Florida Beer Company - Gaspar's Porter

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the legendary pirate Jose Gaspar purportedly sailed the waters of western Florida, terrorizing the region. A society columnist with the Tampa Tribune is credited with creating a pirate-inspired festival in 1904 that came to be known as Gasparilla, eventually becoming an annual event and the inspiration for Gaspar’s Porter. Quite dark, even for a porter, this newly reformulated brew presents inviting aromas of rich caramel, chocolate, and brown bread, topped by a bit of a floral hop flourish and a touch of spice. These aroma notes all translate to the flavor, as well, which is centered around a satisfying core of scorched caramel, chocolate, cocoa powder, a hint of licorice, and a slightly ashy, almost smoky, impression. Bitterness is moderate, countering the slight residual sweetness and drying the beer out, especially towards the finish which lingers with a touch of acidity, clearing the palate for another sip. The brewery recommends pairing with braised pork and sweet potato, or seared swordfish with a squash and zucchini salad with navel orange vinaigrette – sounds good to us!

The Florida Beer Company has been among the leaders of Florida’s craft brewing renaissance. Founded by Humberto Perez, who is a third generation brewer (his grandfather began one of Venezuela’s largest breweries back in 1929), the company has grown to feature several different beer brands, with each offering a sense of Floridian pride in their beer names and label art. Perez’s goal has been to help bring overdue recognition to Florida’s growing better beer culture – a goal that’s quickly becoming a reality with each passing year.

FBC’s brewery is located in Melbourne, FL, mid-way down the state’s Atlantic coast. Originally founded as Indian River Brewing Company by Bruce Holt and Jack Owen (as owner and brewmaster, respectively), the brewery eventually was bought by Perez who was able to keep the brewery in operation and providing great beer to the local community. With every beer handcrafted with very little automated processes, the brewery remains committed to traditional microbrewing techniques for the creation of each batch of their tasty brews.

For more information about the brewery and their tasting room, call (321) 728-4114, or visit them at www.floridabeer.com.