Proof puts Tallahassee beer on the international map
We're all about "firsts" here at the Tallahassee Beer Society.
With a craft beer scene that's still young and growing — but quickly gaining recognition across the state and the country — we like to highlight when one of our local breweries is the first in our area to do something cool.
And this week, that honor belongs to Proof Brewing Company.
Not only was Proof the first independent craft brewery to open in Tallahassee in 2012, but they were the first to start distributing and the first to put their beer in cans.
And last year, they became the first Tallahassee craft brewery to ever pour their beer overseas when they scored a coveted invite to the "Founders Madrid Beer and Music Festival" in Spain, where they featured — most notably — their award-winning Blue Raspberry Evil Kiss Berliner Weisse that drove the crowd wild. (You don't see a lot of blue beers in Spain, after all!)
Fast forward to this year, and Proof was country-hopping again last week when co-owner Byron Burroughs and head brewer David Kant-Rauch were summoned to the "All In Beer Fest" in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the first time. To give you an idea of how BIG a deal this was, Proof was one of just five American breweries invited to pour — and just one of two invited from Florida. (Shoutout to Miami's J Wakefield Brewing, which was the other).
And Proof didn't just bring one or two beers for the Swedes to sip on — they brought the arsenal. Take a look at all the Tallahassee fire they had on center stage for the world to taste:
• Coconut Brandy Barrel-Aged Royal Bloodline Imperial Stout
• Chocolate Vanilla Brandy Barrel-Aged Royal Bloodline Imperial Stout
• Coffee Bourbon Barrel-Aged Royal Bloodline Imperial Stout
• Coconut Raspberry Lime Evil Kiss Berliner Weisse
• Citra Fresh Hop Sundrop IPA
• Kalani Tiki-Style Berliner Weisse
Impressive, right?
But to take this accomplishment a step further, while at the festival Proof received an incredible reception from attendees. They were rated as one of the Top 3 breweries overall, according to Untappd check-ins, and Proof's barrel-aged stouts were some of the highest-ranking individual beers poured at the festival. In fact, after Day 1 of the two-day event, their Chocolate Vanilla Brandy Barrel-Aged Royal Bloodline Imperial Stout was No. 1 beer checked in on Untappd on the first day.
So how's it feel to have beer from little ol' Tallahassee, Florida, shine so bright at an international beer festival? We asked Burroughs and Kant-Rauch that very question this week, and here's what they told us:
"It was an honor to be invited to such a high-profile international festival, pouring among so much world class beer and talented brewery friends," Burroughs said. "There was such an appreciation for the bold and flavorful beers by the attendees. We can’t wait to return to the beautiful city of Gothenburg and continue to share our Tallahassee beer around the world and grow our brand internationally."
Added Kant-Rauch, who has been with Proof since they first opened: "This was my first time pouring overseas and it was such a humbling experience to have our beer be so well received at a global level. The Swedish beer community was so welcoming. Everyone really loved our Coconut Brandy Barrel-aged Royal Bloodline Imperial Stout, and I look forward to sharing more of our beer internationally."
But Proof's not done across the pond just yet.
On Dec. 7, the Proof crew heads back to Spain for the Naparbier 10th Anniversary Festival — and Proof was just one of 12 breweries (national or international) that was invited! Wow.
Although, the accolades for Proof don't end there.
Back home in the U.S., Proof recently found out it received an "Honorable Mention" on the newly released Paste Magazine "Top 50 breweries Of The Decade." Proof wasn't officially ranked in the top 50, but they were one of a handful of American breweries who earned the honorable mention nod.
"Overall, that's still cool to be a mentioned among such great breweries and company when you think of it as a scale of over 7500-plus breweries in the U.S. right now," Proof Sales & Events Director Bryan Smith told us.
It's so awesome to see one of our local breweries getting this much attention. In fact, that takes the locally famous #TallahasseeProud hashtag to a whole other level, if you ask us!
Keep up the great work, Proof!
Deep's cans award-winning brown ale
Over at Deep Brewing on Saturday, they're releasing their award-winning "Jack Browne" brown ale, which earned a silver medal in the Best Florida Beer Championships earlier this year. Jack Browne is a medium-strength ale that was inspired by a nearly forgotten style and boasts notes of toasted pumpernickel with hints of cacao and roasted nuts.
This beer, which became a core beer at Deep after its BFBC medal win in Tampa, comes out just in time for the dropping temps. So make sure to pick some up this weekend!
Tally Brew Bus headed to Gainesville for FSU vs. UF game
Ever since we helped take over the Tallahassee Brew Bus, it's humming along with several trips planned between now and the end of the year (TallahasseeBrewBus.com), but most notably it's headed to Gainesville for the second time in 2 months on Nov. 30th.
That's when the Brew Bus will take a group down to Hog Town for the Florida State vs. Florida annual rivalry football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium -- plus stop at two breweries along the way!
The plan is to hit First Magnitude Brewing, which the Bus visited back in September for its 5th Year Anniversary, and then hop over to Blackadder Brewing. After both stops, the Brew Bus will drop riders off at the front of the stadium for the game and then pick them back up to head home after,
As of press time of this column, there were just six seats left for that trip, so don't delay booking if you want a safe, fun ride to the game. You can buy seats at Madison Social's website -- MadisonSocial.com/GearEvents -- and every seat booked online comes with a coupon for MadSo's BLT Dip for free!
Hope to see you on board!
Danny Aller is the co-founder of the TLH Beer Society, a group of avid craft beer lovers. Reach the Beer Society on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or email tlhbeersociety@gmail.com.