Blanc De Fleur, Sparkling Florida Wine, San Sebastian Winery

St. Augustine, Fla.—San Sebastian Winery is making sparkling wine. But what sets their sparkling wine—Blanc de Fleur—apart from the competitor is that it is a Florida, made-by-hand muscadine sparkling wine created using methode champenoise. This means the tiny bubbles occur naturally after two in-bottle fermentations.

Blanc De Fleur, Florida sparkling wine, San sebastian Winery,
St. Augustine, Fla.
Copyright 2015 by Helen A Lockey

I recently got to try Blanc De Fleur at a San Sebastian Winery cocktail hour put on for loyalty customers and the Press.

Bland De Fleur is an award winning wine. It has taken home two gold metals and two silver metals this year.

The reason for these awards is most likely because of the complexity of flavors created by winemaker Jeanne Burges, who has honed her craft, over the past 26 years, in the art of delicious wine making.

Blanc De Fleur has a light, slightly sweet, drinkable, delicate bubbly style with distinct muscadine fruitiness. It would go very well with duck or on its own for a toast.

If you want to get your bottle of this high anti-oxidant (muscadine grapes have higher anti-oxidants than other wine grapes) sparkling wine then go to http://www.sansebastianwinery.com

Or visit them at 157 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084,

Phone 1-888-352-9463

Spent Mash Cookies, Brew Five Points, Jacksonville, Fla.

Jacksonville, Fla.--Intuition Ale Works gives their spent mash to a coffee house instead of a farm. The coffee house in question is known as Brew Five Point. Owned by Jack Twachtman and Jason Fisher this fusion spot which is both a craft beer and coffee bar is located in trendy, Historic Five Points community of Jacksonville.

Brew Five Points' Oatmeal cookie made with Intuition Ale Works spent
mash, Brew Five Points, Jacksonville, Fla.
Copyright 2015 by Helen A Lockey

I went in for a glass of brew and ordered a porter. Then I realized after two sips this beast of deliciousness was going to knock me over if I didn't have something to eat. I asked the barkeep what they had for sale and he directed me to the cookie made with Intuition Ale Works spent mash for $2.25.

It was delicious and went very well with my beer.

If you want to try one of these cookies you can find them at 1024 Park Street, Jacksonville, 32204 Phone: (904)374-5789

Brew Five Points is open most days at 7:30 a.m. except on Sat and Sun when they open the doors at 9 a.m. Closing times vary depending on the day so check with them about their hours.

Ft. Myers Brewing Company, Ft. Myers, Fla.

Ft. Myers, Fla.—Ft. Myers Brewing Company knows how to make tasty beers. They are located about an hours drive south of Tampa, on the West coast of Florida. And in keeping with the sustainable model of all breweries in Florida, they give their spent mash to a local farm, Circle C Farm, for an animal feeding treat.

A $6 flight from Ft. Myers Brewing Company, Ft. Myers, Fla.
Copyright 2015 by Helen A Lockey

Also in keeping with many breweries in Florida their tasting room and brewery is located in an industrial park located in the gateway area of Ft. Myers near RSW airport. The entrance doors look out onto a parking lot and grassy field.

I visited them back in August just as they were remodeling their tasting room.

I ordered a flight of beers, for $6, served in plastic cups. The styles I got were Saison (6.9 ABV), Tamiami Tan (5.8 ABV), Hefeweizen (5.7 ABV), and City Of Palms Pils (4.2 ABV).

Before I review the beers, I have to mention that what is mildly bitter to most people is very bitter to me.

The saison, a Belgian Farmhouse ale, had a sweet caramelized hop flavor that gradually transformed to sour and finished bitter.

The Tamiami Tan, a brown ale, had an interesting smell that reminded me the delicious aroma of sweet, black sticky rice. The scent also had hints of caramelized hops. The flavor matched the smell except it ended with bitter bite.

The Hefeweizen, a wheat style ale, was a lighter beer than the Tan but still had some great flavors of toasted coconut and floral hop.

The City of Palms Pils was the lightest of my pick. It started out slightly sweet and ended slightly bitter but overall was the best refresher for the heat of the day.

Ft. Myers Brewing Company tasting board in August 2015,
Ft. Myers, Fla.
Copyright 2015 by Helen A Lockey

I plan to go back to this brewery next time I am in town and try some more beers.

If you want to try some Ft.Myers Brewing Company beers then you’ll have to visit them at: 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr. #28, Fort Myers, FL 33913

Phone (230) 313-6576

Note: They are a dog friendly brewery.