Tampa Event: Brews with Attitude

Thanks largely to Pepin Distributing, Tampa is really stepping up it’s beer event scene. The Husband and I were super pumped for the Brews with Attitude event at the Pepin Hospitality Center. Over 100 different kinds of beer to try, a band, and food trucks are practically a guarantee for a good time! Add in the fact that some of our favorite breweries were there and we were hooked!

We decided to try the ride sharing company Lyft, which is new to Tampa. Using the app on my iPhone, we told the nearest driver we needed a ride and where we were going and three minutes later he was at our door!  After giving us a fist bump we headed on our way. The car was nice and comfortable and the driver was super friendly. We had a great experience and can’t wait to keep using Lyft.

We arrived right after the event started. We showed our tickets and received a sampling glass that you could hang around your neck.

My very own tasting glass jewelry.

Before we started drinking.

They also gave you a beer menu when you walked in, so you could see all the different beers to try and keep track of what you like.

Front page of the beer menu.

The perfect way to keep track of what beer you tried and how much you like it. The Husband used a 1-5 scale, so he could add them to his Untappd App when we got home (keeps track of the different kind of beer you’ve tried and how much you like them).

Our first stop was Goose Island. Their 312 Urban Wheat Ale is one of my favorite beers so I was super excited to try the rest.

Goose Island brand ambassador Russell. His job is to serve, talk about, and drink Goose Island beer. I think I want to be him when I grow up.

After sampling all the beer they had and getting some pretty sweet Goose Island stickers and pins we headed across the “street” to Gordon Biersch.

I love the Golden Export at Gordon Biersch. Every time we go to New Orleans we eat there more times than I care to admit. Unfortunately, they did not have the Golden Export, nor someone whom I could convince to open one in Tampa.

We had no real plan after Gordon Biersch, so we started to wander. I loved the Bold City Brewery Killer Whale Cream Ale when we went to the Tap Room at the Hollander, so we stopped there first. And it was delicious. We stopped for a Beach Blonde at 3 Daughter’s Brewing before heading to the food trucks for some dinner.

I became a big fan at Big Guava Festival.

The German food truck Der Wurst Wagon had a chicken curry burger (I know, not very German) and it sounded delicious.

German food truck.

And it was delicious. Cooked just right and the spices were perfect. The Indian flavor wasn’t too overwhelming and I didn’t feel like I smelled like an Indian Restaurant after eating it. There were plenty of places to sit so I managed to keep it all off my shirt too.

I could really go for one of these right now.

After dinner we wandered around some more then headed for the bathrooms. The bathrooms inside were open and it was so gorgeous!

Back outside, there was a Yelp table set up. Since I checked in on Yelp I could pick a little prize. The Husband chose the bouncy ball and I thought he was weird. But let me tell you, it’s been so much fun. I bounce it around in the house and feel like a kid again, except if I break a lamp I won’t get grounded.

My awesome Yelp ball.

Across from the Yelp table was a cigar stand (it is Tampa after all). We don’t smoke cigars, save the time in Canada I had a Cuban, but only to say I tried one.

No Cubans here I’m sure.

The gorgeous outside seating area.

We tried some more beers, including one that comes from an area not far from our hometowns in Western New York.

Southern Tier Brewing Company. They have the best pumpkin beer, Pumking. So delicious and would be perfect at an Octoberfest.

After trying a few different beers we headed back to Goose Island. While there, we met up with two of the fabulous people behind Never Have I Ever Tampa. It was nice to finally meet them. I love their blog and Twitter, and I even did a guest post for them once.

2/3 of NHIE and a Goose Island brand ambassador. Photo courtesy of @nhietampa.

We walked around again, and a lot of the breweries had kicked their kegs. So we headed back to Goose Island and met one of the brewers, Taylor.

Goose Island brewer Taylor and the Husband.

We talked with him for a while about the brewing process and the Husband had a great time. It was really cool to meet one of the guys responsible for one of our favorite beers.

We decided it was time to call it quits and head home. We let Lyft know we needed a ride home and 15 minutes later our driver showed up.

Brews with Attitude was probably the best beer festival I’ve ever been to. I seriously wish it was more often (although my liver and waistline disagree). Can’t wait until next year!