A Sunshine State of Mind
Now that cold weather is back and the holidays are around the corner, millions of people are planning their escape to Florida. Some will cheer on their favorite team in a bowl game. Others will take part in a family get-together at a theme park. And the rest will come just to relax and soak up the sun.
A visit to Florida doesn't mean a vacation from good beer--if you know where to look. While Floridians drink a lot of beer, most of it tends to be macro-brew. And local politicians, it seems, want to keep it that way. The state slaps a hefty tax on beer, and enforces strict distribution rules that require a brewery to choose between serving food and selling beer away from the premises.
Still, some brewmasters manage to survive
here. Perhaps the state's best brewpub is Tampa Bay
Brewing Company (1812 North 15th Street;
813.247.1422). It's in the heart of Tampa's Centro Ybor,
the former cigar-rolling district which is now a
historic site and tourist attraction. The district is
best described as a mini-French Quarter, but without the
seedy strip joints and roving armies of
drunks.
The brewpub, which opened for business in 1997, is located in a century-old renovated horse stable; Teddy Roosevelt, during his Rough Riders days, kept his horses there. Like other Centro Ybor establishments, it's a lived-in place, with brick walls, exposed ductwork, a big wooden bar, and tables topped with hurricane lamps. The brewing equipment is cleverly squeezed in, with brew tanks near the front entrance, behind the bar, and upstairs where customers play pool and darts.
The beer selection is amazing. The
year-round brews include a pale ale, an American amber
ale, a dry stout and a Weizen, as well as a Kölsch and
even a barleywine. There's also a lengthy list of
seasonals, featuring almost every style imaginable:
German favorites like Oktoberfest and doppelbock,
Belgian dubbels and tripels, even an
extra-hoppy version of California common
beer.
And the food is good enough to rate a visit from The Food Network's Al Roker, who recently dropped by in search of dishes made with beer. Pizzas and calzones are made with the house ales, the "drunken shrimp" are steamed in India pale ale, and Iron Rat Stout is one of the ingredients in the crab cakes. This being Tampa, the menu also includes the famous Cuban sandwich: pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, and a pickle, all pressed between thick slices of toasted bread.
Tampa is about a 90-minute drive from Orlando and the ever-growing Walt Disney complex. One attraction visitors might not be aware of is Disney's Boardwalk, a re-creation of an East Coast boardwalk from yesteryear. The complex includes restaurants, gift shops and galleries, strolling nighttime performers, and a brewpub called the Big River Grille (2101 North Epcot Resorts Boulevard; 407.560.0253).
The Boardwalk is a throwback to the
Twenties, but the brewpub is strictly ultramodern, with
metal tables, pastel colors, and floor-to-ceiling glass
walls. Its interior decor also includes a 10-barrel
brewing system, where brewmaster Rich Michaels turns out
five year-round beers: Southern Flyer Light Lager,
Gadzooks Pilsner, Rocket Red Ale, Tilt Pale Ale, and
Wowzer's Wheat. He also offers a rotation of seasonal
beers--Oktoberfest, brown ale in the fall and winter,
porter in November, stout between Christmas and St.
Patrick's Day, and Weizen in the spring and
summer--along with occasional specials such as India
pale ale.
Big River is a place for sit-down dining, with a menu featuring beef and fish entrees, ribs marinated in Rocket Red Ale, pasta dishes, giant hamburgers, and soups and salads. Although Big River is located on a Disney-owned luxury condominium development, it's part of the Gordon Biersch family of restaurants, a chain that includes three brewpubs on Florida's east coast: Seven Bridge Grille & Brewery in Jacksonville, Ragtime Tavern Seafood & Grille in Atlantic Beach, and A1A Ale Works in St. Augustine.
Another Disney country "hop spot" worth
visiting is the Lake Buena Vista Ale
House (12371 County Road 535, intersection of State
Road 535; 407.239.1800; ). Located across from the Grand
Cypress Resort, it's part of a chain with more than 30
locations around the state. Ale Houses aren't brewpubs,
but they offer some three dozen tap beers, including
European favorites like Boddington's and Pilsner
Urquell; Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, and other domestic
craft brews; and both domestic and imported mass-market
brands.
It has the look and feel of a typical Florida watering hole: autographed pictures of sports stars, electric beer signs, and plastic fish on the walls. And lots of televisions tuned to sporting events; there's even a "sports page menu" listing televised games along with daily food and drink specials. The food selection runs heavily toward local favorites such as conch fritters, clams on the half shell, and peel-and-eat shrimp. There are also chicken wings, with a choice of eight different sauces, and a wide selection of burgers and sandwiches. Prices are reasonable, and portions are big.
The are other possibilities the visiting beer lover should check out. Florida's beach communities, which draw thousands of visitors from overseas, are home to authentic-looking British and Irish pubs, as well as bars that serve imported German lagers. And if all else fails, there's a good chance that place nearby offers ultra-cheap beer specials. Happy hour is a Florida tradition.