Sip the Sunshine to showcase Florida craft beer

Mark Tuchman and Dean Lambert have always loved craft beer — especially Floridian craft beer. They say the Sunshine State is not only producing some of the best beer in the country, its community is also among the most unique.

“Florida has had sort of a meteoric rise in the craft-beer scene in a relatively short amount of time,” says Tuchman. “I think, because of that, the community isn’t focused on just the beer itself. It’s about the people and the stories behind these breweries. It’s an unusual dynamic, because technically, these are businesses that are in competition with one another. But at the end of the day, this is a group of people who love what they do, love to help each other and want to make Florida better for everyone.”

So when Tuchman, Lambert and Nikki Logan Curran came up with the idea to host their own craft-beer festival, they wanted it to reflect their love for the local beer community. They wanted something different.

The co-organizers, who compose Suncoast Festivals, will host the inaugural Sip the Sunshine Craft Beer Festival from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at Nathan Benderson Park.

The festival will feature more than 100 beers from 50 exclusively Florida craft breweries, food from seven local chefs and live music — headlined by Grammy Award-winning band Blues Traveler. Proceeds will benefit the USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Hospitality and Tourism’s Beer Science program.

“Five years ago, there were fewer than 40 breweries in the state of Florida,” he says. “Today, there more than 200, and they’re making some of the best beer in the country. There’s a huge market, and the scene is continuing to explode. We wanted to honor that.”

General admission will include catered food by Mattison’s, Fête Catering and Nancy Krohngold. VIP attendees will enjoy a five-course food-and-beer pairing by Steve Phelps, of Indigenous, with Calusa Brewing Co.; Darwin Santa Maria with Chela Brewing Co.; Christian Hershman with Darwin Brewing Co.; Jay Norris, of Jack Dusty, with Big Top Brewing Co.; and Paul Mattison, of Mattison’s, with Coppertail Brewing Co. A third option includes a 4:30 p.m. entrance to the Sundown Session concerts following the beer festival.

Entertainment will include live music by bands Jah Movement, from Sarasota, Have Gun Will Travel, from Bradenton, Heavy Pets from Fort Lauderdale and Blues Traveler.

Dean Lambert says the food and entertainment were carefully selected to provide a unique experience for attendees.

“A lot of times, the music and food come across as afterthoughts,” he says. “We approached this from the attendees’ perspective. We wanted the food and music to be the best that’s offered in town. And Blues Traveler was a perfect fit for the vibe of the event.”

Also different, says Lambert, will be the laid-back atmosphere. One downside to many similar festivals is long lines and a rush to sample as many different beers as possible. By limiting ticket sales in each of the three tiers, Lambert  hopes to cut back on long lines, allowing guests to enjoy the experience.

“I’m excited,” he says. “There’s a lot of beer on our list I haven’t gotten to try yet. I’m looking forward to relaxing and enjoying a beer or two while listening to some great live music. I hope the attendees will be smiling as much as we are.”