Grovetoberfest: Beer Beer and More Beer

This past Saturday, Coconut Grove's Peacock Park was one giant "keg" sort of speak, as the third annual Grovetoberfest brought joy and happiness to craft beer lovers in Miami. The largest beer festival in Florida, Grovetoberfest featured over 250 craft beers from across the country and the world. Handed a small cup, guests wandered aimlessly through tent after tent, sampling some of the most impressive craft beers. Local favorites included Cigar City, Wynwood Brewing, Miami Brewing, and Funky Buddha, while legends like New Belgium and Sierra Nevada also quenched guests' thirsts.

Ready..set..go!

Besides the endless flow of beer, there was Milam's Kitchen lab featuring cooking demos and beer pairings conducted by popular local chefs such as Giorgio Rapicavoli from Eating House, Michael Pirolo from Macchialina and Miami Heat's Chef Michael Jacobs. To add a little education to the experience, Brew FIU presented Brew Tasting 101, continuous short workshops held throughout the day covering  beer history, beer making and everyone's personal favorite: beer tasting.

Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli from Eating House

There were plenty of opportunities to buy some grub at Food Row and the music was kicking the whole time.  VIP ticket holders got to chillax in the Resorts World Bimini VIP Lounge and grab some complimentary bites between samplings.

Bites and brew from the VIP Tent

It was a typical hot Miami day and that gave us all the the perfect excuse to drink beer. Since most of the memory is still a blur, let me show you what it was like through the lens of my sober camera:
 

The calm before the storm...

And the doors (or gates) open...

Just pour away

Middle one was my favorite.

These guys are happy. Can't say I blame them where they're standing.

Beerlover's paradise

Just hand it over

Sure, we'll take another

A mirage in the heat..

 

Music Stage

So where do we go next?

Hey...focus on the beer!

Packed house!

All good things must come to an end...