WHAT’S BREWING

P.2 Gol fBeer Brewing Co.

P.4 Tour Flor ida

P.6 We Want You!

P.7 Pi tmaster of the Beer-BQ

P.8 Your Session Starts Now

APRIL/MAY 2015

Off Tap. is a bimonthly publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Copyright 2015 ABC Liquors, Inc. All rights reserved. Not all products are available in all stores. If the product you’re looking for isn’t available, ask us to order it for you! Meghan Guarino Editor Allie Smallwood Contributing Editor Lorena Streeter Contributing Editor

Follow us on Twitter @abcbeercountry Email us at offtap@abcfws.com

Our certified beer experts on Twitter: We have approximately 35 beer consultants on Twitter. To find the one nearest you, tweet us @abcbeercountry or email us at offtap@abcfws.com to be pointed in the right direction.

“Scandinavia is a big beer territory,” Swedish-born, pro-golfer Freddie Jacobson explained of his early interest in beer. “I grew up around beer and when I was 20 I started traveling—I got to travel to a lot of places, typical beer places, and got to try beers.” He was talking, of course, about his early days on the European Tour. But even before Freddie’s professional golf career kicked-off, he had an interest in making beer himself. In the 90s, he said, he and his best friend bought a brew kit. “We were better on the drinking side than the brewing,” he joked.

Little did Freddie know that he’d be brewing beer years after his first foray into the hobby.

In the late fall of 2014, golfers Freddie Jacobson, Graeme McDowell and Keegan Bradley proudly introduced their latest achievement: three light, refreshing beers from a new Florida brewery, GolfBeer Brewing Co.

The trio worked with Lakeland-based contract brewery Brew Hub—the facility is “unreal,” Jacobson said—to create three separate beers for the 19th hole. “We knew we wanted to position the beers as more refreshing,” he explained, but they each worked with the brewmaster individually to determine the flavor profile and style of their respective beers. “I was first,” Jacobson said, then, laughing, “And I went in there and pushed [brewmaster] Dr. Paul against the wall and said, “you gotta brew me the perfect beer!”

Freddie’s Scandinavian Style Blonde Ale is a golden ale brewed with Crystal malts and European hops, with a refreshing, clean finish that ends “the same way it goes in,” Jacobson explained.

“I wanted the beer to be flavorful and interesting enough to make you want to come back.”

The other two brews follow suit with low ABVs and refreshing bodies. G-Mac’s Celtic Style Pale Ale has the highest ABV of the three at 5% and shows notes of citrus, while Keegan Bradley’s New England Style Lager brings a little color to the mix—this amber lager is medium-bodied and complex while maintaining a nice, balanced flavor profile.

“I spent the last two years working [on the project],” Jacobson said of GolfBeer. “The key thing was to line up with the best people on both sides of the industry [to put together] a group that could produce a top product.” He further explained that the entire journey, from the idea to concept to business implementation to visiting the brewing facility, has been a fun one, though one of the bigger highlights was “finally getting to the point of sampling the beer for the first time.”

Because each of the players worked with the brewmaster individually, they were able to focus entirely on their beer only—and that made for a more surprising sampling session once the brews were ready. “It was really exciting,” Jacobson said. They wanted three different, refreshing beers, and that’s exactly what they got.

Initially offered on tap and in cans at select golf clubhouses, GolfBeer is now distributed around the state by Gold Coast Beverage Distributors, J.J. Taylor, Florida Distributing and Champion Packaging & Distribution; GolfBeer is available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. To learn more about the players and the beer, visit GolfBeer.com.

MEGHAN GUARINO

GolfBeer Brewing Co.

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Keegan Bradley’s New England Style Lager Keegan’s New England Style Lager is an easy drinking, amber lager with a medium-bodied flavor that delivers a well-balanced taste. At 4.5% alcohol by volume and 11 IBUs, it’s the drinkable craft beer that’s perfect after a round with friends or at the tailgate before the big game. – Brewery Notes

Freddie’s Scandinavian Style Blond Ale At 4.5% alcohol by volume and 11 IBUs, Freddie’s is a classic golden-blonde ale that’s clear, crisp and refreshing. Its blend of Crystal malts and European hops combine to make a full-flavored, drinkable craft beer that refreshes without weighing you down. – Brewery Notes

G-Mac’s Celtic Style Pale Ale G-Mac’s Celtic Style Pale Ale is a crisp ale with a citrusy bite and just a hint of sweetness for that perfect balance of flavors. At 5.0% alcohol by volume and 22 IBUs, G-Mac’s is drinkable, yet satisfying. And its floral hop flavor provides a snappy finish that’s perfect on the course or in the clubhouse. – Brewery Notes

HEATHER ROGERS, BEER CONSULTANT – TAMPA@ABCBEERHEATHERR

Tour Florida

The Sunshine State has it all: beautiful beaches, awesome weather and great beer! With over 125 breweries and brew pubs throughout the state, Florida has more opening every day. Many of the breweries have something for everyone and boast a great atmosphere. You probably have a brewery in your neighborhood and didn’t even know it!

Here are just 23 breweries to add to your beer bucket list—you can find beers from all of these Florida breweries (and more) at your local ABC.

After seeing that list, you should be pretty thirsty… grab a designated driver and take a road trip! If driving is not your thing, check out a brew bus tour—a few cities throughout the state now have a local brew bus that will take you around town to different breweries and even allow you to enjoy beer on the way. Take a tour, see everything our wonderful state has to offer, and as always, enjoy responsibly!

Not all products are available in all stores and tap listings rotate often and regularly. If the product you’re looking for isn’t available, ask us to order it for you!

LARGO Barley Mow Try before visiting: Quackalope

SARASOTA J Dub’s Brewing Company Try before visiting: Up Top IPA Big Top Brewing Company Try before visiting: Circus City IPA

PLANT CITY Two Henrys Brewing Company Try before visiting: The Gilded Age Golden Lager

LAKELAND Two Henrys Brewing Company Try before visiting: The Gilded Age Golden Lager

BRADENTON Motorworks Brewing Try before visiting: Indy IPA

ST. PETERSBURG Cycle Brewing Try before visiting: Fixie Session IPA 3 Daughters Brewing Try before visiting: St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale

ODESSA Big Storm Try before visiting: Wavemaker Amber Ale

ORLANDO Orlando Brewing Try before visiting: Right on Red

CAPE CANAVERAL Florida Beer Company Try before visiting: Swamp Ape IPA

JACKSONVILLE BEACH Engine 15 Brewing Company Try before visiting: Old Battle Axe IPA

PENSACOLA Pensacola Bay Brewery Try before visiting: Sawgrass Wheat

BOYNTON BEACH Due South Brewing Co. Try before visiting: Category 5 Imperial IPA

OAKLAND PARK Funky Buddha Brewery Try before visiting: Hop Gun IPA

MIAMI Wynwood Brewing Company Try before visiting: Pop’s Porter

JACKSONVILLE Bold City Brewery Try before visiting: Killer Whale Cream Ale Intuition Ale Works Try before visiting: People’s Pale Ale

CLEARWATER Pair O’ Dice Brewing Co. Try before visiting: Hop Bet Red IPA

TAMPA Cigar City Brewing Company Try before visiting: Jai Alai Coppertail Brewing Company Try before visiting: Night Swim Porter 3 Palms Try before visiting: Zip Zag Berliner Weisse Tampa Bay Brewing Company Try before visiting: Rollin’ Dirty Irish Red

denotes breweries whosebeers are only offered on tapat our Brew Stop locations.Visit abcfws.com to find aBrew Stop nearest you.

Summer is for the wide exploration,

the wonder, the wild outdoors—it’s

when the weather comes alive again

and those of us cooped up inside

make a mad dash for the beaches and

rowdy backyard sports games. The

season entices us with rich, intense

scents of the ocean, the flowers in full

bloom and the all-American weekend

barbeque, where a hot grill and good

company come together to make those

warm nights not just a sensation, but

a memory. Our ability to put on a BBQ

extravaganza becomes inherently tested

by a wide range of meal choices and the

summer and spring seasonal beers that

burst from the cocoon of winter’s dark

beer styles.

While there is an array of summer and

spring seasonal styles—pale ales,

earthy farmhouse styles, fruity ciders

and sours—the biggest style you will

see dominating the market today is the

ever-popular American IPA, a beer that

is just as intense as the ruckus and

romp of summer. While IPAs and their

style-cousins have been around forever,

the American IPA is notorious for its

high bitterness and variety of citrus and

herbal flavors. Ranging from mango

to grapefruit, pine to lemongrass, the

intrinsically important hops in an IPA

have the ability to impart a variety of

different aromas and tastes. With so

many different hop-forward beers lining

the shelves, there are a couple things

to remember when choosing your

get-together IPA.

The IPA is fundamentally based on a

distinctly high-hop profile that explodes

with flavor on the palate. This intensity

can be slightly tricky when deciding on

a food pairing. The most important thing

to remember when pairing summer-

style, flavor-packed foods with IPAs is

their ability to affect your palate when

enjoyed with certain foods. If you’re

making heat-forward dishes like spicy

bratwurst on the grill, onion-laden chili or

jalapeno chip dip, you should be ready

for an intense kick of heat because

the hops have a tendency to increase

the “fire” of dishes. Conversely, when

paired with fatty foods, hoppy beers are

your ally. Their bitterness cuts through

thick, heavy dishes like beef pot roast

and lamb, allowing you to taste both the

flavors of the dish and the flavors and

aromas of your beer. Terrapin’s Mosaic

Red Rye IPA, a beautifully aromatic

IPA, is made with 100% mosaic hops

and is capable of adding this aromatic

quality. Be careful if you’re chancing it

with spicy foods, because not only does

the Mosaic have hops that will intensify

the heat, but another ingredient, rye,

known for giving beer a kick.

While there are a lot of hopheads out

there, there are just as many fans

of dark beers. For those of you who

prefer these roasty, malty beers to

IPAs but still want a beer that is true to

the season, the Durty Mud Season

Hoppy Brown from Smuttynose is a

good compromise. It boasts the malty,

nutty flavors of a typical brown ale while

surreptitiously adding hop aroma and

flavor for a “dark beer” that stays true

to its mouthfeel while taking a summer

stroll on the wild side. Having a malty

backbone makes this a good beer to

eat with spicy foods because when it

comes to beer, sweetness helps to calm

heat while Durty’s slight hop has some

ability to highlight spice. Malty beers are

also good at complementing grilled and

roasted food because they share many

of the same flavors.

If you would rather have a beer with

a more fruit-forward flavor profile, the

shandy might be the hybrid for you.

Especially popular in summer because

of their juicy appeal, shandies go

wonderfully with lighter fare like salads,

fruit salads and seafood. While many

beers are brewed with juice, the shandy

is a beer already brewed, then mixed

with juice. Shandies are usually lower

in alcohol and heavily focused on the

juices and any spices that are added

after the brew. Reminiscent of the hops

that give IPA a grapefruit flavor, Shiner’s

Ruby Red Bird is a shandy made with

Texas grapefruit and spiced with ginger.

If the ginger is off-putting, Harpoon

UFO Big Squeeze Shandy leaves out

the spicy ginger while still keeping with

the grapefruit trend. Grapefruit shandies

are perfect alternatives for drinkers that

want to stay with the bitter profile of IPAs

while looking to add a punch of fruit to

their palate.

Worried about the complexity of the

“simple summer beer?” After this IPA

and food pairing guide, you’ll impress

your neighbors, co-workers and friends

with a savvy, summer-fun BBQ and beer

that intensifies, complements or just has

fun. Throwing a party, making dinner or

going out to eat can be a hectic battle,

but when it comes to your summer

IPA beer choice, it shouldn’t be.

April

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WE WANT YOU! – To Drink Summer IPAs with Confidence

MAKENZIE LADD, BEER CONSULTANT – SARASOTA@ABCBEERMAKENZIE

How can a human pay homage to the heavenly season of summer? With a BBQ of course! Here’s a fool-proof guide to BBQ party planning.

CHARCOAL VS. GAS AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR BEER SPREAD Grilled foods get their characteristic flavor from the drippings, not the gas or the charcoal. When the drippings hit the heat source below, the fats, sugars and proteins ignite into flame and smoke. That heat creates complex molecules that rise in the warm air to coat the food you’re grilling. So there isn’t a huge difference in taste between charcoal and gas. However, if you refuse to cook with anything other than charcoal, you might want to take note of a little compound called GUAIACOL. It’s an aromatic compound produced when heat is used to break down lignin, the resin that holds cellulose together to form wood. Its smoky, spicy and bacon-y aroma is what contributes to that charcoal grill flavor. If you’re using a charcoal grill, your food will be a bit bacon-y, and you’ll need to choose beers on the lighter side of the scale. They’ll cut the salt and fat so that your palate is balanced. Moderately dark beers, like porters, can be fantastic if paired with sweeter sauces or cured meats.

If you’re using gas, feel free to run the gamut of beer flavors.

You’ve got two options here, Pitmaster: pot-luck or traditional. Either way calls for a well-rounded menu. Choose your specific favorites from each category or assign categories to guests for a perfect pot-luck.

• Two grilled meat entrées (add vegetarian burgers/ options if needed)

• Two side salads

• One vegetable dish

Each adult will consume about 8-10 oz. of meat for their main course (for reference, a store-bought hamburger patty is usually 6 oz.). Mixing and matching proteins is a sure-fire way to leave guests satiated.

For salads, sides and munchies, roughly a ½ cup per person is a good place to start. For a group of 10, plan for about 6 cups of potato salad and 4 cups of baked beans to feed the crowd.

Dessert is flexible. What do we say? It’s Florida. It’s sweltering. It’s a beer-themed BBQ. Serve beer-based milkshakes!

INGREDIENTS:

BLUE MOON BELGIAN WHEAT BEER

- Cointreau

- Orange juice

- Vanilla ice cream (full-fat works best)

DIRECTIONS: Throw in a blender and pour

in a glass for guests!

T h e

Grub

T h e

Prep

ALLIE SMALLWOOD

• One fruit dish

• Two types of chips

• Two types of desserts

• Condiments

Pitmaster

Get to Know Your Grill

Orange Creamsicle

A successful BBQ calls for a varied spread of worthy beers.

Hefeweizens bounce off tangy dips, sweet/citrusy coleslaw and seafood very well. For those guests who aren’t super keen on the bitter hops of an IPA, or if you’re serving fish, shrimp or lobster at your ‘que, a hefeweizen definitely needs to make an appearance. It echoes citrus flavors like a dream, but it also plays well with spice and heat due to notes of coriander and soothing banana. We recommend Funky Buddha’s Floridian or an unfiltered hefeweizen, such as Weihenstephaner.

IPA is BBQ’s natural best friend. The piney, earthy construction of hop-forward beers will simply dance when washing down some smokey BBQ. For the rib eye and butter-loving guests, you must pick up Southern Tier’s Right-O-Way IPA. The bitter crispness pierces through those succulent fatty BBQ flavors, making for a melodious mouthful.

Porter might be a debatable addition to the perfect BBQ spread, but it really belongs because of its malty, roasted characteristics. Stone Smoked Porter is pulled pork’s soulmate.

Dogfish Head’s Theobroma was practically brewed for BBQ chicken. The complexity of the cocoa nibs and peppers in the beer match wonderfully with the smokey spiciness of BBQ sauce.

BrewsT h e

of the Beer -BQ

Whether your guest list has three people on it or 20, mapping out a week-of-execution plan will yield barbecue victory.

Assuming you’re hosting a Saturday celebration, here’s the official King-of- the-Grill Checklist for the week before.

(Inventory Day)

- Make sure your grill is clean (grease pan has been wiped, drip pan replaced, grates are smooth, etc.).

- Do you need a new spatula, foil, aluminum pans, chimney starter, fire starter cubes, gas or charcoal?

- Check out what you need for groceries and make a list of ingredients for what you’re responsible for cooking. Remember the little things like napkins and plasticware!

(Mid-Week)

- Shop for food, decorations and/ or hardware.

- Take yourself through the day of the BBQ to determine prep time and to have a better grip on the flow of the party.

- Make any homemade barbecue sauces, salsas, condiments or side dishes that can be made ahead; this means that the textures won’t coagulate, gel or get soggy.

(The Day Before)

- Make cold salads such as potato, egg, pasta or lettuce (leave dressing off lettuce, obviously).

- Marinate chicken, beef or seafood and make hamburger patties.

(The Big Day)

- In the morning, buy ice and stock coolers with beer, soda and plenty of water.

- Slice and chop fresh vegetables and fruits.

- Make dips about 3 hours before the party.

- Pre-heat grill and pass out drinks while guests arrive.

Juicy Meat Tips:

- Always preheat your grill so that it’s white hot to sear in flavors and juices.

- Time food so that everything is ready at the same time.

- ALWAYS rest your meat for 10-20 minutes before and after grilling.

T h e

PlanFriday

Monday

Wednesday

Saturday

Brews

of the Beer -BQ

8989 South Orange Ave.Orlando, Florida 32824

RecreationAle is an American style session pale ale.

Dry hopped with Galaxy, it has a nose of subdued citrus

and passion fruit, along with some pine, ginger and

grass notes. Pouring golden with a slight amber tint,

RecreationAle has a pillow-y white head that leaves

nice lacing on the glass. On the palate, there is decent

bitterness that balances the malt nicely. The hop flavors

are not as prominent on the palate as the aroma might

suggest. However, in my opinion, this is often the

case with “session” pale ales and IPAs and in no way

subtracts from the quality of this brew. It is a great beer

for a day on the boat, at the beach or to pack in and

out on that upcoming camping trip.

RecreationAle Your Session Starts Now

Brewery Terrapin Beer Co. Athens, Georgia

Hops Bravo, Centennial, Zythos, Amarillo, Galaxy

Malts 2-Row Pale, Crystal 24, Victory

ABV 4.7%

IBUs 42

RICK SWARTZ, BEER CONSULTANT – VERO BEACH@ABCBEERRICK