We received this press release from Sea Dog Brewing earlier this week.  Has anyone been to this new establishment yet?  If so let us know your thoughts.

Orlando, Florida - April 22, 2013

Maine-based Sea Dog Brewing Company will open its second brew pub in Florida on Thursday, April 25.  Its first location opened in Clearwater earlier this year.

Sea Dog is the sister brewery to Shipyard Brewing Company, which opened the world's first airport microbrewery in the Orlando International Airport in1997.

"We're glad to be back in Orlando," noted company owner, Fred Forsley."When we had to move the brewery out of the airport during renovations abouta decade ago, we set a goal to return to Orlando and, today, that goal has been realized.  We opened a Shipyard Brew Pub in Winter
Park a couple of years ago, but we have really wanted to have a location again in the tourist
area of Orlando where visitors from around the world as well as locals can enjoy the Sea Dog experience."

This Thursday, April 25 events at the Sea Dog in Orlando begin at 4:00pm with a ribbon cutting by
the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Beer and food specials will run throughout the evening.

    This new restaurant is located in the Lake Buena Vista tourist area at 8496 Palm Parkway in the Vista Centre Shoppes.  The menu features fresh seafood, New England inspired pub fare andaward-winning Sea Dog and Shipyard craft brews.  Lunch and dinner are served seven days a
week.  Kids and late nightmenus are also available.  The hours are 11:30am -2:00am.  Sea Dog Brewing Company was founded in 1993 and has three pubs in Maine (South Portland, Topsham, and Bangor) as well as three licensed locations in Massachusetts.  In February, Sea Dog's first Florida pub opened in Clearwater (26200 US 19, near the Courtside Mall).  Sea Dog beer is brewed in a traditional English style, resulting in brews with a distinctive, refreshing taste and crisp finish.

    Harpoon Brewing (Boston) will be celebrating 20 years of its IPA with a couple of special events in Orlando this week.  Harpoon IPA was first brewed in 1993.  At that time there were few great IPA's available on the east coast  and there was a growing desire to have one in Boston.  It quickly became a year round offering, their flagship, and best selling beer.

    There will be a Harpoon tap takeover at Frank N Steins on April 25th from 5-9 pm and
another at Gnarley Barley on April 26th from 5-10 pm.  Both takeovers will feature 5 different Harpoon IPA's that will include the limited release of their White and Black IPA.  Harpoon fans will not want to miss this.  Cheers to 20 years!

    Some really surprising news came out of Oblivion Taproom this weekend.  Oblivion's Chef Goody has taken another job and will be leaving the restaurant that he helped make into one of Orlando's most popular spots for burgers and craft beer.  Goody has been called a "Culinary Genius" by more than a few Orlando Foodies.  He has played a key role in putting Oblivion on the map and there are a lot of Oblivion faithful who will hate to see him go.

      
    In a bit of a juicy twist, Goody has accepted a similar position at the Shipyard Brewpub in Winter Park.  He has been named the new Head Chef and General Manager of Shipyard's first of two brewpubs here in Orlando.  Shipyard opened a second restaurant and soon to be brewpub in Lake Buena Vista just this weekend.  Goody will be bringing some of his highly touted barbeque skills  to Shipyard which will give him an opportunity to bring his critically acclaimed sauces and rubs to the masses.  

    Goody's replacement will be Chef Bruno from Big Bruno's Bites.  Local beer enthusiasts are bound to be delighted with this news!  Big Bruno's Bites was the food cart that was stationed outside the old Redlight Redlight on Bennett Road.  Bruno is known for putting together some really awesome food to accompany a really awesome selection of beer.  Bruno is also known for using mostly all fresh local and organic ingredients in his culinary delights making him the most logical choice for the job at Oblivion.  Some big shoes to fill there but if anyone is capable of doing this job its Big Bruno.

    This year's 4/20 will be Goody's last day at Oblivion.   Last year's event was probably Oblivion's largest and it is bound to be even larger this year.  Goody and Bruno are set to collaborate on a special menu that will celebrate Goody's leaving and Bruno's joining the good folks at Oblivion.  Definitely sounds like a night we won't want to miss...  Cheers to Goody and Bruno!

    The Florida Film Festival kicks off this evening in Orlando and runs thru April 14th.    There is a very impressive lineup of food and drink-centric events planned in addition to a fine selection of current, independent, and international films.  Click Here for a full list of the Film Festival's food and drink related events.

   
     Local beer and film  enthusiasts  will not want to miss tomorrow night's Film and Food celebration at Winter Park's Cask & Larder.  Brewmaster Ron Raike has brewed a very special Cask Conditioned Maple Ginger Amber Ale that will be served on the beer engine that's 4.8 ABV.  The beer was brewed to compliment a Whole Cookery Feast that will feature whole suckling pigs, whole smoked duck, whole roasted fish, and butcher's feast of Lamb.  Click Here for more information or to make reservations for this very special evening.  Cheers!