Tag: drinking podcast

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!

Foundations, Finales and Fuddled, Season 1

Episode 027 | Boozy Blondes Season 1 Recap

The Boozy Blondes

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They did it! The girls successfully completed Season 1 of the Boozy Blondes Podcast! In this final episode of 2022 they review what went well, where they would like to improve, favorite stops on their adventures and goals for next year.

The DOE is Champagne! Finishing Season 1 calls for a celebration and what better libation than Champagne!

Some fun stats from Season 1:

  • Instagram Followers: 400+
  • Listeners: 767 plays across 9 countries over 4 platforms

And some goals for Season 2:

  • Instagram Followers: prediction!! 1500 followers as of Nov 3, 2023!
  • Listeners: 1000 listens by the end of 2022
  • More interviews!
  • Strategically attracting more booze followers

The girls are extremely grateful for your support and are excited to see where 2023 takes them and this podcast! They are so thankful to have the opportunity to collaborate with and meet boozy friends along this journey and know Season 1 was just the beginning!

If you want to collaborate with the Boozy Blondes, send them a message! boozyblondespodcast@gmail.com

Cheers!

Foundations, Finales and Fuddled, Season 1

Episode 026 | Drinking at Home, Tournament of Champions!

The Boozy Blondes

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An ongoing tradition for the Boozy Blondes is to visit Sky Valley, Georgia, between Christmas and the new year. This episode gives you a raw look into a typical New Year’s Eve celebration during their trip – the annual Tournament of Champions – the favorite Drinking at Home night of the year! This year the group added an extra element to the tournament – Secret Santa onesies! Each player had to wear a onesie chosen by another competitor.

Today there is no DOE. The girls never mention what they are drinking in this episode, but it is very apparent they were overindulging prior to (and during?) recording.

The annual Tournament of Champions involves a bracket-style competition of seven games:

  • Pool
  • Shuffleboard
  • Darts
  • Foosball
  • Flip Tac Toe
  • Blackjack
  • Asshole

Six competitors go head-to-head to earn points in each game – the player with the most total points at the end wins a coveted spot on the podium. The girls interview the competitors following the 2022 tournament and ask them all the same questions:

  • Which of the competitors would you choose to battle one on one?
  • Who had the best onesie?
  • What game should be added to Tournament of Champions?
  • Which of the seven games in Tournament of Champions do you play the most in real life?
  • Who would you trade onesies with?

Listen to this sometimes cringy yet entertaining episode for an uncensored peek into the real world of drinking with the Boozy Blondes, and get to know the other Tournament of Champions competitors a little bit too – Rainer, Joey, Rachel and Phil.

1st place | Joey
2nd place | Chrissy
3rd place | Rachel
4th place | Rainer
5th place | Phil
6th place | Molly

Beware of high-pitched voices!

What are some of your favorite games that would be good for the Boozy Blondes to add to Tournament of Champions for next year? DM the girls on Instagram (@boozy.blondes) with your suggestions!

Wow. Chrissy really has made the podium every year! Impressive!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 1

Episode 025 | Drinking at Home

The Boozy Blondes

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Get ready, lushes! The Boozy Blondes are sharing their recipe for the best ways to drink at home! Sure, cuddling up with your favorite glass of wine in the best seat in the house qualifies as drinking at home, but this episode takes it to another level. If you’ve been listening to the Boozy Blondes podcast over the past 20-some episodes, you know these girls take their drinking seriously – and always up a notch!

Drinking at Home Recipe (easy!)
– 3 parts guests
– one hearty serving of libations
– a dash of the perfect theme

Mix these together for execution, and voila! Drinking at home just went up a level. The Boozy Blondes have hosted many different themed parties over the years of their friendship and give listeners insight how to recreate some of their faves:

  1. WOW Party – Wine of the World…each guest or couple brings a bottle of wine and dish to share from an assigned country. Put out score cards for wines, and recommend guests bring a food that pairs well with their bottle. Make sampling stations, and enjoy!
  2. Oktoberfest Party – host a night making flower crowns with your friends prior to the event. Create name tags with German names and host a German games competition.
  3. Murder Mystery Party – assign guests a character and a dish to bring. Some options come with scripts, while other options allow guests to organically create their own questions.
  4. Sports Party – when your favorite team is playing, it’s fun to lean in to the colors. Serve drinks and food that compliment your team’s jerseys!
  5. Crocket Party – this is an oxymoron of a party – it’s a redneck version of croquet in fancy white outfits! Grab those plastic flutes for Champagne, pinkies up while eat tea sandwiches and survive the wickets!

Lockdown during Covid taught the girls to get creative with virtual activities while drinking at home. Virtual Bingo, Beer Pong, Drawful and You Don’t Know Jack were some of the best virtual drinking at home nights.

Yard Game Tournaments are a Boozy Blondes fave! Whether you go all out with team costumes and brackets or just get the gang together to throw horseshoes or bags, a little competition always keeps things interesting! The girls have been team HoboMolecule for at least 15 years now!

Along with yard games, card games and board games add some competition to your drinking at home night. YouTube has a great Power Hour series; the girls especially love the Totally Rad 90s Power Hour!

Hosting a beer tasting at home is a fun way to try new varieties. This has become a tradition for the Boozy Blondes during their annual trip to Sky Valley. Pick out some beers (or ask guests to each bring a six pack), set up sampling stations and download this handy beer tasting sheet! This is a great way to find beers you love – or hate! Be sure to have your camera ready to capture the bitter beer faces!

What are some of your favorite games/themes when drinking at home? Let the Boozy Blondes know in the comments below!

Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 024 | Drinking Abroad – Italy & Greece

The Boozy Blondes

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Settle in, lushes! We are crossing the pond and drinking abroad today! We highly recommend this episode if you’re planning a trip to Greece or Italy, or if you’d like to live vicariously through one of the Boozy Blondes and her fabulous trip overseas!

The DOE is aperol spritz (3 parts Champagne, 2 parts aperol, 1 part sparkling water over ice). In Italy spritz is big, made with any aperitif + Champagne + fizzy water. All the locals drink spritzes (especially as a day drink) and most often they are served with crisps (chips) or snack towers. This is your pro tip – order a spritz, it’s the best value – for about 5€ you get a drink and snacks!

Chrissy’s trip spanned over 19 days – and it was full of planes, trains and automobiles. And boats. Her trip was in late March/early April which is typically the off-season in Italy and Greece. During the off-season you can expect a low amount of tourists, it’s easy to get into restaurants, hotel rates are discounted, but the weather is hit or miss and not everything is open. Locals recommend traveling In September.

In this episode Chrissy shares travel tips, favorite bars and differences in the drinking culture as she takes listeners through her adventures in Italy and and cruising through Greece. She visits:

  • Milan, Italy
  • Venice, Italy
  • Padua/Padova, Italy
  • Verona, Italy
  • Madonna della Corona, Italy
  • Bolzano, Italy
  • Kotor, Montenegro
  • Mykonos, Greece
  • Santorini, Greece
  • Bari, Italy

One drinking culture difference in Italy – the coffee game is strong. Coffee bars are actual bars, and there are different trends for different times of day. In the morning grab coffee and snacks, breakfast pastries or meatballs. Meatballs for breakfast?! This may be the one exception to Molly’s “no morning meat” rule. They sound delish. Don’t get comfy though; locals enjoy their coffee and snacks while standing at the bar and move on. Starting around 11am the coffee bars start serving spritz and chips (crisps) – unlike breakfast, you can sit down for this one. Later in day, around 7 pm-ish is cicchetti (happy hour), then after 8pm, it’s time for wine with dinner.

Chrissy’s favorite bars in Italy:

– Vino Vero (Venice) – Chrissy enjoyed a cooking class in Venice with Lorenzo. (Lorenzo’s house made the favorite bar list too). He recommended his favorite at Vino Vero, Amarone wine.

– Sophias cafe (best craft beer)

– Santa Maria (brewery in Verona – taproom)

– Retro Wine & Cocktail Bar (Venice)

– Cafe Rialto (Venice)

– Caffe Vergnano (comparable to Starbucks)

– Marie Bistrot (Verona)

– Bottega Vini (Verona with 198 pages of wine)

– Antica gelateria del corso (base of the Madonna della Corona church – Spiazzi, Italy)

– Hopfen & Co (Bolzano, Italy)

Chrissy boarded her cruise ship from Venice and immediately noticed a big difference from the cruises the Boozy Blondes frequent in the Caribbean (listen to Episode 013 Booze Cruise for tips to making the most out of your weekend cruise). This particular European cruise was filled with young families, the drink package was not a priority (she was willing to bet she and Phil were the only ones with a drink package – they were ship favorites with the bartenders!), the activities were not in English, and it was a “commuter cruise” – people were boarding and debarking in all the ports. But similar to the Caribbean cruises, the ship docked in beautiful places!

The first stop was Kotor, Montenegro which was so picturesque or rather, Game of Thrones-esque, as Chrissy describes it. There were cats everywhere (they are protected), and Christmas is very big there. Chrissy recommends Caesar’s Wine Bar for the best charcuterie board and inexpensive wine.

The next port was Mykonos – a party place in season, but it was pretty much shut down when Chrissy was there. It reminded her of a little Venice and she visited Mykonos Brewing Company with Yoshi!  (This is the only brewery on the island). She recommends Katerina’s Bar on water with great views and Captain’s.

There was one place Chrissy wanted to visit more than anywhere else – Santorini! “I had happy tears the whole time!” she says. While more places were open here than in Mykonos there still weren’t many tourists. If you visit, go to the Meteor Cafe in Oia and the Venetsanos Winery. Guests can take a tour here, and they offer a tasting flight with a meat and cheese board.

The last port was Bari, but Chrissy didn’t get off the boat this day. Perhaps an excuse to go back?

Chrissy’s parting tips in this episode:

  • You know it’s a long day of travel to get overseas – it helps to have airline club level (check out airline credit card deals if you aren’t currently a member) – long layovers = expensive bar trips otherwise
  • book First class on trains – she experienced both First and General fares and the ease of logistics and lack of stress in First Class is well worth the price
  • Pay for the international data plan for phones – download google maps and gps routes to avoid getting lost when there is no service or Internet
  • When in Venice, splurge for a private water taxi, not a vaparetto (Chrissy describes a vaparetto as a bus on water – it’s only 7 to 15 euro OW or you can buy daily, weekly or monthly passes, whereas a private taxi is about 90 euro but it takes your door to door rather than a random vaparetto stop. When you arrive in Venice, depending where the stop is in relation to your lodging, you may have to drag your luggage through streets quite a ways

Have you traveled to any of these locations? What are some of your must-sees?

Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 023 | Pub Pedal: St. Augustine Beach Bars: Jack’s BBQ, Salt Life, Beachcombers, Sunset Grille, Mango Mango’s and More!

The Boozy Blondes

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Get ready to soak up some beach vibes with the Boozy Blondes as they pedal their way through their favorite St. Augustine Beach bars! Whether it be dive bars, boujee resorts, local haunts or tourist highlights, St. Augustine Beach has it all!

The DOE is painkillers for an extra tropical, beachy vibe. Chrissy has nailed the recipe:

  • 5oz pineapple/OJ juice (premixed from the store)
  • 1oz coconut milk (regular coconut milk, not the thick, super delicious stuff. The regular milk saves you calories and sugar though!)
  • 2 oz dark rum (Chrissy recommends Kraken)
  • Dash of nutmeg
  • Moonshine cherry garnish

The pub pedal tradition started July 16, 2013, when the boozy blondes corralled a handful of friends and executed an 8-mile ride, covering four bars. The route has changed over the years, but the level of excitement, fun and fabulous drinks for each journey has not. In fact, in Episode 3 (Pub Pedal – St. Augustine Craft Breweries), the girls tackle four local breweries on their bikes.

This particular pub pedal started at Little Margies FA Cafe. Little Margies is a small beachside restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and wine, beer and Champagne.

Next stop was a strenuous pedal to the top of the Embassy Suites driveway mountain (seriously, it’s pretty steep). This is not your typical Embassy Suites. It’s right on the beach and it’s stunning. The girls love this resort with the Rhum Bar, Harvest and Reel restaurant and their favorite, Castaway Cantina pool bar. You can’t not feel like you’re on vacation when you sip a tropical drink at the beautiful watering hole!

Normally on their beach pub pedals the girls stop at the St. Augustine Beach Pier for a hot dog and a game of bocce after the Embassy. The pier is home to a splash park, fishing pier and beach access. On Wednesdays in the summer it hosts Music and Art by the Sea an evening of live music, art show and food trucks. But on this particular pub pedal, the girls skipped the Pier and rode over to Jack’s BBQ.

Jack’s has been a St. Augustine Beach favorite since 1945! It’s “one block from St. Augustine Beach and features a brewery, pool, multiple bars, pool tables and unofficial mascot, Jack’s Cat.” Patrons can walk right up from the beach and enjoy a full bar and good food – especially the fries. Recently Jack’s owner Brud Helhoski opened Bootlegger Beach Brewing on site!

The St. Augustine Beach Pub Pedal ended with another beach favorite, Tides Oyster Co & Grill, otherwise lovingly known as “the old Dunes,” because Dunes Cracker was the name of this bar during early St. Augustine life for the girls. Tides offers nightly events like trivia, live music and Flip Night and serves up awesome oysters and wings.

The girls don’t have enough time (or booze tolerance) to visit all their favorite St. Augustine Beach bars during a pub pedal, so they switch up their route from time to time. Salt Life Food Shack is a new kid on the block and definitely attracts the tourists. They offer fun specials like Sushi Tuesdays and Oyster & Margarita Thursdays as well as transportation to their location if you are within a certain radius!

Beachcomber opened in the 1940s just like its neighbor across the street Jack’s and has seen some transformation over the years. Currently it offers a full bar and pretty fantastic menu! It’s the closest you can get to eating on the beach in St. Augustine; some tables are literally in the sand!

Sunset Grille is an all-time favorite for the girls. With its Key West atmosphere and extensive menu, it attracts locals and tourists alike “somewhere on A1A.” Another all-time favorite for its food is Mango Mango’s. The bar offers beer and wine and fun wine-based cocktails and homemade sangria.

Burrito Works Taco Shop and Café 11 are two other spots for fantastic food and assortment of drinks. The Taco Shop is a great spot to grab a bite after a day on the beach; and you can visit them in downtown St. Augustine as well! Café 11 is a music venue hosting some popular names and serving up delicious food – “the combination of locale and cuisine attracts tourists for weekend brunch, hipsters for the music, retirees for the pork barbecue and surfers for a daily dose of buffalo chicken panini.”

Last but definitely not least on the must-see beach bars list is Panama Hatties. Panamas recently endured a major face-lift and looks amazing. The girls have fond memories of crazy nights in the formerly beach-weathered dive bar by day/sleazy club by night and are impressed by the much-needed renovations. Panamas was first established in 2001 and reestablished in 2019.

So whether they are reminiscing of beach nights past or checking out the new establishments on the beach, the girls love St. Augustine Beach and any opportunity to lather on the sunblock and pedal their way to their next cocktail with the salty sea breeze at their backs!

Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 020 | Miami: Bars, Breweries, Boats & Baseball: Pareidolia Brewing, Nauti Dawg Marina Cafe, Cerveceria la Tropical, Veza Sur, loanDepot Park (Milwaukee Brewers at Miami Marlins)

The Boozy Blondes

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Traditionally when you hear “Miami,” your mind instantly goes to palm trees, fashion, expensive cars, South Beach and non-stop parties. But did you know Miami is home to 40 breweries and beer halls nestled among the cute suburbs of its downtown? Miami hosts an often overlooked craft beer scene and the Boozy Blondes tackle a sliver of it in this episode.

The DOE is Vape Life by Tank8 at The Fermentorium in southeastern Wisconsin (hear more about the Fermentorium in Episode 12). Vape Life is a Cotton Candy IPA and the girls’ favorite beer ever! The also cracked cans of delicious Spa Goggles, a 4% ABV gose with cucumber and lime flavors from Ology Brewing in Tallahassee, Florida, since they crushed Vape Life in no time.

So the girls ventured south to Miami for Molly’s birthday. They planned a day-drinking brewery tour day and a Brewers game since they were playing the Miami Marlins. During the drive they stopped halfway to Miami in Sebastian, Florida, at Pareidolia Brewing Company. Pareidolia’s definition according to Miriam Webster is the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern // the human ability to see shapes or make pictures out of randomness (like an ink blot test or seeing pictures in clouds). The blondes loved this concept and noticed multiple examples in the decor of the brewery. The logo is a perfect example of a pareidolia – it’s a barrel but it looks like a face!

Pareidolia opened in 2014 and was the first craft brewery in the area. Fun fact, the owners also co-founded the Treasure Coast Wine & Ale Trail: 9 breweries, one winery, one cidery and one meadery! You know the girls want to tackle this trail!

Anyway Pareidolia is family friendly and dog friendly, with a brew room, taproom and outdoor area. They feature live music, beer, wine, seltzer, cider, and food. As you know, food is very important to the Boozy Blondes, so shout out to drinklocalflorida.com who makes it so easy to find breweries with food in different parts of the state.

They arrived right around lunchtime and with their food Molly ordered a flight of the Slow Paddle Porter (5.2%), Knee Deep in Peaches Smash Beer (4.7%), Gotta Guava Kettle Sour (4.7%), and Don’t Call Me Ginger (5.9% Red Ale). She then ordered a regular sized Knee Deep in Peaches, her favorite from the flight. Chrissy drank Berry Good Seltzer.

Before they left, the girls announced the winner of their Coppertail Brewing Beer it Forward contest – congrats to @seang_thatsme for winning a beer courtesy of the Boozy Blondes!  Be sure to follow Pareidolia on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all that’s happening here!

Second stop was Pompano Beach for a Happy Hour booze cruise to Lake Boca. Big thanks to Mike and Colleen, the booze cruise hosts – Mike even listened to Episode 13 (Booze Cruise) so he was prepared for the Boozy Blondes!  After spending time on the water the crew stopped at Nauti Dawg Marina Cafe in Lighthouse Point for dinner.  They enjoyed pretzels, burgers and grouper Reubens and were impressed by the fantastic service at this waterfront restaurant.

From here it was time to finish the journey south and check in to the hotel. They girls stayed in Brickell, Miami’s financial district and close to Wynwood where the brewery crawl would take place.

Wynwood is a beautiful, trendy suburb of Miami, and the girls definitely did not have enough time here! It’s an art district with over 70 galleries and murals everywhere! First stop in Wynwood was Cerveceria la Tropical – Cuba’s oldest brewery, but one of Miami’s youngest breweries. The girls were blown away when they walked up to this brewery. It’s stunning. Stunning! It’s pet friendly, open and airy with the brewery, tap room, beer garden, stage, kitchen and full bar all on site. Listen to this episode to hear the amazing history of this brewery stemming from its Cuban roots.

(The girls return to Miami in Episode 037 | Miami Florida Breweries, Bars, Speakeasies and Little Havana and interview Cerveceria la Tropical brewer Harold Perez Mendoza in Episode 038 | Behind the Booze – Cerveceria la Tropical: Interview with Brewer Harold Perez Mendoza!)

Chrissy drank the Mameycita (La Tropocal’s version of a pain killer) and had the Cuban sandwich. Molly enjoyed a flight of Nativo Key Suave IPA (4.5%) which was poured tank to glass, Noche Tropical (4.6% Schwartzbier), Tropicalista IPA (6.9%), and Berry Blush (5% wheat beer). She also had the Fields Forever cocktail (basil infused vodka, guava, strawberry and St. Germain) and ate smashed Brussels and Yucca fries.

The girls begrudgingly pulled themselves away to hit another brewery on their list but definitely want to return to Cerveceria La Tropical soon! Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for events and specials.

While it was difficult to leave La Tropical, the girls were glad they did because their next stop was Veza Sur Brewing, which they also loved! Veza Sur is home to a brewery, taproom and beer garden – and delicious beer and creative beer cocktails! It’s pet friendly, has lots of games and hosts a food truck on site. It’s adorable inside with a giant bookshelf behind the bar displaying hundreds of fun knickknacks.

Chrissy opted for a beer cocktail, Shoot the Moon, a super tart concoction of Veza Sur’s guava sour mixed with fresh Florida citrus, house brewed Campari and mint. Molly again ordered a flight that came with a bonus cafe con flan (5.6% ABV coffee porter topped with flan)! The other beers on her flight were Chismosa Raspberry Wheat Ale (6.4%), Lulo Sour (3.8%), Prickly Pear Sour (6%) and Key Lime Sour (6%). Everything was so good!

Veza Sur offers daily happy hour specials so be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Because the girls spent so much time at these two breweries, they were unable to visit any others. They had to get back and changed for the Brewers game at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. The girls were impressed by the stadium and really enjoyed the game and atmosphere. Pro tip – if you arrive early hit the Bud bar in left field for $3.05 beers! During the game you can visit the 305 Concession Stand for $3 hot dogs and $5 beers (12oz cans). loanDepot Park is also home to Biscayne Bay Brewing Company!

While not on this trip, Chrissy was able to visit some other great breweries and bars in the Miami area:

3 Sons Brewing in Dania Beach, Florida. 3 Sons boasts “out of the box brewing” offering unique flavors and awesome food! It’s family-run and family friendly. During her visit Chrissy enjoyed Fer Sherbet (7.2% sour), Sour Scoop (8%) and Smooth Ops Pina Colada (6% Smoothie-style Hard Seltzer). She also ordered the ceviche! Has anyone ever has brewery ceviche before? It’s excellent at 3 Sons!

J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood, Miami. This brewery is perfect for the Boozy Blondes – it offers lots of sours! This brewery is independently owned and used crowd funding to open its first brewery. 

Chrissy also stopped at Marabou (great empanadas), American Social (fantastic happy hour), Limonada Bar + Brunch (spin the drinking wheel of chance!), Batch (distillery) and Versailles (world famous Cuban restaurant).

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So while South Beach is fabulous and fun, the greater Miami area also has lots to offer and the Boozy Blondes and have only begun to scratch the surface. ¡Dale!