Jax Beer Society Launches in North Florida

Jacksonville, FL – Jax Beer Society, a nonprofit trade association committed to developing and preserving an active beer culture throughout Northeast Florida, launched earlier this year and made its debut at the Riverside Craft Beer Fest in late February.

“Our beer community has always been very supportive of each other. So, it was only natural that we come together to elevate Northeast Florida’s beer culture and make a focused effort on Jax Beer Week. The interest and support the community has shown for Jax Beer Society has already been overwhelming -- and we’ve only just begun,” said Kara Scremin, President of Jax Beer Society.

Jax Beer Society founding members are: Aardwolf Brewing Co., Bold City Brewery, Engine 15 Brewing Co., Green Room Brewing, Intuition Ale Works, PingleheadBrewing Company, Veterans United Craft Brewery, Zeta Brewing, BrownDistributing, Champion Brands and North Florida Sales.

Membership is open to brewers, wholesalers, associate members (e.g. retail outlets, brew pubs) and craft beer enthusiasts who are interested in working together to advance the emerging craft and specialty beer scene in Jacksonville and to promote regional events and festivals that support the industry.

Memberships can be purchased at www.JaxBeerSociety.com/members or by visiting the Jax Beer Society table at GastroFest on March 21st outside the Visit Jacksonville offices on Laura Street or the Cathedral Arts Project CAPtivators “Economic Hopportunity” brewers’ panel on March 26th at St. John’s Cathedral. Jax Beer Society will also be a creator at this year’s One Spark festival and will be hosted by Visit Jacksonville.

JBS Officially Launched at the Riverside Craft Beer Fest in February

The organization’s main focus will be the coordination of Jax Beer Week which will take place November 8th through 14th. Jax Beer Society will organize a number of events across the city that focus on promoting the area’s craft and specialty beer scene. Jax Beer Week will culminate in a two-day grand tasting event at Hemming Park in downtown Jacksonville on November 13th and 14th.

Follow Jax Beer Society on Twitter: @JaxBeerSociety

For more information, please visit www.JaxBeerSociety.com or contact Cari Sánchez-Potter at (904) 540-6390 or jaxbeersociety@gmail.com.

Sourcing Suds: Aardwolf Early Bird Special

'Sourcing Suds' is a monthly column I write for Buzz Magazine which acknowledges a locally brewed beer being served at a locally operated beer joint. The people and places pouring for us are what make the craft beer community what it is. Join me each month as I highlight some of the great places and beer found right here in Jacksonville!

Source: Aardwolf Brewing Co. (Taproom)

Aardwolf Brewing Company is located in Jacksonville's San Marco neighborhood, just minutes from the heart of downtown. The Taproom is an inviting space. There's exposed brick, plenty of seating, and a long bar that practically spans the length of the entire taproom.

It's been a full year since Aardwolf opened its taproom, and I recently sat down with co-owner, Preben Olsen, to talk about his initial vision for the space.

Beertender, Kevin, offers samples of beer to a customer

"Our taproom is a place to teach people about beer. We don't just have our beer, but we have great guest taps too. And our bar, you can see it's really long. We designed it to help people interact with others," said Olsen.

It's clear that Aardwolf's owners put a lot of thought and intentionality into the design of the taproom, and a year later, they are seeing the fruits of their efforts. The taproom is usually full of patrons, and it's not uncommon for a food truck or two to be stationed in the parking lot.  Aardwolf might be Jacksonville's youngest brewery, but it's quickly building a name for itself. 

Suds: Early Bird Special (Anniversary Breakfast Stout)

Aardwolf wanted to celebrate the one-year mark with a bold beer that has a lot going on. And Early Bird Special certainly fits the bill. This breakfast stout is brewed with generous portions of oats, vanilla, and cinnamon, and then aged on coffee beans. It's a dark beer that gives off an appetizing aroma of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon.

After taking one sip, I looked up at my server and said, "It's like drinking French toast!" The flavor profile is loaded with cinnamon and vanilla that provide a maple-syrup like essence. The coffee bean flavor is also there, giving a nice roasted flavor that mimics burnt toast a little. The finish is slightly bitter with some heat from the alcohol.

This is a great-tasting beer with a great aroma and some very complex flavors. It's a great beer to celebrate Aardwolf's taproom anniversary, and it's a beer that we might see again. According to Olsen, Aardwolf might consider brewing Early Bird Special again. September will mark the brewery's one-year mark for the brewing side of operations, and just maybe we will get some more of this breakfast stout for that celebration. But until then, stop by the taproom and check this one out. You won't regret it!

The Taproom is open Wednesday through Saturday at 3pm. My recommendation is to go on Wednesdays for their weekly tapping of a pilot batch. These are rare and extremely limited batches (sometimes only 5 gallons of beer), that highlight the brewery's experimental and riskier side.

Intution's Underdark (2014)

Brewery: Intuition Ale Works
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Style: Bourbon-Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%

Saturday marked the second annual release of Underdark, brewed by Intuition Ale Works. The release drew a crowd, and the brewery shut down King Street for the block-party-event.

Bottles of Underdark, a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout, went on sale at noon and were sold out by 6pm. I was fortunate. Not only was I there before the bottles sold out, I also got to try Underdark on tap.

The annual release of Intuition's Underdark is something that beer lovers in North Florida should rejoice. Whether you were able to make the event or not, I believe this event shows the direction in which Jacksonville's beer scene is heading. I have mentioned many time before about the recent development of the craft beer crowd in Jax. In the last 24 months, this city has seen several craft beer spots open their doors. And let's not forget that a mere five years ago, Jacksonville's only brewery was the Budweiser plant that's located on the North side.

Since then, Jacksonville has seen a whopping five craft breweries open their doors. Throw in Pinglehead (located in Orange Park), Mile Marker (Saint Augustine), and Veterans United Craft Brewery (set to open in Jacksonville this Spring), and it's easy to see what is being foreshadowed for the North Florida beer scene.

Now back to the beer at hand: Underdark. Here are my tasting notes from the imperial stout:

Underdark pours a deep black with an off-white head. The nose is sweet: vanilla and chocolate with subtle notes of oak wood.

The taste is also sweet. Reminds me of some Southern Tier stouts. Vanilla, milk chocolate, mocha, and bourbon fill the flavor profile. The texture is smooth and creamy, very much like a milk stout. The bourbon is subtle and, if I didn't know what I was drinking, I probably wouldn't guess this is bourbon-barrel aged.

Overall, this is a tasty stout that I proudly welcome to Jacksonville. I like to see these special releases coming from Intuition, and I am excited to observe how this beer changes with each annual release. The bourbon isn't as pronounced as it could be; I would like to see them work to bring more of the bourbon complexities to this beer. But this is just the second release of Underdark and Intuition will undoubtedly seek to build upon their creation.

Locals Only Beer Fest: Saturday, January 25 (Jacksonville, FL)

What: LOCALS ONLY BEER FEST: Beer fest featuring North Florida's local breweries
Where: 3 Independent Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202
When: Saturday, Jan. 25 2:00pm-6:00pm

For the first time, all of the local Jacksonville craft breweries will be gathered in one location for patrons to wet their palates. The beer fest is free (beer is not), and there will be savory and delicious food available for purchase, thanks to the trucks from Jax Truckies.

This fest is being hosted by some of the area's great organizations, like the Jax Chamber, One Spark, and The Players.

Here are the breweries that will be represented at the Locals Only Beer Fest:

• Pinglehead
• Intuition
• Bold City
• Green Room
• Aardwolf
• Engine 15

Click on the event link for more information.
 Cheers to Local Beer!