Beer Lovers Guide to Jax

Do you know the difference between stouts, porters, lagers and ales?

Before we begin a pub crawl across Northeast Florida, you must know why all beers and all bars are not created equal.

What’s In It?

Water
All beer starts with water. The clear liquid may seem tasteless, but the mineral and acidic elements in water can drastically affect a brew. For instance, water with traces of limestone is well suited for making dark beers, while the presence of calcium sulfate helps create the best pale ales. Brewers often add or remove certain minerals to achieve the desired flavor composition.

Base Malt
Barley provides sugar during the brewing process. Two-row and six-row barley is used in brewing. It is converted to malt after soaking in water for approximately 24 hours, then being kilned to produce malt. Variations in time, temperature, pH and moisture level produce different flavor profiles during this process. This malt (pictured) has only been lightly kilned, and can serve as the base of a beer all by itself.

Roasted Malt
It doesn’t take very much roasted malt to affect a beer’s flavor. If 10% of the barley used in a brew is a darker roast, like this one, the flavor profile could take on a very distinguished chocolate or coffee taste. Larger breweries often use adjunct grains, like wheat, oats, rye, rice and corn in place of barley.

Yeast
Yeast is the magic ingredient that uses sugar from the malted grains and, during fermentation, creates alcohol. Different yeast strains can influence beer, based on where the yeast strain originated. Part of what makes Belgian and English beers are their region-specific strains. So, if a beer is made in the style of a region (such as a “California-style” beer), then it is often a reflection of where the yeast used in its brewing process came from.

Hops
When speaking of hops, the two main words to keep in mind are bitterness and aroma. A balanced beer weighs hoppy bitterness against the sweetness of malt, though daredevil brewers can also go for the element of surprise with deliberate imbalance. Over a hundred types of hops are grown internationally, though here in the States, somewhere around one third of those are available. Most breweries use pellet hops, though some still utilize leaves in special cask ales.

Extras
Honey, vanilla beans, oak chips, spices like coriander, coffee beans and dried fruit, such as papaya, mango and pineapple, can all be added to the brewing process to add flavor hints and undertones that linger on the palette.

Beer 101

Ale is the English term for a beer made in a cask or bottle with top-fermenting yeast (the same way Champagne is carbonated). Because of the living yeast, real ales are sometimes cloudy and have a slightly yeasty character. Ales are produced in a wide variety of colors, palates and strengths including bitter, brown ale, India pale ale, light ale and red ale, among others.

Lager is any beer made by bottom-fermentation. It is usually golden in color but sometimes can be dark. Lager requires a longer, colder fermentation than ale and uses a different species of yeast, one that tolerates cold temperatures well. The result of the cold fermentation is a lighter, crisper, smoother beer. Lager beer was introduced to the U.S. during the German immigration of the early 1800s. It was immediately adopted and the country’s collective palette switched from favoring ales to lagers.

Porter is a strong, dark ale, bottom-fermented with the addition of roasted malt to add flavor and color. Porter was named after the porters who hauled goods from wagons to the stands in the open air markets common to England in earlier times. Porter originally was a blend of stout and pale ale; it is higher in alcohol and more roasted-tasting than an ale, and lighter-bodied than a stout.

Stout, the darkest and heartiest of beers, is top-fermented and differentiated from a regular ale by its brown-black color, chocolate-coffee flavors and fuller body. This is achieved by brewing with barley that has been dark-roasted to the point of charring (think of espresso beans, compared to medium-roast coffee). It is thus both darker and maltier than porter, has a more pronounced hop aroma, and may reach an alcoholic content of 7 percent. Stout originated in Ireland, where most traditional stouts are very rich, yet sharp and slightly bitter.

Jax Mag’s 25 Best Beer Bars

Sure, every bar on the First Coast serves beer. But for the beer-drinking aficionado, simply having a few taps and a handful of bottled brands isn’t going to cut it.

We scoured the region, from Amelia all the way down to St. Augustine, in search of the bars with the most pleasing array of taps, bartenders and atmosphere. We reached out to our readers on Facebook and Twitter for their input. And we narrowed down a list of 40 contenders to produce this, our picks for the 25 best local beer bars. Don’t agree with our choices? That’s fine…we can argue about it over a pint.

3 Lions Sports Pub & Grill
Soccer and football (or futbol and football?) fans can sometimes clash, but not at 3 Lions. With a sports package that includes NFL Sunday Ticket and Fox Soccer Channel, fans of both can co-mingle with their favorite pints. 2467 Faye Rd., Northside • 647-86251

Aromas Cigar Bar/Beer House
The cigar humidor and martini list draw a crowd, but head for the LED ice bar in the Beer House to enjoy 18 craft beers on tap and a wide selection of domestic, import and craft bottles. 4372 Southside Blvd., Southside • 928-05151

Brix Tap House and Bar
Inside this red brick building (hence the name), beer lovers will find 32 brews on tap. With an indoor and outdoor bar, Brix is a damn fine choice for Jax Beach beer drinkers. 300 2nd St. N., Jax Beach • 241-46681

Burro Bar
The guys behind the new Burro Bar are the same people who brought Lomax Lodge and Shantytown Pub to life. Look for a similar slightly seedy appeal, a crowd of bikers (of the pedaling variety, not the Daytona Beach kind), live music and 20 taps pouring hipster-approved labels. 100 E. Adams St., Downtown • 353-46861

The Casbah Café
Trust a restaurant with belly dancers to have one of the most unusual and exotic beer lists in town, with imports from Lebanon, Turkey, Belgium, Holland, the Phillipines and more, plus a hefty representation from regional craft brewers. 3628 St. Johns Ave., Avondale • 981-99661

Cliff’s Bar and Grill
Nothing fancy here, but regulars and newcomers alike can appreciate a weekday happy hour that starts at 2 PM. Live music, karaoke, trivia and poker keep the atmosphere lively well into the night.  3033 Monument Rd., Arlington • 388-95511

Engine 15 Brewing Company
Take your pick from over 100 options, including 35 draughts. And if you’re really picky and can’t find a beer you like, you can brew your own batch on site. 1500 Beach Blvd. #217, Jax Beach • 249-23371

European Street Café
All four E Streets cater to the serious beer drinker with 200 varieties from around the world and right around the corner. Plus, happy hour from 2-7 PM every day knocks $1.50 off bottles and transforms draughts into two-for-one mugs. Order a “tall” one while you’re at it. Check out the Listening Room live music schedule. 1704 San Marco Blvd., San Marco • 398-95001

Fly’s Tie Irish Pub
For all the people who end up singing at Fly’s Tie, the bartenders could collect talent agency fees. It’s a cozy and unpretentious neighborhood joint ideal for downing a Guinness or two and making new friends in the process. 177 Sailfish Dr. E., Atlantic Beach • 246-95951

Island Girl Cigar Bar
Who knew hand-rolled cigars and beer flights could go so well together? Friday is combo beer night, offering $1 off half and half mixed beers, and Saturdays bring a dollar off pricier high alcohol-content beers. A second Island Girl is on the Southside. 108 1st St., Atlantic Beach • 854-60601

JP Henley’s
Henley’s boasts 50 taps and over 120 bottles of stouts, ales, lagers and pilsners. The owners earned their stripes in the beverage biz before opening shop, so you  know the selection is well-researched. 10 Marine St., St. Augustine • 829-33371

Kickbacks
Hands down and bottoms up, this Riverside watering hole is Jacksonville’s beer heaven. Unless, of course, there’s another bar that carries over 600 bottled beers and 84 draughts. 910 King St., Riverside • 388-95511

King’s Head British Pub
Full, hearty beers complement a menu of traditional British fare at this pub, the one with the red phone booth and double-decker bus out front. Go ahead, find a seat near the fireplace and order some fish and chips to accompany your pint. 6460 U.S. 1, St. Augustine • 823-97871

Lynch’s Irish Pub
Lynch’s isn’t so much a bar as a Beaches institution. All the Irish brews one would expect are present and proudly served alone or in combinations (you know, for the beginners). 514 1st St. N., Jax Beach • 249-51811

Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom is ultra laid-back, as the name might suggest. The circular bar is stocked with an assortment of taps as colorful and eclectic as the décor and clientele. Two more locations are at Deer Lake Court and Jax Beach. 1800 Town Center Blvd., Fleming Island • 541-19991

Monkey’s Uncle Tavern
Monkey’s Uncle is a low-key night spot that opened its doors in 1985. This is not the place to sit at the bar and drown your sorrows, so play a few rounds of beer pong or grab the mic on karaoke night. Don’t worry, listeners expect you to stink. “Freebird,” anyone? 1850 S. 3rd St., Jax Beach • 246-10701

O’Kane’s Irish Pub & Eatery
Guinness, Killians, Murphy’s, Smithwick’s… check, check, check, check. O’Kane’s is a friendly spot in Fernandina for enjoying the luck of the Irish, or at least their brews. 318 Centre St., Fernandina Beach • 261-10001

Pete’s Bar
No bar list is complete without Pete’s. Between the 25-cent pool games and the annual Thanksgiving Day party that spills into the streets, Pete’s has mastered the art of encouraging its patrons to stay for one more round. Even on national holidays. 117 1st St., Neptune Beach • 249-91581

Philly’s Finest
Eagles, Phillies and Flyers fans will feel right at home in the sports bar, which is stocked with ten 50-inch plasma TVs. Not a fan of Philly sports? You’re still welcome to pull up a stool and order a brew at the ice bar, but you might want to order a cheesesteak and keep quiet. 1527 N. Third St., Jax Beach • 241-71881

Rendezvous Beer Bar
Instead of saying that Rendezvous’ international beer list is extensive, we’ll say this: it has brews from countries whose names start with every letter of the alphabet except K, O, Q, R, W, X, Y and Z. 106 St. George St., St. Augustine • 824-10901

Ritz Bar and Lounge
The Ritz has a rotating list of daily specials, like $2.50 pints during happy hour, plus daily deals like $1 Newcastle pints on Monday, $2 Mexican beers on Tuesday and $1 Guinness on Wednesday. Enough said. 185 3rd Ave. N., Jax Beach • 246-22551

Sneakers Sports Grille
The word that comes to mind when talking about Sneakers is “huge.” The sheer size of the dining room and televisions on each wall can satisfy a sportsman, but they take it a step further with cheap beer specials all through the week. 8133 Pointe Meadows Dr., Southside • 519-05091

Stogies Jazz Club & Cigar Bar
Stogies is a stellar craft beer bar in St. Augustine that caters to the kind of crowd that appreciates a carefully-made brew, an outdoor patio, live jazz and a fine cigar, too. But you can still come just for a cold brewsky. 36 Charlotte St., St. Augustine • 826-40081

Tap’s Bar and Grill
Tap’s offers a few standard sports bar draughts, but the rest of their taps pour a mixture of permanent imports and crafts, like Guinness and Magic Hat #9, and a rotating selection of seasonal and independent beers. Cheers to that! 2220 CR 210 W., St. Johns • 819-15541

Underbelly
Underbelly is arguably the coolest (if not the only) bar in Jacksonville that is hidden behind a hip clothing boutique. Step into the backyard to enjoy a great beer selection, a DJ spinning tunes from the treehouse and live music. 1021 Park St., Five Points • 354-7002

Art & Craft
Small brewers are changing the way we drink—one pint at a time.

In case you haven’t noticed, the craft beer movement is alive and well. Craft beers and breweries are springing up across the country, and Northeast Florida is home to a lively  handful of its own local brands. At the end of 2010, there were more than 1,700 craft breweries in the United States. By understanding what sets these companies apart from larger national brands, beer lovers can develop an appreciation for the hard work that goes into each pint of independent brew.

The Brewers Association, an industry advocacy group based in Boulder, Colorado, defines a craft brewer as small, independent, and traditional.

A small brewery is one that produces less than six million barrels of beer per year. That may seem like an exorbitant number, but by comparison, large commercial breweries produce approximately 100 million barrels of beer annually. An independent brewer is just that—independent, or at least very close to that. Less than 25% of an independent brewery can be owned by an alcoholic industry member, meaning that craft brewers still control their creative and operational decisions rather than taking orders from a large commercial company.

Most brewers that follow traditional methods produce a product that is anchored by a flagship, malt-based brew. Traditional brewing methods call for malted barley as a central ingredient with other ingredients enhancing the flavor. (If the words “hops” and  “malted barley” are foreign to you, go back and read page 126 again.) Many craft brews are known for their bold, pronounced flavors stemming from the careful addition of ingredients such as hops and spices.

Many craft breweries do more than create tasty beverages, though. Local craft breweries like Intuition Ale Works, Bold City Brewery and Green Room Brewery (set to open soon in Jacksonville Beach) are also extraordinarily civic-minded and participate in a wide variety of philanthropic partnerships with local nonprofit groups in the community.

Like all great independent breweries, these brands are led by brewers who love what they do and constantly strive to challenge and expand the palates of their taproom guests. Each brewer creates traditional beer in unique ways, challenging their own skills and advancing the science of brewing. —by Marc Wisdom

Marc Wisdom is a local beer lover who runs the Springfield Brew Crew and writes about local beer at sprbrewcrew.com