Cigar City now takes credit cards

I was in the Tampa area today and stopped by Cigar City Brewing to refill my two growlers with the world-class Jai Alai IPA, which I'm drinking right now.

They now take major credit cards, which is convenient and allows you to spend a lot more there than you planned.

Sebastien Jadot, Cigar City's Tampa area sales and events coordinator, was working there again and was very friendly and helpful. He answered all of my dumb questions and said if anyone is interested in brewery updates, including what they have on tap, e-mail him at sebastien@cigarcitybrewing.com and he will put you on a mailing list.

Sebastien says they are hoping to eventually produce more 750 mL bottles and are even trying to open up a bar next door, but that depends on approval from the city of Tampa, so don't hold your breath.

World of Beer first impressions

I stopped by the newly opened World of Beer on the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties after work on Friday night. I got there about 11:00. I only lasted five seconds.

The place was packed and they had a band playing in their loft with the sound set to concert levels. I turned on my heels and left. It's tough for a place to be more repellent than having smoking, but brain-breaking loud music is worse.

But I didn't want to give up on the place; after all, I went on a Friday night.

I went back on Tuesday evening and got there just before 7:00 to take advantage of their happy hour $1-off draft specials.

A good number of people were there, but there was still plenty of space. No bands, and the piped-in music was much softer than Friday night. It was a bit too loud for my tastes, but the sound wasn't in the danger level.*

I was welcomed by a server right after arriving and sat at the bar, where Josh tended to me. Nice guy. They were out of Cigar City's Jai Alai IPA, which was only a mild disappointment because I'm hoping to get up to the brewery on Wednesday. Josh suggested Hercules Double IPA, a great double IPA from Great Divide Brewing in Colorado, but the keg ran out. He then gave me a sample of Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA, another good, bitter beer. I had a glass of that, which was $5 with the happy hour special.

Some friends have called World of Beer a corporate place. I must be a corporate shill, because I liked it. Brick and dark wood with a wall of beer in coolers divided by about 30 taps. They have a covered lanai where patrons can smoke. It's connected to the bar by a big open doorway, so if you're really sensitive to smoke you'll need to keep clear.

This is a good bar. I will be returning to the World of Beer and suggest you check it out for yourself, just get their earlier when the music isn't so loud.

*I'm the guy who wears earplugs to concerts. My father had profound hearing loss and if the same thing happens to me, at least I'll know I didn't do it to myself.

Saint Somewhere in Food Network Magazine

Saint Somewhere Brewing is a little brewery in Tarpon Springs. They have been making two Belgian-style beers, Saison Athene and Lectio Divina, for a couple of years. The 750 mL bottles are about $10 each.

They are kind of a stealth brewery, making two good beers and keeping under the radar.

Their Saison Athene gets a mention in the November 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine. It's part of a neat little package, "Grape Escape" on page 43, on how great beers are a fraction of the cost of great wines.* They list 12 craft beers and how they can be substituted for wine.

Saison Athene is listed under "Instead of red wine." They write:

Made in Tarpon Springs, FL, this gently spiced beer is brewed with rosemary, black peppercorns and chamomile. Like zinfandel or syrah, it's a terrific match for lamb.

I've had this beer. It pours a very bright golden color with substantial bubbles and a very white head that reduces to a fairly thin ring in my tulip glass. It smells of spices, particularly coriander and orange peel. The taste is equally spicy, with big coriander flavors and notes of musty and earthy flavors. The body is quite light and crisp. This beer is well-attenuated.

I prefer Saint Somewhere's Lectio Divina, which has an earthy aroma with notes of grape and other fruit and has a pure Belgian fruity, earthy and yeasty taste. Grape flavors mix with hay and grass-like notes. It totally nails the Belgian style, better than almost any other American brewery.

*Dogfish Head's chief, Sam Calagione, has said that you can buy a six-pack of the best beers in the world for less than $20, while buying a bottle of the best wine will cost well over $100. And Brooklyn's brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, has even written a book, "The Brewmaster's Table," about pairing food and beer and has said that beer is more versatile than wine. I agree with both of them.

World of Beer opens, and I miss it

Wouldn't you know it, I leave town for a few days and World of Beer opens their newest beer bar on University Parkway on the Manatee-Sarasota county line.

I hear they planned on a "soft" invite-only opening but the word got out and lots of people showed up. I'm not sure if they have had the official grand opening cookout they promised on Twitter, but their Web site is fully operational.

I'll have to get over there ASAP and file a report.

Expanded "Kings of beer" story now online

My newspaper's sister site, yoursarasota.com, has posted an expanded online version of the "Kings of beer" story that ran last week in the Herald-Tribune and featured the Cock & Bull Pub and the Sarasota Brewing Co.* This version includes more of Chip Litherland's great photos.

You can read it here.

*Read my blog post on the article here.