Raise A Glass During Tampa Bay Beer Week March 7-15

TAMPA BAY, FL — There's no better time to try a few of Tampa Bay's extensive line of craft beers than Tampa Bay Beer Week March 7-15.

Every March, breweries, retailers and bars come together to host hundreds of events during the eight-day salute to all things beer. Flocks of beer lovers from around the world converge on Tampa Bay for the festivities, which include festivals, brewing competitions, charity events and contests hosted by local breweries and bars.

You don't have to search hard to find a craft beer in Tampa Bay where there are now more than 80 operating breweries and microbreweries.

In fact, Tampa is the home of beer in Florida. The state's first brewery, Florida Brewing Company, was founded in Tampa in 1896.

The spotlight turned on Tampa again in 1958 when the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company built a brewery in Tampa. It's now owned by D.G. Yuengling & Son.

Anheuser-Busch followed closely in 1959, making its presence known with the opening of the Busch Gardens theme park along with its massive brewery nearby.

In 2001 when then-Gov. Jeb Bush signed legislation loosening restrictions on beer manufacturing and sales, brewpubs began springing up throughout Tampa Bay. According to the Brewers Association, Florida has 285 craft breweries, ranking Florida ninth in the country for the number of breweries.

The association ranks Florida fifth in the country for barrels of beer produced per year. That number totaled 1,373,558 in 2018, amounting to a whopping 2.6 barrels per Floridian over the age of 21.

Beer's also been good for Florida's wallet. The state breweries rank fifth in the U.S. for their impact on the economy, making more than $3.5 billion a year.

It's little wonder that the nonprofit Florida Brewers Guild wants to celebrate with a week of activities. Established in 2012, Tampa Bay Beer Week is a chance to enjoy one of the largest craft beer scenes in the United States.

The celebration will kick off with a First Friday Art Show sponsored by Bell’s Brewery, 5016 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, March 6 at 7 p.m. Local artists unite for a beer-themed art show to kick off TBBW. Featured artists include Ashley Cantero, Chris Preston, Jen Emm, Katye Waddle, Travis Countrillion and Amanda LaForest. There will be Bell’s Brewery beers on tap, art shopping and entertainment. Those attending can participate in a beer coaster art contest with prizes for the top entries.

Coppertail Brewing Co., 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa, has planned events throughout the week including live music, new beer releases and a skateboarding competition.

“We are incredibly excited to host six unique events during this year’s Tampa Bay Beer Week," said Kent Bailey, president and founder of Coppertail Brewing Co. "In the spirit of the celebration, each event is beer-centric with classics and new beer releases for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to celebrate one of our favorite times of the year – Tampa Bay Beer Week."

Coppertail Brewing will kick off the celebration with the introduction of its Brew's Banner, "a super hoppy, crazy tasty double IPA," said Bailey.

Beer lovers can continue their exploration into the world of Tampa Bay beer Saturday when the guild hosts the annual Florida Brewers Guild Craft Beer Festival from 2 to 5 p.m. at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 1000 E. Harrison St., Tampa.

The event will include more than 80 craft breweries offering more than 300 types of beer. The event will also include Tampa Bay food trucks.

Tickets are $45 for general admission and $65 for VIP and include unlimited samples of dozens of choices of craft beers and a commemorative tasting glass.

Brewers attending include:

• 3 Daughters Brewing
• Aardwolf Brewing Company
• BarrieHaus Beer Co
• Big Bear Brewing Company
• Bone Hook Brewing
• Broken Strings Brewery
• Bugnutty Brewing Company
• Bullfrog Creek Brewing Co
• Cigar City Brewing
• Coppertail
• Crooked Can Brewing Company
• Deep Brewing Co.
• Dog Rose Brewing Co.
• Dunedin Brewery
• First Magnitude Brewing Company
• Flying Boat Brewing Company
• Hourglass Brewing
• Intuition Ale Works
• Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co.
• Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company
• Motorworks
• Overflow Brewing Co
• Oyster City Brewing Company
• Ozona Brewing Company
• Pinellas Ale Works
• South Beach Brewing Company
• The Florida Brewery
• Tidal Brewing Co
• Zydeco Brew Werks
• In The Loop Brewing Company
• Suncreek Brewery
• Sailfish Brewing Co.
• Right Around the Corner
• Dissent Craft Brewing
• Green Bench Brewing
• Four Stacks Brewing
• Cigar City Cider & Mead
• Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour & Brewery
• Perfect Plain Brewing Co.
• Crooked Thumb Brewery
• Tabula Rasa Brewing
• 3 Bridges Brewing
• Orlando Brewing
• Wop's Hops Brewing Company
• Eight-Foot Brewing
• Also on Saturday, Coppertail Brewing will host an advanced level skateboarding line contest in its parking lot in Ybor City. Registration and open skating begins at 5 p.m. and the contest begins at 7 p.m. Cash prizes are $250 for first place, $150 for second place, $100 for third place and $250 for best trick.
• The Brewer’s Ball will take place Sunday, March 8 from noon to 5 p.m. at Water Works Park, 1710 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. All the Best Florida Beer Championship’s category-winning commercial beers made in Florida are showcased during an afternoon of Florida’s best beers, music, awards and one of the best beer raffles in Florida. This event features more than 150 of Florida’s Best Beers on tap. Winners will be given medals and trophies for winning beers and for the best of show for the professional competition. Tickets are $75 to $125.
• There will be a bottle release of Pelicans, Porpoises & Planes, a unique barrel-aged bottle, on Sunday, March 8 from noon to 10 p.m. at Flying Boat Brewing Co., 1776 11th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Sealed after fermentation in white wine barrels for more than a year, this ale took on a deeper profile with subtle notes of oak and vanilla. It has a distinguished finish that is both dry and mellow. There will be limited Pelicans, Porpoises & Planes on tap the day of release.
• World of Beer, 2815 Fowler Ave., Tampa, will host a free Crafted Carnival Tuesday, March 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring beer and carnival booths. Join Cigar City, Lagunitas, Terrapin, New Belgium and Sierra Nevada Breweries for a night of beer and carnival-themed booths from each brewery. Come try your luck at each of the booths to win beer and other prizes.
• The beer brewers' version of the Pinewood Derby, the fourth annual wood car race is set for Tuesday, March 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. Coppertail Brewing has 30 pine car racer kits for sale in the tasting room for those wanting to take part. Click here for the official rules.
• Crooked Thumb Brewery will host a happy hour at Whistle Stop Grill and Bar, 915 Main St.,
  Safety Harbor, March 10 from 4 to 9 p.m. with live music, giveaways, swag, three Crooked Thumb beers, three bar bites and a grapefruit Gose craft cocktail.
• Then, on Wednesday, March 11, five brewery bands will battle it out at Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Tampa, during the Brewery Battle of the Bands sponsored by Replay Guitar Exchange. Bands will be from Dunedin Brewery, 81Bay Brewing Co., Coppertail Brewing Co., Tampa Bay Brewing Co. and Cigar City Brewing. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the cover is $5. Proceeds from the night will benefit Recycled Tunes.
• On Thursday, March 12, enjoy performances from Camp Lo featuring DJ Fava le chic, Same E. Hues and Louis Junior in the Coppertail Brewing Co. back parking lot at 8 p.m. Taste the tap takeovers of Oxbow Brewing and Half Acres Beer Co. while you experience the show. Advance tickets are $20 or $25 at the door.
• The Brewers Barrel Brunch and Interactive Tour is set for Sunday, March 15 at 12:30 p.m. at Coppertail Brewing's loft space tasting room. Tickets are $65 and include a plated brunch, exclusive barrel samples and more.

This is just a sampling of activities planned for the week. A complete list of Tampa Bay Beer Week activities is available on the guild's website.