I am going to do another brewery highlight: Cigar City. This is one of my favorite breweries as I have not had a beer I did not like from them. The first Cigar City beer I ever enjoyed was back in the day (2008) when they were still bottling. It was Jai Alai IPA, and it was fantastic. I would say Jai Alai has consistently been one of the better IPAs I have had. Cigar City is a very versatile brewery dabbling in many different beer styles and producing gems every time. Their beers range from the light but flavorful Patio Pils to the rich cocoa nib and ancho chili packed Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout. This nectar of the Mayan gods is so sought after, an entire day is dedicated to its coveted, limited release only at the brewery. In fact, it is nearing -- Saturday March 8^th-- and that day won’t just be a release of a multi-gold medal winning, 100 point paragon, but a festival featuring multiple breweries and amazing food. 

I was very happy to talk with head brewer Wayne Wambles during a beer consultant meeting I attended for work. He explained he was eating ice cream with similar ingredients in the stout including cocoa nibs, ancho chilis, Madagascar vanilla beans, pasilla chilis and cinnamon when he recreated the taste from his own beautiful mind! Most of the other year round releases are recipes he came up with himself.  

Another tasty addition to Cigar City’s lineup is the revolving single hop Hopped on the High Seas Caribbean Style IPA. This tropical brew is literally dry hopped on the high sea on board the refrigerated container ship during its voyage from Cervezas del Sur Brewery in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to where it is canned at the brewery. They have made five batches so far, each showcasing a single hop variety. The fist was Simcoe, the second was Ahtanum, the third was Citra, the fourth was experimental hop #529, and the fifth is Kohatu. Each hop displays a different flavor profile from the intense and tropical fruity Citra to the bitter, piney Simcoe. This beer is an ode to the traditional IPA making an epic journey aboard a boat sloshing and churning the 165 pounds of dry hops added to each container to impart a truly refreshing and bitter experience.

One amazing coffee infused brew is the Cubano Espresso Brown Ale. It is rich and smooth with decadent notes of toffee and lactose. The beans are roasted locally at Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Petersburg. 

So check your local ABC and pick up a Tocobaga Red Ale or an Invasion Pale Ale or even a White Oak Aged Jai Alai (if there are any left!) and enjoy the taste of Tampa.

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Beer Consultant

Follow me on Twitter @abcbeeradams