On the unseasonably cold morning of Friday, aka the seventh day of Tampa Bay Beer Week, 22 of the best farmhouse and wild ale brewers from around the country descended upon Saint Somewhere Brewing Company.
The task at hand inside brewer-owner Bob Sylvester's Tarpon Springs brewery? Create an insanely wild and tasty collaboration beer while drinking and enjoying stories about their personal journeys into brewing, owning and selling artisanal ales.
In what CL is told is the largest collab between farmhouse-style beer makers, this spontaneous brew day required the participants to contribute either their favorite beer from their brewery or their favorite (or signature) ingredient — be it herbs, hops or spices. During the brewing process, a mix of the chosen ingredients were added, while the chosen beers were blended in the fermenter.
With a diverse ingredient list, from white sage and dried peach wood to hops grown by monks in New Mexico, the forthcoming beer — which doesn't have a name yet — is truly one-of-a-kind.
"It's great to look around and see your peers all here together from around the country all brewing together with Bob," said Mitch Ermatinger, who owns Michigan's Speciation Artisan Ales alongside his wife Whitney.
The Florida brewers on-site included Tampa Bay Brewing Co.'s Tim Ogden and Michael DeLancett of Orlando-based Hourglass Brewery, who were accompanied by out-of-towners like brewer Art Whitaker from Theoretic Ales in Tennessee and Strange Roots Experimental Ales owner Dennis Hock of Pittsburgh.
Locally and beyond, the brew day was the embodiment of the beer community's camaraderie and culture, which is essentially the focus of TBBW.
It's hard to tell when exactly their creation will be ready, but expect to see it in bottles at Brasserie Saint Somewhere. Beer fans should follow Saint Somewhere's Facebook page for updates.
