We recently learned that A Brief History of Beer will be coming to the Orlando Fringe this May .  In essence, the show is a one hour drink-a-long comedy where Will Glenn and Trish Parry travel through time with the audience in a Quantum Pint Machine, drinking and exploring the history of beer.  Sponsored by Brown Distributing, A Brief History of Beer has received positive praise from beer lovers and enthusiasts who have seen the show performed in Florida.

    After touring around the world, with fantastic runs at the Edinburgh 2013 and Adelaide 2014 Fringes, Wish Experience comes to Orlando with A Brief History of Beer!

     A Brief History of Beer is an educational, delicious ramble through the myths and legends surrounding everyone's favorite bevvy!   Equal measures theatre, lecture, and surreal drink-a-long game, in A Brief History of Beer, Will Glenn and Trish Parry ask audiences to join them
in their Quantum Pint Machine, where they travel through time, from ancient Sumeria to present day, learning about the world's favorite drink. The Wish founders have combed the records,  visited the ruins, and tasted an impossible number of beers to bring you this docudramedy based on the life and times of our mistress and our muse ... the humble beer.

    Wish has been inducted in to The British Guild of Beer Writers, and received praise in Edinburgh from many reviewers.   A Brief History of Beer is “definitely one for the avid pub-frequenter” (Millie Morris, Edfringe Review), and “a fizzy flagon of edutainment” (Paul Levy, Fringereview).   After fresh direction from critically acclaimed Jeffrey Mayhew, the show has received nothing but praise in the UK and Australia, receiving  4.5/5 from Rip It Up magazine, with InDaily saying “A Brief History of Beer is an opportunity to learn, to be amazed and to imbibe with them. Be warned, one drink may not be enough!”

    A Brief History of Beer runs from May 16th-25th at The Venue (Virginia Drive).   For all ticket information please visit http://orlandofringe.ticketleap.com/a-brief-history-of-beer/

    We wanted to pass on a couple of cool happenings that will be going on at Rogue Pub in the next couple of weeks.  Cheers!

Homegrown Thursdays Open Mic Night  Featuring Big Storm Brewing
Thursday, May 1st 8pm 
Join Rogue Thursday, May 1st for their first installation of Homegrown Thursdays! There will be an open mic night (originality encouraged) and featuring tasty brews from Big Storm Brewing from Odessa, Florida!

North Peak Brewing Tap Takeover
Saturday, May 10th 6p 

Join Rogue Saturday, May 10th starting at 6p for a tap takeover featuring  
North Peak Brewing Company!   They will be tapping up their new line of tasty brews
including their Diabolical IPA, Siren and more! 

    The new Center at the Orlando Eye area of International Drive  has really started to take shape in the last few weeks.  Yard House is set to open there on April 24th and will bring approximately 200 new jobs to the area along with 140 draft beer selections.  The new establishment will span nearly 14,000 square feet and can house as much as 5,000 gallons of beer at one time.

  The upscale eatery and taphouse will also feature a rotating list of seasonal and limited release beers in its "Chalkboard Series".  Additionally, a continuous playlist of classic and contemporary rock will fill the restaurant, one of the concept’s trademark elements.

    "Orlando is a great market for Yard House,” said Craig Carlyle, president of Yard House. “We chose the Center at the Orlando Eye because of the strong appeal of the new development and
its mix of retail, dining and entertainment options.  We look forward to  showcasing Yard House’s
distinctive beer and food offerings to Orlando’s dynamic mix of residents and visitors.”

    The new restaurant will feature 140 beers on tap, each delivered fresh and perfectly chilled by
miles of overhead steel and nylon beer lines to the central island bar.  The glass enclosed keg
room, which is kept at a constant 34--‐36 degrees, can house as much as 5,000 gallons of
beer at one time.  Guests can order their favorite draft beers as a half--‐yard, traditional pint,
shorty or six--‐pack sampler.  The beer list for the restaurant will feature selections  from
Florida breweries, including Florida Beer Company and Cigar City Brewing.

    The restaurant has dozens of service positions available in the front of house, including
bartenders, servers, and host/hostesses, as well as “heart of house” positions, such as prep
and line cooks.  Interested applicants should visit at www.yardhouse.com/careers, where
applicants can learn about opportunities, value and culture at Yard House.

    I recently spent a good part of my "spring break" reading Florida Breweries by Gerard Walen.  I first met Gerard a few years back at an event where we both  interviewed Widmer Brothers co founder Kurt Widmer for our respective blogs.  I've had tremendous respect for him as both a beer writer and as an ambassador for promoting Florida's craft beer culture ever since.  

    Florida Breweries serves as an excellent resource for both locals and beer travelers alike.  The book takes an in depth look at each of Florida's 66 breweries both large and small.  The brewery chapters include some basic information about each brewery as well as a rundown on the current portfolio of beers they offer.  Walen even takes it a step farther by making a recommendation of a "must try" brew at each of the breweries.

    So how in the world did he know what to recommend at each of these breweries?  Walen spent about a year visiting each of the 66 while spending time with each brewery's owner and sampling their beers.  I have to admit that I was green with envy when I read about this "research". Who wouldn't want to spend a year touring and sampling craft beers from some of the Sunshine State's finest.

    In addition to the information on the breweries, the book also delves into the history of beer in Florida and offers commentary on Florida's beer container laws, beer chains, beer in theme parks, beerfests, beer weeks, and beerwebs.  Pretty much everything you ever wanted to know and then some about Florida's relationship with the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage.

    I enjoyed everything about Florida Breweries.  It would make a great addition to any beer enthusiast's coffee table.  After reading it, I now have a number of new craft breweries that I want to visit that I didn't know about.  The one minor downside to the book is that several new breweries have opened in just the short time since the book was put into print.  To compensate for this some 40 breweries in planning are listed near the back of the book.  Some of those have already opened.

**  In the interest of full disclosure I received a complementary copy of Florida Breweries from the book's publisher in exchange for writing a review on Orlando Beer Guide.  I received no payment (or free beer) for writing the review and the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  It really is a great book!