2nd Annual 99 Bottles of Beer On The Lawn

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Southern Napa will be holding the 2nd Annual 99 Bottles of Beer on the Lawn on Saturday, May 10th in Daphne, AL. The event not only provides the chance to taste 99 Craft Beers under a 3,000 Square foot tent, but also includes food and live music. You can look through the entire list of 99 beers that will be available at the festival on Southern Napa's Facebook page.

The beer festival is held in combination with a 5K run through Olde Towne Daphne prior to the event. What better way to build up a thirst before the festival? Southern Napa will also be hosting a Live on the Lawn concert the night before the festival, Friday, May 9th featuring Willie Sugarcapps.

Tickets are $30 for the festival and can be purchased online, or save the transaction fees and purchase them at Southern Napa. Tickets for the 5K run are $25 or you can buy tickets to both the festival and run for $50.

Event Summary
Event: 99 Bottles of Beer on the Lawn
Location: Southern Napa, Daphne, AL
When: Saturday, May 10th 1-5pm (5K Run starts at noon)
Cost: $30 for beer festival, $25 for 5K run, $50 for both
- Tickets Available Online or at Southern Napa

Review: Liberty APA by Funky Skunk Brewing

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Funky Skunk Brewing is a Pensacola nano-brewery in planning we first covered back in January, 2013. In March of the same year we reviewed Devil's Tail Amber Ale and came away impressed.

After a brief hiatus owner and brew master Eddie Garrison is back at work making his dream a reality. We recently got our hands on Funky Skunk Brewing's Liberty APA, a recent Bronze Medal winner at the 9th Annual Brew Master Competition in Green Bay, Wisconson in March. Here's how Garrison describes the Liberty APA:

This American Pale Ale (APA) is an adaptation of classic British pale ale. The American Ale yeast strain we used produces less ester than comparable ale yeasts, and thus Liberty has a less fruity taste than its British counterpart. Liberty has a medium to dark amber color and a hint of sweet caramel from the use of crystal malt that does not mask the hop finish. The American hops used in Liberty (Northern Brewer & Cascade) will not be overkill on bitterness but allows you to taste what we consider the true style of an American Pale Ale."

We're using the Beer Advocate Ratings System, and as usual the girlfriend is assisting with the review.

Funky Skunk Brewing's Liberty APA

Appearance: 3.5
Pours a dark, caramel color with a half inch head. Intense carbonation and slightly cloudy.

Smell: 4.0
A light, wonderfully sweet smell, not overpowering. You know how you're walking past your favorite pub and suddenly you're drawn in by the delicious smell of beer? Just like that, welcoming.

Taste: 5.0
Sweet up front, then bam, nice and hoppy at the end. Sharp, with just the right amount of bite that still allows easy drinking.

Mouth Feel: 5.0
Medium body with a long finish. Good carbonation which keeps it from feeling syrupy or too heavy. Feels alive in your mouth.

Overall: 4.5
Intense and delicious, easy to drink. Tough to find any faults. As the girlfriend said, "just a really good beer".

Final Score: 4.63

If you'd like to learn more about Eddie Garrison and Funky Skunk Brewing be sure to check out their website. You can also follow Funky Skunk Brewing's Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Inaugural Port City Brewfest

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As of Friday, May 25th Port City Brewfest has been cancelled. They commented on their Facebook page that only 20 tickets had been sold and that it was determined there was not enough interest to hold the event.

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Free The Hops (FTH), hosts of Rocket City Brewfest (Huntsville, AL) and Magic City Brewfest (Birmingham, AL), added a third fest to their schedule this year. The inaugural Port City Brewfest will be held at Cooper Riverside Park in Mobile, AL on Saturday, May 3rd, 2014.

FTH description of the event: Official Event Flyer

Port City Brewfest is an event dedicated to learning about craft beer and sampling the best that Alabama has to offer. There will be 200+ individual beers available, including many rare, specialty and cask ales which have never been seen before in Alabama (and may never be seen again).

The full list of participating breweries / beers will be posted on the official website in the near future. Advance tickets are $33.50 and can be bought through Ticketmaster. Tickets at the gate will be $38. Admission for designated drivers, accompanying a general admission attendee, is free.

The festival uses a "Penny a Pour" system, which is a reasonable and charitable method of working within the law without overburdening the attendees:

State law and ABC regulations do not allow us to give “unlimited free samples.” The gate price gets you admission to the festival. Once inside you will be charged $0.01 for each beer sample, which we donate to charity (In 2011, $298.33 for tornado relief in Alabama during the Magic City Brewfest in Birmingham). We utilize the honor system so you can leave a quarter in one bucket and enjoy 25 samples.

You can find out all the details on the Port City Brewfest website. You can also keep up-to-date on the event by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

Event Summary
Event: Port City Brewfest
Location: Cooper Riverside Park, Mobile, AL
When: Saturday, May 3rd 4 - 8pm

Founders Day at Hopjacks Filling Station

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Saturday, May 3rd, Hopjacks Filling Station will be hosting Founders Day. A reservation gets you one Beer Flight that includes four 4oz draft pours of some great Founders brews (descriptions courtesy of Founders Brewing):

Curmudgeon (Old Ale) - BeerAdvocate 90 / RateBeer 99

Think classic seafaring ports, local pubs, and weathered old fishermen. This old ale is brewed with molasses and an insane focus on the malt bill, then oak-aged. The result is a strong, rich, malty delight that’s deceptively smooth and drinkable.

Smoked Porter - BeerAdvocate 90 / RateBeer 99

Brewed for the first time when our brewers were experimenting on our new three-barrel pilot system, we decided this one was too good to keep to ourselves. This 8% ABV smoked robust porter is brewed with a combination of beechwood-smoked barley and oak-smoked wheat malt along with a generous helping of chocolate malt. This blend delivers a beautiful balance of chocolate and smoke character that’s flavor-forward without being overwhelming.

KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) - BeerAdvocate 100 / RateBeer 100

What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates, then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Makes your taste buds squeal with delight.

Rübæus - BeerAdvocate 87 / RateBeer 94

Not another boring summer wheat beer or lemonade shandy—Rübæus is Founders’ way to celebrate the season’s warmest months. Optimizing the flavor of fresh raspberries added at multiple stages during fermentation, this stunning berry red masterpiece is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. No question about it, with a hefty malt bill and 5.7% ABV, this beer is 100% Founders.

Reservations, only 99 available, are $9.75. Two people max per reservation, one flight per person. The event is split into three blocks of time: 1-2:30, 2:30-4, and 4-5:30. To make reservations, call 850.497.6076 (ext 3) or email info(at)hopjacks.com.

Event Summary
Event: Founders Day
Location: Hopjacks Filling Station
When: Saturday, May 3rd
Cost: $9.75
Reservations: Call 850.497.6076 (ext 3) or email info(at)hopjacks.com

Pensacola Bay Brewery Beer Dinner

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On Thursday, April 17th, the Hilton on Pensacola Beach teams up with our own Pensacola Bay Brewery to hold their annual beer dinner. You can't beat this combination of great beer, food, and a beautiful location. Tickets are only $46 plus tax but you can also win tickets for two to the dinner.

Official Event Flyer
Chef Dan Dunn has planned some great courses to pair with these local brews:

Event Summary
Event: Pensacola Bay Brewery Beer Dinner
Location: Hilton Pensacola Beach
When: Thursday, April 17th 6:30
Cost: $46 plus taxes per ticket
Reservations: Call 850-916-2999

FBC Rescue Dog Red Release Party

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NOTE: Fairhope Brewing Company has announced that Bark & Brews has been postponed due to weather concerns. It will now take place on Friday, April 11th. We will update the below posting when we have full details.

Fairhope Brewing Company (FBC) is rolling our their spring seasonal beer this Sunday, April 6th at the Rescue Dog Red Release Party. Rescue Dog Red is an American Imperial Red Ale which FBC describes as having...

massive hop character to match its full-bodied malt bill.

The release party will be raising money for The Haven, a no-kill animal rescue shelter. Donations to The Haven will include $2 per pour (increased from $1 last year) as well as 100% of tips given to the guest "barktenders". Last year more than $1,400 was raised for The Haven. A Mobile Pet Adoption Unit will be at the event from 2-4pm with some furry companions looking for their "Forever Home". Lin Wise will be playing live music on the patio from 3-6pm.

Official Flyer

So take a short trip this Sunday out to FBC and enjoy their seasonal release while helping raise money for a good cause. Who knows, you may even be taking home a new family member.

Event Summary
Event: Rescue Dog Red Release Party
Location: Fairhope Brewing Company, Fairhope, AL
When: Sunday, April 6th 2-7pm

Inaugural Great Firkin Fest

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Budweiser-Busch Distributing and Moe's Original Bar B Que are bringing the inaugural Great Firkin Fest to Mobile, Alabama on April 5th. The fest will feature Eric Lindell and Keller Williams. Money raised will go to benefit the local American Cancer Society.

Each participating brewery will be bringing a firkin of distinctive cask ale to the event. The list of participating breweries is an impressive gathering of Alabama breweries as well as some regional breweries:

Tickets to Firkin Fest only are $22 in advance and $25 the day of the event. Firkin Festival tickets include admission, a sampling glass, brewery brochures and a koozie. Firkins will be tapped at 12:30 pm, live music starts at 1pm, and there will be free crawfish starting at 5pm.

Tickets to both firkin fest and Keller Willams show (starts at 9pm) are $32 in advance and $35 the day of the event.

Event Summary
Event: The Great Firkin Fest
Location: Moe’s Original Bar B Que, Mobile, AL
When: Saturday, April 5th 12pm - 12am
Cost:
Fest Only - $22 advance / $25 day of
Fest & Concert - $32 advance / $35 day of
Tickets: Call (251) 410-7427