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Key West Brewfest starts its third year on Thursday, August 30, and will be the biggest ever, with over 60 beer companies, many of those from Florida.
Among the Florida vendors on the list are Naples Beach Brewery, 7venth Sun, Swamp Head Brewery, Cigar City, The Native Brewing Company and Florida Beer Company.
And for the more localized beers there will be Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery, Holy Mackerel, Inlet Brewing Company, Tequesta Brewing Company, Due South Brewing Company, Key West's very own Bubba's and Island Brewing Inc., and of course Miami's B.R.E.W. FIU. Sadly, CerveTech cannot make the event.
The Southernmost Hotel Collection teamed up with the Key West Sunrise
Rotary of the Conch Republic to host this event. Tickets are still
available and cost $30 in advance, $40 at the event and $75 for
VIP. All proceeds go to benefit the Rotary Club and their charitable
events
Matt Weintraub and Zhi Long Yang from B.R.E.W. FIU are
bringing 10 gallons of their Apple Jack Ale, the beer that smells and
tastes like Apple Jacks cereal. It was so popular last year that it ran
out fast. This year will prove to be the same, so it would be a good
idea to head to their tent first.
"We are doing a
continental drift IPA, a west coast IPA, citra hops, falconer's flight
because we really want that citrusy aroma," Weintraub says.
Over
the course of the week-long event, festival-goers can enjoy several
beer-related events, such as beer dinners, seminars, classes, brunches,
tailgating and parties.
Main event is on Saturday, September 1,
where all 150 beers are brought out for the tasting festival, which runs
from 4 to 8 p.m. This is the main event, so be ready.
The
festival kicks off on Thursday at 2 p.m. with a beer school and
education seminar hosted by special guest Jim Brady at the Oceanfront
Pavilion at the Southernmost Hotel.
From then on there are a range of beer dinners at various places throughout Key West. JDL's Big Ten Pub is hosting a beer dinner at 6 p.m. on Thursday at $60 per person.
One in particular you should look out for is the Cigar City 2 Cents four-course beer dinner.
No, the dinner doesn't cost two cents, that's the name of the place,
silly. The dinner costs $55 and starts at 6 p.m. It requires an RSVP to 305-414-8626.
Others include Finnegan's Wake Sierra Nevada beer dinner at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 31, cost is $85 per person. At the same time there is the Kona five-course beer dinner at the Southernmost Café and cost is $60 per person.
Then on Sunday, September 2, at 6 p.m., the Southernmost Café is hosting a Sam Adams beer dinner for a whopping cost of $100. All dinners include tax and gratuity.
The Key West Brewfest is only three years old, but it's growing fast. It is considered one of Florida's biggest beer events.
"Usually
when you go to a brew fest you usually see a few good names but you
don't see a ton of them," Weintraub says. "With this one you see a ton of good names, I
mean, everybody is out there."
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