By Nanette Wiser
Did you toast the New Year with a local craft beer? You’re not alone. Happy 10-year anniversary to 3 Daughters Brewing. St. Pete Beach’s Mastry’s says “let the Barrel Aged Beer season begin with Mastry’s Brewing Co. Starless Night, Russian Imperial Stout. This one, aged in St. Augustine Bourbon Barrels, is now on tap. Coming in at a solid 13.4% abv.” At Sea Dog Brewing Co. in Treasure Island, Sunfish and American Pale Ale pair perfectly with their bodacious burger. Cage Brewing serves up live music, Kraken Joe’s pizza delivery and my fave, American Static IPA. If I Brewed The World’s small batch brews are refreshing, especially the Ruck Over Red Ale.
Kozuba & Sons recently moved to Pinellas Park from downtown St. Pete’s Grand Central District (opened in 2014). Moving from Poland to Florida, the family continues to win awards for their distilled beverages. New to the shelves is lemon and orange flavored vodka, plum flavored whiskey, Amaro and pomegranate liqueurs with dozens of stellar sips in their retail store open Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm and around town. Visit them at 8950 66th Ct. N, Pinellas Park. www.kozubadistillery.com
Enophiles rejoice. Thrillist loves CellarMaster Wine Bar and Bottle Shop on First Ave. N downtown and so do we. While there are dozens of wine bars (Hawthorne Bottle Shop, Try Wine, Bacchus, The Study, Must Wine Loft, Book + Bottle, Sauvignon Wine Locker) and new ones on the way such as Grand Central’s Spritz, The Cellar is the spot to buy unique wines. Their philosophy, proudly displayed online, says they are a “Primo fine wine Dive Bar and Retail Shop. Equal parts experienced wine professionals and ratchet-ass hillbillies. We’re not here to get rich, we’re here to get DRUNK.” You can book a table for 6+ and they purvey under-$25 wines, craft beers and sell many sustainably sourced wines from all over the world. “Whether it’s organic, biodynamic, natural, lo-fi, eco-friendly, or all the above, what matters most is that it’s delicious. If it happens to be all those things AND it’s inexpensive, even better! Regenerative farming, conscientious winemaking, unmitigated flavors. Real Wine. It’s all we do,” they boast.
