekend, the entire craft beer community flocked to the Big Apple for SAVOR Weekend, a food and beer pairing event/expo which trumps all others. The weekend fills the city with some of the biggest names in craft beer. I'm not talking just the "breweries," but more like the owners and brewmasters that are there to represent their brands and meet their adoring beer-drinking public. Arriving before the event gave some time to explore some of the best beer bars in the country. Needless to say it was a delicious beer-inspired weekend that will not soon be outdone.
Some highlights of the weekend: Eataly/Birreria - Eataly is an incredible fresh food Italian market with accompanying restaurants owned by Mario Batali. It's exactly what you would imagine if you were to combine a traditional Italian market with NYC. Above the marketplace is Birreria-a rooftop brewery with collaborations by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Teo Musso of Baladin, Leonardo Di Vincenzo of Birra Del Borgo, and head brewer Peter Hepp. The beers were uniquely crafted cask ales that are all hand-drawn right in front of you by the bar plus an impressive selection of guest taps. Oh, and Sam Calgione was actually randomly there having lunch when we arrived. Winning. For full article
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Craft brewing renaissance hits college campuses
By: Devin Karambelas, USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent
A boom in the craft beer industry combined with an increase in food science programs means that more students are graduating college with a different kind of alcohol education. Of all the places to find beer on a college campus, the classroom may not be the first one to come to mind. But there are currently about 50 universities in the U.S. that have food science programs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With a handful offering courses in subjects such as enology, viticulture and the fermentation sciences, experts say more students than ever are graduating with a new kind of alcohol education. "It's an academic field that is growing like crazy," says Thomas Shellhammer, a professor in Oregon State University's food science and technology department.
For full article
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For Its Latest Beer, a Craft Brewer Chooses an Unlikely Pairing: Archaeology
By: Steven Yaccino The beer was full of bacteria, warm and slightly sour.
By contemporary standards, it would have been a spoiled batch here at Great Lakes Brewing Company, a craft beer maker based in Ohio, where machinery churns out bottle after bottle of dark porters and pale ales. But lately, Great Lakes has been trying to imitate a bygone era. Enlisting the help of archaeologists at the University of Chicago, the company has been trying for more than year to replicate a 5,000-year-old Sumerian beer using only clay vessels and a wooden spoon. "How can you be in this business and not want to know from where your forefathers came with their formulas and their technology?" said Pat Conway, a co-owner of the company. As interest in artisan beer has expanded across the country, so have collaborations between scholars of ancient drink and independent brewers willing to help them resurrect lost recipes for some of the oldest ales ever made. For full article |
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Featured Cocktail:
Ingredients:
- 2cups strawberries, hulled and chopped
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 750 ml bottle blonde or pale ale or two 12 oz bottles
Ice
Method:
Add the berries, sugar and lemon juice to a pitcher. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes for the sugar to dissolve and the berries to begin to break down. Add the beer and ice and stir to combine. Adjust the lemon and sugar to your taste.
*Tip: If you don't want the punch to become watered down by the ice, freeze either lemon juice or beer in ice cube trays the night before, using that in place of ice in this recipe, adding a bit more sugar to combat the bitterness/tartness that will increase as those cubes melt.
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Featured Recipe
Chocolate Stout Cheesecake Fudgesicle By: The Beeroness
Difficulty: Fairly Easy This cheesecake version of ice cream, in pre-portioned sizes is just about the most perfect way to consume a frozen dessert. And because the recipe only call for 1/3 cup, you are going to have some stout left over to pair with it.
Ingredients: - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened - � cup sour cream - 1 cup powdered sugar - 2 tbs whole milk - 1/3 cup stout (a chocolate stout or porter works great) - � cup dark chocolate chips - 6 standard sized graham crackers - 2 tbs melted butter Directions:
In a bowl (or a food processor) mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar until well combined. Add the milk and stout, stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl, microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Pour the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, stir until combined. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1 inch of the top empty for the crust (if you don't have popsicle molds, use small paper cups and popsicle sticks) tap the molds gently on the counter to remove air bubbles. In a food processor add the graham crackers, process until only crumbs remain. While food processor is running, add the melted butter in a slow stream until the mixture resembles wet sand. Divide the crust evenly between the popsicles, press down gently to compact. Insert popsicle sticks, freeze for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days. ____________________ |
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