Well, this had to be the worst vacation since my senior year in high school when my parents thought it would be a grand time to get my wisdom teeth pulled during spring break. Hey! No missing school!
The Mrs' morning sickness meant I was stuck inside most of the time with only a few brief outings. One of these outings was Friday night with a friend of mine to The Tampa Bay Brewing Company. OMG!!! Thank the Lord that I didn't know about this place until now or I'd have ended up a broke drunk.
I always associated Florida beer with Ybor City Brewing Company which makes Ybor gold; a foul brew that I've never been able to down more than a half a bottle. I had heard of TTBBC but mentally had confused it with YCBC so never paid it any attention.
My buddy had told me that the brew master was a former neighbor of his and that they had some of the best beer in the world. Well, I have a soft spot in my stomach for good beer so I decided that (a) he owed me for some side programming work and (b) I needed to get out of the house. Free beer is always a good thing.
Enter Moosekiller Barley Wine Style Ale - 9.8% ABV. For those of you who aren't as in tuned to the alcohol contents of beer, your typical Budweiser / Miller brews run in the range of 4% - 6%. 9.8% is lethal to smaller woodland creatures.
The beer was smooth. Maybe a tad bit too smooth as every sip was like chugging lightly carbonated wine. It had a fruity aroma that was very pleasing and a heavily hopped after taste that was there to kind of kill some of the alcohol flavor. While not a beer I would suggest having more than one per week, it was pretty good (although it should have been last on my list, not the first of the night).
The next brew for me was the One Night Stand American Pale Ale. Yummy yummy yummy! It went perfect with my Jalepeño Beer Cheese Soup and Wings. Medium bodied with a perfect balance between the sweetness and bitterness.
Finally I had some cask conditioned Elephant's Foot IPA which was pure ambrosia. It was with great sadness that my limit was 2 1/2 beers and the Elephant's foot was the poor 1/2 glass left behind. I shall order that as first the next time I go. Well, maybe 2nd if they have the Iron Rat Stout.
If you're in the Tampa Bay area and are a fan of microbrews, I highly suggest the Tampa Bay Brewing Company as a stop on your trip. Drop me a line too as any excuse to go is fine with me!