Beverages

Florida Beer Company Took Over Riverside Market, Beer Lovers Drank Local

Tucked into the center of deeply residential Fort Lauderdale, Riverside Market has made a name for itself in the past years as the place to go if you're looking for craft beer from around the world and want to enjoy it in the most casual of settings, outside the stereotypical tiki hut. The eclectic ... More >>

Virginia Philip Wine Shop & Academy Offering Wine Immersion Course Starting Tomorrow

Wine is a bit of a tricky subject. Most people drink it. Few people really know the intricacies of pairing it well. However, on those rare occasions in which you just happen to stumble upon an amazing food and wine pairing, the results are phenomenal--like an explosion in your mouth. Fortunately, ... More >>

New Fast Food Concept PDQ Now Open in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale

A new fast food concept has extended its reach to South Florida, starting with two locations including Fort Lauderdale and the newly opened West Palm Beach restaurant Known as PDQ -- which stands for "People Dedicated to Quality" -- the concept is simple: fresh food served fast, and in a high-end ... More >>

23. Lauren Bowen of Tap 42

New Times' Best Of Broward-Palm Beach 2013 issue arrives June 13. To celebrate, Clean Plate Charlie is serving up 30 of our favorite tastemakers -- restaurateurs, chefs, bartenders, and other foodies who make the South Florida food scene what it is. We'll start with number 30 and lead up to South Fl ... More >>

Beer Float Recipes From Florida Brewers, Bartenders, and Beer Aficionados

Can you remember the first time you had a root beer float? It was probably summer, and your mom decided to give you a special treat. Just one taste of that combo of carbonated, sugary-sweet soda with cold, creamy vanilla and you were hooked. No matter how old you are, it's still a damned good comb ... More >>

How to Make Your Own Alcoholic Ice Pops

With summer comes the longing for everything sweet, cold, slushy, icy and -- well, let's admit it -- infused with alcohol too. We at Clean Plate Charlie love all those things -- there's just one thing. We're so over rum runners, pina coladas, and daiquiris. Leave those to the amateur spring breakers ... More >>

Chipotle Rolling Out Handcrafted Margaritas Throughout the Country, Too Expensive in Florida

Mexicans, Tequila Lovers, and, well, anyone who likes to get drunk and have a good time should be gearing up for the second biggest drinking holiday in the world--okay, we don't know if that's actually true, but we're going with it. Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. And you better get ready ... More >>

Regular Folks Make Amazing Beer for the Little House Brewing Contest

This past Saturday, about a dozen homebrewers from around the area converged on the parking lot of the Little House in Boynton Beach to brave the fickle Florida weather, show off their brews, and enter into a friendly competition. Owner Chrissy Benoit (previously of Havana Hideaway in Lake Worth) a ... More >>

Park Tavern Rolls Out New Spring Cocktails Designed by Co-Owner Brian Albe and Mixologist Nick Nistico (Photos)

Most better restaurants roll out new menus with the change of each season. It makes sense: food preferences and fresh ingredients change with the weather. Well, sorry to break it to you, but it's only going to get hotter and hotter over the coming months. To make it more bearable Park Tavern in Del ... More >>

Do You Care About Florida Craft Beer? Why the 64-Ounce Growler Bill Matters

Over the past couple of years, there's been a lot of talk about helping small businesses to grow. And it makes sense. In a slowly recovering economy, wouldn't you want to do what is possible to allow small companies to expand and hire?Well, apparently not.In order to help bring down costs -- and the ... More >>

Fancy Art, Fine Wine & Fromage

Mike Halker of Due South on the 64 Oz. Growler Bill

Over the past few years it has become blatantly apparent, corporations rule the regulatory process. Whether it's BP getting a slap on the wrist knocking off Flipper's brothers and sisters, Monsanto suing farmers, or Wal-Mart shutting down family-owned business, we get the drift. The laws tends to fa ... More >>

Eric Biddines Is So Obsessed With Coffee, He Even Raps About It

St. Patrick's Day: Two Irish Whiskey Cocktails From Whiskey Blue (Drink Them There or Make Them at Home)

Though St. Patrick's Day isn't officially until Sunday, March 17, we suggest kicking things off early -- like how about cocktails tonight?And since there's life after beer and a shot, we're heading over to Whiskey Blue on Fort Lauderdale beach for one of its featured cocktails made with Irish whiske ... More >>

Brewzzi, Due South Score Awards at Best Florida Beer Championships

Brewzzi, a Palm Beach brewpub, scored a total of ten medals at the 2013 Best Florida Beer Championships on Saturday in Tampa, winning two gold, four silver, and four bronze medals.Due South Brewing Co. of Boynton Beach also came away with several medals, winning four silver and three bronze.

"Drink Like a Local" Campaign Pushes Local Craft Brews

For more on South Florida's food scene, check out New Times' Taste guide, hitting newsstands Thursday, February 21. For foodies, being encouraged to eat locally is nothing new. Farm-to-table as a culinary buzz term has been around a long time already. But supporting your local purveyors doesn't app ... More >>

Bartender Q&A: The Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim on Pairings, Negronis, and Adventurous Females

This past weekend was a busy one for South Florida foodies. Broward had some porcine deliciousness at Baconfest. Miami featured the epic South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Fortunately, for us, we got to do a bit of both.While we were there we got to sample some amazing food, drink some darned good ... More >>

Now Open: Bikinii Coffee on Singer Island in Riviera Beach

Do you like your barista in a bikini? Well, now you can have your cake and drink your coffee, too. Simply visit the newly-opened Bikinii Coffee in Riviera Beach. The 1,300-square-foot space is located across from the new Ocean Mall plaza where Wings surf shop recently opened. The corner spot is ... More >>

Jiva Coffee Cubes: Company Makes Instant Colombian Coffee, Launches Kickstarter Campaign

What do you start your day with? If you're like half the US population -- about 150 million Americans -- it's the first thing you reach for every morning. No, it's not the alarm clock, or your toothbrush. And it's not breakfast. It's the coffee pot. Because, let's face it, that first cup of Joe ... More >>

2013 American Fine Wine Competition: Winners Announced

For many of us, a bottle of your finest two buck Chuck will do the trick. For many others, its just not going to cut it. Luckily for the wine snobs of the world, there are people who painstakingly sip, spit, and evaluate wines to find the ones that are truly the best.The American Fine Wine Competiti ... More >>

Das Biergarten Craft Beer Celebration

Funky Buddha Lounge's Ryan Sentz Talks South Florida Beer Week and Plans for 2013

It's been said before, but it bears repeating: South Florida might have been late to the craft beer game, but it's making up for lost time, and in a significant way. Witness the upcoming South Florida Beer Week, which kicks off on Saturday with dozens of different events offered throughout the regio ... More >>

Cigar City Brewing at South Florida Beer Week: CCB's Phil Palmisano Explains Why Cans Are Better and More

Florida's homegrown beer scene has come a long way in recent years, what with Funky Buddha on the verge of opening a shiny new facility in Oakland Park, Holy Mackerel's recent tap room opening, and Due South Brewing blowing the lid off the local scene with less than a year in production. One of th ... More >>

South Florida Beer Week: Here's Your Complete Event List For Broward/Palm Beach

South Florida Beer Week is coming and just about everywhere you turn in Broward and Palm Beach counties there are multiple places to celebrate our state's growing brew culture., culminating in one giant beer festival.From tap takeovers to tastings, it's all here. If you're venturing south, check out ... More >>

South Florida Beer Week: Cigar City's Phil Palmisano Tells Us How to Navigate a Week of Craft Beer

South Florida Beer Week (January 19-26) has the potential to be the best of times for Florida beer fans. But anyone who's downed a few 10 percent ABV beers in one evening knows that it also could make for some epically terrible mornings. In preparing for the upcoming days of bacchanalian pursuits, C ... More >>

Low-Calorie Cocktails: Florida-Based Jordan's Skinny Mixes

If part of your New Year's resolution is to lose weight and slim down, taking it easy on the alcohol may be on the list of things to avoid -- especially if you love sugary-sweet cocktails. The average margarita can deliver as many as 800 calories, while a traditional frozen pina colada rings in at a ... More >>

Have a Hangover? Perk Up With These Coffee Recipes From Around the World

Come Tuesday morning, you won't just be going back to work. Chances are, you'll be going back to work with a killer hangover. Since the usual options like hair of the dog, Bloody Mary's, and another shot of tequila aren't going to be something you can partake on during the commute to the office ... More >>

Leftover Champagne? Five Sparkling Wine Cocktails to Drink After New Year's Eve

Champagne: the classic New Year's Eve drink. You toast with it, cheer with it, drink it straight from the bottle Diddy-style. Of course, champagne isn't for everyone -- especially when taste largely depends on how much you want to spend. Sure, there are uber-cheap knock-offs (think cava, p ... More >>

How to Choose Champagne and Sparkling Wine, With Andrew Lampasone of Wine Watch

Wine is a tough subject. Sparkling wine, even more so. Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Dry, Sweet, Extra Brut, WTF... the options are endless. The possibility for a hangover: potentially catastrophic.New Year's is around the corner and whether you like it or not, you and your friends will be celebrating ... More >>

The Seven Best Gifts For Beer Lovers

All those lovey-dovey holiday commercials making you feel guilty about your Christmas shopping procrastination? Don't. According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, only about 11 percent of shoppers had finished up their gift list by December 13. So, everyone's doing it. (Or not doing i ... More >>

South Florida Beer Week is January 19-26, 2013 (Check out the Initial Schedule of Events)

Craft drinkers -- gird your loins and put your liver on notice, cause South Florida Beer Week is almost exactly one month away. The second annual celebration of homegrown and national craft beers kicks off on Saturday, January 19, 2013, and will wrap up with the seventh annual Jupiter Craft Brewers' ... More >>

Holiday Wine Buying Tips for the Beginner (Via Master Sommelier Virginia Philip)

Clean Plate Charlie isn't above formulating a holiday "wine plan" that consists solely of driving to Naples, pulling up to Trader Joe's, and loading the car with cases of Two Buck Chuck. But in case you want to class it up a bit at your holiday mixers, or when giving vino as a gift, Virginia Philip ... More >>

South Florida Dining Events This Week: Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival Winds Down and More

The shit-storm of the holidays can make scheduling an evening for yourself next to impossible. But in case you can steal away for a few hours, there are chances to eat, drink, and be merry, all while putting your various responsibilities out of mind (booze is good in that way). After the jump, find ... More >>

The Best Florida Beers & a Craft Beer Geek's Holiday Wish List: Sybarite Pig's Daniel Naumko Shares His Picks

Daniel Naumko, owner of the new Sybarite Pig restaurant in Boca Raton, is a true beer geek. One of the defining philosophies at his business will be "special beers for special people." It's part of his mission to promote the art of good beer and the people behind it. "I really got into craft beer ... More >>

Virginia Philip Talks Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival and How to Saber a Champagne Bottle Without Hurting Yourself

Palm Beach entrepreneur Virginia Philip is an undisputed rockstar in the wine world. It only makes sense that she'd play a part in this weekend's Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival, where she'll lend her skills to three different festival events. Philip was but the tenth woman in the world to earn ... More >>

The American Fine Wine Competition: Tickets on Sale Now

Fun fact: South Florida is second largest wine consumption market in the country. That can mean one of two things; we have a ton of drunks, or a large population of individuals who enjoy the finer things in life. Let's go with the latter.If you're a wino or just an enthusiast of all things wine, the ... More >>

Boca Raton Wine and Food Festival Is This Weekend (Plus More Fests in Delray and Fort Lauderdale)

Season is here. The weather has cooled down. The snowbirds are starting to flock south. The Speedos are out and about. And the festivals are here. This weekend, in particular, the food festivals are going strong. Flavors of Fort Lauderdale is on in Broward. Delray has the Delray Beach Wine and Seafo ... More >>

Vodka Spritzer? Absolut Tune Debuts Tuesday; Solange Knowles and Charlotte Ronson Host Promo Party

Have you ever thought it would be cool to make a vodka/white wine spritzer? Neither have we. But apparently, someone else has. Absolut will be releasing its newest product, Absolut Tune, touted as a sparkling fusion of vodka and white wine, on Tuesday. The company sent us a bottle to taste-test. See ... More >>

Q&A with Ted Breaux, Founder and Distiller of Lucid Absinthe

Ted Breaux didn't set out to become the master distiller of Lucid absinthe -- the first genuine absinthe to be sold stateside in close to 100 years. The New Orleans native had pursued a career as a research scientist after studying microbiology and chemistry, graduating from Harvard, Louisiana ... More >>

Three Creepy Cocktails Made With Lucid Absinthe

Crime. Social disorder. Chaos.Absinthe has been blamed for them all. The spirit -- originally made as an herbal tonic -- was once thought to produce medical conditions like epilepsy, and illness like turberculosis, and was eventually banned in countries like Belgium, Brazil, the Netherlands, France ... More >>

Base Winetasting With Veuve Clicquot

Holy Mackerel Beer Opens Brewpub In Broward, Replaces Stage 84

Hey Broward, if you love local beer and you want to find the source, then you don't have to go far because Holy Mackerel owner Bobby Gordash opened The Mack House, a brewpub specializing in nothing but Holy Mackerel brews. The new brewpub houses Gordash's new Holy Mackerel nano brewery and it r ... More >>

What Your Drink Says About You

When a patron sits down at the bar, the bartender immediately sizes up him or her and wonders: "Is this an amateur who is going to cheapskate me out of a tip? Or is this person a pro drinker?" We know -- it's not nice to stereotype. But it takes a seasoned bartender only a moment to deduce all he ne ... More >>

Biergarten Boca Raton Kicks Off Second Annual Oktoberfest on Friday (In Spite of "Cursed" Location)

Considering how many restaurants have failed (very quickly) in the spot now occupied by Biergarten Boca Raton, one could be forgiven for initially greeting the business with a hint of reservation. But a year after opening in Royal Palm Place, the German joint is ready to celebrate its second annual ... More >>

Inside Gold Coast Distributors' Private Homebrew Competition

Some companies use cheesy videos with horrible actors to train their employees. The military uses combat scenarios. Gold Coast Beverage Distributors, Inc. throws homebrewing competitions. Last Thursday, the ever-faithful associates of Gold Coast Distributors assembled at America's Backyard for the f ... More >>

Mai-Kai Hosts Premium Rum Tasting

Is there any better way to take an instant vacation than with a rum drink? The spirit of choice for both pirates and poets, rum can instantly evoke visions of lush tropical islands and palm trees swaying in the breeze.One of the most versatile spirits in the world, rum runs the gamut of taste, poten ... More >>

Cafe Martorano Reopens With Full-Liquor License

Nearly 20 years ago, Steve Martorano was on his way to the airport. After moving to Coral Springs to start fresh in Florida, he decided the palm trees and early bedtimes of Coral Springs just weren't for him. The plane taking him back to Philadelphia was already on the tarmac when he called a restau ... More >>

South Florida Dining Events This Week: Tequesta Brewing Co.'s Hop Week and More

As one event (Flavor Palm Beach) winds down this week, South Florida revelers are gearing up for Oktoberfest and other autumnal fun, much of which involves beer in one way or another. After the jump, find a roundup of food- and drink-related events this week in Broward and Palm Beach counties. See ... More >>

Oktoberfest 2012 in South Florida: Celebrations in Lantana, Las Olas, Oakland Park, Boca, and Miami

Oktoberfest is here again, folks. It is the time of year to party like a German in brown leather pants, guzzling endless liters of barley and malt brews. We know -- sporting lederhosen in South Florida's penetrating heat is not a logistical reality, considering the risk of massive chaffing and poten ... More >>

New Times Pairings: Wines You'll Be Swirling and Sipping on Thursday Night

See also: Fifth Annual New Times Pairings: Who's New to the Lineup This Year and Five Reasons You Should Go On Tuesday, Clean Plate Charlie showed a little love for the craft beer to be offered at Thursday's fifth-annual New Times Pairings. The beer camp makes a very compelling case, but it's not t ... More >>