Clearwater, FL – Clearwater’s own Sea Dog Brewing Co. today announced the release of its new beer under its sister company’s label – Shipyard’s Florida Brewed Blood Orange – a Belgian style Wit created by Master Brewer Bobby Baker. The brewery will be holding a release party Thursday, April 7 from 3 p.m – 10 p.m., for those beer aficionados who love trying the latest and greatest local brews.
Attendees will enjoy free samples of Blood Orange Belgian Wit, a discounted growler price of just $12.99, and $3 drafts until 7 p.m. For a more immersive experience, guests can meet the Master Brewer, and go on a brewery tour upon request.
The newly released Shipyard Blood Orange Belgian Wit (5.1 % ABV) is a refreshing citrus brew with a traditional cloudy appearance. Beer connoisseurs will detect light notes of coriander, and the tang of blood orange. Baker added Florida Sweet Orange peels to make the aroma immediately apparent upon the first sip.
Blood Orange is the first Shipyard beer to be bottled in Florida, and is brewed at the Sea Dog Brewery in Clearwater. It will be found in stores like Total Wine and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. The beer will also be available on draft, and can be found in the Clearwater taproom, as well as various local accounts in the Tampa and Clearwater markets.
“We at the Shipyard and Sea Dog Brewing Companies are really excited to be bottling our first beer in Florida, and there could be no better way to start than with Blood Orange, which was developed and brewed right here in Clearwater, by our Master Brewer and Clearwater native, Bobby Baker and his team,” said Paul Carbone, Shipyard and Sea Dog Brewing Co.’s Florida General Manager.
The beer was inspired by Florida’s heat. Baker and his team wanted to create something that was refreshing and full of flavor that appealed to every Floridian.
“This beer is unique for its blend of tart blood orange and equally sweet Florida orange peel flavors,” said Baker. “The combination creates a one-of-a-kind ale you won’t find anywhere else.”
The brewery has already produced 500 barrels, equaling 15,500 gallons. The beer will be available in Florida year-round, while making its debut as a seasonal product in other states. According to Baker, the brewing process takes approximately 12 days. The Master Brewer and his team used a traditional yeast strain. For this particular brew, Baker added the coriander and sweet orange peel at the end of the boil to provide the maximum aroma and flavor. U.S. Cascade hops were used to create the citrus notes and floral bouquet.
About Bobby the Brewer:
A local Florida native to Safety Harbor, Bobby Baker’s education begins in science with a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. His brewer training with Sea Dog began in Bangor, Maine in 2012. There he learned the old-world English style brewing of beer. Sea Dog’s brewing system is a Peter-Austin system, which was the first generation of microbreweries, and was developed by Mr. Austin himself in England in 1978. Upon learning the trade of brewing, his inspiration to develop new recipes for Sea Dog was insatiable. Now, Baker has the freedom to develop recipes on a weekly basis- some that stay in the tasting room & and some that venture into Sea Dog’s on-premise accounts. He oversees a 20-barrel brewing system at the Clearwater location, responsible for the distribution of beer all the way from Key West to Pensacola. Most of his inspiration comes from local chefs, and food inspired beer. Offering beers with such diverse flavor profiles, Baker enjoys knowing that his customers can always expect a complex-food driven beverage.