Tampa’s Busch Gardens is going into throwback mode over the summer. On Tuesday, the popular amusement park begins offering two free 7-ounce beers to ticket holders — each time they visit — through Aug. 5.
How do guests score suds on the house? By stopping into the Garden Gate Café, formerly known as the Hospitality House where beer buffs could enjoy complimentary samples of Anheuser-Busch products when the park opened in 1959.
Corona kicks off the limited-time promotion (because Cinco de Mayo and all). But the café expects to refresh its tap list — with selections like Bud Light, Founders All Day IPA, M.I.A. 305 Golden Ale and Yuengling — every two weeks.
Two other new additions to the park also pay homage to its beer garden history. The Busch Gardens Brew Club is a membership-based beer stein program that includes $5 refills from more than 20 taps and a reserved stein on display. What’s more, in celebration of Oktoberfest, the Bier Fest event plans to showcase 100 brews from local and global breweries, German fare and live music between Aug. 25 and Sept. 16.
Annual passes for Florida residents, which can be purchased online, start at $14 per month.
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 3, 2018.
