Groovin' in the Grove at Sprung!

Sprung!  The spring time beer Festival in Coconut Grove in Miami ended up being one of the better spring festivals that I have been to. Right on the water in Biscayne Bay, it was a great place for beer Festival. The weather was great, the temperature was just right, and the beer was flowing like a waterfall. There were beer pong games, cornhole games, and you can even  ride a bull  if you so desired. There were all of the usual breweries, and a few local ones that are just starting out.

I found this car sitting in he middle of the beer fest but you could not get a beer from it. Kind of a waste at a beer fest but you know InBev, anything for advertising. Then there were the people. Folks were just glad to be here in Miami and not up north somewhere freezing our asses off!

There were two Czech beers that caught my eye and some of the best Lagers that I have had in a long time. The first is Staropramen Beer. This beer has a great rich Lager flavor with just enough hops to balance it out. I can see myself having a few of these to wet my whistle.

The next is Czechvar Beer. This Lager is  a bit bolder on the palate but with a creamy rich mouthfeel. This will pair well with meats and fowl dishes. You can take a look at both breweries by clicking on the names and it will take you to their websites.

Magic Hat came out with another addition to the Humdinger series called Burnpile. A smoked porter with bacon flavor and something else that I could not quite put my finger on. A great porter with awesome flavors that will age well if you let it. Me, I always get two, one to drink and one to age. 

Then there was the Green Flash Brewery, Palate Wrecker. A super hoppy beer that will leave a hop taste in your mouth for a long time. Right up there with the top Hoppy beers that I have had. This is more like an Imperial IPA but with hops that will....... well, wreck your palate.

 Of course, there were the participants of the event. It seemed like more women are attending these event than ever before. The guys were pouring and the women were drinking. What a concept. I'm looking forward to next years event to see if it is all women. There is one more Beer Festival this spring and that is the NewTimes Beer Fest in Ft. Lauderdale. Let's see if I make it through that one......

Where there is beer, there should be.......a bathroom.

Last month at the Jupiter craft beer Festival, it was a great time had by all. A very good friend of mine Al Moyer accompanied me to the festival. This was the seventh year of this festival and  was held at Roger Dean Stadium in Abacoa. There are over 50 craft brewers from all over the country and of course I have my favorites.

One of my favorite breweries, Green Man Brewery was there representing from Asheville, NC with another close favorite Highland Brewery. Asheville in the next few years will be a place you will want to visit if you are a craft beer geek.

Highland's Devil's Britches IPA was nice and hoppy with grass and floral flavors. The hops complemented the beer and did not over run it like some others that I have had.

I also had the pleasure of having some Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11. I do believe that was the last of it but don't quote me on it. One of the finer robust stouts out there in my opinion.

Then there were these Guys from Cisco Brewery out of Nantucket serving beer out of a VW micro bus. Totally cool if you ask me. They had taps right out of the side and was using the pitcher to pour the brew. Rather tasty I might add so if you can get it, get yourself a growler or two before its gone.

Each year this festival just keeps getting better and better. In March, I will be heading down to Miami and Coconut Grove for the Sprung! Beer Festival. More pics and epic beers with friends......again. Hope to see you there!

What will happen with Parkerization?

 Robert Parker has decided to step down after three decades of service at Wine Advocate magazine.  who will be the person to take his place, after all these years of service to the wine industry. I for one, look forward to seeing who will be the one that steps up, and becomes the leader in rating the world's finest wines.  Parkerization is a term used  of the influence that Robert Parker has had over Bordeaux wines. Robert Parker helped create 100 point rating scale that is used today to rate winds around the  world. This scale, although slightly flawed, is used by all wine critics around the world. Major wine producers around the world, paying close attention to this rating scale, and try and craft their wines to reach the highest number they possibly can.

I don't want this to be about Robert Parker, I want this to be about who will be the next wine critic that stands out and helps influence the wine world. There are many wine critics out there today. Some are more influential than others. The jockeying to see who will be the front runner has begun. I for one, I'm going to sit back and watch how the game is played out. I will use the 100 point rating scale, for all the ones I taste from now on.  

A Hiatus for gathering information... and that's my story.

So, I know, it's been a while. But I needed to take a break and stockpile more information so I can continue on this journey of discovery. This time I will put snippets of video in with the blog (got a new go pro hero) to give it a more realistic point of view. Sort of like catching the drunk at a party doing something stupid and putting it on youtube. You know what I mean.

Retirement sucks
First thing I want to say about this is that I am way to young to retire. I need to be busy all day and there is so much golf you can play and so much beer you can brew to stay busy. So, I went back to work for a major liquor store chain and feel like I'm in my element. Plus, I know when all of the good shit is coming out and can be the first one to get it. My next batch of beer will be a Barleywine and I'll video the process to give you an idea on how the process works. So on to some pictures.

 1st ANNUAL WEST PALM BEACH BEER FESTIVAL!

This is probably one of the best beer festivals I have been to in a long time. I am really looking forward to next year to see how they are going to top this pat one.Here's a few photos from the festival.

And this is how you serve beer to a crowd!

Due South Brewery

Tents, Tents and more tents full of beer and stuff!

In the VIP tent with Air Conditioning!

Here is a few of the Dogfish head beers that I tried along the way also.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Dogfish Head Burton Barton

This was a great time and an enormous amount of beers were served. Many of the local brewers were there and had a chance to strut their beers for the crowd. I encourage you to visit your local craft brewers to support them and get some of the best and the freshest beer around! Cheers and go have a beer!