September 2011
1 post
What's in a Brew? Beer Names and the Meanings that...
Recently we have been inundated with beers from around globe tantalizing our every whim from centuries old recipes to more modern brews that have captivated craft drinkers taste buds and spoiled our palates forever. As this wave of liquid prosperity rolls into our gullets, one must stop and take a moment to realize, that most of these beers have names and behind these names are stories, which can...
August 2011
7 posts
The Wild Cicerone Goes to St Louis
This week I am traveling all the way to St. Louis Missourri to do battle with there growing craft Beer scene. As we all know this is the birth place of the giant RED monster BUDWEISER. Not to be a snob and appreciate the past, I plan on traveling to the hisortic brewery during my stay. A few places I plan on going to include : Square 1 Brewery and Distellery, Budweiser Brewery, Schlafly...
Best Beer Spot of the Weekend!
Every weekend I love to travel to new and exciting craft beer, food and coffee spots so this weekend I’m heading to a local favorite and my guilty pleasure, The Burg in St. Pete, FL. This place is a foodie and craft beer geeks dream. They have an array of great brews but mostly have an awesome selection of local offerings. The main reason I like to go to this place, besides that the owners...
Lowry Park Zoo WAZOO Beerfest is here!
Hooray! The best beerfest in the Tampa Bay area is upon us! Today is Wazoo beerfest day!
Wazoo features over 250 different type of brews from around the nation and from the great local breweries right here in Florida. The ticket price is a little steep ($65 at the door) but really worth it. Your Wazoo ticket INCLUDES free samples of food from amazing local restaurants and eateries such as Datz,...
Clean Taps Make Beers Happy →
The quick beginners guide on how to keep your taps running clean.
July 2011
1 post
Dosbeerigos Does Tampa
Now normally I wouldn’t “gush” about a fellow beer blogger as I love you all equally. However this weekend Dosbeerigos comes to town. These guys have been drinking, writing and causing mayhem in the Florida craft beer world long before I was “The Wild Cicerone”. This weekend they are in Tampa in full effect and have promised a weekend that will “rule them...
June 2011
2 posts
Wild Cicerone Weekend Hot Spots
This weekend why not explore the unusual and treat yourself to a few spots where the drink specials aren’t void of personality and indulge in a true libation destination.
1)Manderine Hide “The Social Sanctuary” 231 Central Ave. Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
located in eclectic downtown Saint Pete offers a selection of gin that would make James Bond blush. Not only are the...
Nectar of the gods : Kelly's Hard Irish Cider
The Florida Beer Company, handcrafters of the Key West, Hurricane Reef, Florida Beer and Kelly’s Cider brands, is proud to announce that Kelly’s Traditional Hard Cider has just won the NABA Silver medal in the Draft cider/Specialty Cider Category, beating out Green Mountain Beverages Woodchuck Cider-Crisp. Kelly’s Hard Irish Cider is a traditionally brewed Irish...
March 2011
2 posts
Big Thursday Brew: Southampton Double White
As the cold subsides and we embrace the new spring season it’s time to start losing the layers, go outside and start working on those beach abs (what are beach abs anyway?) Along with the warmer months we see the imperial stouts,porters and scotch ales start to retreat back into the brewers logs to wait for another winter. Some people would say that the lighter spring/summer brews lack...
January 2011
3 posts
Bruery Trade Winds:The Wordly Tripel
Belgian Tripels are named so because, compared to there Trappist brothers they use triple the amount of malt during brewing.This style of beer usually is a bit higher in the ABV department yet is still very drinkable with a nice fullness. The Bruery’s Trade Winds Tripel is no exception to this rule but they add a bit of different flavor components to this brew giving it a life of its...
“For art to exist, for any sort of aesthetic activity to exist, a certain...”
– Frederic Nietzsche
I think I'm Drinking Japanese, I Really Think...
Lately you may have noticed the craft brew renaissance has started to sweep into your local pub, restaurants and supermarkets. More and more people are embracing these unique styles of brews that the normal Macro beers can’t hold a candle to. More recently older craft brands that have been around since the late 80’s and early 90’s have started to regain popularity and the...
November 2010
5 posts
Brew Review: North Coast Brewing Co. Cru D'or
Belgian style ales are becoming more popular as the style itself becomes more accessible and is being brewed increasingly more by American breweries. Today I am reviewing the organic Dubble Cru D’or.
This brew has a nice sweet malty aroma with hints of spice and it pours very silky and smooth with little to no lacing or head to be seen. I generally enjoy my Belgian brews to be a bit funkier...
Barleywine Bliss: complex beers to savor
During the colder months more and more breweries are going to be putting out darker, more complex brews, that tend to have a higher ABV to them. The style that tends to dominate this time is the Barleywine. This type of brew is fairly thick. Tons of complexity goes along way in these ales, from notes of molasses, plums, figs and dried fruit with a nice boozy quality to follow. The great thing...
October 2010
4 posts
Eat,Drink and be Scary- Halloween Brew Reviews
Halloween is the time of year where many adorn horrific, funny or sexy personas and party the night away, as a superhero, vampire or a sexy (insert noun here). The heat is gone, the weather is cooling and many people are gearing up for the holidays. A lot of different spices, smells and tastes come around at this of time of year, which is a change from light and zesty flavors of the hot summer...
“Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself, to make love, and to...”
Home Brew Supply Store of The Month →
3 tags
Cold Brewed Justice: Machete and Tecate Pairing
Guilty pleasures for some can range from a hidden candy bar at work, listening to backstreet boys or actually using your snuggie. For me it usually involves cheap beer and a good B film. From old scifi movies to shootem up gore both hold a place in my heart. Usually I am an avid film and beer snob watching anything Herzog makes, or is hinted to be apart of and drinking limited release rare brews...
September 2010
4 posts
5 tags
Imperial Solitude and the Fire Within -The Road...
Beer and film pairing: Night Stalker Imperial Stout and The Road
“It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.” — REM
Today’s society is becoming slowly more infatuated with the end of the world. The fear of the unknown has presented itself in human culture through different mediums throughout time. From art, song, written word and to film, the curiosity of what “the end” will be...
August 2010
8 posts
1 tag
1 tag
Saisons in the midst
Saint Somewhere on my mind
Saisons are known for their crisp floral notes, fruity esters and a little good old funk. These ales are based off of a traditional style of brewing that occured in the southern parts of belgium. Saisons or “season” ales were brewed in winter or spring so they would be fermented and ready to drink in time for the harvest....
3 tags
“Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.”
-Kaiser...”
4 tags
Brew Reviews and Pairing notes
Peak Organic IPA
This IPA is a well balanced sessionable brew. The bitterness is not over the top and leaves you with a nice grain earthy after taste. As with any IPA this beer is best paired with spicy food, meats and many sharp cheeses.
ABV 7.2%
21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat
Watermelon wheat is a great summer drinking beer. It is not too sweet or filling and keeps in spirit...
Oh Redpoint, Wherefore Art Thou RedPoint!
“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” –Emerson
Though Ralph Waldo Emerson was not referring to the loss of something immense as the best reliable craft brew created, yet his quote still rings true in this case. The Avery Brewing Company out of Boulder, Co is one the true original craft breweries around. They...
July 2010
4 posts
Now Datz What I'm Talking About!
The Florida craft beer scene is definitely in full swing these days. From your novice home brewer to your friendly neighborhood Ale House carrying Shipyard and Stone amongst the persistent AB products, one could say that the Benjamin Franklin quote ” There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking.” sums up the mentality of the largest beer drinking state in the...
Spilling some brew knowledge on ya! BOOM!
Learn About Beer
The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) has compiled a list of terms used within the beer industry. You may also be interested in downloading their Beer Types and Styles Guide or visiting the recipe-filled Cooking with Beer page.
Ale - A malt beverage brewed with (usually) barley malt and fermented at relatively high temperatures (60-75 Fº) with top fermenting...
Meantime Scotch ale and Potato recipe for the 4th!
Here is great tasting and easy to follow simple starter beer recipe that you can use during the 4th of July weekend!
Red potatoes are marinated in Scotch ale, rosemary, and shallots, then roasted and topped with Parmesan cheese. These potatoes are oven-roasted, but you may also roast them on the grill in foil packets.
Prep Time : 10 min
Cooking time : 45 min
Total time: 55 min
1 cup...
June 2010
15 posts
“Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.”
-David Rains...”
Gluten free goodness has never tasted so good!
Oaked aged, coffee fermented, chai tea infused, let’s face it nowadays craft beers are catering to every palate and preference. I personally enjoy a nice Imperial big body brew with a hint of figs or currant, because I am a man and that’s what men drink. The new brew on the block is not made so much for mere taste but for people with Celiacs disease. Celiacs is a condition, where in...
