By Nanette Wiser
BEER ME! With 100+ breweries in Tampa Bay debuting seasonal beers and hosting live music, trivia, and games, it’s hard to know where to start. Now, you can sample some of the most popular with City Brew Tours Tampa, with stops at BarrieHaus Beer Co., Bastet Brewing, Big Storm Brewing, Cigar City Brewing, Southern Brewing & Winery, and more. They offer two unique, all-inclusive tours – the Taste of Tampa Brew Tour and the Walking Brew Tour of Ybor – led by official Beer Guides who drive and entertain you. Guests receive an all-access pass (visits to three breweries, 12-16 tastings, a lunch or dinner with beer pairings, and exclusive swag) or choose the Sip Tour (no meals). Tours are three to five hours in length, available on weekdays and weekends. City Brew Tours Tampa is also available for private bookings. CityBrewTours.com/Tampa.
TRENDY COCKTAILS Ranch water is a West Texas classic mix of tequila and Topo Chico mineral water, with just three ingredients in an ice-filled glass: Topo Chico, tequila (or mezcal) and a squeeze of lime. Feel free to mix in agave syrup or liqueur and rim the glass with salt. Lemonade refreshes, even more so when it’s a Tom Collins (gin and sparkling lemonade) or Pink Vodka lemonade (cranberry juice, lime juice, Sprite, and vodka, with a splash of coconut rum). A lemon or raspberry sorbet with bubbly is a delightful cooler. New for EZmixology is Fever Tree’s delicious Bloody Mary and Margarita mixers.
BREWFEST The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the sixth-annual Bolts Brew Fest at Amalie Arena Aug. 11 @ 8pm serving up local craft beers, oversized games, ThunderBug and more. GA tickets include entry at 8pm for beer sampling and other fun perks including games, photo opportunities, music and more. General Admission Plus tickets include early entry starting at 7pm for an extra hour of sampling and VIP gets you in @6pm including access to AMALIE Arena’s Ashley VIP Lounge featuring exclusive VIP-only beer and food, and an offer code for a BOGO ticket for one Lightning pre-season game* (*limited quantities are available and only while supplies last). It sells out fast, so make like a hockey puck and score! boltsbrewfest.com
