Florida Beer Company - Hurricane Reef

Hurricane Reef pours a bright and clear copper-amber hue with a large cap of off-white foam that persists well and laces the glass as it drops. We picked up big notes of citrus zest in the aroma, invoking impressions of tangerine, orange, and grapefruit, along with secondary tropical notes reminiscent of mango and passion fruit, along with a bit of peach character. Those fruity hop notes come through boldly on the palate too, with juicy citrus, tropical, and stone fruit notes amidst a robust malt profile delivering a good dose of caramel and mild toast as it forms a sturdy and very satisfying stage for the bright hop contribution. Hop bitterness is firm, but balanced well by the caramel tones and a dash of residual sweetness. For pairing options, we’d play off of the fruity and bready notes while invoking some spice and heat to stand up to the hop bitterness. Lightly breaded and crispy orange peel beef in a spicy Szechuan sauce springs to mind, as does Indian biryani with naan bread, and Mexican grilled chicken marinated with chopped chiles in orange and lime juice. Cheers!

The Florida Beer Company has been 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 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. Residing in the former home of Chrysler’s missile operations, which supported such NASA programs as Mercury and Apollo, FBC boasts a new visitor center and tap room where you can sample all of their tasty brews. For more information about the brewery, their tap room, and tours, call 321-728-4114, or visit them at www.floridabeer.com.