The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) began in 1982 with less than two dozen breweries. Now the three-day event attracts hundreds of breweries from across the nation, including several from Miami, which will pour at this year’s festival, held September 20 through 22 at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver.
Oktoberfest lasts more than two weeks, from September to early October, but anywhere along the fringes of that period seems to be a legitimate time in South Florida to celebrate. Here are the best Oktoberfest-related events happening between Palm Beach Gardens and Key West.
On August 18, Jacksonville Beach’s Southern Swells Brewing posted on Facebook a warning it received from the Florida Department of Health: No dogs in the building, or face possible closure. The notice came as a surprise and was met with outrage by brewery patrons, many of whom have grown accustomed to the sight of pet canines chilling in the taproom on any given day…
The revamped menu still pays homage to the ’80s by way of classic videogames. Page turning brings glimpses of childhood friends such as Mario Bros., Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong. The main draw, though, is the bill of fare: a whole new roster of cocktails created by the Anderson’s bar manager, Dave Simmons, and food by 27 Restaurant & Bar’s Jimmy Lebron.
Miami’s MiMo District has gotten its own weekend tiki lair with the opening of Madame Phuong Cocktail + Den at Phuc Yea. The bar, open Thursday through Saturday, boasts a midcentury-modern-goes-tropics vibe with vintage rattan seating and Chinese lucky cats gracing the walls alongside murals by Miami artist Miguel Paredes.
The bold, opaque Russian imperial stout is on the rise in South Florida. Local breweries such as Funky Buddha, LauderAle, and J. Wakefield are behind their own interpretations.
In the Magic City, mangoes are king. From festivals to parades, the coveted fruit is regularly celebrated and craved throughout Miami. In the thick of mango season, there’s no better way to sate the obsession than with boozy mango drinks. So leave your neighbor’s mangoes alone and enjoy one of these juicy mango libations, from ale to tart martinis.
Constellation Brands, the third largest beer company in the nation, this past Wednesday reportedly terminated dozens of employees on its craft beer sales team, including at Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, according to a sales representative who was laid off.
Miami beer lovers can wish a hearty happy birthday to Wynwood Brewing and Veza Sur by attending celebrations held by both breweries this Saturday, August 18.
Crazy Uncle Mike’s, a brewery and restaurant featuring live music, is coming to Boca Raton. The 9,000-square foot complex will have a full-service kitchen,10-barrel brewhouse, “state-of-the-art” stage, full liquor license, and indoor and outdoor seating for 200. It will also offer highway access, plenty of parking, and a patio that wraps around the entire building.
Summers in Miami can be brutal, but there are respites: a day at the beach, pool time, and a cold drink. Beer cocktails are perfect for this time of year. They’re lower in alcohol content than traditional libations, and beer’s carbonation makes it naturally refreshing. Beer is also a great base for concoctions such as micheladas, shandies, and slushies. Cool off with any of these beer cocktails.
In keeping with its motto, “Weird at the beard,” Lincoln’s Beard Brewing Co. will celebrate a strange milestone this Saturday. The brewery will mark its two-and-a-quarter-year anniversary with the Patrick Swayze-themed celebration Swayzeepalooza.
This past weekend, the 12th-annual Tales of The Cocktail returned to New Orleans’ French Quarter neighborhood with events, seminars, dinners, and parties. Miami made a big impact, from an emotional tribute to Sweet Liberty’s John Lermayer to the Broken Shaker’s second-consecutive win as Best American Hotel Bar and Sweet Liberty’s recognition…
Sistrunk Market & Brewery, a 40,000-square-foot multi-use facility, is slated to open this fall in FAT Village. Society 8 Hospitality Group’s Steven Dapuzzo says the project will include a food hall, a fully operational brewery, an event space, a meeting space, a recording studio, light-use office space, and warehouse space. “It’s really a lifestyle complex. The plan is for people to be able to work, eat, and play there.”
It’s only July, but it’s never too early to start planning for Christmas — especially when libations are involved. Miracle, a holiday-themed pop-up bar, has announced its 2018 schedule, and Miami finally made Santa’s list.
While the rest of the nation celebrates sandals weather and freedom from 80 layers of clothing, Miamians will spend the next few months desperately trying to escape the city’s heat and humidity.
Generator Hostels, a leading European chain of upscale hostels, is opening its first U.S. presence on Miami Beach and has tapped one of South Florida’s most creative food and beverage professionals in the process. Gui Jaroschy has been named the director of bar and restaurant concepts for the brand. His first project…
Freedom never tasted so good. Since the Tank Brewing Co. debuted in Miami about two years ago, customers can finally crack open the brewery’s best-selling Freedom Tower Amber Ale in the comfort of their own home.
Wedged between rolling skyscrapers and discount marts, you’ll find downtown’s Mama Tried; a quaint lounge serving up cocktails and retro vibes. Partners Dan Binkiewicz of Sweet Liberty and Purdy Lounge, Mauricio Lacayo of the Bend, and Domingo Murillo from Side Bar celebrated their soft opening only weeks ago, yet hundreds of cocktail mavens filed into the bar recently on a warm Friday evening.
Last Saturday afternoon at Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach turned a little sour for some after patrons discovered signs that read “Kava is proof that God hates beer” posted directly in front the establishment just beyond the property line. The phrase appears to be similar to a quote often misattributed…
Cold beers, grilled meat, and fireworks equal a quintessential Fourth of July. Toss in sandy beaches and a little sweltering heat, and you have a classic summer day in the Magic City.
A new brewery specializing in farmhouse-inspired wild ales has found a home in Miami. Later this year, Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending husband-and-wife cofounders Marco and Vicky Leyte-Vidal will offer Miami-Dade a new kind of brewery in the heart of the Bird Road District. More than two years in the making, the Unseen Creatures brewery and taproom will be located off SW 45th Court in a 5,300-square-foot building just blocks from Lincoln’s Beard Brewing.
