Craft beer, which is kind of the opposite of Bud and Miller, has enjoyed great growth in the U.S. over the past couple of decades. Between 2011 and 2016, the amount of craft beer consumed in this country roughly doubled, and now represents about 12 percent of total volume (but, owing to its higher prices, more than 20 percent of retail sales.) Until recently, that popularity wasn’t reflected in Southwest Florida. Florida beer and ale drinkers, it seemed, were quite content with their tried and true brews–the ones they’d been drinking forever.
Of course, Southwest Florida has more than its share of folks from other parts of the country, and from other countries. And when people move to Cape Coral from distant points, they bring with them their taste in adult beverages. That helps explain why there are now three local breweries here–joining the more than five thousand craft breweries throughout the U.S. All of those breweries produce the kind of suds you won’t find in the beer aisle at Publix.
My neighbor and friend, Jim Niehaus, and I recently visited all three Cape breweries (not on the same day, of course.) At each one, we talked with the head brewer and sampled “flights” (paddles with holes to hold small glasses) of their offerings. We weren’t there to rate the beers–or, indeed, to rate the breweries. Instead, we employed Jim’s discerning palate to form a profile of each beer. All these breweries have year-round house (core) beers, and rotating taps for seasonal and special releases. Brewers like to experiment and tweak their recipes, and there is sure to always be something new to try each time you go.
We hope you will try these special beers and ales. You may feel that craft beer is for, I don’t know, hippies, or people who are somehow different from the rest of us. Be assured that the people we saw at the three Cape breweries looked just like the Cape Coral folks you run into at the supermarket, the PTA and the gas station. Craft beer is being enjoyed by millions of Americans. Once you take that first sip, you’ll know why.
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Big Blue Brewing
Jim and I visited Big Blue on a Sunday afternoon. Thirst was not difficult to muster. I was grateful for Jim’s expertise, as my taste in beers runs essentially to “whatever tastes good and gives me a pleasant buzz.”
Big Blue is on 47th Terrace in South Cape Coral. The owners chose the name while boating off Cayo Costa under an open, cloudless sky. We met the manager, Joe Termini, at the entrance and he brought us to the brewery in back, where we were introduced to head brewer Logan and assistant brewer Caleb. Logan began home-brewing in 2010 and three years later became a brew-master in the craft-beer industry. They weren’t brewing while we were there, but we got see the rows of stainless-steel vats, the hallmarks of most beer breweries. We asked to taste all seven of the brewery’s home brews.
Big Blue, alone among the three Cape breweries, serves food. Beyond a couple of pretzels, we didn’t sample their kitchen’s offerings…we were there, after all, to taste beer. The flavors in food could have affected our (i.e. Jim’s) judgments of the taste of the beers.
Servers brought flights of four brews at a time, all in glasses small enough for us to maintain respectable equilibrium throughout the tasting, yet provide enough to get an adequate sense of each brew’s characteristics. After we finished the first four, they brought the next three; the order seemed mostly based on ABV, which is the percentage of alcohol by volume, and is what determines the buzz-engendering potential of a beer or ale.
Jim’s the closest person I know to a beer expert, and brews his own from time to time, so the judgements below are his. Occasionally, when Jim and I go to a restaurant that offers a variety of beers, he asks what I think of one or the other. It’s always a trick question because Jim knows I am a babe in the woods when it comes to discerning a beer’s qualities. He, however, speaks the language of the beer maven.
Big Blue Brewing Selection:
Lightest Thing Ya Got (Other) – Lightly hopped, refreshing lager-like ale. Similar to Miller Lite and Coors Light, but way fresher.
Amber Ale (Red Ale – American Amber / Red) – Well balanced malt and hop flavor, smooth. Perfect for the Yuengling drinker.
Honey Brown Ale (Brown Ale – Other) – Roasted malts at first, with subtle honey finish. Reminds me of Newcastle Brown Ale, the beer that got me into homebrewing.
India Pale Ale (IPA) – My favorite style – pairs perfectly with the Florida sub-tropical climate. Floral aroma sets the stage for the grapefruit and citrus bitterness bloom in the palate, finishes like an inside-out smile.
Florida Gypsy (Raspberry) (Sour – Berliner Weisse) – Eye-catching reddish-pink hue. Effervescent and lively. This one is a rollercoaster ride for the taste senses. Starts as a berry cider then plummets into a sour dive to be quickly rescued by the starfruit finish.
Cloudy With A Chance of Grapefruit (Pale Ale – American) – Hip-hop blend with a broad spectrum of evolving flavors. This one is a journey for the mind to identify the different hop characteristics.
Summer Sipper (Shandy with Cucumber and Basil) – Craft brewers know no boundaries and this one goes there and beyond. Take a few whiffs before you indulge, and as the name suggests, just take sips. The softness of the cucumbers is contrasted by the basil, and made the foliage of the nearby trees seem more vivid. I felt a stronger connection with nature in the end.
Personal favorite: Cloudy With A Chance of Grapefruit – “euphoric”
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Cape Coral Brewery
Our second brewery– and Cape Coral’s first — is Cape Coral Brewery, just a few blocks from Big Blue on the south side of Cape Coral Parkway. The owner and brewmaster is Chris Hart; his wife, Heidi, is co-owner.
Cape Coral Brewery is different from Big Blue in one important respect–you can buy Cape Coral Brewery’s beer in other places, whereas Big Blue doesn’t yet have that form of licensing. So, if you like something at Cape Coral Brewery, you can either take it home in one of their growlers (bottles for draft beer, for the uninitiated) or order it at one of the local restaurants and bars that sell the company’s brews.
The evening Jim and I visited Cape Coral Brewery, they were playing their weekly meat raffle — drum accompaniment by Chris — in which customers pay a couple of bucks for chances to win some bar-food-type meat that Chris gets at Paesano’s market, another local establishment just down the street. That’s another point about this brewery, as well as Scotty’s: They don’t have a food-serving license yet. So, it’s BYO or visit one of the food trucks that come by if you want to chow down while sipping the brews.
Cape Coral’s first microbrewery, appropriately named. Chris is a mixology master, creating a wide range of one-of-a kind flavored brews.
Cape Coral Brewing Selection:
Yacht Club Cream Ale – Clean and cooperative. Great start for those new to craft beer.
Gongoozler Ale – Crisp with slight fruit aroma. The next logical step forward from the Cream Ale.
Snogging Scarlet – Medium body, well balanced malt and hop flavor. Similar to Killian’s Irish Red. Where’s the corned beef?
Bad Buoy IPA – Pine aroma, full-body East Coast style IPA. Bold but well behaved.
Derby Day Pie – Special release pecan-chocolate pie concoction. Dessert in a glass. Can I get another slice?
Ship Faced (Wheat) – Whoa, easy does it! The 7.3 % ABV wheat ale starts strong and finishes pleasant.
Mango Tango Foxtrot – Everything tastes better with mango, as does this refreshing light ale.
Grapefruits Of Wrath (Wheat) – Starts as a battle for the taste buds, but tames nicely.
Personal favorite: Bad Buoy IPA – “hop Heaven”
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Scotty’s Bierwerks
Our third Cape brewery was Scotty’s Bierwerks, located just off Pondella, not far from Pine Island Road in the North Cape. Owner Scott Melick prefers the term “Brewer” instead of “Brewmaster.” His assistant is Megan, who doubles as bartender and general factotum. They’ve been in business for less than a year.
Scotty’s, like Cape Coral Brewery, doesn’t have a license to serve food, so they host a rotating array of food trucks. The night Jim and I visited, the food was provided by Weiner Dogs. A specialty is the brat dog steamed in one of Scotty’s ales. (We’re not here to review food, but suffice to say that the brat made for one tasty dinner on a Thursday evening.)
The industrial-looking exterior at Scotty’s opens to an interior that borders on cavernous. Behind the bar and sitting areas is a brewery that looks like it was built with a successful business in mind. Occupying some of the space for now is a game area, including corn-hole toss, board games, blocks for the kids, and a dart board.
According to my beer-expert pal Jim, the opening of Scotty’s makes the Cape “a serious contender in the craft beer industry. Scotty is a purist with a deep understanding of the science, from fermentation to carbonation, which is reflected in his true-to-form brews.”
Scotty’s Bierwerks Selection:
Hefeweizen – Hints of clove and banana emerge in this classic German-style wheat. No passport required.
Irish Red Ale – Tasty roasty malt body with lightly hopped flavor, leaving illusions of shamrocks dancing in the head.
American Pale Ale – An awakening for the taste buds and the perfect way to prepare for an IPA.
American IPA – Citrus aroma, lingering tangerine-orange flavor. Hop magic!
Dunkelweizen – Earthy, subtle toasty taste. This German dark wheat has been thoughtfully tuned for the summer season. Don’t be afraid of the dark!
Red IPA – A one-of-a-kind malt and hop experience. Toasted caramel flavor with generously dry hopped finish.
Saison – The tour of Europe continues with this lively highly carbonated Belgian-style pale ale. The special yeast creates a light spice and fruit zest.
Personal favorite: Red IPA – “incredible”
