Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 4, Special Events

Episode 092 | PRP Wine International Tasting hosted by Kevin Wynn

Listen here!

This week the girls stepped up their party game in a big way — from epic themed parties in Season 1 to something a little more refined: a private wine tasting right at home here in Season 4! (Are the Boozy Blondes growing up?) And yes, they even had a professional guide them through it!

Kevin Wynn from PRP Wine International arrived with a box full of wines and treated the girls and their friends to an unforgettable tasting experience. They sampled numerous exclusive wines (not sold anywhere else!), learned about each bottle, and of course, enjoyed plenty of laughs along the way. PRP makes it simple to tailor your tasting by grape, country, or sweetness level, and after the event, you can even purchase your favorites by the case – unlocking access to their members-only deals and warehouse sales.

Chrissy went all out with the party prep:

  • Guest List (PRP recommends up to 12 guests at the tasting)
  • Make an invitation
  • Plan the menu (what snacks will you serve with the tasting – the girls chose oft pretzel charcuterie boards, tea sandwiches, pasta salad, and mini cupcakes from Sweet City Cupcakes in St. Augustine)
  • Decor (balloons and wine bottle bouquets)
  • Party favors
  • Welcome drinks

Kevin was the star of the night! He was knowledgeable, entertaining, and full of stories from past tastings. Even though his wine preferences didn’t match the girls’ faves, he had the expertise to guide them through every pour.

If you’ve ever thought about hosting a wine tasting with friends, PRP Wine International makes it fun, educational, and totally approachable. You can book your own through the PRP website and be sure to follow Kevin on Instagram along with PRP Wine International.

This episode proves you don’t need to be a sommelier to throw a fabulous tasting party – just good friends, a little planning, and a whole lot of wine. Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3, Special Events

Episode 073 | Tales of the Cocktail Interview: Mijenta Tequila w/ Ana María Romero

Happy Thanksgiving!

We’ve reached the end of our Tales of the Cocktail mini-series with Molly’s favorite – tequila! Chrissy interviews Ana María Romero, Master Distiller with Mijenta Tequila. Chrissy and Ana María find a spot away from the excitement at the Mijenta Cocktail Party at the Four Seasons during this year’s Tales of the Cocktail to chat about the brand and Ana María’s love for curating the perfect tequila taste.

Ana María has been in the industry for about 30 years, and her current position revolves around innovation with quality control and process control. Her first love was wine – she initially only thought of drunk people when she thought of tequila! In reality, tequila can be elegant and complex – it just has a bad stereotype around it! Tequila is so expressive, and Ana María appreciates the freedom in her position to design a complex, delicious taste. She’s in the game to change that historical stereotype – tequila = just drunk people. Drinking tequila should be an enjoyable, immersive experience – one to be remembered the next morning!

What sets Mijenta Tequila apart from other brands is the high quality level of the agave, how it is slow cooked and the meticulous distillation process. Also, there are no additives used in the process. You can read more about Ana María and Mijenta Tequila in an interview from Chilled Magazine.

While hard to choose, Ana María admits the Blanco is her favorite variety in the Mijenta family. A recommended recipe, El Diablo, using the Blanco can be found on the Mijenta website.

Ana María ends the interview and our Tales of the Cocktail mini-series encouraging us to always fight for our dreams ❤ Such a perfect finale.

You can follow Mijenta Tequila on Instagram, and keep up with Ana María on her Instagram page too. She’s teaching a certified professional tequila taster class starting in 2025! Sign up the Boozy Blondes!

Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3, Special Events

Episode 072 | Tales of the Cocktail Interview: Tullamore D.E.W. w/Clodagh Mai O’Callaghan

The Tales of the Cocktail mini-series continues when Chrissy interviews Clodagh Mai O’Callaghan, Brand Ambassador with Tullamore D.E.W. whiskey. Clodagh Mai lives in New York but hails from Cork, Ireland, and her accent is actually a contributing factor how she landed in the industry! She shares whiskey with Chrissy, and they talk about their love of Irish Coffee (as does Chrissy’s mom!); you can find the recipe for the Tullamore D.E.W. (Tully) Irish Coffee here!

Tullamore D.E.W. (fondly known as “Tully”) is the original triple blend Irish whiskey – three styles of whiskey are blended together to create the award-winning taste. Malt (fruity), pot still (spicy), and grain (sweet). Its name comes from the town where its made (Tullamore) plus the initials of one of Ireland’s greatest distillers, Daniel Edmund Williams (D.E.W.). Distilling this triple blend started back in the early 1800s! With the expertise and longevity in the industry, it’s no wonder Tullamore D.E.W. is the number two brand in the world!

The best seller which launched this year (at the time of this episode), is the Honey variety which adds a touch of warmth and sweetness to the flagship whiskey. It’s made with 100% natural Bohemian honey sourced from hives in the Czech Republic.

The Boozy Blondes have added a Tullamore D.E.W. distillery visit to their boozy bucket list. This facility spans over 58 acres with 365,000 barrels of Irish Whiskey producing over 2.9 million gallons annually! While you are here, you have the unique opportunity to blend and bottle your own whiskey!

If you’re in NOLA, Clodaugh Mai recommends visiting Erin Rose, her favorite watering hole in the Crescent City. Alexis Brown in Episode 068 has also dubbed Erin Rose as a must-stop spot when you’re in town!

You can follow Clodaugh Mai and all her Tully adventures on Instagram, and be sure to follow Tullamore D.E.W. for fun posts, including glamour shots of that amazing Tully Irish Coffee the girls talk about!

“Success comes not to those who desire it most but to those who care deeply about what they do and feel compelled to create.” – Daniel E. Williams

Slàinte!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3, Special Events

Episode 071 | Tales of the Cocktail Interview: El Tequileño Tequila with Gina Castillo Oghene

How lucky is Chrissy? We have ANOTHER Tales of the Cocktail interview for you! She had the privilege of meeting so many amazing leaders and influencers in the beverage industry during her stay, and she was grateful to score an interview with Gina Castillo Oghene, El Tequileño Tequila’s Director of Advocacy.

El Tequileño tequila has been around for 65 years, but it’s known as Mexico’s best kept secret. (It just launched in the United States 6 years ago!) Today, over six decades later, El Tequileño is crafted in the same place, using the same recipe under the direction of founder Don Jorge Salles Cuervo’s grandson, Master Distiller Jorge Antonio Salles.

El Tequileño is verified as part of Tequila Matchmaker’s “Verified Additive Free” program, also know as the Additive Free Alliance. This program promotes transparency in tequila production to help consumers make informed choices, and you know the blondes appreciate brands that use REAL ingredients. Tequila brands who apply to this program undergo a rigorous annual verifications process that includes audits, lab tests and tastings during various stages of production.

And did you know the distillery hosts a luxury resort? Casa Salles Hotel Boutique opened in 2019 to share the ultimate tequila experience. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect Boozy Blondes retreat, what does?!

The El Tequileño team attended Tales of the Cocktail sharing their tequilas and also to introduce Still Strength which is 100 proof! Still Strength was introduced at the end of July and was made available in select national and local retailers starting July 30th. Tales of the Cocktail took place July 21st – 26th. Chrissy started her day with a shot of Still Strength, so she was lucky enough to get a taste of this exclusive expression before it was available to the public! She was pleasantly surprised by the flavor – very floral and fruity without any burn!  

Gina’s story about how she started in the industry definitely made Chrissy wish she had a Time-Turner (yes, Harry Potter reference); Chrissy would definitely have pursued a different career and followed in Gina’s footsteps had she known “liquor brand ambassador” was an option! (But then there probably never would have been the Boozy Blondes, so the girls ultimately are glad things turned out the way they did!) But back to Gina – she started her career in the industry with a whiskey brand and was transitioned to the tequila brand ambassador for Jose Cuervo and Don Julio. This role turned into what Chrissy calls “a tequila love story;” you need to listen to the interview to understand!

Gina’s favorite cocktail to make is the Tommy’s Margarita, and her best seller in the US is El Tequileño Platinum made with 100% estate grown agave from the highland of Jalisco. Visit El Tequileño’s website to find recipes for drool-worthy, beautiful cocktails! And side, note, if you’re visiting Guadalajara, stop in Gina’s bar Mitilde Mi Amor!

Have you tried any of the El Tequileño varieties? Which is your favorite? Message us on our Boozy Blondes Instagram or send us an email! Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3, Special Events

Episode 070 | Tales of the Cocktail Interview: Altamura Vodka with Frank Grillo and Alexandra Purcaru

Let’s roar, lushes! As the Tales of the Cocktail mini-series continues, Chrissy interviews Frank Grillo and Alexandra Purcaru of Altamura vodka. Frank is the managing director of Altamura Distilleries and this former New Yorker is living the life the Boozy Blondes dream of in Puglia in Southern Italy! Alexandra is Altamura’s inclusivity ambassador, co-founder of Art Cocktail Club & beverage director at Selva Oaxaca Cocktail Bar who spends her time between Paris and Oaxaca. This dynamic duo is coming together to changing the game for all us cocktail drinkers out there!

Did you know there is a 2000-year-old recipe for a special loaf of Italian bread called Pane di Altamura? Frank stumbled across this recipe, made the bread and wondered why no one was distilling from the wheat. And ta-da! Altamura was born! Fast forward to present day and Chrissy is sipping on the product derived from that very question!

While the bread recipe has twenty centuries under its belt, Altamura Vodka is just getting started having graced the market two years ago. The team appreciates Tales of the Cocktail because it’s an opportunity to present this brand on a world stage; they see Tales of the Cocktail as an exposure opportunity but also a learning opportunity.

For its future plans, Altamura plans to expand into flavored vodka such as tomato-flavored vodka using Datterini tomatoes and a green pepper vodka using mild Friggitelli, both of which are grown in Puglia. They also plan to release a gin and American whiskey in the near future.

And while Frank and Alexandra both live abroad, when in New Orleans they recommend the same watering hole – The French 75 Bar in Arnauds, especially if you plan to order the Old Fashioned. And speaking of the US, if you’re in South Beach, order the house martini at the Four Season Surf Club – it’s made with Altamura! Find the recipe here. If you’re interested in more eclectic cocktail options, visit Altamura’s mixology page for creative concoctions and beautiful photography!

Click on Frank or Alexandra’s names to link to their Instagram accounts. While you are there check out Altamura’s page for fun content, beautiful photography and drool-worthy cocktails.

To learn more about this exclusive brand and the team behind it, check out these articles about Frank and Altamura. And don’t miss this great article about Alexandra as well! See where you can buy a bottle (or two or three) on their website. Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3, Special Events

Episode 069 | Tales of the Cocktail Interview: Quintaliza Tequila w/Iliana Partida & Mike Winters

Tales of the Cocktail mini-series continues when Chrissy interviews Mike Winters, founder and CEO, and Iliana Partida, Master Distiller, of Quintaliza Tequila, the world’s first and only coffee aged tequila! Two things the Boozy Blondes love – coffee and tequila! But keep in mind, this isn’t a liqueur, nor a coffee-infused, flavored tequila. There is no infusing, mixing or blending of any kind!

To get the coffee aged Reposado tequila, the Quintaliza team seasons barrels that previously held organic cold brew coffee from Chiapas, Mexico. It’s initially aged two months in an American whiskey cask prior to finishing for three months in the coffee seasoned cask.

“We began with a simple, but bold dream to bring great tequila and great coffee together. The idea was not only to create something very new and different in the tequila category, but also to do it in a way that tastes great naturally without the use of any additives,” says Mike Winters, founder and CEO of Quintaliza Tequila. “Bartenders in particular are driving the call for additive-free tequila but struggle to find enough examples to fill a bar menu.” 

Photo Credit: The J Projects by Jaci Peña

Yes, another thing the blondes love – additive-free booze! Quintaliza is certified organic and additive-free! The rich flavor and character comes from the agave and the tequila’s proprietary aging process.

During the interview Mike and Iliana discuss how they got started in the industry. While Mike is fairly new to the industry, Iliana grew up in it; she’s a 4th generation master distiller! But both know this is their home and are dedicated to changing the tequila game and bringing this high quality, responsible innovation to market!

This “responsible innovation” is two-fold. Being certified organic and additive-free means the Quintaliza team isn’t throwing just anything into their product; they honor their ingredients, staying true to agave’s sweet, natural taste. Also they place a heavy priority on sustainability. Quintaliza only uses organically grown agave, and the company has been planting agaves since day one, demonstrating respect for the land from which it’s harvested. In addition, the coffee grounds from Quintaliza’s coffee-aged barrels are repurposed as fertilizer to increase the pH level of the soil in the agave fields. 

Usually when you think of tequila, “responsible” isn’t the word that comes to mind. As Chrissy mentions during the interview, tequila is at the forefront of many memes, typically insinuating a rough night – the opposite of being responsible. That’s why Quintaliza is so great – it’s changing the tequila game for the better, and who isn’t intrigued by a “responsible” tequila?

Be sure to follow Quintaliza on Instagram, and check its website to find where you can purchase a bottle! And once you get a bottle, try out some fabulous cocktails illustrated in the glamour shots below! ! (Photo credit The J Projects by Jaci Peña)

Let us know which you’ve concocted! By the way, the most popular selling cocktail using Quintaliza is the Espresso Martini. This should be no surprise considering the tequila is coffee aged! You can find the recipe here.

Pictured left to right: Aloe Goodbye | Casual Friday | Wildflower Margarita

Cheers!…to responsible tequila drinking!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 3, Special Events

Episode 068 | Tales of the Cocktail Interview: Moët Hennessy w/Alexis Brown

Tune in to the next installment of the Tales of the Cocktail mini-series where Chrissy interviews Alexis Brown of  Moët Hennessy USA. Alexis is the Hennessy Ambassador for Moët Hennessy and her career started because of her love of the hospitality industry. This passion shines through in her current role as she loves interacting with guests and educating others. Also, when asked what her favorite drink to make is, she answers, “whatever drink will make you happy.” Aw!

No rookie to Tales of the Cocktail, this year marked Alexis’ 9th year at the event! Moët Hennessy hosted an incredible party focused on drinks and sounds of the decades at Tales of the Cocktail this year at Latrobe’s on Royal.

Guests began their journey in the early 1900s at a local general store. The featured cocktail here was the Sazerac Cocktail featuring Hennessy V.S. and Woodinville Rye. Did you know the Sazerac is often hailed as the first American cocktail?

Next during the 1920s – 1940s guests were transported back in time to the rebellious days of Prohibition! Here the starring cocktails were the French 75 (featuring Hennessy V.S & Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut), The Bobby Burns (featuring Ardbeg 10) and the Scotch and Soda (featuring Glenmorangie).

In the 1950s – 1980s area, guests entered the Moët Hennessy Record Shop with Rock & Roll! Cocktails offered here were the Moscow Mule (featuring Belvedere Organic) and the Tequila Daisy (featuring Volcan Blanco or Reposado).

The last stop through this Boozy Blondes’ dream party was “The World of Today” that featured each of Moët Hennessy’s brands through a unique, immersive pop-up like a professional calligrapher who wrote out words attendees used to describe the heritage of Moët Hennessy.

*Disclaimer – once again Molly wasn’t jealous for missing this…at all.

The girls were so fortunate to have Alexis on the podcast. She is based out of Chicago and recommends grabbing a drink at Elina’s when you’re in town. And just like the Boozy Blondes, she loves grabbing a drink at the Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone when she’s in NOLA. She also never leaves town without stopping at Erin Rose’s for a frozen Irish Coffee!

Be sure to follow Alexis on Instagram – she loves chatting all things cocktails, lifestyle and travel!

Season 3, Special Events

Episode 066 | Tales of the Cocktail

Welcome, lushes, to a multi-part mini series diving into the Tales of the Cocktail event! Tales of the Cocktail is an annual trade conference, festival, and gathering of cocktail and spirits industry professionals in New Orleans, Louisiana, and this year, Chrissy was lucky enough to attend – as an official media member! Talk about a Boozy Blondes dream come true!

Every summer representatives of the global beverage industry meet to celebrate and advance the innovations shaping this industry. They cover everything from wellness, sustainability, history and emerging trends. You can find everyone here from new Indie brands to well-known heavy hitters!

This year (2024) marked the 22nd year of Tales of the Cocktail. From July 21 – 26, 2024, representatives from 52 countries hosted 400 unique events showcasing 290 brands! How do you choose what to taste, where to go or who to meet? It’s a mystery how Chrissy narrowed down her schedule, but tune in over the next few months, because you’ll get a behind the scenes listen as to how things shaped up for her. It was a lot of work sampling spirits, interviewing legends, absorbing industry education and of course attending some badass boozy parties!

Over the next few episodes Chrissy shares her amazing experience with listeners as she features interviews with multiple brands who attended Tales of the Cocktail including Moet Hennessy, Mozart Chocolate Liqueur, Altamura, El Tequileno, Mijenta Tequila, Tullamore Dew, and Quintaliza Tequila!

While you wait for each individual episode to drop, you can follow these amazing brands on Instagram:

The girls are so excited to share this mini series with you – and be sure to keep an eye out for the 2025 Tales of the Cocktail dates which will be released this fall!

Season 3, Special Events

Episode 064 | Palatka Craft Beer Fest – What to Know Before You Go

In season 2 of the podcast, the Boozy Blondes announced they were asked to be the official bloggers of the 2023 Palatka Craft Beer Festival presented by the Palatka Rotary Club! (Episode 049) Now, with the 2024 Palatka Beer Fest approaching, the girls recap their experience last year and give listeners tips of what to expect, what to bring and what made this beer festival stand out!

The DOE for the episode is Untitled Art Cotton Candy IPA. If you know the Boozy Blondes, you know they love cotton candy – especially in boozy liquid form! This 6.3% hazy is packaged in the cutest, feminine can and tastes just like cotton candy! The girls love it!

The Palatka Craft Beer Festival is an annual event hosted by the Palatka Rotary Club at Riverfront Park every November. About 20 vendor booth attend, sharing unlimited tastings of their delicious craft beer with attendees! Adjacent to the park is a Hampton Inn, so the girls packed up the Boozy bros and Chrissy’s parents and settled into home base. The festival was right across the street!

The event offers two ticket options – general admission and VIP. With only $20 separating the two options ($45 for GA, $65 for VIP), it was an easy decision to go VIP. VIP ticket holders were allowed entry an hour early, we had a private VIP tent with complimentary food, and we were given a free Palatka Craft Beer Fest t-shirt! The event kicked off at noon for VIP ticket holders or 1pm for GA.

The extra hour gave the girls time to chat with the representatives on site and take their time enjoying the different beers. When the clock struck 1:00, the festival got slammed! It’s a very popular event so that extra hour was a great perk!

Bacon and Bubbles Food Truck

This festival offered a lot of great benefits:

There were about 20 breweries/vendors on site for the event, and the girls were lucky (and quick enough) to hit almost all of them! Be sure to listen to this episode to hear about what the girls sampled including the stand outs from the day.

Following the festival the fun continued! The girls and their crew sat down for a meal at Velchoff’s, then wandered over to Azalea City Brewing for more drinks, card games and music! (by the way, you can learn all about Azalea City in Episode 035 in an interview with owner Andrea Canover – listen here!) By the time they left Azalea, they were hungry again, so they ventured through the streets of Palatka until they stumbled on Angel’s Dining Car, Florida’s Oldest Diner! Here Chrissy ordered her third burger of the day. And that put the exclamation point on our Palatka adventure – we took those burgers to go and ate them back at the hotel before calling it a night.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the 2024 Palatka Craft Beer Festival – coming soon!

Season 3, Special Events

Episode 062 | St. Augustine Craft Brewers’ Festival

On May 4, 2024, the St. Augustine Craft Brewers’ Festival celebrated its 5th Anniversary at the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida! This is basically a Boozy Blonde’s playground and the girls recap the event in this episode so you can plan for the 2025 fest!

The DOE is Dog Rose Brewing Lions Head Honey Sour which is very appropriate since Dog Rose owner Courtney Murr is the festival director! Lions Head Honey Sour (5.2%) is a Boozy Blondes favorite, and you can hear more about this beer and Dog Rose Brewing Co. in Episode 003!

The festival offers three different ticket types: General Admission, VIP and Designated Driver:

  1. General: (850)available, 1pm entry time, access to food trucks, live music and unlimited tastings – tasting glass provided by Ice Mule Coolers
  2. VIP: (100) available, get you early entry (12pm), private bathrooms, an air-conditioned pavilion and catering provided by Meehan’s Irish Pub, a local favorite. You get guaranteed parking and a private beer station plus access to everything listed in general admission ticket description.
  3. Designated Driver tickets: all proceeds benefit Epic Behavioral Healthcare, a non-profit specializing in the prevention and treatment of substance use and mental health disorders

There were almost 30 breweries on site at this event! The girls grabbed their tasting glass and tasting glass necklace (courtesy of Fishardy Fishing Carters) and took off running towards the closest brewery. They almost hit them all!

Dog Rose Brewing Co | hear Chrissy interview owner Courtney Murr in this episode who is also the Festival Director! Dog Rose is located in St. Augustine, Florida.

The Brewery at Jack’s | It’s the first St. Augustine Beach brewery!

Ancient City Brewing | Another hometown brewery with two locations – one downtown and one over by the St. Augustine outlets. You can hear more about Ancient City in Episode 003.

Ruby Beach Brewing | Located in downtown Jacksonville, the girls stopped here before a Jags game in 2023.

Hourglass Brewing | The girls interviewed Ashley aka FloridaHopMama in Season 2, and she gifted them a collaboration beer from here Episode 029. At the festival, Chrissy drank Macro-Dose and it was 19.2%! Molly had the Margs on Deck – a crushable summer gose with black sea salt, coriander, lime and blue agave nectar (6.4%).

Pareidolia Brewing | The blondes were so excited to meet owners Pete and Lynn! This brewery is located in Sebastian, Florida, so about 2 hours south of St. Augustine, and the girls recap their visit in Episode 020. At the festival Molly tried the Citra Surfer, Citra forward juicy IPA with notes of grapefruit and Chrissy had the Don’t Be Blue…Berry a 5.3% wheat beer, with blueberries obviously.

Cask | Cask was there – Cowford Ale Sharing Klub. This is a group open to all who are of legal drinking age and who wish to learn and share information about home brewing. They have monthly meetings at local breweries to share and sample their homebrews and even host their own competitions. The girls met some of the members at the Palatka Beer Fest in November 2023.

Bandwagon Brewing Co | Bandwagon came down from GA to attend the festival!

Cueni Brewing Co | Cueni is in Dunedin, Florida, and if you visit their taproom, you’ll see they have the best flight boards!

Fishweir Brewing Company | The girls love Fishweir. They stopped there on their first leg of the Jax Ale Trail (Episode 006)! Molly drank the Kush Terpene Hazy (with no THC) and Chrissy enjoyed the Gatorade Seltzer.

King Maker Brewing | Located in downtown Jacksonville, they were pouring High & Dry (5% dry cider), 100 Cursing Parrots (7.2% Cold IPA collab with Something in the Water Brewing out of Toronto!), 1913 (5% Czech dark lager) and The Wasserboy (5% Kolsch).

Reve Brewing Co | Reve is another Jacksonville brewery, and at the festival the blondes met the owner Eric who is also a brewer and Mike, another brewer and his wife Jennifer. They brought two beers to the festival: Light Into Ashes (6.2% hazy IPA) and Far Side of Fantasy (6% sour with cherry, lime and lactose).

Alcatraz Brewing | The girls were too late to sample their beer! So sad. They sold out quickly – another reason to get the VIP tickets. That extra hour really helps to give you a jump on all the tastings.

Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co | The girls visited Ivanhoe in Orlando, Florida, not too long ago – October 2023 and loved it! At the festival they came armed with four beers – Joyland (7% American IPA), Park Hopp’r, a 5% pilsner, Halftoberfest, a 5.42% Vienna lager and Guavacation, a 4% berliner weisse beer with guava and raspberry.

First Magnitude Brewing Co | The girls both had the Anastasia Sour here – it had the prettiest can! It was a sour beer with raspberry, hibiscus and vanilla. First Magnitude is out of Gainesville, Florida.

Walking Tree Brewing | Walking Tree is out of Vero Beach, FL, and they brought WTB IPA (7.1%), Landing Strip Lager (4.5%) and Maple Praline Brown (7%).

Old Coast Ales | This is another St. Augustine brewery you can hear more about in Episode 003. The girls love hanging out here and love Osprey Tacos next door too!

Bog Brewing Co | And Bog was also there rounding out the St. Augustine breweries! You can hear more about Bog in Episode 003.

3 Mavins Brewing | They are based out of South Florida and use simple clean ingredients in their beer like honey, agave nectar and maple syrup. They brought their Amber Lager (6.2%), Encore Session IPA (4.7%) and the Pink Lady (5.5% pale ale).

St. Augustine Home Brewers Club | This group was back passing out beers in the backyard! The blondes saw them at the Palatka Beer Fest in November as well.

Southern Swells Brewing Co | The girls visited Southern Swells on leg 3 of the Jax Ale Trail and you can hear all the details about this brewery in Episode 050!

Southern Philosophy Brewing Co | The Boozy Blondes really connected with Gallagher and Nicole at Southern Philosophy. They are located in western Georgia, and the girls really wish they were closer! They brought four beers with them: The Lagoon (4.1% lactose free sour conditioned on coconut with pineapple, clue curacao, Sicilian lemon, lime and tangerine puree), Cinco de Mustache (5.5% Mexican lager), Chipotle Smoked Porter (6.5%) and Sowega Honey Haze (8.3% IPA).

INK Factory | Another favorite of ours – you can hear all about Ink Factory in Episode 050 Jax Ale Trail Volume 3, including the amazing burger from Hard Pressed that was on site when we went. They had two beers at the festival – Surfadelic, a hazy pale ale and Triple Whip Volume 7, a smoothie sour with pineapple, mango, key lime and white chocolate!

Azalea City | Another Boozy Blondes favorite, out of Palatka, Florida. Molly had one of her faves, Fresh Squeeze Hazy IPA, and Chrissy had the Irish Coffee Stout. You can hear from Azalea City’s owner Andrea Canover in a behind the scenes interview Episode 035.

Dees Brothers Brewery | The girls were so excited to see Dees Brothers at the festival! They are located in Sanford, Florida, and the girls had just been there a couple weeks before the festival for Sanford’s Mini Masters event. And you can hear bout Dees Brothers in Episode 034 Sanford Breweries and Bars). Dees Brothers is a great brewery with amazing beer and equally amazing food. They brought Thunder & Lightning (7% American IPA), Dees Bier (5.6% Hefeweizen), Lakeside Pilsner (5.2% Czech style pilsner) and Aquadnauts (10% Belgian-style Quad).

De Bine Brewing Co | The blondes loved Zak. Zak is the head brewer and operations manager and De Bine which is located in Palm Harbor, Florida. They brought four beers with them: Safety Glasses (5% hazy IPA), Czechered Past (5.1% pilsner), Fire the Cannons (5.4% Red Ale) and Wappy Sprayberry (Mixed Berry Wheat 6-ish%).

Bold City Brewery | This brewery is in downtown Jacksonville, and brought great beer – Beer Bong Pilsner (4.4%), Jowl Blaster Fruited Sour (6%), Bold City IPA (7%), and Right on Rosselle (6% hazy IPA).

Aardwolf Brewing Co | Aardwolf is another downtown Jacksonville brewery! They brought some Star Wars themed beers with them for the event – Princess Leia Cake (vanilla and lemon hazy IPA), The Power of the Darkside (Empire stout with coconut, banana and peanut butter), C3Pilso (just beer) and This is the Way (pistachio coconut sour).

Wulfhaven Brewing Co | Wulfhaven is out of Tampa, and the girls met Joseph and Veronica. Joseph started the brewery with his dad and Veronica is the General Manager. They brought Leaning Tower of Pilsner (5.4% pilsner), Par-Tee in Paradise (6% IPA), Amaiz’n (5% Mexican Lager) and Spring Fling (5.5% Florida White Ale).

Whew! Be sure to start looking for tickets in March 2025. This beer festival lives up to the hype. It’s in a beautiful location and hosts A TON of amazing breweries serving up great craft brews! Don’t miss it!