Use the extended holiday weekend wisely. Downtown Dunedin's Cueni Brewing Co. is one of three new places with adult beverages on CL's food and drink radar.
Cueni Brewing owners Jon and Bren Cueni quietly opened the doors of their 2,000-square-foot craft brewery last week, adding to Dunedin's flourishing beer scene. At 945 Huntley Ave., the Cuenis are going for more of a cozy gathering place than a destination on the Pinellas Trail.
Their small brewery is dog-friendly on its patio and spotlights three of five-year homebrewer Jon's beers, plus wine. Motorworks Brewing, de Bine Brewing Co. and Victory Brewing Company are the featured guest taps.
"We want to be known as mom-and-pop brewers," Bren told CL back in July. "People get to come in and see us... and we can be a part of the community."
Cueni Brewing operates 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Another drink-pouring newcomer is Hotel Bar. The swanky downtown Tampa watering hole focuses on "reinventing classic hotel drinks in a modern cocktail bar setting," and it's located on the first floor of the Bank of America building at 200 N. Tampa St.
Draft and bottled brews come from around the world, as do the wines. But cocktails are the highlight. The menu lists offerings like Corpse Reviver No. 2, Queen's Park Swizzle and the Sazerac, alongside short descriptions of the hotel bars that introduced them. The Sidecar was born at Paris's Bar Hemingway, for example, while Moonwalk was conceived at London's American Bar.
There's a small selection of food from executive chef Daniel Miller, too, including roasted artichokes, chicken pot pie and Wagyu ragù. Hotel Bar is open from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily.
Also, in St. Petersburg, a spot called Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe has its sights set on the Grand Central District. The neighborhood hangout, which calls itself "more than a market," will offer craft beer, wine and deli grub made in-house with local ingredients at 2927 Central Ave.
Available for on-site and take-home enjoyment, more than 300 bottled beers and 75-plus wines from across the globe are planned.
