What happens when the cofounder of the Brooklyn Brewery makes his way to Miami for a few days of craft-beer-oriented fun? You get a meeting of industry minds, which is what is going down tonight in Doral at the Biscayne Bay Brewing Co. (8000 NW 25 St., Suite 500, Miami).
Starting at 7 p.m. October 28, Steve Hindy, a longtime veteran of the American craft-beer scene, will be joining our homegrown and local talents for an evening of history, beer samples, and some book-selling (to the tune of The Craft Beer Revolution, Hindy's newest book).
See also: Closer Look: Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach
Join Raymond Rigazio, founder of Abbey Brewing in Miami Beach; Jose Mallea, president and cofounder of Biscayne Bay Brewing; Johnathan Wakefield, eponymous founder of Johnathan Wakefield Brewing; Peter Schnebly, owner of Miami Brewing; and Dustin Jeffers, head brewer at Delray Beach's Saltwater Brewery as they embark on a journey through the depths of the beer industry.
The event is a part of the Brooklyn Brewery Mash, a 12-city project that bills itself as "an adventurous mix of emerging culture from our neighborhood and yours; dinner parties, concerts, comedy, readings and humanity's favorite beverage."
"[It's] about where the beer industry was and where it's going," Saltwater Brewery's Jeffers tells us about this event. "[Hindy]'s an owner/founder, not a brewer, so this talk should be more about style... what breweries are doing and more of where the industry is headed.
"I've read about the revolution in my lifetime, but these guys have seen it and were living it while I was being born."
For $6, eventgoers get to attend the talk and sample beers along the way, both from Biscayne Brewing and from the participating brewers.
"We were asked to bring a beer that we were excited about, and I chose the Pumpkin Puffer Stout. It's base is Sea Cow [porter], with added cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin to the mash and boil, and added spice to the brite tank as well. Doing treatments in the brite tank is kind of new, people haven't been messing with the beer once it hits the brite tank."
At the end of the night, beer enthusiasts should expect to come out with an appreciation of where the industry has been and where it's going. With Florida's unique market situation, there is a lot left to offer consumers in regards to securing a regional 'style'.
"Certain areas in the U.S. have a style," Jeffers explained. "Florida has transplants; everyone's bringing their styles. It's easier for us to get along, as everyone's got their own styles. It will be good to talk about it and let people know what it's like in the rest of the country."
Doug Fairall is a craft beer blogger who focuses on Florida beers and has been a homebrewer since 2010. For beer things in your Twitter feed, follow him @DougFairall and find the latest beer pics on Instagram.
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