Tampa Bay’s Brewery Boom Making Imprint On Beer World

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https://www.newstalkflorida.com/news/tampa/tampa-bays-brewery-boom-making-imprint-on-beer-world/

Tampa Bay’s Brewery Boom Making Imprint On Beer World

Tampa Bay area now a destination for hop-heads

This week is American Craft Beer Week, a celebration of America’s growing industry of locally-brewed craft beers. Craft beer can come across as a niche pursuit complete with its own language, but at its core it is a movement of small, locally-minded businesses that typically work together with each other and other local businesses.

There are so many of these breweries these days that lovers of beer need the guidance of numerous websites to navigate their way through it all. Craftbeer.com is one of those sites, a go-to destination for beer lovers. News Talk Florida was able to speak with Jess Baker, editor-in-chief of Craftbeer.com about the industry, and Tampa Bay’s unique place in it.

It’s hard to miss the amount of breweries popping up around Tampa Bay. It seems that a new one is popping up every single week. From Brandon and Riverview to Pasco County, there appears to be at least one craft beer institution per neighborhood.

“More than 80% of Americans of drinking age live within ten miles of a craft brewery, so it truly is your community,” says Baker. “I’ve seen breweries who are barely making money for themselves, but still writing checks to charities that they believe in because for them it’s all about reinvesting where they live.

The brewing boom in Tampa Bay has not gone unnoticed nationally. A number of Florida’s beers, especially from the Tampa Bay area, are gaining notoriety nationwide. Hunaphu’s Day, an event put on in March by Cigar City Brewing Company, is something people plan entire vacations around. The event is shaped around the limited release of a unique stout, a must-have for the beer traveler.

That’s right: Beer traveler. Beer has nearly risen to wine’s level of travel based around tastings. San Diego, Portland and Denver have long been standards of beer travel, but Tampa Bay is becoming considered a destination approaching the same level.

What makes Tampa Bay stand out among beer destinations is that there is not necessarily one style that has become a local specialty. In the kind of situation that can only happen in a place like Florida, so many brewers have relocated to the area that styles from all over became popular here.

It is worth noting that the phrase craft beer is new, but the concept is not necessarily as new. “Craft breweries” were not too long ago referred to as “microbreweries,” but that term became insufficient when certain brands such as Samuel Adams and Goose Island became national. Many were purchased by larger companies like Anheuser-Busch parent InBev as well, making brands such as Magic Hat anything but “micro” anymore regardless of its beginnings.

With so many breweries opening, and only a certain percentage of the population who seeks out different kinds of craft beer, one might wonder how all of these places manage to stay in business. On the outside it all looks extremely saturated.

Baker suggests that a sense of community is bringing these places together, and working together is helping these places thrive together. In a way they’re not competing with one another, but instead sharing the same market. Go to a local taproom and the bartender may just be wearing a shirt from another brewery. Ask about it and they’ll recommend places for you.

“That is part of what is so cool about small and independent craft brewers. They’re small businesses in your area,” says Baker. “That camraderie of the industry is one of the things that I was so attracted to (about craft beer)”, says Baker. “Even when it comes to food trucks, local artists, comedians, breweries have become a community meeting place.”

These are local businesses first and foremost. They get their ingredients locally, they’re inspired by local culture, and they often partner with other local businesses. Many brewery taprooms save parking spaces for food trucks, or use a local coffee shop’s special blend for one of their beers, or a local chocolatier works with them. Cigar City Brewing Company, predictably, sells hand-rolled cigars along with their beers.

Some of these small breweries do some impressive business. Tampa’s Cigar City can be found throughout most of the east, with wide distribution and a word-of-mouth reputation that laid the groundwork for it. Big Storm Brewing Company has two different locations and serves as an official sponsor for both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Rowdies.

As for style, Tampa Bay is spoiled with different varieties everywhere. It is known as one of the better places in the country to get a dark beer, but also has a number of highly-regarded beers like IPAs that would be known as hop-forward.

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What is the difference between all these styles? Much like the many varieties of wine, it varies. It mostly has to do with the specific kinds of hops, malt, or other ingredents used to make the beer. Darker beers like stouts (think Guinness) use darker malts and more of them. The IPA style is all about using more hops of different varieties.

Like wine, certain kinds of beer are named after and mostly made within certain places. Breweries in New England largely make India Pale Ale beers that are sweeter than other IPAs, sometimes described as juicy, so beers that taste like that are known as New England Style IPAs. A Berliner-Weisse is, as the name implies, known for being made in Germany. However, add fruit to it, and it’s a Florida Weisse.

None of this information is particularly important beyond knowing that there is a beer for almost every palate. Ask a bartender, or a server. Give them a good idea of what you might be looking for.

There are a few tips for someone who isn’t familiar with these new beers worth knowing off the bat.  Most importantly, these are generally stronger than one might expect. Words like double and imperial mean that an offering is particularly high in alcohol.  “Light” refers to color, not being lower in calories or alcohol. “ABV” means alcohol by volume, the percentage of alcohol in a given beer. “IBU” is a measure of hoppiness, and the higher the number, the more earthy and piney a beer is likely to taste.

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It is estimated that the craft beer business took in $26 billion in 2017. That number is of course projected to go up in 2018, a combination of more breweries opening their doors and existing ones growing their businesses. These account for about 135,000 jobs. Keep in mind these are just American numbers, but the United States is very much at the forefront of craft brewing.

It is an industry to watch, as the business world tries to figure out if craft beer is here to stay or a bubble waiting to burst. It’s a constantly changing industry, with just a few national brands giving way to more and suddenly a flood of beers with wild names, flavor profiles, and stories behind the brew.

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/05/14/onto-the-next-phase-nasl-lawsuit-vs-ussf-mls-enters-discovery-phase/

ONTO THE NEXT PHASE: NASL lawsuit vs. USSF, MLS enters discovery phase

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http://www.espn.com/soccer/report?gameId=502632

Fans rain debris onto pitch as Atlanta United end Orlando City's winning streak

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https://www.soccerwire.com/notes/nasls-federal-antitrust-lawsuit-against-ussf-and-mls-proceeds/

NASL’s federal antitrust lawsuit against USSF and MLS proceeds

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http://www.punditarena.com/football/deanbyrne18739/an-mls-story-cultural-openness-central-to-atlanta-uniteds-rapid-growth/

An MLS Story: Cultural Openness Central To Atlanta United’s Rapid Growth

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http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sports/despite-loss-fc-brownsville-impresses-in-npsl-debut/article_e59e4f62-5724-11e8-8645-cf91a417c286.html

Despite loss, FC Brownsville impresses in NPSL debut

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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/how-to-tell-if-mls-is-signing-the-next-villa-versus-the-next-gerrard/

How to tell if MLS is signing the next Villa versus the next Gerrard

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https://www.sportsblog.com/benshottakecentral/wayne-rooney-pushing-for-a-move-to-the-mls/

Wayne Rooney pushing for a move to the MLS

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https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/05/14/nashville-residents-asked-steer-vision-revamped-fairgrounds-major-league-soccer-stadium/606925002/

Nashville wants to hear from residents on revamped fairgrounds with MLS stadium

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https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sam-allardyce-opens-up-wayne-12536591

Sam Allardyce opens up on Wayne Rooney's Everton future amid interest from MLS

DC United want to take the former England captain to the United States for next season

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https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2018/05/14/phoenix-rising-confident-of-future-with-major-league-soccer/

Despite snub, Phoenix Rising confident of future with Major League Soccer

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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/mls-releases-statement-on-supreme-courts-sports-betting-decision/

MLS releases statement on Supreme Court’s sports betting decision

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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/takeaways-revolution-toronto-friedel/

Brad Friedel’s lineup changes set Revs up for success against Toronto

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https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/05/14/22/09/20180514-news-usoc-pairings-host-scenarios-for-2018-us-open-cup-third-round

Potential Pairings and Host Scenarios for 2018 U.S. Open Cup Third Round Set

Third Round to Take Place May 22-23, Winners to Face MLS Sides June 6

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy3KilSyFfk

HIGHLIGHTS: Rowdies at Richmond Kickers - 5/12/18

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Published on May 12, 2018

HIGHLIGHTS presented by Tampa International Airport

The Rowdies created plenty of second-half opportunities, but were unable to overcome a Richmond Kickers goal by Dane Kelly.

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/05/14/third-round-round-scenarios-for-fc-motown-lansdowne-bhoys-rough-riders-in-open-cup/

THIRD-ROUND SCENARIOS: For FC Motown, Lansdowne Bhoys, Rough Riders in Open Cup

May 23     Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL) vs. Miami FC 2 (NPSL)/Miami United FC (NPSL) winner

-or-

Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL) vs. Miami FC 2 (NPSL)/Miami United FC (NPSL) winner    

7 p.m. ET

7:30 p.m. ET

Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville University), Jacksonville, Fla.

Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla.

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https://swimswam.com/us-supreme-court-allows-states-to-legalize-sports-gambling/

US Supreme Court Allows States to Legalize Sports Gambling

In a decision passed 6-3 on Monday, the US Supreme Court struck down the 1992 federal law which had forbidden the majority of US states from legalizing sports gambling. Stock photo via Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography

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https://zonecoverage.com/2018/featured/allianz-field-to-host-u-s-national-team-in-2019/

Allianz Field To Host U.S. National Team In 2019

News broke Monday that Minnesota United’s incoming stadium Allianz Field will have the honor of hosting the United States men’s national team on June 18, 2019.

That date is almost exactly one month and one year from Monday. The match will be the USMNT’s opening match in the Concacaf Gold Cup, thus meaning it will be the national team’s first competitive game since October when the U.S. infamously fell to Trinidad and Tobago, eliminating them from qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/05/14/mls-issues-statement-after-supreme-court-strikes-down-sports-betting-law

MLS issues statement after Supreme Court strikes down sports betting law

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https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/leeds-united-riccardo-silva-radrizzani-14655434

Who is Riccardo Silva? The man fans have linked with Leeds United investment

The Italian businessman is a close friend and business partner of Andrea Radrizzani's

Miami? He already owns a club…

Yes, alongside legendary defender Paolo Maldini. They are not in the MLS, the USA’s top flight, but they are established in the country’s minor leagues, which are growing very slowly.

Silva has ploughed plenty of money already into the Florida outfit and their current stadium, which is shared with Florida International University, is named after him.

It is not the Miami club David Beckham is involved with, though. Beckham is still beavering away at getting his proposed MLS franchise off the ground.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/05/14/phosphate-giant-mosaic-is-moving-its-headquarters.html

Phosphate giant Mosaic is moving its headquarters to Hillsborough County

The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) will move its corporate headquarters from Minnesota to Hillsborough County, the company announced Monday evening.

Details of where the company will locate, when the move will occur and how many employees will be added remain under consideration, but the company intends to move all of its senior executives and their related functions to the new location once it’s determined.

The Fortune 500 phosphate mining company is currently headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Mosaic already has its largest domestic presence in Florida, including in Tampa. The company employs 3,000 Floridians and another 3,000 contractors.

The company’s 2017 economic impact in Florida included:

    $465 million in payroll
    $307 million in capital expenditures
    $41 million in land reclamation
    $28 million in county tangible and real estate taxes
    $40 million in state severance and sales taxes
    $1.1 million to United Way organizations in Florida

“Recruiting corporate headquarters is a top priority of our three-year strategic plan,” said Dr. Alan F. List, chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. and president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center, in a statement announcing the move. “Mosaic’s selection of Hillsborough County proves that this community offers the business climate, talent, cost advantages and quality of life that a Fortune 500 global headquarters operation requires.”

Moving to Hillsborough County means Mosaic will have a closer proximity to Mosaic Fertilizantes, which it acquired from Vale Fertilizantes in Brazil. The company will also be able to increase its presence in Central Florida.

“We believe locating our corporate office there will give us opportunities to amplify Mosaic’s presence and engage more closely with communities where we operate. With the cost savings we expect to achieve and the closer proximity to our Mosaic Fertilizantes business in Brazil, this move will drive improved efficiency and good value,” Mosaic President and CEO Joc O’Rourke said in a statement.

Mosaic is the world’s largest combined producer of potash and phosphates. Mosaic acquired Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s fertilizer distribution business in Brazil in 2014.

No incentives were offered in brokering the deal, the Tampa Hillsborough EDC said.

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/soccer/bs-sp-digest-0515-20180514-story.html

Digest: English star Wayne Rooney, D.C. United inch closer to deal

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https://cigarcitybrewing.com/beer/hunahpus/

Hunahpu’s®

Style: Imperial Stout

Availability: Special Releases

In Mayan mythology, Hun Hunahpu was the father of the Mayan hero twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Hun Hunahpu, along with his brother Vucub Hunahpu, was tricked by the Dark Lords of the underworld and slain. Hun Hunahpu’s corpse morphed into a cacao tree, his head becoming a cacao pod, which in typically awesome mythology fashion, spit upon the hand of a young maiden named Xiquic who promptly became pregnant with the hero twins. The twins would ultimately grow up to avenge their father and uncle and defeat the Dark Lords and ascend the heavens to become the moon and sun. We brew Hunahpu’s® Imperial Stout once a year and release it only at the brewery on the second Saturday in March. We will continue to do so until the end of the cycle.

Click here for information about the 2018 Hunahpu’s Day Festival

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https://cigarcitybrewing.com/hunahpus-2018/

The 9th Annual Hunahpu’s Day®

Hunahpu's Day 2018

Saturday, March 10, 2018

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Last Call will be 3:45 p.m.

Many of our fans have been supporters of the brewery from our earliest days and have seen Hunahpu’s Day® evolve from a small group of friends and beer-lovers enjoying a unique Imperial Stout in a warehouse to one of the country’s premier craft beer events, with brewers and revelers traveling from across the globe to our Tampa home. Along the way we’ve put every ounce of our collective energy into making the festival exciting, dynamic, safe and enjoyable for those attending and to accommodate as many Cigar City Brewing fans as possible at the festival.  We’ve had highs (the 2016 festival, for instance) and lows (the 2014 festival, for example), but with each festival we look for ways to better serve our fans and supporters.

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https://the18.com/soccer-entertainment/deadpool-soccer-trailers

What In The Pogba? Who Knew Deadpool Was Such A Soccer Fan?

The media advertising blitz for ‘Deadpool 2’ has the superhero making fun of Manchester United and David Beckham.

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https://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00120067.html

After Josh Brolin suggests him to star in the sequel of the Marvel movie, the former soccer player answers, 'I mean it's exactly why I agreed to do the skit,' referencing to the latest trailer for the movie.

AceShowbiz - David Beckham has won Josh Brolin's backing to land a role in the next "Deadpool" movie. The former England ace recently teamed up with "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds to shoot a tongue-in-cheek promo for the upcoming Marvel sequel, in which the actor, dressed up as his cheeky anti-hero character, shows up on David's doorstep to apologise for poking fun at his high voice in the original 2016 release.

"You ever heard David Beckham speak? It's like he mouth-sexed a can of helium," Ryan, in character as Deadpool, joked.

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https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/interviews/five-minutes-with/19030/ewan-gunn-diageo/

Ewan Gunn, Diageo

Diageo’s global Scotch whisky master has been in the industry for 20 years, promoting Scotch on almost every continent. He tells Matt Evans about the secret of how to deal with jet lag, grain whisky’s bright future and star-studded dinners with Posh and Becks.

A moment of my whisky career that still stands out today was the Haig Club London event we hosted a few years ago. We took over the Wellington Arch and created a pop-up restaurant with Brett Graham, the double Michelin-starred chef at The Ledbury, and we created some incredible dishes paired with single grain cocktails. I looked around the table and David and Victoria Beckham were there, Tom Cruise was there, Guy Ritchie, Idris Elba, Kate Walsh… it was star-studded. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

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https://www.anchoragepress.com/national/entertainment/deadpool-with-apologies-to-david-beckham/youtube_ad49dfe6-1c09-5e80-8161-df37ff19839a.html

Deadpool 2 | With Apologies to David Beckham

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https://sports.yahoo.com/integrity-fears-hit-us-leagues-sport-betting-ruling-010117910--spt.html

Integrity fears hit US leagues after sport betting ruling

Major League Soccer said it is "supportive" of the decision in a statement, but noted, "we also believe that it is critical that state legislatures and other regulatory bodies work closely with the professional sports leagues in the United States to develop a regulatory framework to protect the integrity of each of our respective sports."

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https://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/nasl-antitrust-case-moves

NASL antitrust case moves on

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https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/702751/Everton-Sam-Allardyce-Wayne-Rooney-Transfer-News-Rumours-Gossip

Wayne Rooney to DC United: Sam Allardyce delivers major update on Everton transfer

EVERTON boss Sam Allardyce has indicated that Wayne Rooney's future could be decided on Wednesday.

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http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sports/integrity-fears-hit-us-leagues-after-sports-betting-ruling/news-story/f904ae409c187f5351a1fff337962d80

Integrity fears hit US leagues after sports betting ruling

INTEGRITY KEY TO MLB, MLS

A US Supreme Court decision allowing states to legalise sports betting has the country’s biggest leagues concerned — the NBA and NFL among those seeking a federal regulatory framework.

Major League Soccer said it is “supportive” of the decision in a statement, but noted, “we also believe that it is critical that state legislatures and other regulatory bodies work closely with the professional sports leagues in the United States to develop a regulatory framework to protect the integrity of each of our respective sports.” The National Hockey League said the decision “paves the way to an entirely different landscape — one in which we have not previously operated” in a statement and vowed to review league policies and practices to see if adjustments were needed.

Originally published as Integrity fears hit US leagues after sports betting ruling