Cigar City Brewing

TEDDY’s RATING: 

I don’t drink beer. But while on a business trip last month, a colleague wanted to go, begged to go, to Cigar City Brewery after dinner one night. The rest of us in the party tagged along to see what all the fuss was about.

Cigar City Brewery is located in Tampa, Florida. They believe that “beer should reflect the environment.” So, they’ve taken classic beer styles and have crafted flavors that create a “state of mind in liquid form” to reflect the essence of Florida.

Using local ingredients whenever possible, their beers may incorporate tropical fruits or be aged in cigar box cedar. (Tampa was once the world’s largest cigar producer.) To Cigar City Brewing, beer is more than beer. It’s a labor of love for the product, the people who make it, and the state of Florida.

The names of their beers also reflect the brewery’s sense of humor. Here are a few: Jai Alai, Florida Cracker White Ale, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale, Puppy’s Breath Robust Porter, Patio Tools Irish Stout, Peaches & Cream Lager, Right Side Up Pineapple Lager and S’mores Brown Ale.

I do like hard ciders and Cigar City Brewing had a nice cider with a hint of apple that I did enjoy.

While they do have food in their pub, others online have not rated the food very highly. But you go to Cigar City Brewery for the beer, not the food.

Not all beers are available every day, so check their website, Facebook page or Twitter to see what’s on tap. There are also weekly tours and tastings. You can find the dates and times of the brewery tours on the website as well.

Dates of Visit:  May 2013

http://www.cigarcitybrewing.com/

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