The Lakelander - SPECIAL CRAFT-BEER ISSUE | January - February by The Lakelander

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014

SPECIAL CRAFT-BEER ISSUE

CRAFT GOT YOUR TONGUE / DOWN THE ROAD / MESSAGE ON A BOTTLE CLOSING TIME / DESK TO DINNER

THE LAKELANDER

YOU’VE YOU’VE SEENSEEN THE COMMERCIAL. THE COMMERCIAL. YOU’VE YOU’VE SPOTTED SPOTTED THE THE BILLBOARDS. BILLBOARDS. YOU’VE YOU’VE READREAD THE ADS. THE ADS. BUT HOW BUT HOW EXACTLY EXACTLY IS IS LAKELAND LAKELAND REGIONAL REGIONAL MEDICAL MEDICAL CENTER’S CENTER’S ER DIFFERENT? ER DIFFERENT? The entire TheERentire experience ER experience is different. is different. That’s how. That’s From how. theFrom minute the you minute come youthrough come through the doorstheand doors and are seenare by seen a registered by a registered nurse and nurse assessed and assessed by a doctor by aindoctor less than in less 20 than minutes 20 minutes on average, on average, you’ll seeyou’ll see firsthandfirsthand just how just different how different things are. things are. LakelandLakeland RegionalRegional Medical Medical Center isCenter Polk County’s is Polk County’s only state-designated only state-designated Level II Trauma Level II Center. Trauma More Center. More than 95% than of our 95% 62ofemergency our 62 emergency medicinemedicine physicians physicians are Board are certified Board or certified Boardor eligible Boardand eligible all 10 and of our all 10 of our pediatricpediatric physicians physicians are Board arecertified. Board certified. Our emergency Our emergency department department now usesnow a pod usesconcept a pod concept to group to group patient beds patient together beds together with a dedicated with a dedicated team of physicians team of physicians and nurses andtreating nursessome treating of the some area’s of the toughest area’s toughest emergency emergency cases. cases. LakelandLakeland RegionalRegional Medical Medical Center isCenter a not-for-profit is a not-for-profit healthcare healthcare facility that facility has that served hasLakeland served Lakeland and the and the surrounding surrounding communities communities for almost for100 almost years. 100More years. than More justthan a hospital, just a hospital, LakelandLakeland RegionalRegional Medical Medical Center isCenter ready to is serve ready any to serve medical any need medical youneed may you have. may have.

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Eagle Lake 1515 Hwy. 17 S. (863) 294-7749

Haines City 35495 Hwy. 27 (863) 422-3144 1350 N. Broadway (US 98) Bartow (863) 533-1611

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014

DEPARTMENTS JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014

SPECIAL CRAFT-BEER ISSUE

18 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR 20 EDITORIAL BIOS 108 EVENTS 112 OPENINGS Restaurant openings 114 HISTORY Prohibition

ON THE COVER

craft got your tongue / down the road / message on a bottle closing time / desk to dinner

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We sent photographer Tina Sargeant on a mission to Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour in Orlando to capture their extensive, if not exhaustive, selection of craft beer. Redlight is a nationally lauded beer destination which just happens to be owned by a friend of ours, Lakeland native Richard Sherfey. Our ears perked up when discussion turned to the probability of a Lakeland location opening in the near future. Needless to say, we are thrilled at the prospect. Read more in “Craft Got Your Tongue?” on page 52. Photography by Tina Sargeant.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES 24

THE RED DOOR

GREAT TASTE, LESS FILLER

Crafting a new identity A look at what makes craft beer different

34 DAVE LESLIE BREWS UP SOMETHING GOOD On the back porch of his apartment, with a relatively simple setup and a ton of skill, Dave Leslie creates some great beer and even better times

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

60 42

MESSAGE ON A BOTTLE The artistry of craft-beer labels

94 CLOSING TIME

See if they’ll put one of these on your tab

52 CRAFT GOT YOUR TONGUE? An introduction to tasting beer

94 DESK TO DINNER How to transition from day to night in style

60 THE THREE Bs D ustin Olson of Fat Maggie’s talks about BBQ,

104

backyards, and beer

68 DOWN THE ROAD Trekking the state for the love of the craft

(in preparation for our own brewing future)

78 BREW HUB Why Lakeland is positioned to be the nerve system of the next great beer venture

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CRAFT BEER DIRECTORY

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PUBLISHER Curt Patterson ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Jason Jacobs, Brandon Patterson Advertising ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Curt Patterson; 863.409.2449 ADVERTISING SALES Jason Jacobs; 863.606.8785 ADVERTISING SALES Brandon Patterson; 863.409.2447 Editorial EDITOR Jackie Houghton CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Teege Braune, Logan Crumpton, Adam Justice, Mark Nielsen, Courtney Philpot, Philip Pietri, Adam Spafford, Dave Walter COPY EDITOR Laura Burke OFFICE MANAGER Deb Patterson ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Christine Wilson Design ART DIRECTOR Philip Pietri GRAPHIC DESIGNER Daniel Barcelo

Our new store will feature a wine tasting station so you can try our most popular wines before you buy them.

Photography CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Michael Nielsen, Penny & Finn, Philip Pietri, Dustin Prickett, Tina Sargeant, Jason Stephens

Circulation CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

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General Counsel

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Published by Patterson Jacobs Publishing, LLC Curt Patterson | Jason Jacobs | Brandon Patterson | Steve Brown The Lakelander is published bimonthly by Patterson Jacobs Publishing, P.O. Box 41, Lakeland, FL 33802. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission of The Lakelander is prohibited. The Lakelander is not responsible for any unsolicited submissions. Contact Patterson Jacobs Publishing, P.O. Box 41, Lakeland, FL 33802 863.701.2707 www.thelakelander.com Customer Service: 863.701.2707 Subscription Help: jason@pattersonpublishing.com “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

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EDITORIAL

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR NOW OPEN! Stop in and see our beautiful renovations

he idea of creating a special issue on craft beer fell into our laps one morning at Mitchell’s Coffee House. And once the idea began to ruminate, we couldn’t shake it. (Thank you, Philip Pietri.) We were intrigued and fascinated by the burgeoning world of craft brewing and the return of artisanal, thoughtful, complex beer. The deal was done. We were on our way to a Lakelander issue completely dedicated to beer. Our entire team was understandably quite excited by the prospect. Whether you love, hate, or are entirely ambivalent toward beer, we hope this issue presents this seemingly common libation in a new light. It certainly did for us. Many thanks to Logan Crumpton who spearheaded much of this effort. We are grateful for your dedication to all things good and tasty and for giving so much of yourself to everything you do. The Lakelander is blessed to have you as a part of our staff, and I am thankful to call you a friend. By the way, you really should read this man’s food blog (eataduck.wordpress.com) and do what he says. Eat what he says to eat. You will not regret it. We are also indebted to so many Lakelanders who worked with us to make this issue happen. You educated us, fed us, created beautiful art, and opened the doors to your homes and businesses with such incredible hospitality. Thank you. So very much. Cheers! Jackie

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EDITORIAL BIOS

LOGAN CRUMPTON Logan Crumpton has been employed with the United States Postal Service for the last twelve years. Although he has lived nearly his entire life in the Lakeland area, he seeks out a world of food culture with the mindset of sharing it on a local level. Like many who have developed a love of food, he honed his skills in his grandmother’s kitchen, learning traditional Cuban and Italian classics. Pursuing more of a life in food has afforded him the opportunity of co-creating the food blog Eataduck, guest writing for online publications, as well as trying his hand as a caterer and private chef.

DAVE WALTER Dave Walter is a big fan of social media and craft beer. In early 2013, he combined these two passions to help connect craft-beer lovers and local businesses. The result was Lakeland Craft Beer, an online community and resource covering and cultivating Lakeland’s growing craft-beer scene. Join the community on Facebook, Twitter, and LakelandCraftBeer.com.

ADAM SPAFFORD Adam Spafford came to Lakeland in 1999 to attend Florida Southern College and, except for a twentymonth graduate school stint in Massachusetts, has been here since. When he’s not writing page-turners for The Lakelander, he trades stock and index options.

ADAM JUSTICE Adam Justice is a Virginia native who moved to Lakeland in 2010 to become the curator of art at Polk Museum of Art. He received his B.A. in art history/museum studies from Radford University and an M.A. in art history at Virginia Commonwealth University. Previously he was the chief curator at William King Museum in Abingdon, Virginia, and also served as the director of the Southwest/Blue Ridge Regions for the Virginia Association of Museums. Additionally, he taught art history at Virginia Commonwealth University, Rappahannock Community College, and Virginia Highlands Community College. While being the curator of art at Polk Museum of Art, he is also an adjunct professor of art history at Florida Southern College. He currently serves on various boards, including the Downtown Lakeland Partnership, Polk Vision and Polk Arts Alliance, and is involved with various service and civic organizations.

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EDITORIAL BIOS PHILIP PIETRI Philip Pietri is a Tampa native who currently resides as art director of The Lakelander and various other publications under the Patterson Publishing empire. Fueled by an undying sense of creativity, he also runs a photography company with his wife of ten years and plays in several wellestablished musical acts. While his creative pursuits are integral parts of his being, his proudest accomplishment is playing the role of father to his four-year-old daughter.

MARK NIELSEN Mark Nielsen moved to Lakeland at the age of 12, moved away at 21, and came back just five years later. He attributes his interest in style to his career in design, translating the aesthetics and principles of design into fashion. Mark doesn’t sit still for long, and is currently building a café racer, has shaped a couple surfboards, maintains three blogs, and pursues a hobby shooting medium-format film. An accomplished designer, his work has been featured in such international design publications as HOW, Communication Arts, and Print, as well as the New York Times Magazine, and others. Over the years, he has also added photography and filmmaking to his resume, winning awards for cinematography with his twin brother, Michael. Mark currently holds the role of creative director at Publix and lives in Lakeland with his wife, Jill; their daughters, Andie and Bridget; and a German shorthaired pointer, Charlie.

TEEGE BRAUNE Teege Braune is a writer and a bartender at Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour. His weekly updated blog about alcohol and literature called In Boozo Veritas can be read on thedrunkenodyssey.com. He has written articles for Orlando Weekly and has had fiction published by Burrow Press among other places online and in print. He lives in Orlando with his fiancée and two cats.

COURTNEY PHILPOT

WOMEN’S STYLE EDITOR For as long as she can remember, Courtney has been doodling girls in dresses on any available paper, pad, or napkin. Born and raised in Lakeland, she attended FSU, where she received a degree in sociology and then earned a degree in fashion design and marketing from the Academy of Design in Tampa. After many years helping friends and family prepare for big events, she decided to turn her knack for fashion into a business. She created Style by Courtney, where she works as a stylist for personal clients, groups, photo shoots, and runway shows. Eventually, she wants to design her own prints to be used in her own apparel line. Until then, she plans on spending time with her husband, Bryce, and daughter, Sydney, while sharing her fashion philosophy that “You don’t need a million bucks to look like a million bucks” with her clients and readers.

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TASTE

the

door

Crafting a new identity story by Logan Crumpton photography by Penny & Finn

believe there are only a few things we need outside of the nests we call home, and that most of life’s necessities should be easily accessible within the walls of our own friendly confines. Then again, we must eat. Furthermore, in the words of one of my dear friends, we must, “Eat well, or die!” However, for a long time I felt that Lakeland lacked dining establishments that held true to the essence of that phrase. Such was the case even after the Red Door opened for business in the Dixieland village

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neighborhood. You see, at first it wasn’t really a restaurant at all. The Red Door originally opened about four years ago in a different location than its currently charming residence. I will never forget the first time I walked through that brightly painted door, immediately feeling like I was inside a close friend’s home who just so happened to be a wine guru. It was a comforting structure that had just one caveat — the food was minimal. It simply wasn’t an establishment you would go to for a meal but more of a,

“I’ll meet you a few hours after dinner for a drink and maybe, just maybe, we’ll share one thing between the table.” All was thrown out the woodframed windows when the Red Door relocated about a year ago. I’m intentionally not referring to the wine-market portion of the restaurant’s name, because to most of its regular patrons it’s simply referred to as the “Red Door.” Actually, to date there has been a formal name change separating from the focused specificity of the old location, functioning primarily as a wine

Broccoli risotto accompanied by roasted broccoli and beer cheese mornay, with Kentucky Kolsch

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From top-left clockwise: CLINTON, event manager JONATHAN, manager JASON, executive chef RICHARD, proprietor

...the Red Door Red Ale is Lakeland’s first and only local craft brew (for sale), with the recipe originating in-house.

market and bar, to match the all-encompassing nature of a gastropub, which it is now. No more is there any sort of fog. Once you find the Red Door, housed in a charming ’20s-style bungalow for which the district is famous, nestled comfortably in the sleepy Lake Morton neighborhood across from the Polk Museum of Art and the public library, you’ll see for yourself how it easy it could be to make repeat pilgrimages for a stunning supper. The building is built of wood and brick, but owner Richard DeAngelis really is the support

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beam that holds up the walls. Just about every night he can be found greeting patrons with a firm handshake and a warm smile, always ready to pull out a fantastic bottle of wine he just so happened to come across, offering up a taste in exchange for conversation. Thanks to Richard, Lakeland has this new version of a quickly acclaimed, favorite dining destination. What makes the Red Door 2.0 better than the previous model? As previously mentioned, it’s not a wine market (and I mean it). Although its wine program is easily the most well thought

out and reasonably priced in town, the Red Door has branched out to provide a beer menu of both draft and bottled craft brews, to which the most uptight beer snob would have trouble picking nits. It has also done something not a single Lakeland establishment has accomplished in all the years I’ve been of age in this town. It has provided the city with a unique craft beer all our own. In a partnership with Shipyard Brewery in Maine, the Red Door Red Ale is Lakeland’s first and only local craft brew (for sale), with

Marrow bone and beef marmalade with parsley gremolata, with Dogfish Head India Brown Ale

the recipe originating in-house. Subtle notes of caramel malts, dried fruit, baked bread, and the slightest hint of citrus on the finish make this beer easily drinkable in any season. In addition to the Red Door Red Ale, Richard has planned a circulating core that will focus on drinkability in our particular regional climate. Hopefully, more local establishments will follow its lead and create tasty brews that call Lakeland their hometown. Sadly, man cannot live on wine and beer alone, even if the beer has bready characteristics.

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Everything in life comes down to eating as a means to sustain. If we have deduced that Richard is the Red Door’s support, then Chef Jason Boniface is the spark that keeps the restaurant portion of the Red Door vibrant. When Jason was hired to take over the Red Door kitchen and make it his own, the place changed for the better. There was a glaring need to have that big-city feel, yet reside right here in this close-knit community. Richard’s new goal with the Red Door was to create something that would stack up

to and survive just the same as any bistro in a cutthroat city such as San Francisco, Chicago, or Atlanta, while still having the feel of a quaint, private Napa Valley tasting room. That mission statement is hard to accomplish yet is being done day in and day out at the Red Door. The menu could be considered Jason’s baby as he changes it on a constant basis. He also has at his disposal a way of showcasing some of his one-offs that might be destined for something a little more special. The Red Door has uniquely crafted themed dinners that include beer or wine

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Stone-ground creamy grits with escargot, mushroom, bacon ragu and a sunny-side duck egg, with Dogfish 90 Minute IPA

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pairings, showcasing the vast spectrum of Jason’s talent in a highly intimate setting. Only a handful of seats are available for these one-offs, making these events even more sought after. Creativity, adaptability, and ever-evolving techniques to find new and better ways of doing things are what torment a good cook. We all benefit from that battle with the advent of an ever-enhanced menu. If the kitchen runs out of an item, instead of saying, “We’re all out,” a new dish is created on the fly seemingly in an instant. I recall that on one night out, chicken and waffles were ordered for the table. Unfortunately and without warning, the waffle iron decided it wanted to cash in its 401k and take an early retirement. So, Chef Jason had the idea of throwing together a couple of sweet corn cakes, helped along with a little jalapeño and a generous amount of house-cured bacon in the batter. Combined with some of the best fried chicken in town, an expertly dressed slaw, and a spicy barbeque sauce, it made for a dish so balanced that it hit every flavor profile you can imagine. It also quickly took on a

starring role during that particular menu cycle. Another unique characteristic of the menu design, and perhaps Jason’s own philosophy, is the way in which beer is incorporated into the food with such ease. You never want anything to be put into a dish in a forceful manner. When you order something such as mussels cooked in hard cider, roasted broccoli risotto with ribbons of beer cheese Mornay, or beef short ribs braised all day in the Red Door Red Ale (to be used as a crown adorning their fantastically unctuous take on roasted marrow bones), there’s a purpose to that choice. Chef Jason firmly believes this is the way to create the best possible flavor experience. To me, the mark of a great restaurant is how well it attracts every type of diner. The Red Door is for everyone. It’s for the couple that finally found a babysitter with enough patience to watch three hell-raisers for an entire evening. It’s for the college student trying to impress his new girlfriend. And it most certainly is for the serious food lover who is never satisfied eating the same thing twice. (Hey, that’s me!) THE LAKELANDER

GREAT TASTE L E S S

F I L L E R

A look at what makes craft beer different • story by Dave Walter

“Craft beer” is an umbrella term that covers thousands of different styles of beers. Smooth, crisp pilsners; dark, heavy porters; tart, fizzy farmhouse ales; and sweet, earthy brown ales are just a few of the virtually endless permutations of flavors and styles that you’ll find on tap in bars and taprooms all over the country. Walking into the craft beer section of a liquor store can leave one dizzy as they’re faced with dark, heavy bottles called “bombers” and labels bearing names like Flemish Red, English Barleywine, and Cascadian Dark Ale. With what may seem like an infinite variety of beers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget that it’s all beer. Before addressing what goes into the term “craft beer,” let’s just talk about beer. Brewers may use different methods and additional ingredients to enhance flavor, but beer is always a mixture of malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Four ingredients. That’s it. So what makes craft beer different? When is beer considered craft beer? Definitions for craft beer vary, but the most widely held definition comes from the Brewers Association which dictates that craft beer comes from “independent, small, and traditional” breweries. According to the Brewers Association, an American craft brewery must not be owned or controlled by a beer industry member who is not a craft brewer. They must also produce less than six million barrels of beer annually, and at least half of a brewery’s volume must be “all-malt” beers. The Brewers Association’s definition sounds strict, but most breweries in America can meet these requirements. Craft breweries can range from

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operations that brew millions of gallons a year to the occasional fivegallon batch. Regardless of their size, craft breweries are marked by their use of high-quality ingredients; innovative styles and treatments; and exciting, flavorful beer. While many craft brewers are driven by a passion for creating amazing beer and invest in high-quality ingredients, the focus for large macrobreweries is usually on mass-production and profit. For example, traditional malted grains are often substituted for cheaper adjunct ingredients like corn or rice. Such is the case for most popular American lagers. These adjuncts help macrobreweries pump out massive amounts of consistent, inexpensive beer, but they also lessen the flavor and complexity found in traditional allmalt beer. One could consider largescale breweries the fast-food version of beer; they make a quick, inexpensive product that’s easy to find and tastes the same every time, but is generally mass-produced and of a lower quality than hand-crafted options. Macrobreweries will almost certainly stay a major player in the beer industry, but the craft beer industry is growing at a remarkable rate. Beer drinkers are increasingly trading their big-brand lagers for more diverse beers from breweries around the world. They’re sipping on thick, chocolaty Russian Imperial stouts. They’re sampling sour, wild ales spontaneously fermented and aged in wine barrels. They’re ordering beers flavored with spicy peppers and citrusy fruit. With so many enthusiasts thirsty for exciting new beer, craft breweries are springing up and expanding all over the country,

providing new experiences for eager drinkers everywhere. Fast food isn’t all bad. Even the most avid craft-beer fans tend to have a soft spot in their hearts and a designated shelf in their refrigerators for the occasional macro-brewed beer. There’s nothing inherently wrong with big-name beer. But craft beer offers a level of quality and variety that can’t be found in “fast food” beer. Getting started with craft beer can be challenge. Walking into a pub and hearing patrons debate West Coast and East Coast India Pale Ales can be intimidating. You might not know the difference between a mash-tun and a wort-chiller. Don’t be discouraged! Take a craft beer-drinking friend along with you, look up some basics on the Internet, or ask your bartender. You can even ask other people drinking around you; craft beer fans are generally eager to share their knowledge about different kinds of brews. Florida hosts more than a few craft breweries that are creating highly sought-after, world-class beers, many of them within easy driving distance. And with new craft breweries popping up all over the state, hopefully it won’t be long before Lakeland hosts a few craft breweries of its own. Until then, the talented members of the Lakeland Brewers Guild are always willing to share their homebrews at guild meetings and charity events. Even still, outstanding beer from all over the world can often be found on shelves and on tap at local bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. If you’re a craft-beer enthusiast, or if you’re thinking about learning about the different styles and flavors available, Lakeland is definitely a great place to be.

Glossary of

BEER STYLES PALE ALE

WHEAT ALE Ales brewed with wheat including German Weissbier, Belgian Witbier, tart Berliner Weisse, and salty Gose. Fruity/ spicy flavors from the wheat and yeast are most prominent.

Pale in color, these ales feature medium maltiness pleasantly balanced with hoppy bitterness, often making for great session beers. Variations include the mild English Pale Ale and Extra Special Bitter (ESB), more aggressive American Pale Ale, and the popular India Pale Ale.

INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)

BELGIAN ALE Often used to denote Trappist or monastic-style beer such as Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel, these ales are often malty with fruity yeast flavors. Other popular styles include wheaty Witbier, funky Saison, and sour Lambic and Gueuze.

LAGER Generous amounts of hops balanced with a malty sweetness. Variations include the mild English IPA, piney West Coast American IPA, citrusy East Coast American IPA, and bigger, badder Double (or Imperial) IPA.

BROWN ALE Brewed with darker malts than Pale Ales, prominent flavors in this mild, low-alcohol ale are chocolate, caramel, and nuts. Fantastic for pairing with a meal.

Beers that are fermented and conditioned at lower temperatures. Although more popular Lagers like Pale Lagers and Pilsners are light, refreshing, and mild in flavor, other variations such PORTER/ as Bock, Märzen/ STOUT Oktoberfest, and Schwarzbier can be darker, heavier, and Roasted malts more flavorful. give these dark, heavy ales flavors and aromas such as coffee, chocolate, licorice, and molasses. Although arguably interchangeable, the term “stout” is commonly used to indicate a stronger porter. Popular variations include the dry Oatmeal Stout; sweet Milk Stout; and more robust, high-alcohol Baltic Porter and Russian Imperial Stout.

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DAVE LESLIE

BREWS UP SOMETHING

GOOD

ON THE BACK PORCH OF HIS APARTMENT, WITH A RELATIVELY SIMPLE SETUP AND A TON OF SKILL, DAVE LESLIE CREATES SOME GREAT BEER AND EVEN BETTER TIMES STORY BY ADAM SPAFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON STEPHENS

The Lakelander: Why isn’t there a beer in my hand? Dave Leslie: Because you drank the first one. [Hands me a beer]. TL: Besides loving beer, what motivated you to brew at home? DL: I had some friends at work and some here in Lakeland who brewed, and I wanted to brew with them. TL: How did you get started? DL: A friend with some brewing experience walked me through the process, and it sounded like something I could do. I went to a store called Booths over in Brandon and the guy there told me, “Brewing is like chocolate chip cookies for guys, man. Can you clean a pot? Can you boil water?” “Yeah,” I said. “Well then you can make beer!” he said. He went on to tell me the process, and I got scared because I thought I couldn’t do it — it seemed like too much. He showed me the kit, which for $120 to $150 has basically everything you need but a heat source and a pot. I lucked out; I found a turkey fryer with the burner and everything for about $35. It wasn’t the right equipment, but think of it this way: People have been brewing beer for hundreds of years — they brew it in metal garbage cans — so I figured the turkey fryer from Walmart was good enough. It got me through the first brews, but after a while the bottom was all dented and warped because it was that soft metal; it was terrible. But you know, you upgrade a piece at a time, here and there. The first time I brewed beer on the stove, the pot was burnt on the bottom because it took about five hours at high heat to brew. The next time I tried it over a fire, which it took a lot less time. But now my setup is a bit more professional. TL: Explain the equipment you have here. DL: It’s a banjo burner. You see every little hole. There are one hundred twenty of them so I can control the heat. Right now I’m steeping the grains in a large pot of water, and I want it to get to 150-160 degrees. I’m not trying to boil it; I’m just trying to steep it. I don’t want to harsh the grains. TL: So the first step is like brewing tea? DL: Right. You want it to steep for a little while, between thirty and forty minutes. The first batch I brewed as a goodbye beer for a friend. We were actually going to brew in his garage and split all the costs, but then he decided to move to Texas. So I thought it was now or never to get my own equipment. I had a few nickels coming back from a tax return, so I bought my own equipment and brewed up a Newcastle clone, and I had beer to take to his goodbye party. So that was the motivation for getting the right equipment, but since then I hardly ever brew by myself. I post on Facebook when I’m doing a brew, and I’ve had strangers come over to hang out while I brew.

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TL: I remember seeing a post like that recently. I’m sorry now I didn’t come over. Are you part of a home brewers club? DL: Yes, the Lakeland Brewers Guild. You can find them online and on Facebook. There are probably fortyfive to fifty members but typically twenty to twenty-five members per meeting. We try to encourage each other, take brewing notes, discuss, criticize, talk about esters, talk about temperatures, what we’ve learned. We meet once a month at a local restaurant to try to give them business at a time when they otherwise might not have a lot. So we have a least a beer there with food, and we bring at least two bottles of our own beer. It can be the same beer, but we have a style of the month that everyone brings. I made some Pumpkin Ale for October, but I’ll bring some more to the next meeting because even over a month of just sitting and chilling, the flavors can really open up and change. So I want people to bring their notes from last month and see if they get the same experience, see if they write the same thing as they did last month. We also do charity pours such as the one at the Brass Tap on November 16. It was ten dollars admission. We had all kinds of our beer laid out. You got a little sampler glass, and we poured beer into those glasses until all of our beers were gone. All proceeds go to charity. Last time we raised a thousand dollars and then Brass Tap matched it, so we had two thousand dollars to give to a food bank. This time it was for the Military Order of the Purple Heart. So it would be beneficial to “like” the Lakeland Brewers Guild on Facebook so you can keep up with the charity pours and other events. Even if you don’t know anything about beer or brewing, once a quarter we do “All Brews,” where we go to somebody’s house and brew. Or you can just come to a meeting and say, “I want to learn how to brew beer.” I have five brew-children and I’m waiting for my brewgrandchildren to come along. But that’s five people who have started brewing because they came over and said, “Hey, I could do that.” And almost everyone who comes over also cooks. TL: What is this? Breaking Beer? DL: [laughs] No, they’re people who understand how to prepare food. After all, this brewing is like really runny stew that just makes you feel better than any other stew could! TL: You mentioned “esters” earlier. What are they? DL: They’re the flavors you get from yeasts as a result of varying the temperature during the brew. When you let the beer ferment and the sugars are being eaten by the yeast — the yeast is turning sugars into alcohol — you can get different flavors by varying the temperature between the extremes of the yeast’s life range. Lagers are kept cold, around forty-two to forty-eight degrees. Summer beers, such as saisons, want to be warm, so much so that a back heating pad is sometimes put around it

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to keep it in the eighties. Most ales like to be between sixty-two and seventy-two degrees. I keep those in a bucket of water because water evaporates at seventy-two degrees. So during the first two days, which is the most critical, I throw ice packets in there to keep it around sixty-eight, because the colder it is during the first couple of days, the better the flavor you get out of it. If you make chocolate chip cookies all the time, after some experience you detect nuances in flavor — did you use sweet cream butter or unsalted butter? I taste a little of this or a little of that.

decided to journal about beer and try everything. I hardly had any full beers while I was out there. I just had samplers, and then I’d have one of whatever I liked the most. Let me tell you, there were some numb teeth on that trip! [laughs]. So I ended up going out there again and had a better idea of what I was looking for. I started thinking in terms of flavors instead of simply alcohol. It’s just like wine — you start thinking about the different kind of grapes and what region they’re from, and the acidity of the soil, and talking about the tannins, and you start learning about it. And then you can really taste it because you TL: So do you need to have a well-developed know what you’re looking for. beer palate to do this? DL: Well, this was my journey: Four or five TL: You’ve mentioned a few elements of the years ago, I was a Miller Lite and PBR kind of process, but walk us a through a brew. guy, but I kept wanting to drink more. It got to DL: Basically, you want to get a lot of water, the point where I was drinking an entire six- with a lot of grains and grain flavors, with pack. I didn’t want to feel that full anymore. Then sugars from grains that yeast can eat. And you someone introduced me to Newcastle and then want to give that yeast time to eat the sugars to Guiness, and then I went out to Portland and at a temperature where the yeast will survive

and not be infected. Then you bottle it with a little more sugar so that it will carbonate in there. Or, if you keg, you hook it up to CO2 and then drink it. So it’s just chemistry. Getting flavors results from what grains you use and how much, what hops you use and how much, what other elements you include — fruit, other edible types of sugars like maple syrup, honey, and molasses. And do I want to put currants in there at the end? Right now, the brew here is just steeping, but when we get to the boil, then we add all of the malt extracts, add some of the hops then and some later, and at the end add some coagulant, like Irish moss. It’s a natural coagulant that makes it a bit thicker and results in a better head on the beer. But the simple process is to get some water, make it dark with the grains, add sugars and other flavors, cool it down to a temperature at which the yeast can live, put it into a safe environment to let the yeast eat the sugars, and then put it in a container and pressurize it.

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“BREWING IS LIKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FOR GUYS, MAN. CAN YOU CLEAN A POT? CAN YOU BOIL WATER?” “YEAH,” I SAID. “WELL THEN YOU CAN MAKE BEER!” HE SAID. TL: Tell us about some of the beers you’ve made. DL: I started out doing clones where I didn’t have to think about it at all; I just followed a recipe. You buy the clone brewing ingredients in a box. But after four or five of those, I started thinking about what I wanted to brew on my own. Part of that is because I’m a cook, and I cook at my house, and I try to make all my own recipes, just make stuff up. Sometimes I see what I have in the fridge and ask, “What can I make out of that?” With this, you go to the brewery supply store and you either buy a kit or ask yourself, “What kind of brew do I want to make?” I just brewed a light-colored beer that’s a little fruitier because I thought some of my friends who are women wouldn’t like the dark beer. But as it turned out, they all love this dark beer. I always write out my recipes so if I like it I know exactly how to replicate it. I can buy the same grains, hops, yeast, and so on. I have a poster on my fridge that lists all different kinds of yeasts on it, and that’s where 38

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I get ideas. It’s like if you were trying to decide on spices to put in a soup, you might say, “I want to put a bay leaf in, or I don’t want to use garlic here, or I want to use more basil.” That’s the same process. Some people are starting to put bizarre things in beer. I just had mango habanero beer. It was so hot! I had one sip and thought, this is beer for chili. The girl that brewed it loved it, though. So, I started with clones and then began to think how I wanted to change those recipes, adding fresh ingredients instead of dry ingredients, for instance. That led me to search online for ideas. There are a ton of recipes online. So I moved from recipes to beers that I thought I’d like. I’ve done at least thirty beers that I can remember off the top of my head. Luckily, by law, I’m allowed to brew three hundred fifty gallons for household use. TL: I have to tell you that I’m not usually a fan of the heaviness of darker beer, but this one is delicious. It’s not light in color, but it is in taste.

DL: That might be because of the type of brewing I do instead of all-grain brewing where you get a richer, more syrupy beer. My favorite beer that I brew I call Citrus Saison. A saison is a warm brew with French and Belgian yeast strains. It’s a barn beer, or summer beer. You brew it at the beginning of the summer when it turns hot. You throw it in the barn, cover it with burlap, and let it brew for a couple of months. I’m used to ales. Ale yeasts are seven-day brews, and there’s no more bubbling — the yeast has eaten the sugar buffet. Whereas the saison yeast like to live warmer. I’ve wrapped them in a heating blanket and tried to keep them up around ninety degrees, and it took two and a half months for it to stop bubbling. At first I thought I did something wrong because the bubbling hadn’t stopped. I did some research and found that it was normal for saison yeast to take much longer than ale yeast. I checked the gravity. It was still 120, and the recipe said it should be around 110. So I knew it wasn’t done. I made sure everything was sanitary, put

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the lid back on, watched it, and sure enough — bloop! — another bubble would pop up and I knew it was still eating. I used some fresh orange peel in there (but not the bitter part), and that makes it really bright. It’s almost like, “I will mow the lawn just so I can drink that beer!” TL: Homebrewing seems to have gained a lot of popularity recently. Why do you think that is? DL: I think that people doing things for themselves has become more popular generally. More people want to raise food in their own gardens. You go into some big cities and people are keeping chickens or turning a small yard into a garden. So, because beer is so tasty and delicious, and it’s not hard to do once you get your equipment and you have the ancillary benefits of having a good time hanging out while doing it, it’s easy to understand why more people are doing it. And it feels good to share, too. I probably give away half the beer I brew. I’ll go four or five days without having a beer now. I went from wanting four or five beers at a time to wanting just one or two good beers. TL: Do you have a desire to brew more widely, or are you content to keep it in your home and share it with friends? DL: That’s always in the back of my mind because it’s something I really love and enjoy doing. I have a name for my brewery now. You are standing on the porch of Broken Elbow Brewing. The joke is, it’s so delicious that you’ll break your elbow bringing the bottle back and forth to your lips. The home brewers who’ve been really successful are those who’ve partnered with local businesses — they’re connected, they’re participants in their communities, and they move into the commercial kitchen of an existing restaurant so the health code requirements are already met. That’s how Dogfish Head did it. So right now it’s just a matter of developing recipes, doing events where I pour for free and get feedback on recipes, and learning from it. There are tasters who judge beer by actual beer-judging, five-star standards, and then some who give more subjective feedback. But it’s always good to hear honest feedback. I’m always begging my friends to tell me if they don’t like a brew. Going to beer festivals is also a good way to get feedback. I recently went to one in Philly and sat and talked to the guys in the

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craft-beer tent. They’re all really passionate about brewing, and they’re partnering with bars and restaurants and finding ways to a larger audience. And because it’s such a fast-growing segment of the beer market, distributors don’t consider craft beers as risky as they once did. There are even businesses opening up around craft beer, like Brew Hub, where they will brew your recipe for you. So I wouldn’t necessarily need to own a kitchen. But I would almost rather brew in an existing business that has room in their kitchen for me to brew and then there would be very minimal startup costs. In that case, I wouldn’t be subject to the distribution laws because I’d be selling it in-house. So I could sell bottles and growlers, and when it runs low I’d just brew more. TL: So without a distributor’s license, could you sell cases of the brew from the establishment you just described? DL: No, I could sell only open containers and growlers. Right now that means thirty-two ounces or a half-gallon. So the home brewers are really pushing for a half gallon to be legalized because that’s the perfect size. If I had purchased a half gallon of whatever brew at a bar to share with you guys (author Adam Spafford and photographer Jason Stephens), I could pour us all a nice big glass and it would be just about gone. But thirty-two ounces wouldn’t quite be enough, and a gallon would be too much to drink before going flat unless you had a lot of people over. Big beer [large beer companies] doesn’t want the half gallon, but in other places in the country — Texas, Oregon — the half gallon has been the most popular size. TL: Any final words? DL: If you like beer and like making your own stuff, you should hang out with people who brew. Everyone probably knows someone who brews. It’s so popular and simple. You can easily tell if you’ve done something wrong or not. If it looks like there’s a dead opossum floating on top, then something went wrong! So you lose $30 to $40, but you know how to fix it easily next time. With the cost of craft beers, I can go spend $14.99 for a six-pack of Dead Guy Ale, or I can brew five and a half gallons for about $65. Of course, there are some startup costs to consider. But I say, hang out with someone. Hang out with me — Bob Marley’s always on — and have a great time.

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CULTURE

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IC ST

hether or not you know a lot about beer, you’re transfixed by the creativity behind beer labels. Like concert-gig posters, beer labels have become increasingly creative and sophisticated alongside the popularity of craft beer. Unlike gig posters, beer labels haven’t achieved collecting status just yet, but could one day be the new treasure for aspiring stamp collectors. We invited talented Lakeland designers to submit their renditions of labels for specific types of beer. The concept was simple: Imagine Lakeland has its own local brewery. What would be the brewery’s name and how would it brand itself and its products? Designers were assigned a specific type of beer, from an IPA to a saison, and asked to create a label that included the brewery’s name. Here are the beautiful results.

Designer: Fred Koehler Beer: Swan City Brewers Zombie Bite, Oktoberfest Inspired by Downtown Lakeland’s Zombie Fest, Swan City Brewers’ Zombie Bite is a traditional Oktoberfest ale pockmarked with hints of fleshy bacon and sweet, sticky maple. Reflecting hues from both the living and the undead, the color palette of this design reminds us that what falls to the ground may in fact rise again and try to harvest ourselves right back. As a bonus exercise in form versus function, the bottle has been pre-scored along the edges of the label to create a zombie fighting gauntlet. Only trained professionals should try to break bottles into gauntlets or punch zombies in the brain, and neither should be attempted under the influence of alcohol. Fred Koehler is the head window washer at The Fred Group brand agency, an author and illustrator of books for little people, and would prefer all parking in downtown Lakeland to be free. Follow him on Twitter @superfredd.

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Designer: Brian Chambers Beer: Yule Lager, Winter Lager Brian Chambers is a native Lakelander who began studying graphic design in Tampa. He was ultimately inspired, however, by a group of contemporary graphic designers he has been associated with for more than twenty years. Currently, he is a creative director for Publix Super Markets. He’s driven by the process and tools associated with clean and clear design. Beyond graphic design, Brian satisfies his creative appetite by playing drums and cooking. He tends to gravitate toward IPAs as a beer fan, especially Cigar City’s Jai Alai, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Sea Hag, and Racer 5. For this special Lakelander project, Brian focused on a design for a winter lager.

Designer: Eric Blackmore Beer: Barnstormer Spring Saison Eric Blackmore has been a practicing designer for twenty-three years. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art where he earned a BFA in graphic design and photography. His first design position was with a small firm in Cleveland where he was a designer, photographer, videographer, and producer. After moving to Florida, Eric started Blackmore Design and currently creates designs for many national and local businesses. This year marks his fourteenth year as an adjunct professor at Florida Southern College, teaching graphic design, photography, and packaging. He also helps coordinate FSC’s Travel Abroad courses and has worked with FSC photography students in over twenty countries on five continents. In his spare time, Eric brews beer at home. He and his father began making beer after they moved from their family vineyard and winery. He has been brewing beer in Florida for fourteen years. His current favorite is an IPA with a strong Cascade hop, but he has begun experimenting with brewing his first saison. When thinking of a concept for a Lakelandbased brew, Eric wanted to include a sense of local tradition. His label is an homage to Lakeland’s Sun ‘n Fun and the area’s aviation history. After some research he learned about the Barnstormers who once practiced at Lakeland Linder Airport many years ago.

Designer: Gretchen Wood Beer: Unweiss Amber Ale, Hefeweizen Gretchen Wood was born and raised in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. She studied graphic design at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. In 1994, she graduated cum laude with a BA in graphics after having completed a summer internship at Kathleen Elsey Design in San Francisco. In 1995, she became the art director at Marti, Flores, Prieto & Wachtel, a major advertising agency. She later moved to Tampa with her husband, who was continuing his medical training in Florida. She has been in Lakeland since 2011 and is a freelance designer. Gretchen’s local clientele includes Red Door Wine Market, Haka Fitness, and FitNiche. She also does some pro bono work for Lakeland Montessori Middle School. Nationally, Gretchen designs wine labels for a winery and a winemaker in Paso Robles and Napa Valley. As a designer, she is driven by the process, from brainstorming concepts and making preliminary sketches to hashing out the final detail on her computer. She loves a cold beer, so long as it’s gluten free, but can never turn down a glass of Pinot Noir.

Designer: Matthew Wengerd Beer: Wire Lake, Porter When Matthew Wengerd arrived in Lakeland well over a decade ago, he didn’t plan to stay long, but the allure of the Swan City won his heart. A formally trained jazz musician and self-taught designer, he approaches aesthetics with the same sense of improvisation that he employs on the bandstand. Matthew believes that clean, minimal design and plentiful whitespace are keys to good living. He enjoys the work of James Victore, Jessica Hische, and Count Basie, who “never played one note when none would do.”

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Designer: Allen Reed Beer: Polk in the Eye, Strong Ale Born in Miami, Allen Reed grew up in Lakeland and has lived most of his life here. He received his commercial-art degree from Tampa Technical Institute in 1990 and was principal of two Central Florida advertising design firms before joining Madden Brand Agency as creative director in 2003. Throughout his twentysomething year career, Allen has worked with a diverse range of local, national, and international companies. Here in Lakeland, his distinctive branding work for Saddle Creek Logistics Services, Bank of Central Florida, Ledger Media Group, and dozens of other companies and organizations can be spotted all around. Allen is a recipient of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) of Polk County’s “Ad Man of the Year” award, numerous industry awards, and is president of AAF Polk. A few years ago, Allen caught the craft-beer bug and enjoys sampling brews from local spots offering unique selections. Among his go-tos are IPAs, Belgian-Trappists, and Porters.

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Designer(s): Liz Chinchilla/Sean Hults Beer: Clementine IPA, Promenade IPA Liz Chinchilla and Sean Hults have lived in Lakeland for nearly eight years. They both moved to Lakeland for college: Liz received her BFA in graphic design and studio art from Florida Southern, and Sean studied design at Southeastern. Prior to Southeastern, Sean also studied at the State University of New York in Purchase. Nowadays, Liz is a full-time designer at Kellogg Marketing, and Sean is a freelance designer. They are both driven by the need to be creative, and the beauty and power of a visual world. They are fascinated by the broad range of contemporary design and how accessible it has become thanks to the Internet. This makes them as inspired by other designers as they are other designs. Luckily for us, they are both huge beer fans, with Liz siding with Swampheadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Midnight Oil and Sean favoring North Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin.

Designer: Dennis Hart Beer: So Bitter, English Bitter Dennis Hart is a native Lakelander who studied digital media at Full Sail University. He worked as a graphic designer for five years before beginning his career as a caricaturist. His earliest projects as a designer included banners for Geffen Records and material for several businesses in downtown Orlando. You can run into him at the many Florida arts festivals and other more Lakeland-based events like the Food Truck Rallies and First Fridays. His caricatures have become very popular with the Lakeland community. He is driven by the appeal of lush layouts and textures combined with clean lines and bold shapes. Many of his designs focus on quirky and memorable messages that represent more than just the product. He strives to give products a personality with his contemporary style related to street art. Dennis is open about being more of a liquor fan, but he loves the creative potential behind the new age of beer labels.

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Craft Got Your Tongue? An introduction to tasting beer

story by Teege Braune photography by Tina Sargeant

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he monolithic craft-beer bar is a relatively new phenomenon made possible by this nation’s current beer renaissance. Never in the history of the United States has there been such a diverse selection of small-batch brewers producing amazing, fermented, malt beverages. Only a niche market a decade ago, craft beer is now a booming industry, and somebody’s got to be able to store all this stuff. Fortunately for the Orlando area, we have Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour, a converted airconditioning factory with twenty-six draft lines and over three hundred bottles of imported

and American-brewed craft ales and lagers. Though the diverse menu has earned the bar national recognition, she who has not kept up with this cultural zeitgeist is likely to go doe-eyed and weak in the knees gazing into the brimming, glass-door cooler. As a bartender at Redlight Redlight, one of my jobs is to help you wade through this admittedly intimidating selection. After all, drinking beer should be fun, not an anxiety-inducing experience. My colleagues and I have tasted all of these beers, and we know a thing or two about them. With little prompting we are usually successful at picking the perfect beverage for any palate.

Nevertheless, it’s helpful to your bartender and useful for your own enjoyment if you have a basic awareness of the ins and outs of tasting beer before your next visit to any of Florida’s delightful craft breweries, bars, pubs, and taverns. Before your glass of beer ever approaches your lips, there are a couple of preparatory steps every beer enthusiast should follow. First, give that glass of beer a good, long stare. Sizing up your beverage will tell you a lot about it. The color, head retention, and even the glass in which it’s presented will all give clues to a beer’s style and quality. While a thick, four-inch head of foam may be the sign of lousy pour in

the case of a pilsner or amber ale, it’s the perfect presentation for a good saison or hefeweizen. Beers range in color from bright gold to opaque black and all different hues of amber and brown in between, each with a significantly different flavor from the next. There’s no reason to get freaked out if you see something floating in your glass; it’s customary to find cloudy sediment if your beer is unfiltered. Any true beer connoisseur knows that her nose is more important to tasting beer than her mouth, but before you snort an uncomfortable stream of suds into your nostrils, hear me out. Your tongue’s ability to taste is limited to only a few fundamental THE LAKELANDER

Teege Braune is a writer and a bartender at Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour.

flavors, though these may vary substantially in combination and emphasis. Your nose, on the other hand, is capable of picking up an almost endless array of scents and subtleties within them. Descriptions of a beer’s scent can vary greatly and may invoke flowers and citrus, cocoa and coffee beans, or a wide array of other aromas. Some beers are even described as smelling like basements, diapers, and old leather boots. As unappealing as this may sound to a drinker who has just discovered the more unusual styles that beer has to offer, seasoned drinkers tend to assume a direct correlation between a beer’s prestige and an unconventional or even unflattering comparison. After all, the more bizarre your beer smells, the more exotic it’s likely to be. I don’t know anyone who’s had any fun sitting around smelling beer all day, so take a drink. Take 54

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two. Never judge a beer after only one sip. The first swallow of a new beer will merely acquaint your palate to the flavors you’ve introduced to it. As a bartender I hand out a lot of samples, and I’m happy to do this, but truth be told, beer’s complicated flavors may continue to shock or confuse your palate by the end of a whole pint. Any drinker seeking to understand and appreciate beer should try multiple brands within any given style before drawing conclusions. You will meet those who claim to have loved bitter IPAs and sour lambics after the very first sip, but these people are rare and often liars. Most people, including myself, found these styles nearly undrinkable after the first try. Nevertheless, the truly curious drinker is drawn back and will continue sampling until it clicks. I was intrigued by the complexities the first time I popped open a

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bottle of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, my first IPA. I could perceive how delightful it was, even if my palate had not yet learned to appreciate something so bitter. Palates have a tendency to learn and grow. If you discover that a high-quality beer isn’t as quaffable as you would like, don’t give up on it. Challenge yourself to finish your beer no matter how unusual the flavor seems. It can only help to broaden your appreciation and stretch your palate in new directions. This is not to say that all beer is

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created equal. Far from it. Outside of the many tasteless lagers that macro-brewing has made available in the United States, much can go wrong in the craft-beer world as well. Just because a brewery is small does not necessarily mean their product is of the highest caliber. That being said, much of the time, a truly bad beer is more the result of shoddy storage than poor craftsmanship. Many beers come with an expiration date on the bottle or the can, but it’s impossible to know just how long

any given keg has been sitting on the line. The vinyl tubing through which draft beer arrives in your glass can pick up the flavors of every beer that travels within it. If it’s not cleaned on a regular basis, it can make your beer taste stale or muddle it with flavors that were never intended. While a buttery quality might be ideal for a chardonnay, it typically means your beer has gone bad. Likewise, the taste of wet cardboard is a strong indication that your beer was stored in temperatures that

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were too warm. While some of the most prestigious, highest-rated beers in the world were designed to be sour, the same funky and pungent bacteria strains that impart this flavor will wreak havoc if introduced to a beer that was never meant to contain them. Oxygen and light are two of beers worst enemies. Overexposure to either will make any beer nearly undrinkable. Your palate is a beautiful and individual butterfly. While there are no wrong answers when it comes to tasting beer, it’s also important to know why different styles taste the way they do. A strong stout and an IPA may both taste bitter but not for the same reasons. The stout’s rich, bitter coffeelike flavor comes from the malts, which are roasted prior to brewing. On the other hand, malts tend to take the backseat in IPAs. These ales will be bitter because of the emphasized present of hops, a conical bud related to cannabis that can make beer taste grassy, piney, or citrusy depending on the varietal. Understanding the difference between the two is important in recognizing why your palate gravitates in one direction or the other. The only way anyone can begin to truly understand beer is to drink it, lots of it. Fortunately, craft-beer drinkers tend to be a pretty friendly bunch who love to tell passing strangers all they know about their favorite pastime, so the next time you find yourself in any craft-beer bar, overwhelmed by the selection, don’t hesitate to ask the guy sitting next to you what he’s drinking. Simply popping open bottles with a handful of seasoned beer geeks is the best education any novice consumer could hope to receive.

Lakeland’s own Richard Sherfey is one of Redlight Redlight’s distinguished proprietors, and he tells us a plan for opening a Lakeland location is underway. Be excited. Be very excited.

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the THREE Bs Dustin Olson of Fat Maggie’s talks about BBQ, backyards, and beer story by Logan Crumpton photography by Dustin Prickett

THE LAKELANDER

A year or so has passed since Fat Maggie’s opened its doors for business in the Dixieland section of Lakeland. The owners hit the ground running and haven’t skipped a beat since, as the quaint restaurant is filled to capacity for nearly every lunch and dinner service. I talked with Dustin Olson of Fat Maggie’s about what sets apart this tiny, tucked-away barbeque, beer, and burger haven from the rest.

The Lakelander: The first thing I noticed when I came in on opening day was the way you staged your beverage program. You don’t see any major labels, not even with your sodas. As a consumer who is trying to minimize my intake of those kinds of products, I really appreciated those exclusions. Can you give some insight as to why you’ve taken that approach at Fat Maggie’s? Dustin Olson: It’s just not what we believe in. If it isn’t something I would serve in my house to my friends, why would I choose to serve it elsewhere? We’re trying to create a familiar atmosphere here. It’s a smaller space, obviously. We want customers to feel welcome, as they would if they were in my backyard or my living room. So that’s reflected in all the beverages we serve. TL: When it comes to recommending craft brews to your customers, are you finding resistance with people who are only familiar with the larger distributors? DO: Not too much anymore. I get some who ask, “Why would I like this?” Or, “What makes this special?” Craft beer is often a collaboration, and to me that’s pretty fun. Some start drinking being kind of ignorant about it. Not in any bad way. You have to start somewhere, right? TL: I think a lot of people correlate craft beer with something stronger than normal, which is not necessarily true. For brewers, it’s an art form, so they constantly feel an urge to push the boundaries of each particular style. DO: In essence, it’s also a small-business, communal approach. People want to support people. They want to support local, not this huge conglomerate, these huge corporations. They want to go to their local grocery, their local farm, even their local restaurant to get something special. That speaks to why craft beer has spawned here. It’s very American, to be able to create.

THE LAKELANDER

We want customers to feel welcome, as they would if they were in my backyard or my living room. Dustin Olson

TL: I agree. You do see there is more care put into things when you do it yourself, or at least if you’re closely associated with the person making the product. I see our generation trying to go back to an oldschool way of thinking, more hands-on and hand-made. DO: That’s true. Even the brewers and breweries have gone back to Europe, to the origin of beer as we know it. They go back to where the monks were brewing, finding out how they did it, to capture the feel. It’s the same for food. People have said, “If this is a modern conception of food, let’s throw that out and go find out how this all got started and make it better.” Then they riff on it by mixing old and new together. TL: Is it okay that I group Fat Maggie’s as a barbeque restaurant? How do you think beer and barbeque mix together? DO: Sure, it’s definitely OK. It’s pretty synonymous — beer and barbeque. We launched the restaurant serving beer only in 62

THE LAKELANDER

cans, as it’s nostalgic to us. If you’re at a cookout at someone’s house, there better be good barbeque, and more than likely you’ll have lots of cans of beer, especially if you’re outside. There’s a great connection being with your friends or family in that setting. Since then, we’ve done a mix of cans and bottles, but we’re still chasing that nostalgia vibe. TL: Being in Florida, it’s easy to say that beer tastes better when you’re outside in a relaxed atmosphere. DO: Exactly, it’s all in the context, as much as you can capture that in a commercial setting. Our due north is to try and recreate all those great parties with friends we’ve had over the years, but on a daily basis. I think of all the barbeques we had, and beer has always been in the equation. We’re constantly trying to bring new brews to the table, searching out unique things to try. It has made for good times. TL: Have you considered doing Pigfest this year?

DO: [Getting the attention of his wife, Heather, he asks:] Have we registered for Pigfest? [She nods and says, “Pro.”] We registered for Pro? TL: What’s the difference? DO: The difference between pro and amateur is that we’re going to get our butts handed to us in our own backyard. TL: I don’t really understand the competition side of competitive barbeque. To me, they don’t always reward the best, because there are so many factors in what makes competition barbeque good. DO: Taste is so subjective. I’ve talked to other proprietors who run barbeque joints and they say they always get owned in competition. It’s because those guys who rule the circuit prepare for weeks and weeks to make one piece of meat taste and look good, for a singular bite. But we’re competing anyway. If we get anything better than dead last, that will be OK. We just go for the party.

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TL: Maybe the last-place team won’t show up and you’ll have an automatic victory. DO: Yeah, or maybe someone will forget to bring their chicken! TL: Do you plan on doing more beer dinners at the restaurant? DO: [After a short pause] Yes, it’s definitely going to happen again down the road at some point. We are actually going to start brewing, Lord willing and if we can jump through all the hoops. We already have a great relationship with a gentleman who is going to come in and brew on-site. TL: Do you have a recipe already? DO: His recipe is legit. TL: Is it based on your personal preference? DO: Yes and no. He brought me some stuff one day, and I was blown away by the quality of it. We sort of bounced back and forth, and now we’re really excited. Again, it comes back to passion, honesty, and the love of it. We aren’t trying to cash in or get rich off of it. I’m just really excited to work with him. If we make a great product, something might come of it. But if it doesn’t, we need to be OK with that as well, and do better. We’re going to try and have three

or four house-made beers at any one time, trying to keep it seasonal. So that means ten months of summer beers and two months of winter. TL: Will you be brewing beer specific to your style of food? It’s hard to find a beer that goes well with everything. But to find a beer that tastes better when you add food is, well, awesome. DO: It certainly is a luxury. I never would have imagined we would be able to work with someone who can do it so well. A lot of it, too, is education. Like I said before, people come in and say, “I don’t drink house or craft beer. What can you give me that I might like?” We will always try and have something that bridges the gap. Florida Cracker by Cigar City has been a great beer for that. It’s getting easier to steer people in the right direction. TL: I agree it’s getting easier, and the craft beer movement is building a head of steam in Lakeland. With that said, it’s still hard to find Florida-made beers in the city. How long do you think it will be before that changes? DO: I hope the Brew Hub helps that. I think the problem is that Cigar City is so easy to find now. You can find it in almost every store that sells beer. That’s what people know craft brews

to be in Central Florida. It’s not a problem, though, because Cigar City is pretty delicious. If nothing else, I think the Brew Hub will bring beer to the Southeast that hasn’t been available before now. TL: What are some of your favorite beers at the moment? DO: Right now, it’s between Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. I’m so excited about what they’re doing in San Diego. And we serve the Mission Shipwrecked here, which makes it even better. I also like Ten Fidy from Oskar Blues. And hey, it comes in a can!

Cheer on the Fat Maggie’s crew as they compete in the 18th Annual Lakeland Pigfest, which takes place January 24-25 on the grounds at Tiger Town. And be on the lookout for the highly anticipated launch of Fat Maggie’s made-in-house brews as well as a continuing lineup of beer-pairing dinners coming in the near future.

FESTIVAL OF FINE ARTS WINTER 2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS ART Jennifer Viola & Daniel Derwelis

Jan. 17–Feb. 28

New York artists Viola and Derwelis will present a dual exhibition of mixed-media-on-paper and oil-on-canvas works.

THEATER “The Wedding Singer” Feb. 13–16 Travel back to a time when hair was big, greed was good, and the wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room.

MUSIC Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel

Jan. 23

One of Israel’s finest ensembles, in its inaugural tour of the United States, will perform popular works by Mozart and Tchaikovsky.

Visit flsouthern.edu/ffa for a full preview of upcoming events and for ticket and seating information. Call the Box Office at 863.680.4296 to order tickets today!

A Night at the Opera: “The Merry Widow”*

Jan. 18

FSC and the Imperial Symphony Orchestra present Franz Lehár’s “The Merry Widow” with performances by Mara Bonde and Christopher Clayton.

DANCE Moscow Festival Ballet

Feb. 25

The highly acclaimed company returns in a stunning presentation of “Romeo and Juliet” set to the music of Tchaikovsky with choreography inspired by Petipa. *Not included in FFA season ticket. THE LAKELANDER

RECIPES

FAT MAGGIE’S IPA-BATTERED ONION RINGS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 12-ounce beer ( Jai Alai) 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon smoked chipotle chili powder 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons sea salt 2 tablespoons corn starch 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced in rings Oil for frying • Heat oil to 350 degrees F. • Whisk all the dry ingredients. • Whisk in the beer. • Toss the rings in the corn starch. The corn starch acts as a binder for the batter to stick. • Dip the rings in the batter. This part will be messy; just embrace it. • Carefully dip the rings in the hot oil. • Fry until golden brown.

FAT MAGGIE’S FAMOUS BEER CHEESE 1 stick of butter 1 cup of milk 1 cup shredded Parmesan 1 cup shredded mild cheddar 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar 1 cup shredded white cheddar 6 ounces of beer (Narragansett) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper • Place medium-size pot on Medium-Low heat. • Melt butter. • Stir in milk and bring to a simmer. • Stir in Parmesan and let melt for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently and often. • Stir in all the other cheese and let melt for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently and often. • You have options when it comes to when to add the beer. The earlier you add it, the less you will taste it. We add ours at the very end so the beer flavor is bold, but you can add it with the milk at the beginning for a more mild beer flavor.

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DOWN

ROAD Trekking the state for the love of the craft (in preparation for our own brewing future!)

sk anyone from out of state what three things come to mind when they think of Florida. Those three things will likely include Disney World, orange juice, or snowbirds. As a native of this wonderful state, this stigma disappoints me. Sure, people like a slice of paradise when they retire. And, of course, there’s no shortage of that vibrant fruit we see speckling the vast orchards along the rural expanse. But come on. We’re so much more than the mouse! It’s becoming quite evident that our state is evolving out of those tired clichés and venturing into bold, new territories. One of the many exciting things shaping our cultural landscape is the current craft-beer boom. Florida has become the prime breeding grounds for some of the most delicious, complex, and insanely creative craft beers, gaining the attention of a larger national scene. Each of our major metropolises houses one or more substantial microbreweries, some of which are fully staffed warehouses, brewing dozens of unique batches. What does all of this mean for you? Well, if you’re of age and you have an interest in this culinary art form, it’s time to brush up on both your palette and your knowledge of the process. As a Lakelander, you live right in the heart of the state with easy access to Florida’s arterial transportation routes. So, accompanied by our magazine’s trusty Taste Editor, Logan Crumpton, I took to the road to map out your guide to exploring the facilities that produce some of Florida’s finest craft beers that you’ve likely plucked from the grocery store or sampled at one of Lakeland’s bars or restaurants. In the tradition of a good road trip, we’ll recommend some places to stop along the way for interesting things to see or do, as well as places to get a good bite to eat. story by Philip Pietri and Logan Crumpton photography by Philip Pietri

THE LAKELANDER

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE JACKSONVILLE

THE ULTIMATE FLORIDA BREWERY ROAD TRIP

Stop 3: Intuition Ale Works k

GAINESVILLE

Stop 4: Tamoka Brewery Stop 2: Swamphead Brewing ORMOND BEACH

Other great breweries from around the Sunshine State:

a Copp Brewery

11 NE 4th Ave., Crystal River, FL 34429 Coppbrewery.com

b Funky Buddha Brewery

Stop 5: Cask & Larder

c Dunedin Brewery

937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, FL 34698 Dunedinbrewery.com

ORLANDO i e cd

1201 NE 38th St., Oakland Park, FL 33334 FunkyBuddhabrewery.com

d Seventh Sun Brewing Company TAMPA

1012 Broadway, Dunedin, FL 34698 7thSunbrewery.com

e St. Somewhere Brewing Company

LAKELAND

1441 Savannah Ave., Ste. E, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 SaintSomewhereBrewing.com

OTHER NOTABLE BREWERIES IN FLORIDA: f Green Bench Brewing Co.

1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33705 GreenBenchbrewing.com

Stop 1:

Cigar City Brewing

g Rapp Brewing Co

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

10930 Endeavor Way, Ste. C, Seminole, FL 33777 Rappbrewing.com

h Two Henrys

5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City, FL 33565 TwoHenrysbrewing.com

Stop 6: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a surprise. Keep reading to find out more!

i Orlando Brewing

1301 Atlanta Ave., Orlando, FL 32806 Orlandobrewing.com

j Lagniappe Brewing Company

60 Center St., Ste. E., Minneola, FL 34715 EffinHeimerbeer.com

k Mile Marker Brewing

3420 Agricultural Center Dr., Ste. 8, St. Augustine, FL 32092 MileMarkerbrewing.com

l Due South

2900 High Ridge Rd., Ste. 3, Boynton Beach, FL 33426 DueSouthbrewing.com

m Cocoa Beach Brewing Company

NORTH

150 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 CocoaBeachbrewingcompany.com

THE LAKELANDER

STOP #1

CIGAR CITY BREWING 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, FL 33607

Our first stop is arguably Florida’s most recognized brewery and quite possibly the poster child of how craft beer is growing at breakneck speed in our state. In just under six years of existence, CCB has won countless awards and medals, solidifying itself as not only a great independent American brewery but also constantly being voted as one of the top three breweries in the world. And it’s only twenty-five miles away! Not to be missed is an extensive tour of the brewery itself. We were fortunate enough to be guided by Founder and Owner Joey Redner, a Florida native who started out not enjoying the beer that was made available to him. After taking trips to the West Coast and working a stint at the oldest craft brewery in Florida, Dunedin Brewing, he and his Head Brewmaster Wayne Wambles have changed the entire beer culture in Tampa Bay. Once inside the brewery, prepare to spend much time enjoying the core lineup as well as some remarkable one-offs for which CCB has been made famous, such as a collaboration with Terrapin Brewery called Southern Slice. The collaborative brew is a Dopplebock infused by way of a gigantic homemade “Randall” made with vanilla beans and nine hundred pounds of pecans.

Top pick with food pairing idea: Their Humidor Series IPA aged in cedar, or the highly sought-after Tocobaga Red Ale, which is finally being made into cans, would pair perfectly with manchego stuffed piquillo peppers or smoked swordfish tacos with pickled jalapeno, from their very own brewpub just north of the flagship brewery. Or, you can find a rotating selection of CCBs beer at the Refinery, a Seminole Heights landmark which thrives on forward thinking, taking chances, and the evolution of dining.

Y , JOEDNER RE O CE

While you’re in town, check out: 70

THE LAKELANDER

Tampa Museum of Art \\\ Ybor City (Cigar City) \\\ Big Cat Rescue

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STOP #2

SWAMP HEAD BREWERY 3140 SW 42nd Way, Gainesville, FL 32608

The one and only issue with Swamp Head is finding the place. Gainesville tried to make it difficult by having two numbered streets directly parallel to each other. Aside from that, Swamp Head Brewery is perfectly located, just off 1-75 and a mile or so from the University of Florida’s main campus. We walked directly into the tasting room and were greeted with the calming scent of cypress wood as it lines the walls and is used to make up the bar and tables. We also were handed snifters of Darkwater IPA, which was voted best beer in Florida in 2011, a Black IPA that tightrope walks the line between porter and pale ale. There is a distinct mission Swamp Head emphasizes, which became evident as we spent time with Tap Room Manager Alex — that of letting nothing go to waste and of supporting anything local they can. One way is by donating their brewing leftovers to the University to feed the beef cattle, for instance. In the tasting room you must try a flight of their core five they serve year round, which includes Cottonmouth, a biscuity Belgian-style Wheat Bier that will fill your nostrils with the scent of freshly zested oranges and newly harvested hay. Swamp Head prides itself on quality control, holding the reins of every step of the process from brewing to packaging, making this charming brewery inherently Floridian.

Top pick with food pairing idea: I would pack up a few growlers of Midnight Oil, a traditional Oatmeal Stout, which will wake you up from any haze with a powerfully hypnotic waft of espresso, similar to a freshly brewed Cafe Americano, caused by their cold-extraction process. Serve the Midnight Oil slightly chilled with warm fudgy chocolate cake and a scoop of vanilla-bean gelato as an end to a beer-paired dinner.

Where to eat: You should always listen to the locals when it comes to finding the best places to eat. It doesn’t hurt that these two places proudly have Swamp Head on tap at all times. Alex suggests if you find yourself hungry for the best Gainesville has to offer, go to the Lunch Box for, well, lunch. For dinner, you have to make a stop at Blue Gill Quality Foods for contemporary Southern food put on a pedestal.

While you’re in town, check out: 72

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Hippodrome State Theatre \\\ Florida Museum of National History \\\ Ichetucknee Springs State Park

THE LAKELANDER

STOP #3

INTUITION ALE WORKS 720 King St., Jacksonville, FL 32204

Intuition Ale Works was the pioneer of transitioning to the ever more popular canning process in Florida, holding claim as the first when they began early in 2012. Then again, Bold City also holds the title as Jacksonville’s first craft brewery. When we arrived in Jacksonville, it was pandemonium. Intuition Ale Works was in the middle of their third year anniversary, and Bold City, which is within walking distance, was also having an in-house party, blocking off most of the culturally diverse Riverside district. That didn’t stop us from sampling some great beers. We were amazed at the selection we could choose from at Intuition. With around twenty taps flowing, we first enjoyed a Riverside Red Ale, reminiscent of New Belgium’s Fat Tire with a slightly crisper bite of malt and more hops coming through right up front. You must try whatever fruitful version is available of their Session Saison. The saison standing on its own is a perfectly balanced all day and everyday type beer with light body and just a hint of that grassy farmhouse funk and high effervescence levels. Combine that with an infusion of sweet cherries and we were all set.

Top pick with food pairing idea: To cut the bourbon sort of alcoholly taste you get when you age beer in barrels, I would pair it with a medium-rare, griddled, grass-fed beef burger, topped with chorizo, smashed sweet plantain, melted provolone, and sriracha-cilantro mayo.

Where to eat: Burrito Gallery, for yellow curry chicken burritos! After a night of sampling, nothing makes one feel more complete than saddling up to the bar in a great diner. The Fox in the Avondale district impressed with their food, and hit me with an eerily early ’90s sense of nostalgia. Their “NAM” burger inspired our food pairing. Next door to The Fox, hit up Mojo No. 4 at suppertime or even late night for “urban” bbq featuring our favorite part of the pig — smoky rib tips.

While you’re in town, check out: 74

THE LAKELANDER

Tour the City on Sky Rail (free) \\\ Chamblin Bookmine \\\ Five Points

STOP #4

TOMOKA BREWERY

188 E. Granada Blvd, Ormond Beach, FL 32176 Initially this newcomer to the craft-brewing scene was not on our itinerary. Yet we decided to make a detour down the east coast to investigate the situation after numerous positive tales from friends who had already sampled some of their wares. Founded and run entirely by Peter Szunyogh and Jennifer Hawkins, we were given a lesson in hospitality with Peter’s stories of how the brewery came to be and why he shares empty tap space with only Florida-based breweries. He also schooled us on beer and food pairings, as he is a trained pastry chef. Tomoka was by far the smallest operation we toured, but that does not stop this team from pumping out high-flavored brews. They installed equipment to fit their unique needs of also being a full-service restaurant. We got a sneak preview on some future offerings, including a Buckwheat Double Bock, with touches of molasses that gave it a mild sweetness to cut through the strong lager. Of course, the buckwheat added an abundance of fresh, grassy tones to lighten things up. Peter also poured a deeply aromatic dark brown he affectionately called his easy-drinking stout. An apt description, as it was without question one of the smoothest stouts I’ve had. Too often you only can find drinkable stouts in the colder months. Well, Florida doesn’t have many of those, so it’s appropriate that this will be in the repertoire year round.

Top pick with food pairing idea: As we were taught by Peter, beer actually is more compatible to accompany a cheese course, as it cleanses and scrubs the palate with the addition of carbonation, which wine lacks. Serve an aged cheddar, veiny blue, or even a stinky creamy brie with roasted nuts, dried fruit, and honey paired with the Buckwheat Double Bock.

Where to eat: You should not pass up ordering one of Tomoka’s handmade pizzas. As lifelong Floridians, the only logical choice was a pizza topped with collard greens called “The Soul of the South.”

While you’re in town, check out:

H ER PET NYOG U Z S

Kayaking on the Tomoka River located in Tomoka State Park \\\ The “Loop” — one of Florida’s most scenic driving roads and trails THE LAKELANDER

STOP #5

CASK & LARDER

565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789 Cask & Larder is on an entirely different plane than any other establishment that claims to be a brewpub or public house. It’s unfair how fantastic every single aspect of this operation is. The choice to make Cask & Larder the location of our finale caused me to yearn for another tour shortly down the line. The food is clearly Beard Award worthy, as they have concretely established themselves as serving upscale yet unpretentious Southern food of the highest caliber. With the reputation Brewmaster Ron Raike has among his contemporaries, you can’t argue as to Cask & Larder’s legitimacy. What makes Ron’s work so special is his mad scientist–like approach to imparting unconventional flavors while holding true to the traditional style of beer making he learned while studying extensively in Belgium. There really isn’t a tour per se to be had. However, if you plan ahead, you can reserve their private dining room which is surrounded by beer-making equipment. My suggestion is to find a comfortable seat in the bar, followed immediately by navigating your way through the thoughtfully prepared beer menu. A word of warning: They go through the varietals rather quickly, constantly trying new formulas and combinations. Do not be surprised if you don’t see the exact same beer twice. That isn’t a bad thing though, since, as they say, “Variety is, of course, the spice of life.” One beer that seems to be constant is the Lone Palm Golden Ale, which is a bright and crisp blonde that goes well with just about anything.

Top pick with food pairing idea: I have found the Olde Southern Szechuan Wit a few times at C&L. It quickly became a contender as one of my all-time favorites, as it balances drinkability with complexity. Order a round of freshly shucked bivalves on the half shell from various oyster farming hotspots, with house-made classic mignonette and cocktail sauce. C&L even makes their own crackers! If you see rock shrimp on a menu, you order. C&L’s version is a wonderfully perplexing cross between cocktail and scampi, as it’s drenched in clarified butter and fresh, vibrant herbs. To really give your belt a nice workout after such an extravagant trip, end it with fried chicken-liver biscuits with Duke’s Mayo and pickled watermelon rind.

While you’re in town, check out:

East End Market \\\ the Enzian Theatre and the Florida Film Festival \\\ Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) \\\ Orlando Science Center

After looking back at the times had during the entire trip, a constant theme carried us from brewery to brewery. The word “collaboration” kept coming up in every conversation. There is a clear sense the Florida brewer is part of some unsaid sort of brotherhood, involving friendly competition used to make everyone smarter and better at the craft. The other glaring similarity noticed was that each brewery had such an intense longing to completely pour every ounce of Florida possible into every drop of beer. Which leads to the question, when are we getting one of these in the city of Lakeland? 76

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THE BREW HUB 4100 South Frontage Road, Building 700, Lakeland, FL 33815

WHAT LIES AHEAD WHY LAKELAND IS SET TO BECOME THE NERVE SYSTEM OF THE NEXT GREAT BEER VENTURE. by Logan Crumpton

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If you’re a frequent traveler on I-4 through Lakeland, you may have noticed a large project taking shape just past the exit ramp that leads to Memorial Boulevard. Those unfamiliar with the project might only recognize this massive structure by the large, bottle-shaped, concrete cutout that extends the entire height of the southwest corner of the building. It’s called the Brew Hub, and what’s going on inside is like nothing that has ever been done before in our city, state, or country, for that matter. Lakeland will soon be the first of five networks, strategically planned to change the way beer is viewed, brewed, distributed, exported, and, most importantly, consumed in America. “The Brew Hub is not only a new development from the consumers’ standpoint, but it’s also something different from the retailers’ and distributors’ point of view as well,” says CEO Tim Schoen. “The craft-beer segment has around a seven-percent share of all beer sold in the United states. And that’s dramatic to me, even though I’ve been in the business almost thirty years. I’ve seen the growth of craft, not only by the innovation, but I have been watching how a consumer’s behavior reacts. Today our small seven-percent share is actually growing exponentially. In some parts of the country, it’s up to double digits. We want to go from seven percent to fifteen percent by 2020. We’ve got a good chance, with the explosion of the segment.”

Schoen is specifically invested in how the public looks at beer, as his background has been in marketing: developing new brands, managing small brands, and being responsible for some of the world’s largest identities. The language has evolved in those thirty years, as the term microbreweries was often used to described the small community of brewers that held on tightly to just one percent of the market. “Micro has, in a way, gone along the wayside in our vocabulary, says Schoen. “I’d say craft is much more descriptive to a consumer as to what they’re buying and what they’re enjoying. In that context, it’s more art than product.” Interestingly, some of the most successful brewers started out making beer in their garages, kitchens — bathtubs even. Sometimes there can be a struggle correlating popularity and turning out a great product with financial success. You can get all the way to a certain point, but ultimately being unable to develop a feasible business plan can lead to failure. For those who need help to grow in a healthy way, the Brew Hub has a model scaled to meet the needs of nearly any sized operation. “Our brewing services will be very comprehensive, as will our non-brewing services such as marketing, sales, and distribution,” says Schoen. “All those will be offered to our partners.” He continues, “Throw craft brewers into three buckets. The ones who have a

larger scope, who might have been selling their product locally or even regionally for several years, need a capacity to seek out new geographies. The middle-sized brewers have a lot of great things working, but they need the whole package. They might not even be bottling or canning yet. We will offer our recommendations and supply them with our expertise in execution. The little guys need the most help. But they embody what we feel is our core existence, which is that the Brew Hub is where craft brewers go to grow. It’s an evaluation. We feel the ones we are partnering with are masters in the analytics of their product, what their story is, and what their selling proposition will be. And we have already picked one for those reasons. We’re in the process of picking another smaller brewer.” The base model of the Brew Hub is to help craft brewers make the adjustment of attaining that fifteen-percent stake. In the current infrastructure, it would be very difficult for smaller breweries to hit that mark. Along with any measure of success comes difficult decisions for small-business owners. In the case of craft brewers, the dilemma is usually twofold. Growing means adding equipment and space across the board, which leads to spending large sums of money. At times this can mean millions of dollars, depending on the scale. There are contract brewers out there that make beer in a massive setting,

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however the quality control is not always present when outsourcing occurs. The logistics of brewing your beer on one side of the country and shipping it back across later can lead to a large portion of the bottom line being depleted. “Our building is literally built from the ground up and will be customized for the partners we will be bringing in,” says Schoen. “That’s just the start of it. As you walk into our building you’ll see that, of the over fifty thousand square feet, a majority of the space is allocated for quality craft-brewing equipment, testing, and packaging. Three thousand square feet of that will be a tasting room, featuring all of our craft partners in a very prominent way. That doesn’t exist in any contract brewery, as they only feature their brand and basically just ship out the rest.” For many Floridians, the idea of a tasting room is a relatively new concept. Until recently, the only experience of tasting craft beers has likely been going to Busch Gardens and getting a few free samples after riding on a long people-mover past a couple of enormous holding tanks. However, at the Brew Hub, it is expected that we can sample all of the beers currently being brewed and bottled in-house. We will also be able to purchase and take home these products straight from the source, in refillable vessels called growlers, which currently are regulated by the state to include 32-ounce and 1-gallon bottles. Now that the Brew Hub concept has been completely validated with every bit of their first phase of partnerships booked, the question is, what does it all mean for the citizens of Lakeland? It’s important to understand what the residents can take from the decision to begin this venture based out of our town. “We went through eight municipalities and three states in the vetting-out

process,” says Schoen. “The fact that we ended up here is truly a testament to the town. The key components were, and still are, utilities, water, workforce, location, and the city government’s receptiveness and enthusiasm. They were willing to roll up their sleeves and get it done. All those were very, very important elements that steered us to Lakeland. On a base level, it will help the residents because we are going to need a lot of employees. There will be special events, and we want to partner with local restaurants. And we’re going to need a lot of expertise to assist our brewmaster with the actual brewing.” At the helm of the creative process is Dr. Paul Farnsworth. To be able to create good beer in large quantities calls for a scientist that can determine proper ratios, study, forecast, and adjust when needed. What happens without a brewmaster? “Quite literally, you’ll blow everything up!” says Farnsworth. He should know. Farnsworth was brought up totally immersed in the craft of beer. “I was born in a brewing town,” he says. He was raised in Burton-onTrent, the home of legendary Bass Ale, which is England’s oldest trademarked pale ale with the recipe dating back to 1777. He’s the one to talk to if you’re at all interested in the “guts” of how beer is brewed. “The trick is to mess up a lot,” says Farnsworth. “Eventually, you say to yourself. I won’t do that anymore. Trial and error equals experience. At sixteen, I was an apprentice to the brewer. I learned from an old guy, who learned from some other old guy, who learned it from another old guy. So, I was actually gaining knowledge from two hundred years worth of experience — or, you could say, two hundred years of messing up.” All of that experience compels Farnsworth to share his knowledge with the next generation of home and

craft brewers. “It’s my job to pass it on,” he says. “That’s why I fully support the home brewers. Sometimes I’ll go to beer conferences and meet people for the first time who know who I am because I trained the guy, who trained a guy, who trained them. When asked about his opinion on the shift from extremely hoppy pale ales to more traditional brown ales and darker beers, Farnsworth replied, “I think the market is maturing. In the beginning there were forty or fifty years of that horrid, pale, fizzy stuff. So it made people think, we need anything with some semblance of flavor! For a long time that’s what the home brewers did — simply copy what started to work. Then, like I said, we started maturing and looking around for what the old recipes taught us. We’re moving away from everything having to be overly hoppy, because we can find flavor elsewhere now. We’re smarter. Craft beer is booming, but remember, this overnight success is based on thirty years of practice and hard work. Another thing is that Florida is finally catching up to the rest of the country. It was behind for so long compared to the West Coast. And now there’s so much growth and demand. That’s one of the reasons we’re putting Brew Hub here.” Expect to see some of Farnsworth’s personal creations rotating in the tasting room as he plans to utilize a few taps with one-offs that won’t be found anywhere else. He also plans on assisting some select members of the Lakeland Brewers Guild to create special collaborations that will be served in the tasting room from time to time. “I’m having a great time,” says Farnsworth. “I really enjoy the city so far. I’m amazed at how nice, approachable, and eager to help me everyone has been. You’re going to see it come through in the beer we all make together.”

The Brew Hub is currently set to open in early spring, just in time for Craft Beer Week, May 12-18. Keep updated on the entire process at www.thebrewhub.com.

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Lakeland police chief J.I. Perriman (bottle in hand) destroys confiscated liquor in front of the Lakeland, Florida City Hall during the Prohibition Era. Photo Courtesy of Special Collections, Lakeland Public Library

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MEN’S STYLE

CLOSING TIME SEE IF THEY’LL PUT ONE OF THESE ON YOUR TAB STORY BY MARK NIELSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL NIELSEN SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE BRASS TAP

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famous basketball player once said, “Everyone looks at your watch, and it represents who you are, your values, and your personal style.” He couldn’t have been more correct. A watch says a lot about you, almost as much as the car you drive: Are you practical? Flashy? Colorful? Understated? Do you appreciate well-made items? Are you a pilot, diver, surfer, explorer, or race-car driver? A watch needn’t be expensive to make a statement. Here we show an array of timepieces that range from very affordable to quite expensive. See which one fits your style.

WATCH: TIMEX WEEKENDER, MSRP $60 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: KOHL’S The Timex Weekender is a super-affordable watch with lots of style potential. It’s simple and understated, with the colorful cloth strap adding a little punch. Plus, you can buy an array of different color straps to fit whatever look you’re going for. This watch should be in every guy’s drawer. It’s the one to wear when you’re not really sure what to wear.

BEER: JAI ALAI IPA FROM CIGAR CITY BREWING

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WATCH: WAKMANN (VINTAGE), $150 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: PARRESOL JEWELERS

This is a vintage watch from the ’60s, which makes it cool enough. Plus, you can’t beat the price on this one. Wakmann was tied to Breitling in some capacity, although the exact connection is highly disputed. In any case, the NATO strap, domed crystal, black face, and stout numbers on the dial combine to make a rugged-looking watch with some history.

BEER: UNIBROUE LA FIN DU MONDE

WATCH: BULOVA CHRONOMETER, MSRP $450 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: MARSHALL JEWELERS

Joseph Bulova founded his namesake company in Manhattan in 1875 after emigrating from the Czech Republic. Bulova makes a myriad of different styles; this particular one features chronograph functions. The beveled seconds dial is a nice touch and adds another level of detail to this model.

BEER: BROOKLYN BROWN ALE 84

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WATCH: NIXON THE CORPORAL SS IN GRAND PRIX, MSRP $175 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: ZUMIEZ AND TILLYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Nixon is my personal favorite watch brand. Their history is rooted in the surf, skate, and snowboard worlds, and they aim to make the little stuff better. The company makes high-quality watches that have great style and within a reasonable price range. The Corporal has a nice, clean bezel; a restrained design; a big 47mm case; and a stainless steel bracelet with beveled edge details.

BEER: LOST COAST TANGERINE WHEAT

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WATCH: NIXON 42-20 CHRONO IN ALL BLACK, MSRP $500 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: ZUMIEZ AND TILLY’S

In basic terms, a chronograph is a watch that can be used as a stopwatch as well as a regular watch to keep time. This watch does that with authority. An impressive 42mm case houses dials for the chrono features, 24-hour time, and date. The screwdown crown and pushers allow this to be waterproof to two hundred meters, so it’ll stand up to whatever you throw at it.

BEER: BELLS OBERON AMERICAN WHEAT

WATCH: TAVANNES THINLINE GENTS WATCH, MSRP $595 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: GEORGE L. GAINES JEWELER

This is considered a formal dress watch. Its shape, leather strap, and uncluttered face create a classic silhouette that pairs well with a suit or even a tuxedo. Tavannes was established in Switzerland in 1871, so naturally this watch features a Swiss movement. While I gravitate to more substantial, “sporty” timepieces, a watch like this can be great for formal events.

BEER: GREEN FLASH CEDAR PLANK 88

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WATCH: CITIZEN BLUE ANGELS WORLD CHRONOGRAPH A-T, MSRP $650 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: MUNCHEL’S FINE JEWELRY

This watch is in Citizen’s Eco-Drive line, meaning it doesn’t need a battery — the movement is powered by light. This Blue Angels model is beautiful and wonderfully functional. It features automatic time in twenty-six world cities (via radio signal), 1/20 second chrono that measures up to sixty minutes, perpetual calendar, 12/24 hour time, power reserve, and a non-reflective sapphire crystal.

BEER: STIEGL GRAPEFRUIT RADLER

WATCH: TAG HEUER FORMULA ONE, MSRP $1,350 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: PARRESOL JEWELERS

TAG Heuer is one of the most famous Swiss watch brands, having been around since 1860. TAGs have been the watch of choice for famous actors, athletes, and race-car drivers. The Formula One model features a red 41mm face, titanium-coated bezel, stainless steel bracelet, and accurate 1/10 chrono.

BEER: OSKAR BLUES G’KNIGHT IMPERIAL RED ALE

WATCH: ROLEX VINTAGE 1986 GMT MASTER II, MSRP $8,495 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: MUNCHEL’S FINE JEWELRY

Everyone knows Rolex. THE watch brand, Rolex has been around since 1905 and is the ultimate statement of luxury. The GMT Master was developed for airline pilots. This vintage ’86 GMT Master II — aka the Fat Lady — isn’t for everyone, but I was drawn to its dual-color bezel (used to distinguished daytime hours from night) and its rarity. If there’s anything better than a luxury watch, it’s one with a story.

BEER: SAM ADAMS UTOPIA

WATCH: OMEGA SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN XL, MSRP $4,500 AVAILABLE IN LAKELAND FROM: MUNCHEL’S FINE JEWELRY

The choice of James Bond as well as astronauts, Omega is a distinguished timepiece. Omega has been on six lunar landings, claims to have created the first true diver’s watch, and continues to innovate with their co-axial movement. The Seamaster Planet Ocean harkens back to Omega’s maritime legacy. I love the heft and simplicity of this watch — it’s manly and refined at the same time.

BEER: BRECKENRIDGE 471 IPA

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How to transition from day to night in style

story by Courtney Philpot â&#x20AC;˘ photography by Tina Sargeant hair by Josh Vasquez, Evolve Hair Studio

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For many, it rolls around by mid-week. For others, it lays dormant until Friday afternoon. Few are entirely exempt. Whether you work in an office or on your own schedule, you more than likely experience the “it’s-five-o’clock-somewhere” itch. You know the drill. It’s 3:50 p.m. and you’ve been staring at the clock on your computer since lunch. You can think of a thousand places you’d rather be — heading to your favorite local restaurant with your significant other, meeting up for apps and drinks with the girls. Heck, your back porch with the kids playing in the background would be a suitable option at this point. Just someplace where you can sit back, turn off your brain, where your only concern is mindless chatter over libations and small bites. THE LAKELANDER

Callie Work: Floral Button-Up Blouse, NY&Co. Black/White Cardigan - Madison, Belk Jeans - model’s own Pearls - a few layered strands, vintage and Nordstrom Gray Suede Pumps, Isaac Mizrahi for Target Evening: Black Leather Collar Blazer - Ellen Tracy, Marshall’s Oxblood Pumps - Anne Klein, Marshall’s Faux Diamond Statement Earrings and Bracelet - Stella & Dot Black Metallic Silver Clutch - Lauren Merkin, Nordstrom

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f your post-work, happy-hour destination does involve refreshments of some sort, another concern, which may be equally as important, is choosing a location based on what’s on tap. That’s right — chicks dig beer too. While many local establishments have always carried impressive wine menus, a variety of Lakeland eateries and wine bars are becoming just as popular for their craft-beer selections. I recently met up with a few of Lakeland’s working women on their way to Tony’s Studio B, one of Downtown Lakeland’s newest afterhours scenes, to sample some of their craft brews. Because time is obviously of the essence, you need not waste a moment on a total change of clothing, or worse, a detour home because you’re ill-prepared for your transition from day to night. With a few simple steps, the gals on these pages will be out the door and only minutes from a Facebook check-in and a cold beverage in hand. Work attire lends itself to a much more traditional, polished look. When you’re transitioning to night, you can let go of some of that and mix it up a little. Add a bit more edge, a little more fun. Mix in some eveningappropriate jewels, accessories, jackets, and bags to balance out your classic daytime apparel. Here are some tips that will keep you evening ready without having to change your entire look.

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Jen Work: Blush-Colored Long-Sleeve Blouse, LOFT Burgundy Wool A-Line Skirt, LOFT Floral Scarf, Target Gold Hoops, Hattie’s Branches Black Patterned Tights, Target Black Riding Boots - Vince Camuto, Dillard’s Evening: Black Pumps - Steven by Steve Madden, Dillard’s Bronze/Gold Statement Collar Necklace - Stella & Dot Calf-Hair Leopard Envelope Clutch - Antonio Melani, Dillard’s

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NE: Drop the stuffy blazer, plain cardigan, or denim jacket, and add a more modern piece such as a leather jacket, an animal-print cardigan, a sweater or blazer with a little bling or leather piping to it — something pleading for an evening appearance. For instance, on Callie, I exchanged the cardigan for a black leather-trim blazer that provided a little more edge for evening. For Katie, I ditched the blazer and belt, and untucked the blouse for a less buttoned-up look. TWO: Ditch the flats and add a pair of pumps, wedges, or booties. Make it a fun color or an animal print if your clothing is more traditional. On Callie, I opted for sexy, pointy-toed, oxbloodcolored heels in place of traditional gray suede pumps. For Katie, I exchanged the basic black heels for a pop of bright-pink pumps that complement the green in her blouse. I replaced Jen’s black riding boots with black pumps that allowed her to keep the same patterned tights but introduced a more evening glam look. THREE: Leave the pearls at the office, and turn heads by adding a

statement necklace or earrings. Choose one or the other, and keep the rest of your jewelry simple. If you have a busy neckline — ruffles, button-down — then choose the earrings. If you have a solid top with a simple neckline, then go with the necklace. For Callie, I did just that. I replaced the pearls with statement earrings and a bracelet to add a little evening edge to her look while creating the perfect contrast to her feminine floral blouse. For Katie and Jen, I added statement necklaces to give a modern flare to their looks. FOUR: Store a clutch in your day bag. Then you can just grab your necessities — I.D., cards, powder, lipstick, and phone — put them in your clutch, and leave your day bag at work. Out the door you go. If your outfit needs some color or print, let your clutch do the work for you rather than an outfit change. You’ll notice the girls did just that, each with a clutch in hand that complements the colors and prints in their looks. Because Callie and Katie were wearing prints, they both carried solid clutches. But Jen needed a print to shake up her solid look. What better way than a little leopard to spice up your evening ensemble?

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100 THE LAKELANDER

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102 THE LAKELANDER

Work: Black Cropped Ankle Pant - model’s own Black Blazer - model’s own Green/Black Print Silk Blouse - Cynthia Rowley, Belk Fuchsia Calf-Hair Belt, Target Black Pumps - Steven by Steve Madden, Dillard’s Evening: Gold Statement Necklace, Nordstrom Raspberry-Colored Pumps - Joan & David, Nordstrom Black w/Gold Trim Minaudiere, T.J. Maxx Pink Stone Bangle - Bourbon and Bow Ties, Hattie’s Branches

IVE: Use your makeup and hairstyle to serve as accessories. For instance, if after removing your blazer youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re left with a white button-up as your blank canvas, you can still have some fun by switching up your hair and makeup. Create a red lip. This brings color and drama to an otherwise boring look. With a quick roll of the sleeves, hair thrown up in a messy bun, and statement earrings to top it off, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re effortlessly chic in no time.

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LAKELAND CRAFT BEER