Regina Heffington
“April showers bring …” Nope. That’s not what I think of when I think of this month.
April is a celebratory month – especially for those of us who love to live – and explore – in Florida.
In 1513, Ponce de Leon landed near what is now St. Augustine and gave the name to his newly discovered landmass “La Florida”.
A little over 250 years later, John Bartram completed his journey into Florida in 1766 and it was his diary-cum-travel journal which motivated merchants “across the pond” to purchase tracts of land along the eastern coast of Florida in the late 1700s.
Two centuries later, April exploration in Florida took aim at the heavens with NASA missions such as the ill-fated mission (with a happy ending) Apollo 13 and Apollo 16 carrying Orlando-raised astronaut John Young.
Explorers always need new territory in which to venture and a means of navigation. GPS, blogs and EU Jacksonville magazine provide navigational assistance for those of you wishing to embark on an exploration of the craft beer community in the Greater Jacksonville area – somewhat virgin territory for most Jacksonvillians!
Here are a few of the treasures awaiting you:
Directly from the wonderful team at Intuition Ale Works (720 King St):
We are proud to be the official beer of One Spark for the third year in a row! We’ll be brewing two limited release beers exclusively for One Spark 2015: our One Spark Kölsch and One Spark Alt.
The One Spark Kölsch is a smooth German-style ale with mild hops and a crisp finish inspired by the kölsch beers of Cologne, Germany. The One Spark Alt is an amber malty brew with an incredibly smooth finish inspired by the Altbiers brewed in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Both beers will be unveiled at a release party at Intuition on King Street on Thursday, April 2nd from 6pm to 9pm. Join us to be the first to taste the brews of The World’s Largest Crowdfunding Festival!
The One Spark Kölsch and One Spark Alt will be available on draft in One Spark Beer Village and at One Spark kiosks downtown.
VisonWalk (http://www.fightblindness.org/site/PageNavigator/VisionWalk_Homepage) has arranged some events for you to help fight blindness and enjoy some great craft beer!
Since its inception in the Spring of 2006, VisionWalk has raised over $35 million to fund sight-saving research. As promising treatments move into critical human studies, the need for research funding is greater than ever.
On April 11 (Saturday), there will be an event at Bold City Brewery (2670 Rosselle St – 904.379.6551) for this worthy organization.
On April 18 (Saturday), Solids and Stripes Billiards (Park Village – 175 Blanding Blvd #4 – Orange Park – 904.272.7799) will have a special event for VisionWalk.
Hear some of the world’s best rock bands as they converge in Jacksonville during this two day outdoor music festival, Welcome to Rockville, featuring heavy rock icons like Korn, Marilyn Manson and Slayer!
There will be local microbreweries on hand, so make plans to be there!
Silver Cow will also be scheduling a Pint Night for VisionWalk sometime in April. Please check back for details on
The festival is April 25-26, 2015. For more info, please visit: www.welcometorockvillefestival.com
Brew 5 Points (1024 Park St.) has some great events in April!
April 2 – Sweetwater Slide Into Spring Pre-Party & Ticket Giveaway
April 16 – Brooklyn Brewery Tap Takeover
April 30 – Southern Tier Tap Takeoever
Silver Cow (1506 King Street) has “Beer Edification” every Thursday – a chance for you to explore new beers and learn about them from one of our “beer docents”, Eddie Wheeless.
Engine 15 Brewing Company (1500 Beach Boulevard – Jax Beach) will be tapping a special keg of Founders Brewing Company CBS (Canadian Breafast Stout) on April 23. They’re the only spot in Jacksonville with this special keg, so be sure and be there to get yours!
Brewer’s Pizza – (14B Blanding Blvd – Orange Park) will be presenting a Founders Brewing Company Tap Takeover & KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) Tapping on April 21. You don’t want to miss this!
Alewife Bottleshop and Tasting Room (1035 Park Street) has recently opened to rave reviews! A great new place to explore!
It is time for you to get out of the house and start your own exploration! Jacksonville’s emerging craft beer movement awaits your participation.
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