there has been a few times I’ve had super fresh Jai Alai on tap at the brewery and was pretty impressed. I feel it was much better way back when, before they expanded. Its kind of a joke for me, sometimes, the only decent offering at a restaurant or bar is Jai alai and I get it, yet my girlfriend will always say “I thought you were done with trying that one” I keep trying to like it.
I agree with you on 2HA - I had it once, less than a week old, chatting it up with Larry himself and it was definitely an incredible beer. That one degrades pretty quick. But I’d take it over JA any day.
And actually I love Centennial. It’s just that the THA I often get is just old enough that the late hop character has dropped off noticeably, leaving the beer seeming sweeter than it would otherwise. Pretty much can’t drink sweet IPA. I will say that the times I’ve gotten it super fresh I really enjoyed it.
I think that Jai Alai is a bit high on malt sweetness and don’t generally chose it if there are drier IPA’s to pick from. On the other hand, white oak aged jai alai is fantastic.
I do not like Jai Alai. It didn’t help when I tried it again and they were all gushers. Waste of cash on a beer I didn’t like. Cigar City beers have fallen for sure with their expansion. THA is another that I never seem to get fresh. That beer aged is even worse than Jai Alai. I do like THA fresh, just never can find it fresh.
Also the St. Petersburg Brewing Co., Green Bench in St. Pete, and a relatively new one in Madiera Beach (Mad Beach Brewing Co.) (they had an interesting Agave Wheat that was pretty tasty).
St. Somewhere is out of the Tampa area and brews a variety of Belgian-inspired beers, mostly in the saison vein. They are mixed fermentations but not sour. Probably harder to find than Jai Alai but should not be impossible. I found it in Kansas City so it should not be that hard to find on home turf.
Jim,
I grew up in that area and can tell you it’s somewhat of a craft beer deadzone. They’re are a few newer breweries, but nothing exciting IMO. Tampa is 2 hours north (tons of great spots between that and St. Pete) and Ft. Laud/Miami is 1.5 hours from Naples across Alligator Alley.
J. Wakefield in Miami is one of the best right now IMO, lots of great sours, “florida weisse” beers to be had.
There is a Total Wine in Ft. Myers which is close to Naples.
Saint Somewhere is the most widely available beer of all the Florida breweries. I’ve seen it on the shelf in Brooklyn and on tap in Manhatten and Philly so you may be able to find it closer to home. Bob is proud of his Brett character - he sprays down the walls of his brewery with it.
Every Florida brewery seems to have a fruity Berliner Weisse. I’m personally over it. It’s funny how beer styles can become regional specialties. Last weekend I was in Raleigh and everyone seemed to be pushing black IPA’s.
Ya thats what her son is always saying. Beer desert I guess. Its all good, if she smuggles me something, great. If not, oh well. I can always hit the Logsdon barrel room.