Craft brew lovers, prepare: the Ninth Annual #BrewsWithAttitude Beer Festival is coming to Tampa Bay to celebrate the art of beer! Pepin Distributing Company’s expanded event partners with more than 50 breweries this year to share over 200 beers and ciders made by local, regional and national brands with all the passionate beer drinkers out there. The event will take place on Tuesday, April 2 from 6-10 p.m. at TPepin’s Hospitality Center at 4121 N. 50th St. in Tampa.

Breweries are invited to showcase their familiar favorites, along with any new brands, one-offs and limited releases they have planned for 2019. The event caters to constantly changing consumer trends and even includes spiked seltzers and waters.

“We are committed to delivering choice and variety of great beers to the beer consumers in Tampa Bay,” says Bill Gieseking, Director of Marketing for Pepin Distributing Company. “We have worked for the past nine years to grow and nurture the craft beer market. These great brands would have a difficult time getting to market without the three-tier distribution system. Pepin plays a very important role in developing successful brands.”

The festival started in 2010, when craft beer was still a relatively new phenomenon in the Tampa Bay area. Pepin was quick to jump on board with the idea of a beer fest, which can also be described as part retailer partner trade show, where these partners can attend to learn about the brands.

“We forecasted that Tampa would be a hotbed and epicenter for the craft beer movement, so we wanted to show our retailers, emerging craft breweries and the craft beer consumers how committed Pepin was to delivering choice and a variety of great beers to the marketplace,” Gieseking says. “We embraced the backbone and philosophies of the three-tier system, expanding competition and variety. We had less than 10 craft breweries in our portfolio in 2010 and today we have 50! I think our vision back in 2010 was accurate and we are now a major distributor partner to some of the most innovative brewers in the industry.”

Gieseking goes on to explain a bit more about how the three-tier system, brewer-wholesaler-retailer, works and benefits the drinkers with more choice and variety.

“The three-tier system was developed in 1933 at the end of Prohibition. Prior to the repeal of Prohibition, many of the ‘tied houses’ were owned and operated by the brewers, therefore consumers had limited choice of the beer they enjoyed. The development of the three-tier system eliminated this and enabled the smaller breweries the opportunity to get their brands to market.” Without it, some locals might be without their favorite local brews.

The moniker Brews With Attitude was developed as a name for Pepin’s dedicated craft beer team. Event guests will have the opportunity to meet the team and brewers face-to-face and ask questions.

All guests who attend the event will get a collector’s cup and a convenient lanyard holder for easy sampling. There will be food, non-alcoholic beverages and a variety of hand-rolled cigars available for purchase; six food trucks will be on-site.

The event will feature the band The Black Honkeys performing live music. The Lightning game will also be playing on TVs inside and out.

Attendees will also have access to free hydration stations to make sure everyone gets plenty of water. Lyft promotion codes will be provided for discounted Lyft rides to encourage folks to avoid drinking and driving; in fact, designated drivers will get free entry.

Advance tickets are $40 for individuals or $35 for a 6-pack group pricing. Tickets purchased on the day of the event or at the door are $50. Tickets can be purchased online at brewswithattitude.com.

The event is for guests 21 years and up only.