Robb Larsen | May 21st, 2013
 Our pilot brewing system It all started back at the Wazoo, a popular beer event in Tampa held in early August…well for me anyway. My friend and client, Kent Bailey, graciously lured me to the non-profit tasting with a free VIP ticket plus a ride home. Pouring rain greeted our arrival, along with intermittent lighting but we made the best of it. After all we were at a brew fest with a complimentary shuttle afterward.
Sometime after dark and a whole slew of 2-ounce pours, Kent nervously unveiled his plan to open a craft brewery somewhere in Tampa. And he wanted me involved. At first I thought he must be joking but he certainly appeared serious. Of course I said yes: What red-blooded, suds-swilling guy could turn that down?
Truth be known, I wasn’t totally surprised. Kent had been gradually getting into craft beer the last few years. He had shown an interest in my posts at TaylorEason.com and was even kind enough to leave a comment once in a while. Also every time my homebrews made an appearance he certainly seemed to enjoy them. During our workouts he also incessantly talked about beers and brewing instead of sets and reps, which was odd. Finally he asked about home brewing and then started making his own hooch. According to Kent, the epiphany actually came during a tailgating event before a Tampa Bay Rays game after trying my now (in?)famous English IPA.
 Kent and me with Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione So the seed was planted. Much was at stake and we needed to do our research to make sure this whole crazy scheme was viable. Funding and the capital requirement were first and foremost, for obvious reasons. Thankfully, that was determined for the most part before I jumped on board.
Some of the other homework was easy. Craft beer is huge and growing nationwide. Yet in Florida, it’s still in the toddler stage. We knew there was room in the marketplace and Cigar City Brewing had opened up a few years back and essentially blazed the trail. With that info we also ascertained that there was a growing demand for fresh, local, craft beer in this metro and that this Bay Area thirst would continue to evolve for quite some time.
Next, we sought out neighborhoods that could support a business that produced bubbly, fermented barley liquids and narrowed it down to a couple of centralized, easy-to-navigate areas. Many small breweries had trouble funding their expansion after they had peaked out production at their current brew house and we wanted to avoid that. There was a minimum building square footage requirement we nailed down as well as a minimum system size. All in all it was a lot of fun but a ton of work, especially when we were both still employed full-time. Read more »
Taylor Eason | May 14th, 2013
About five years ago, after a lifetime of eating and drinking carelessly, I started putting on the pounds. At 5’2″, my height to weight ratio had topped new levels of embarrassment. That, and my clothes weren’t fitting anymore and I’m too cheap (or lazy?) to shop for new clothes. So for the first time ever, I had to watch what I shoveled into my mouth. Mind you, I’ve never shoved junk or processed food down my gullet but mostly gourmet this, housemade that. It turns out even gourmet and homemade can be the wrong this and that. Here are my four guidelines for how to keep wine off your hips or tummy.
Read more: How to stay thin when you drink wine for a living – four nutrition guidelines
Robb Larsen | April 29th, 2013
The Doppelbock, a high-powered version of the German Bock, is a favorite of mine. It’s darker, chewier, heavier, sweeter, and higher in alcohol than its goat-labeled little brother. Doppelbocks originated in Munich during the late 18th Century where the Paulaner Monks brewed it as “liquid bread”, which isn’t a serious naming stretch since grain is used and it’s certainly not a watery brew. Those crazy Bavarian monastic peeps even dubbed it “Salvator”, which translates to “Savior” and many of my friends believe beer to be theirs. Paulaner owns the trademark to “Salvator” but many breweries add the “-ator” ending to their own take on the style.
Read more: Doppelbocks: Two liquid bread beers to seek
Taylor Eason | April 22nd, 2013
Temperatures are hitting the eighties here in Sonoma County and my hands are reaching for some chilled white wines (and rosés, but that’s another column). They seem to go down smoother and easier than the lonely, almost dusty Cabernets and Syrahs in the wine rack. And with more and more thirsty folks branching out from their normal white wine routine, I thought it appropriate to introduce a couple of other soft, aromatic, mouth-watering whites: Tablas Creek 2011 Cotes de Tablas and David Hill 2011 Pinot Gris.
Read more: Sippin’ and chillin’ white wines for spring: Tablas Creek & David Hill
Sean Ludford | April 9th, 2013
A Session Beer is a beer that is relatively low in alcohol (5% or lower), balanced in character, and ideally suited for enjoying one after another. I’m getting just a little annoyed by extreme beers. Do you know what I mean? I’m talking about those striving to be the “hoppiest” or the “strongest” or the most peculiar. When I see brewers boasting that their new ale has more IBUs than ever recorded in history I simply can’t walk away fast enough.
Read more: Session beers: Desperately seeking moderation
Taylor Eason | April 2nd, 2013
Sure, bottled salad dressings are quicker and more convenient. But homemade salad dressing tastes SO much better and fresher. This one takes 5 minutes to assemble, uses heart healthy condiments most people have on hand, and isn’t full of the scary preservatives found lurking in most bottles. This tart, lemony vinaigrette keeps for about a week in the refrigerator and can be tossed with salad greens, drizzled over steamed green beans, or even used as a marinade for meat.
Read more: Easy salad dressing recipe: Garlicky Lemony Vinaigrette
Taylor Eason | March 26th, 2013
I have a confession to make: Although I live in the fortuitous California wine country, it’s pretty rare that I visit tasting rooms. I remember back before I relocated to Sonoma County from Florida, I would ask friends who lived here what tasting rooms I should visit. I sought out the small, the family-owned, the tasty… and many had no insight. At the time, I was like, “What?? You don’t go tasting on the weekends and loll in the vineyards?” I was aghast. I have a confession to make: Although I live in the fortuitous California wine country, it’s pretty rare that I visit tasting rooms. I remember back before I relocated to Sonoma County from Florida, I would ask friends who lived here what tasting rooms I should visit. I sought out the small, the family-owned, the tasty… and many had no insight. At the time, I was like, “What?? You don’t go tasting on the weekends and loll in the vineyards?” I was aghast.
Read more: Visiting Pinot Noir country in Sonoma County: The best in the Russian River Valley
Taylor Eason | March 19th, 2013
I will admit I’m not much of a Cabernet Sauvignon fan. Appreciation flows from so many other places, I rarely see the need to fawn. Often, it’s a wine with so much tannin that it begs for food to balm its harsh edges and I’m kind of a wine-for-all-purposes kind of girl (before, during and after dinner). But sometimes, just sometimes, one drops in at a blind tasting that woos me. This happened one night when the Jordan 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon showed up.
Read more: Wine review: Jordan 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Taylor Eason | March 12th, 2013
Available exclusively at Trader Joe’s — not sure if it’s distributed outside California, but let’s hope it is — La Ferme Julien Blanc from France’s Luberon region is a luscious blend of white French grapes most people have never heard of: Ugni Blanc [oo NE blanhk], Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and an odd-man-out Italian grape, Vermentino. Smooth and tasty, it’s a perfect warm-weather wine with food like raw oysters, slightly spicy fare, or simple roasted chicken. And it’s staggeringly inexpensive… $6
Read more: Wine under $10 review: La Ferme Julien Blanc 2011
Taylor Eason | March 5th, 2013
Although most are loath to admit it, we all want to squeeze as much value from every dollar, even if we’re rolling in it. I have a friend who doesn’t want for much, but games the sales and savings cards systems with the giddy relish of a child at Chuck E. Cheese. I’ve not graduated to her level of discount-dom, but I admire and perhaps even aspire to her level of value vigilance. For bargain clothes, Groupons and anything household, she is my muse. Cheap wine (ahem… inexpensive wine), however, lies firmly within my sordid skill set. More and more Americans are drinking wine on an everyday basis, a trend I applaud with glee. But most people can’t exactly fork over $20 per night for this daily pleasure. So I’m here to serve up my favorite wine regions for super cheap, tasty wines to pair with dinner or to scratch that end-of-the-work-day relaxation itch we all have.
Read more: More flavor, less money: Buying wine on a budget
|
Shop on Amazon – Support TaylorEason.com
|
You talk back