This Saturday, May 12, the ninth-annual New Times' Brew at the Zoo will take over Zoo Miami for an evening of beer, music, fun, and wild things.
From 8 to 11 p.m., more than 100 beers will be offered for your enjoyment. Trying to work your way through every one might seem like a Herculean task. To make it easier, here's a list of seven beers (and one kombucha) you should make a point to try. Some are suds made by local craft breweries; some are imports. Either way, consider this a good start to an evening of exploring the many beers available.
Wynwood Brewing Company's Lock on Lager (5.1 percent ABV). This lager is brewed with pilsner and Vienna malts and dry-hopped with one pound of Citra hops per barrel, giving it a crisp citrus punch and a complexity not typically associated with lagers.
Funky Buddha's No Crusts (6.4 percent ABV). This brown ale, with aromas of peanuts and berry jam, will give you flashbacks of eating a PB&J in the schoolyard. Caution: This beer is brewed with peanuts.
Hollywood Brewing Company's Mango IPA (6.2 percent ABV). Celebrate the beginning of mango season with this crisp mango IPA. The mango is more subtle than others, with a fragrant, flowery, and juicy aroma and a crisp, clean finish.
South Beach Brewing Co.'s Strawberry Orange Mimosa (5.4 percent ABV). South Beach Brewing Co. isn't open yet, but enjoy a taste of things to come with this mimosa beer made with organic orange juice and natural strawberry and champagne flavors. This blush-colored brew is fruit-forward and highly drinkable.
Kombrewcha's Lemongrass Lime Kombucha (3.2 percent ABV). This kombucha, fragranced with lemongrass and lime, is low-alcohol, low-sugar, and gluten-free, making it the perfect Miami porch-pounder.
Viola Premium Italian Craft Beer's Rossa Red Ale (6.6 percent ABV). Italy is having a craft beer moment, with breweries popping up where wine was once king. This top-fermented double-malt red ale is designed to pair with salumi and cheeses. Enjoy this one with your next charcuterie platter instead of your favorite red wine.
Golden Road Brewing's Melon Cart Wheat Ale (4.0 percent ABV). Melon beers are trending, and this melon wheat ale is a great one to try. Wheat ale is infused with a fruit cart of flavors: watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe. It's a great beer to take to the pool or beach.
Bousa Brewing Co.'s Bousa IPA (6.2 percent ABV). This well-balanced IPA balances the sweetness of an English pale ale and an American IPA to give it a hint of malt before the dry finish associated with a traditional IPA.
General-admission tickets to Brew at the Zoo ($40 in advance, $50 at the door) include entry at 8 p.m., unlimited beer samples, free entrance to Zoo Miami that day, and a live performance by A Flock of Seagulls.
Brewmaster ticketholders ($70 in advance or at the door) get early entry to Brew at the Zoo at 7 p.m. and access to unique beers in the Biscayne Bay Brewing Brewmaster section, in addition to unlimited beer samples, free entrance to Zoo Miami that day, and A Flock of Seagulls in concert.
Beer lovers can also opt for the VIP experience ($80 in advance, $90 at the door), which includes entry at 7 p.m. and access to a special area that comes with perks such as full-size beer pours as well as spirits and wine samplings. In addition, VIP ticketholders will enjoy food samplings from some of Miami's best-loved eateries.
New Times' Brew at the Zoo 2018. 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St., Miami; 305-251-0400; zoomiami.org. Tickets cost $40 to $90 via newtimesbrewatthezoo.com.