Every South Floridian should be concerned with the health of oceans and waterways.
Aside from the fact that many of us directly or indirectly make our living off the oceanic ecosystem -- why the heck do you think tourists come here? -- it's a major part of why we call this coastal region home.
To do its part for the community (and for a great excuse to drink more beer) Riverside Market has teamed up with Sweetwater Brewery for a summer of drinking and waterway conservation. And it's hosting special events, with free stuff, starting tomorrow night.
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All summer long, starting on July 4 and running through Labor Day weekend, Riverside Market is teaming up with SweetWater Brewery for waterway conservation with the "Save Our Water" campaign.
For every SweetWater WaterKeeper Hefeweizen draft purchased, Riverside Market will donate $2 to the "Save Our Water" campaign.
Patrons can do their part to help save our waterways by purchasing a paper fish for $1, $5, or $10 and displaying it with their name somewhere in Riverside. On certain occasion (just for the hell of it), Siegel and his staff may hand out Sweetwater swag.
As a native Floridian and avid boater, the issue is important to Riverside Market owner Siegel and his family.
"My family is boating/fishing/conservation oriented," says Siegel. "We believe in 'leave no trace' and participate in park and waterway clean ups on a regular basis. South Florida is as big of a waterfront district as you could find. There are so many people eager to help a good cause that Riverside Market jumped at the opportunity to spearhead the movement."
While Riverside owner Julian Siegel is a long-time fan of the Georgia brewery, they decided to team up due to mutual interests.
"Sweetwater Brewing is a longtime favorite pale ale," says Siegel. "They are very active in the fishing community, both fresh water and deep sea, and the partnership couldn't be better."
To amp up the excitement -- and raise extra funds -- the market is hosting two special events. On July 24 (tomorrow) and again on Thursday, August 28, the market is hosting a sampling of Sweetwater Waterkeeper Heffeweizen. It will be raffling off prizes and giving away tons of swag.
Siegel, one of Fort Lauderdale's biggest craft brew fanatics, is a big fan of the Waterkeeper; he thinks it's ideal for this time of year.
"The Sweetwater Waterkeeper Heffeweizen is very smooth," says Siegel. "As with most Heffs, you can pick up traces of banana and clove. There is some citrus, making it perfect for our summer weather. The A.B.V. is 5.7, so it won't put you down, but it's certainly higher than your poolside brews."
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