Author: The Boozy Blondes

Best friends on a quest to bring you all things boozy!
Season 2, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 037 | Miami, Florida: Breweries, Bars, Speakeasies and Little Havana

The Boozy Blondes
Loews Hotel Miami Beach

The girls are headed back to the 305 in this episode and explore more fantastic neighborhoods of Miami! From South Beach to Wynwood and Brickell to Little Havana, those boozy blondes definitely make the most of their time, absorbing as much culture and libations as possible!

Miami is quickly becoming one of the Boozy Blondes’ most favorite places! You can tell by the number of Boozy Blondes podcast episodes dedicated to people and places here – Season 1, Episode 020 | Miami: Bars, Breweries, Boats & Baseball and Season 2, Episode 038 | Behind the Booze – Cerveceria la Tropical: Interview with Brewer Harold Perez Mendoza.

Today’s DOE is palomas! It seems fitting with the tropical vibe this episode brings. When it’s time for refills the girls add some mezcal – what do you think? Do you like regular or smokey palomas?

The girls began this adventure together with brunch at Limonada Breakfast Bar + Brunch in South Beach. They loved their time here, enjoying the avocado toast and starting their day off as boozy as possible drinking tequila from a coconut and a refreshing gin Limonada. The drinks didn’t stop here, because one of the great bonuses about Limonada is that it has drinking games! Wheel of Fortune, Shake for Shots and Beat the Glass. Shout out to Gaston (@gastoncipriani), the fantastic bartender who helped the blondes start their boozy day right!

From here the girls headed to the Wynwood neighborhood to one of their faves, Cerveceria la Tropical to interview their new boozy bestie Harold Perez Mendoza (@haroldprz). You can learn all about this brewery in Season 1, Episode 020 and take an even deeper dive in Season 2, Episode 038. Things got pretty boozy while the blondes were here, but can you blame them? Beer was flowing straight from the tanks!

Harold escorted the girls to their next bar, Beaker & Gray, armed with Ohh! Icy Wtr and a bottle of La Original Reserva beer. Beaker & Gray is one of the best restaurants and craft cocktail bars in Wynwood and three amigos indulged in rum old fashioneds. Harold had to leave for a wine event (he is definitely a boozy bro!) so he pointed the girls in the right direction to carry on their adventure. First stop – food.

Huge shout out to Love ‘n Gyros, the first Greek gyros shop in Miami serving, you guessed it, gyros and also some amazing French fries. Fantastic street Greek food! Just what the blondes needed to carry on.

Beaker & Gray
Love ‘N Gyros
The Sylvester
Suviche
Suviche

They still needed some more food, so they ventured across the street to Suviche, a Peruvian restaurant with an Asian kick. With both inside and outside seating, this popular place was pretty packed when the girls arrived. They each had a cocktail, sushi and noodles. With enough food back in their systems, they carried on to their last stop in Wynwood – The Sylvester.

The Sylvester offers cutting-edge cocktails, culturally-influenced sounds and a nostalgic ambiance. The owners also own Beaker & Gray, so it appears the girls have a type. While things were pretty fuzzy at this stop, both girls distinctly remember how carefully crafted their cocktails were.

Day 2 was a Chrissy solo mission. She impressively completed an aggressive schedule! She started at the Loews Miami Beach pool bar with an Aperol Spritz and got her plan together. She wandered past the famous life guard towers on South Beach and headed north to Lincoln Road Shopping District, eight blocks of shops and restaurants scattered with cool sculptures by Richard Orlinski. Chrissy stopped in Wilde on the Porch just as the rain started and enjoyed a mojito.

From here she absorbed some nostalgic PA vibes in Sweet Liberty, offering a selection of food and drinks from sophisticated to simple to downright delicious. She opted for the Fancy Paloma and oysters. Sweet Liberty won Tales of the Cocktail Spirited award and was ranked one of the world’s 50 best bars in 2017!

After eating her dozen oysters (east coast? west coast? she can’t remember!), Chrissy managed to get to the rooftop bar at One Hotel – WATR at the Rooftop. Note, you need a room key to access the elevator, so without a room or dining reservation, it might be hard to get up here! But luckily, our stealthy blonde found a way and passes on the fabulous details in this episode. While she was here, there was a photo shoot taking place with a model and a jungle cat! Chrissy enjoyed the amazing views, live DJ, a coconut water and some edamame before moving on.

Broken Shaker was next although not on her list – she heard a party going on and went to investigate. It’s a hidden courtyard tucked inside the famous Freehand Hotel with incredible cocktails. Broken Shaker has been nominated for two James Beard awards, was named one of the world’s 50 best bars twice and was awarded the best American hotel bar at Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.

Since it was time to eat again, Chrissy next found herself at Hoja Taqueria inside the Generator hotel. It’s a mezcal bar! She ordered a mezcal old fashioned and carne asada tacos with chips. When she left here, she dipped into the Faena Hotel to check out the gigantic mastodon fossil, four restaurant, three bars, amazing gardens and beautiful artwork.

The grand finale on Day 2 was a visit to Cecconi’s at Soho Beach House, where she instantly felt whisked away to the golden era of Italy. Cecconi’s sits in the courtyard on the ground floor of Soho Beach House and offers amazing Italian cuisine and made Chrissy a lactose-free pizza that she washed down with a glass of Pinot Noir.

Day 3 started off as another solo mission for Chrissy as she rented bikes and rode south to the Beacon Hotel, a 1936 art deco style boutique hotel. She had a mimosa and breakfast and absorbed the whole South Beach scene!

Chrissy met up with Molly later that afternoon to Interview Maria Littlefield, co-founder of Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea! Listen to the interview (Episode 036) to learn about this boozy alternative made with real ingredients that are actually good for you!

After the interview the girls parted ways again and Chrissy went to explore Little Havana. She started at Cafe la Trova which is ranked #6 on the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars and #21 on the list of the World’s 50th Best Bars! To say Chrissy loved this bar is an understatement – she came back here three times! The bartenders, known as cantineros, took Chrissy under their wing and made her feel at home.

From here she wandered through Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana. It’s full murals, art, shops, restaurants, music and Cuban culture. Her walk led her to Ball & Chain where she enjoyed great music, great food and great drinks, including the best rum old fashioned ever! Shout out to Ellwood, her friendly and attentive bartender, and she made friends with the epic jazz band members.

Although it was time for her to head back to South Beach, Chrissy got drawn into Olds Havana because of the great live music coming from the establishment! This bar is the most authentic Cuban bar in Little Havana. Olds Havana is the place to order a mojito – they can serve 300 – 500 a night here! She again made friends with the incredible band and shared mojitos with them. Shout out to @andresalejandroficial and the band. #groupie

Day 4 – shocker – back to Little Havana for Chrissy! She started at Cafe la Trova to attend the Master Class with Maestro. The Maestro is Salvatore Calabrese, and he’s basically the godfather of the craft cocktail. Chrissy was honored to attend (Boozy Blondes dream!) and was extremely impressed with Salvatore and his team and the knowledge they are sharing with the next generation in the beverage industry.

From here Chrissy went to get lunch in Brickell at Sexy Fish – one of the coolest bar restaurants she’s ever seen! And you just have to see it for yourself – it’s maximalism design on steroids. Julio was her amazing bartender and even met her for drinks later!

Following her lunch at Sexy Fish, Chrissy grabbed dairy-free ice cream wrapped in cotton candy at Icy-N-Spicy on South Beach (another Boozy Blondes dream!). She swung back by the hotel to meet Molly and field drinker Tanya at the pool bar for a drink, then went to the Versace Mansion for a St. Germain spritz.

Next on her list was Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery, a bartender-owned speakeasy on South Beach. Swizzles offers over 150 rums where the mixologists craft sophisticated cocktails – like the Japanese Highball which was what Chrissy ordered. She stopped at Sunny’s to grab an empanada (when you listen to the episode, if you take a drink every time Chrissy orders an empanada, you’ll have a decent buzz going by the end of the episode!) while she waited for her Uber to go BACK to Cafe la Trova!

The Salvatore Calabrese and the Donovan Bar team takeover was happening, and Julio, the Sexy Fish bartender, met Chrissy to explore the special menu. Donovan Bar is in London and offers a cocktail menu curated by Salvatore. A new must-see for the Boozy Blondes abroad!

One final stop before wrapping up her evening was to grab a Cuban sandwich at El Pub – great for late night food; they are open late!

Leaving Miami, Molly made one last stop in Wynwood at Coyo-Taco serving up delicious Mexican street food. There is a speakeasy in the back – a garage bar with tequilas and mezcals, craft beer and paletaritas (popcicle-based margarita cocktails)!

This episode covers A LOT and gives listeners insight on a variety of different bars in multiple pockets of Miami full of fantastic drinks, food, bartenders, brewers, music and culture! Be sure to share photos with the blondes if you venture to any of these places! Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 036 | Behind the Booze – Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea Interview with Maria Littlefield

The Boozy Blondes

Listen here!

Did you know there is a way to get the benefits of tea while also catching a buzz? Let the Boozy Blondes introduce you to Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea! Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea is made with REAL ingredients and is REALLY delicious! Fresh-brewed tea + real fruit juice + 4.8% ABV = Boozy Blondes dream drink! The girls were so excited to interview their boozy idol, Maria Littlefield, co-founder with Jennie Ripps of Owl’s Brew.

So obviously, you can guess what the DOE is for this episode – different flavors of Boozy Tea! It’s hard for all the girls to pick a favorite – these drinks are seriously good – not overly sweet or synthetic tasting. Full disclosure, Molly was very hesitant to try Owl’s Brew when Chrissy shared one with her. Chrissy tends to lean towards the fun, boozy alternatives that don’t always fit Molly’s palate. BUT! Molly loved this product as much as Chrissy! The Boozy Blondes are now Owl’s Brew pushers – they share them with everyone!

Maria shares her background with the blondes and how she and Jennie connected and developed Boozy Tea based on their own wants for drinking. They met at a marketing firm in NYC, and Jennie was really taking a deep dive into the benefits of tea at that time. Maria teamed up with her to develop tea concoctions for co-workers, and the concept evolved from here. Welcome to the market – Owl’s Brew!

Boozy Tea officially launched in 2020 embracing the idea of “drink wise,” the Owl’s Brew slogan, which means knowing what you’re putting into your body, confident your drink of choice uses real ingredients and does actually taste great!

Learn the difference between real ingredients versus natural ingredients versus artificial ingredients! You may be surprised to learn that natural ingredients mean anything from the earth – so by anything, that can be beaver anal glands, as an example. (*insert puke face emoji here*) So actually, there may be no nutritional difference between a natural ingredient and an artificial ingredient.

With that being said, listen to this episode to hear about the struggles finding a partner to mass distribute your home-kitchened product. What Maria and Jennie were brewing in their kitchens (or hotel bathrooms; you just gotta listen) needed to be packaged in an independent can – millions of times over! If you’ve ever thought about mass-producing you’re greatest invention (hello, Shark Tank), Maria touches on all aspects of the venture. Including hilarious behind the scene stories of glamorous events and run ins with TSA!

Getting deeper into this episode, all the girls chat about another love – books! What’s better than reading a good book? Having a great drink to pair with that book. Owl’s Brew hosts a boozy book club! They highlight all female authors, and it’s a new book every month! Join the club for great books and fun giveaways!

Make sure to follow Owl’s Brew on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all things boozy including funny reels! Speaking of social, right now (May 2023) Owl’s Brew is donating $1 to Women’s Voices for the Earth for every post with the hashtag #teafortransparency. This effort, the book club and so much more supports Owl’s Brew Wise Women Collective of women supporting women – “At Owl’s Brew we use the term Wise Women to signify who we are, the community we support, and the love and care with which we craft our products.”

To find Owl’s Brew by you, visit the store finder on the Owl’s Brew website.

The girls extend a huge THANK-YOU to Maria and the Owl’s Brew team for making this interview possible. Drink wise, lushes!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 035 | Behind the Booze – Azalea City Brewing Company Interview with Andrea Conover

The Boozy Blondes

Get an inside look at the great brews and events happening at Azalea City Brewing Company in Palatka, Florida, as the Boozy Blondes share drinks with brewery owner, Andrea Conover. Andrea always said “someone should open a brewery here in Palatka.” Turns out, she became that person, and Azalea City opened on Thanksgiving Day 2020! Now, over two years later Azalea City has become a community gathering place, hosting numerous events and serving delicious and creative craft brews!

The girls chat in Azalea’s courtyard enjoying the Coffee Cream Ale, a 5% cream ale with a powerful roasted coffee scent, Ravine Red, a 4.3% Irish Red Ale and the seasonal 5.5% Peppermint Stout. Andrea shares that she had no prior brewing experience before opening Azalea, but she wanted to bring something revitalizing to Palatka. She did her research, traveling around the state to check out other breweries (sounds familiar, doesn’t it – she could totally be a Boozy Blonde!) as the old Coca Cola bottling plant transformed into Azalea City Brewing Company.

Before they officially opened head brewer Eli would brew ten gallons at a time, and the team would share these beers at local festivals and events to promote the new brewery. You can still find them at these events today in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Palatka and Deland.

Azalea City hosts 20 taps of its own beers and hard seltzers and also offers wine. While they don’t have a kitchen (yet), there is always a food truck out back serving up something delicious to complement all the beers!

Be sure to follow Azalea City on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for their weekly newsletter to keep up with all the events they are hosting and attending, music and food truck schedules and new beer releases!

Season 2, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 034 | Sanford, Florida Breweries and Bars

The Boozy Blondes

Tune in as the blondes recap their visit to historic downtown Sanford, Florida, a hidden gem of bars and breweries located just northeast of downtown Orlando. At the time of this recording, there are over 20 boozy destinations within a few walkable blocks. This episode covers fifteen of them, so settle in with your favorite libation, and take notes – there is a lot to see (hear) here!

Speaking of favorite libations, the DOE is Kiss my Lemongrass a wheat ale collaboration of female brewers in the greater Orlando area from Bowigens Beer Company, Hourglass Brewing, Dees Brothers Brewery, Deviant Wolfe Brewing, and also our friend Ashley who gifted us this beer (listen to our interview with her in Episode 029 | Behind the Booze: Interview with Ashley, the Florida Hop Mama) and her friend Heather, the Malty Maiden. This beer was brewed at Hourglass Brewing in Longwood, Florida.

The first stop on the boozy tour was Dees Brothers Brewery. Dees Brothers believe there’s a beer our there for everyone, and they brew them. Molly had a flight with Radler, a 4% lager, Centennial Blonde, a 4.5% blonde ale, Beans & Brew, a 5.2% English ale with coffee and vanilla, and Cotswold Ale, a Dees Brothers core beer, an English Amber Ale at 4.2%. Chrissy had the Wild Tonic Hard Kombucha, raspberry and goji rose flavor at 5.6%.

This was a great place to start because they have a full kitchen and offer vegan cheese, so the blondes split a grilled cheese and mac and cheese. The food is fantastic here!

After Dees Brother, the girls headed towards Suffering Bastard inside of Tuffy’s Bottle Shop & Lounge, but got distracted by Loggerhead Distillery which they passed on the route. John, who was working, welcomed the group in and they sampled all Loggerhead has to offer – vodka, gin, moonshine, rum, bourbon, etc, etc. Chrissy’s favorite was the Apple Pie Moonshine and Molly’s favorite was the Key Lime gin, bottles of both of which left the distillery with the girls.

After tasting all that Loggerhead had to offer, it was time to eat again, and thankfully, Suffering Bastard offers food along with its amazing selection of craft cocktails. The blondes had a reservation here because this speakeasy is small and very popular. Chrissy ordered the State Puff Painkiller (this drink had been on her radar for years!) and Molly ordered the beginner level Mai Tai (beginner level was not by choice). These drinks were accompanied by the potstickers, pork sliders and dragon fruit sliders.

The pub crawl continued from here. Next stop was The Sullivan Public House, a great Irish gastropub with live music and snug where the group got to sit. Molly drank a Guinness and Chrissy had Jameson and ginger.

Moving on towards home, there was one more stop on the tour – the Wild Wild West End Honky-Tonk Saloon. Unfortunately the night gets a little fuzzy here for the blondes – they put a lot of drinking time in up to this point! This bar is a Sanford live music pillar and it recently added a courtyard, which had a food truck parked here, so Chrissy ordered chips and guac while Molly ordered shots.

This concluded night one in Sanford, and day two was just as busy/boozy! The girls met up with Florida Hop Mama, Ashley at Celery City Craft. Armed with Brew-Hoos (Yoohoo, Irish whiskey and espresso vodka) and a flight, the blondes chatted with fellow blonde boozer Ashley outside in the beautiful courtyard. Celery City offers over 50 beers on tap and has a full bar. Sushi & Seoul provides the food on site, and though the girls didn’t eat here, the plates look delicious!

While the blondes were at Celery City, their husbands enjoyed some time across the street at The Station. This sports bar has a firehouse theme and even an Air B&B upstairs! If your favorite team is playing while in town, this is where you want to catch the game.

For lunch, the blondes made reservations for the The Old Jailhouse. Formerly a jail, the building still has the original prison cell block door and prisoner ledger! The craft cocktails were delicious – Chrissy had a rum and ginger and Molly had the fall specialty drink, Witches Trial – gin, lime juice, Cardamaro, Cherry Heering, Peychaud’s Bitters, House Serrano Chile & Fennel Seed Syrup.

After lunch the girls headed home for a break before the evening stops which started at Deviant Wolfe Brewing. Four friends started this brewery who was to promote balance in an active lifestyle, community involvement, accepting environmental responsibility and socializing with friends and family all while enjoying craft beer. The girls split a flight and really enjoyed the Sourmanjaro. It’s a 5.1% kettle soured blonde ale conditioned on African coffee beans – such a unique flavor! They also loved the Besitos de Coco, a 5.9% toasted coconut and vanilla bean brown ale.

From here, the girls made a pit stop at Henry’s Depot Food Hall & Cocktail Bar. They were looking for espressos, but the coffee shop was closed. This is a great place for a group with different culinary preferences because everyone can order from different restaurants, but sit together either inside or outside.

After checking out Henry’s, they made their way to Tuffy’s – host to Suffering Bastard where they went the night before. Tuffy’s is huge, and to the girls’ delight, they had espresso martinis on tap (Chrissy) and Lavender Tom Collins on tap (Molly)! The girls were in heaven! Tuffy’s offers a fall bar, fire pits, live music, creative seating (an airstream, pontoon boat, etc) and plenty of games like bocce and cornhole.

To end the night, the girls visited Hollerbach’s Willow Tree, a long-standing Sanford staple. What started in 2001 with 7 employees has expanded to add a rooftop beer garden with 70 employees! Hollerbach’s offers an authentic German experience with German bands, German food and German boot-drinking challenges! Here they ate dinner and enjoyed old fashioneds (Chrissy) and mules (Molly). Next time the girls will attempt the das boot challenge!

Molly left town the next morning, but Chrissy kept the boozy tour going! She started with the Food Truck Wars taking place that morning and moved to Community Brew House. If you are a home brewer, this is the place for you – from supplies to classes, you can get all you need to take your brew game to the next level. This brewery offers small, artisan batches to foster new ingredients and new ideas. Chrissy enjoyed a pumpkin sour here. While they don’t have a kitchen, you can bring outside food here.

From here was Wops Hops, Sanford’s first micro-brewery. Chrissy enjoyed a flight here to include Cloudy Jen (named after her beertender!), a 6.8 New England Hazy IPA, Pope’s Poison, 5.9% spiced/herbed beer, Cyn City, a 4.4% strawberry kiwi sour and Moles & Assets, a 4.5% nitro stout with molasses.

The grand finale on this Sanford Trip was the city’s namesake, Sanford Brewing Company. In the heart of historic downtown Sanford, this brewery has over 100 seats offering craft beer, meads, ciders and specialty sodas. Chrissy had the Resting Beri Face Sour and loved it – until it made her sick later because it contains lactose, which she didn’t know when she ordered it. The brewery has a kitchen and live music.

Lushes, if you enjoy great drinks, creative brews and delicious food, make Sanford a must-visit destination on your list. The girls insist, this town will not disappoint their fellow booze travelers. Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 033 | Behind the Booze – Casa de Vino 57 Interview with Patti Southard & Wayne Lake

The Boozy Blondes

Patti Southard and Wayne Lake opened Casa de Vino 57 about five years ago. From day one, their goal was to make everyone who visited the cozy wine bar tucked away on Treasury Street in St. Augustine feel like friends and family. The Boozy Blondes can attest – they felt so welcome and comfortable chatting with Patti and Wayne, they hung out for three hours after the interview, only dragging themselves away when their husbands said it was getting late and they were coming to pick them up!

While Wayne stuck to water during the interview, Patti enjoyed a glass of sparkling pinot noir rose, and the blondes shared a wine flight, which looked more like a wine tower! They loved the presentation of the flight and were told to drink from the bottom to the top (lighter wines are on the bottom of the flight and the wines get bolder as they go up).

Patti and Wayne got together years ago over their love of wine and dreamed of opening a wine bar. Wayne had years of experience working with wine, and Patti had years of experience drinking wine! Perfect! They found the property at 57 Treasury Street which included a beautiful courtyard and apartment above the downstairs bar. The original structure was the Joaneda House and built in 1806. It is one of the ten oldest structures in St. Augustine on the narrowest street in all of America!

In addition to its boutique wine selections, Casa de Vino 57 also offers beer and wine-based cocktails as well as amazing charcuterie boards with vegan cheese options! They host monthly wine walks and Full Moon Tastings as well as live music Thursdays – Sundays! You can join the Wine Club and schedule private wine tastings.

Be sure to follow Casa de Vino 57 on Facebook and Instagram and keep up with their website to stay in the know for all the fun events!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 2

Episode 032 | Boozy Blondes Happy Hour, Volume 3

The Boozy Blondes

The Boozy Blondes are still apart! But they see the light at the end of the tunnel and are excited to meet up in Miami a few days following their Happy Hour call! They have both been busy being boozy since their last chat and discuss new places they’ve been, fat-washing bourbon and martini mix-offs!

Molly is still enjoying St. Augustine and took some out-of-town friends around the downtown area enjoying local favorites like Cantina Reina, The Floridian and No Name (The Bar with No Name). She also spent some time in The Villages at the new square Sawgrass Grove and hit up Crooked Can in Winter Garden.

Chrissy continued her mountain exploring and loved the new places she stumbled upon – Roadside Distilling and Hiawassee Brew! Roadside Distilling is in the appropriately named Pappy’s Plaza in Blairsville, Georgia, and is the largest distillery in the state! Visitors are offered a five-free-samples flight when they arrive (awesome!) and Chrissy enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter old fashioned after sampling. She “hiked” Bell Mountain and took in the stunning views with a can of Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea then enjoyed a flight from Hiawassee Brew.

During her down time, Chrissy binged Drink Masters and was inspired to fat-wash some bourbon. She tried her first batch with sesame oil, and it was a success! Fat washing infuses unique flavors to your booze, and when done correctly, won’t over-power the taste! Make sure to look up the correct proportions when you try this at home – each flavor uses its own ratio.

Be sure to follow the Boozy Blondes on Instagram so you can vote on your favorite martini in the martini mix-off challenge. The girls will be reunited soon and recording back in person – they can’t wait! Special shout outs to Hilary at Currahee Brewing and Jose, host of @4everacreskitchen this week! Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 031 | Behind the Booze – Disco Witch Brewing Interview with Shelly Denis

The Boozy Blondes

Back in 2021 before the Boozy Blondes released their first podcast episode, they met Shelly and Jeff Denis during a St. Augustine Pub Pedal (listen to Episode 003 – Pub Pedal: St. Augustine Craft Breweries: Bog, Dog Rose, Ancient City and Old Coast Ales; the girls met Shelly during the “research” part of creating this episode). Shelly mentioned she and Jeff were opening a brewery in Yulee, Florida, in 2022. This was going to be the place where funky beer and funky beats collide – two things the girls are seriously passionate about – music and craft beer. The blondes (including Shelly, she’s blonde too!) exchanged information, and finally, about 7 months after it opened, Chrissy and Molly finally reunited with Shelly at Disco Witch Brewing.

There is so much going on at Disco Witch Brewing, it’s difficult to determine where to start. So, let’s start with the DOE. The girls split a flight (side note, the flight “paddles” are shaped as vinyl records! Totally appropriate given the obvious music theme at the brewery) that included Night Fever Porter (4.45% porter), Strawberry Fields Forever (6% wheat ale finished with strawberries and hibiscus blossoms), Strange Magic (Oktoberfest Marzen complete with a cinnamon and sugar rim), Earth Wind & Pretzels (6.7% blonde ale) and Breakfast in America (5% blonde ale finished with maple, bacon and brown sugar). Shelly was enjoying a pint of You Sexy Thing (4.7% milk stout brewed with marshmallow and chocolate). Does anyone else just love these names???

Guys. These beers are incredible – and Shelly releases new flavors and concoctions all the time – a few each month! She has no former experience in the craft beer world – she started this all herself, brewing on her pool deck when she moved to Florida in early 2020…and by early 2020, we mean six days before the Covid lockdown. So during the pandemic, she gave away about 2500 bottles of her home brew. And with raving reviews, she thought, I’m going to open a brewery.

Disco Witch Brewing is a 3650 sq. ft space just west of the intercostal in Yulee, Florida. Now at the time of this episode’s release, Disco Witch has officially opened its Broom Closet – an additional 1400 sp. ft of space with its own bar and 8 taps. We should mention the original space has 16 taps – all Disco Witch beer. They also serve seltzers and wine, NA beer, kombucha and CBD seltzers – something for everyone. So all together Disco Witch Brewing offers 2 bars, 5 restrooms and 24 taps.

Besides great beer, at Disco Witch you can find great events! Listen to this episode to learn about some the amazing events you can find – from karaoke to lip sync nights and drag bingo to comedy shows. There are Name That Tune nights and every Sunday, you can reserve your spot for Champagne and Charcuterie. Did we mention you can host private events in the Broom Closet? You can even rename one of Disco Witch beers for the night to correspond with your event theme! Be sure to follow Disco Witch on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all the fun!

There is also the exclusive Beer Coven membership. Good luck getting in! This Coven takes traditional mug club memberships to the next level, and the girls are super jealous of all its members. Listen to this episode or ask about membership when you visit Disco Witch Brewing for more details.

Shelly is one of three female craft brewers in the area and a member of the Pink Boots Society. She is extremely passionate about giving back, and you can hear about the great causes she supports in this episode.

Shelly is truly an inspiration, and the girls are blown away by her ambition, generosity, humility and strength. Cheers!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 2

Episode 030 | Boozy Blondes Happy Hour, Volume 2

The Boozy Blondes

So sad – the Boozy Blondes are still apart! But you can eavesdrop on their happy hour call when you listen to this episode!

Backed by the marsh and the Florida sun, Molly is drinking 903 Brewers Birthday Xtrafunfetti Sasquatch Imperial Stout (11.3% double milk imperial stout – not pictured – that was her pre-call cocktail) while Chrissy took in the view high in the mountains sipping on wine from her Wine Insiders shipment (listen to Episode 011 – Booze Delivery: Winc, Wine Insiders, Beer Drop, Drizly and More! to learn about great booze delivery services tested by the blondes).

Back in St. Augustine after a cold Christmas in PA, Molly has been enjoying her favorite bars downtown and the laid back beach bars (listen to Episode 023 – Pub Pedal: St. Augustine Beach Bars: Jack’s BBQ, Salt Life, Beachcombers, Sunset Grille, Mango Mango’s and More!) and finally snagged the Sunset Grille t-shirt! Molly’s parents were in town, so of course, she brought them to Forgotten Tonic to check out the festive Miracle Bar (listen to Episode 004 – Behind the Booze – Forgotten Tonic Interview with John Moore).

Their visit posed a great question – is it okay to drink a Bloody Mary after the morning hours? The girls will reveal the popular vote during their Happy Hour Volume 3 call. Molly says yes, Chrissy says no.

Still in the chilly mountains of north Georgia, Chrissy has been exploring local breweries and came across a hidden gem – White Side Brewing. It sounds like she stumbled upon a Great Gatsby party! Oh, and bonus, Chrissy took 2nd place in the annual Tournament of Champions (TOC)! (Have you had the pleasure of listening to that episode yet?) And after a hike to Sunset Rock, Chrissy enjoyed her well-earned drink at The High Dive in Highlands, NC. Chrissy also raved about her hangover-free wine drinking thanks to the Ullo Wine Filter – try it for yourself and drink more wine! #worthit

The blondes will be reunited again soon, but until then, listen in while their spill their adventures, new boozy concoctions (Chrissy’s Garden Party Spritz is a must-try!) and shout-outs to the special people who made an impact during the week – in this episode shout outs to Rachel Molina (TOC competitor) and John Moore (Forgotten Tonic). Don’t forget to post a question via DM on the Boozy Blondes Instagram – like @chandrasekharkartik did and really stumped Molly.

Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 2

Episode 029 | Behind the Booze – Interview with FloridaHopMama!

The Boozy Blondes

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Boozy Blondes Molly Berry, @FloridaHopMama Ashley and Boozy Blondes Christina Benjamin cheersing beers at Celery City Craft Beer Garden in Sanford, Florida.

The Boozy Blondes are on location at Celery City Craft Beer Garden in Sanford, Florida, with @FloridaHopMama (Ashley)! Chrissy found Ashley’s account on Instagram and immediately shared it with Molly. Ashley’s caliber of photography, fabulous style, hilarious reels and her impeccable taste in beers and bars drew the girls in, and Ashley quickly became one of their Boozy idols. 

There are a few DOEs today – the blondes are drinking the Irish Coffee Cold Brew-Hoo (Irish whisky, espresso vodka and Yoo-hoo) along with a flight and Ashley is sipping Dream Lock, a hazy IPA.

Ashley shares how she got into the craft beer scene and developed her brand around her love of sharing all the amazing beers she finds. She worked for a local distributor as a promoter and started drinking Kona Big Wave which was her gateway to the craft beer world. She loved the taste and wondered what other beers were out there. She started blogging and created her @FloridaHopMama Instagram account about five years ago. Her business has expanded to freelance social media, photography and content for local businesses.

She tells the girls all about Beer Spa in Orlando – a hopeful Boozy destination for 2023. (Spoiler alert, there is another interview releasing in Season 2 with more Boozy idols – the guys from Pour Another Round podcast – who also partake in a beer spa – Piva Beer Spa in Chicago, IL – and the FOMO is getting real for the blondes!)

Born and raised in central Florida, @FloridaHopMama has so much love for the state, especially the craft beer scene that has grown immensely just in the past five years. “We have good stuff!” she says. “Please come visit!” Make sure to follow her on Instagram to keep up with central Florida events too!

Her future plans include a podcast with @maltymaiden, so look for The Real Beer Moms Podcast coming to everywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts sometime soon! Her advice to anyone thinking about starting a blog or podcast or Instagram account or ANYTHING you’re passionate about is to just go for it! Regardless your passion, we all start somewhere and you have no idea where it can take you. Just do it!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 2

Episode 028 | Boozy Blondes Happy Hour, Volume 1

The Boozy Blondes

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Lushes! We are back, ringing in 2023 with Season 2 of the Boozy Blondes Podcast. This season promises more interviews with boozy influencers, owners and brewers, and we can’t wait to share the boozy travels this year has in store for your favorite booze travelers.

Molly and Chrissy are apart for most of the first half of 2023, so they plan to host happy hours with each other to discuss their separate boozy escapades and finds. Tune in to keep up with the adventures, starting with the first episode of Season 2 – episode 028 – releasing January 12, 2023. Chrissy is keeping warm with Brothers Bond bourbon, Owls Brew Boozy Tea, and espresso martinis in chilly Sky Valley, Georgia, while Molly drives south back to sunny Florida after surviving the bitter cold of PA for Christmas.

Special shout outs to the team at Napa South, @chandrasekharkartik and the blondes’ favorite field drinker Tanya! If you have a question for the Boozy Blondes, send a DM to @boozy.blondes on Instagram or email boozyblondespodcast@gmail.com.

Cheers!