Carib Brewery - Key West Pale Ale

Key West Pale Ale presents a medium amber-orange color, capped by a fluffy off-white head. On the nose, look for the hops to jump out right away with prominent citrus notes, backed by secondary floral tones, some orchard fruit impressions, touches of grass and earth, and slight hints of woodiness. Some mild crackery and bready malts lurk beneath. Those malts seem to come through a bit more prominently in the flavor, offering light caramel and some mild toasty notes at the beer’s core. Moderate hop bitterness adds some bite to nicely balance a touch of malt sweetness, while the citric, fruity character comes through brightly, delivering satisfying, juicy notes. For pairing options, your choices are vast, as this is a very food-friendly beer. Toasty and fruity elements should work well with this pale ale. Chicken wings with a fruity and somewhat spicy sauce, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and even salads with grilled chicken and a citrus vinaigrette should all pair nicely. Cheers!

The history of Florida Beer Company (now Carib Brewery) firmly places them among the leaders of Florida’s craft brewing renaissance. Founded originally in 1994 as Ybor City Brewing Company by Humberto Perez, a third generation brewer (his grandfather began one of Venezuela’s largest breweries back in 1929), the company grew to feature several different beer brands, with each offering a sense of Floridian pride in their beer names and label art. Around 2003, Perez moved brewing operations from their original Ybor City location to another brewery on the other side of the state in Melbourne, FL: Indian River Beverage Corp., mid-way down the state’s Atlantic coast.

Not long after, Jim Massoni and Ed Scott purchased the company and renamed it Florida Beer Company. Between 2012 and 2014, after reaching capacity at the old Melbourne location, brewing operations transitioned to a new, much larger facility in Cape Canaveral. In 2016, the company merged with Caribbean Development Company, a long-established Trinidad & Tobago brewery founded after WWII by Sir Gerald Wight, a Brit who brought the European-Continental method of brewing to the West Indies. In 2021, Florida Beer Company officially adopted the Carib Brewery name to embrace the expanding international brand.

If you’re ever in the Cape Canaveral area, drop by their Taproom to enjoy fresh beer and tons of weekly events, food truck festivals, and more. For more information visit them at caribbreweryusa.com.