Every weekend, thousands of tourists and locals flock to one of South Florida’s most famous hot spots, South Beach. The first weekend in February 2003 will be just a little different. The shops will still be open, and the girls will still be in bikinis, only this time there is beer – lots and lots of beer!
With open arms, the city will be hosting the Miami Beach International World of Beer Festival. The weekend long celebration will be held right on South Beach between Sixth and Eighth streets and Ocean Drive.
Distributors, brewers and importers from around the world will be supporting the event, which caters to the affluent beer drinker in everyone. Now is the time to finally learn the difference between a lager, pilsner, ale, stout, and hefeweizen. In addition to tasting, there will be an abundance of other beer-related activities from seminars to competitions to beer-can castle building on the beach.
It can be overwhelming to be surrounded by over 100 different brewers and distributors that represent almost every country imaginable, so keep in mind that beer is not the only attraction. To slow down the impending drunken stupor, relax to some of the music from any of the three stages. The international theme will continue through sounds of jazz, reggae, salsa, samba, and blues.
Wait, there’s more! The only thing missing from this perfect party is food. Many of South Florida’s finest restaurants will be present and serving up their own mouth-watering creations. Many exotic beers can be paired with foods to achieve maximum flavor. Chocolate stout with chocolate mousse, fruity lambics with strawberry tarts, sushi with Japanese rice beer, smoky porters with meats and wild game just to name few.
Clearly this weekend is designed to pay homage to one of the world’s oldest known beverages, beer! It might even be the perfect way to cope with the first weekend after the end of the NFL season. Fans of the Super Bowl champs should come out to celebrate, while the rest of the local Miami Dolphin supporters (if any are left) are still trying to figure out how their season collapsed.
For more information or volunteer opportunities, visit the website at www.worldofbeerfestival.com Also, remember to please party responsibly.
Interesting Facts
The oldest written recipe in the world is for beer. It is a on a 4,000 year old Mesopotamian clay tablet.
Egyptians made it from barley, Babylonians made it from wheat, and Incas made it from corn.
George Washington operated a small brewery at Mount Vernon.
Phrases Attributed to Beer
“Rule of Thumb” — Before thermometers were invented, brewers would stick a thumb into the boiled mash to assess the temperature before adding yeast. Too cold, the yeast wouldn’t grow, too hot, and the yeast would die. Hence, the phrase a “rule of thumb.”
“Mind your P’s and Q’s” — English pubs used to serve ale in pints and quarts. In the old days when patrons got disorderly and unruly, the bartender would yell, “Mind your pints and quarts and settle down,” which abbreviated to “Mind your P’s and Q’s!”
“Wet your whistle” — Long ago in England, whistles were baked into the handles of ceramic cups. When someone wanted a refill, they would blow on their whistle to get service.
4,000 years ago in Babylon it was customary for the father of a bride to give his son-in-law all the mead (a honeyed beer) he could drink for a month. A month was based on the cycle of the moon. This period was known as the honeymoon.
