New Belgium beers are officially coming to South Florida and when they officially do on July 29, they will be as commonplace as Coors Light. It brings a whole new meaning to "tap the Rockies."
But that is to be expected of America's third largest production craft brewery, which joined forces with Florida's largest beer distribution company by sales, Gold Coast Beverage Distributors, to carry their beers throughout the land.
See also: Gold Coast Beverage Begins New Belgium Distribution July 29
The release will start with 22 ounce bottles and six packs at over 300 locations across Broward, Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties. You name it, they've got it. Some of the larger accounts for restaurants include: America's Backyard, The Riverside Market and PRL Euro Cafe.
As you survey the territory, the most common bottle you will see is Fat Tire, their signature amber ale. Meanwhile Whole Foods, Total Wine and ABC Fine Wine and Spirits will carry a larger selection of New Belgium, including the coveted Lips of Faith series. Walgreens, Winn-Dixie and Publix are all expected to carry the new Colorado brews. Rest assured that New Belgium will be as abundant as the gas station variety, not that that's a bad thing.
No exact date has been set on the tap release in September, but expect restaurants and bars with heavy bottle traffic to have at least one or two.
Special events, of course, shall follow as they always do follow and you should follow them. Here is a short list of Broward and Palm Beach locations hosting New Belgium release parties:
- July 29: Beer and food pairings plus giveaways at Leftovers Cafe In Jupitier
- July 30: Tap42 is hosting a release party with a bike raffle and other goodies.
- July 30: Clematis Street Pub Crawl West Palm Beach beginning at 8:30 p.m; Participating bars: Barrel and Grain, Longboard's and World of Beer
- July 31: Vega Lounge in Pompano is hosting a kickoff party with giveaways
- August 1: Release party at Brass Tap in West Palm Beach from 7-10 p.m.
- August 1: A kickoff party with giveaways at PRL Euro Cafe in Hollywood
This is only the beginning. Keep in mind that New Belgium chose Florida over the Northeast. Now let that sink in for a moment.
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