For the last 16 months, we've tried beer events of the virtual variety: pixelated beer and food pairings, Zoom flights and festivals, shares, and bingo.

All were fun, some featured great beer lineups and interesting brewer panels, but all were missing a common ingredient — you. You, Tallahassee's beer society, your bottles, banter, and brotherhood/sisterhood. 

Missing were the daps, handshakes, and hugs that come with catching up with friends over some great brews. Missing were the faces of new tastes — wide-eyed wonderment delighting in the latest decadent stout out of Tallahassee, Tampa, St. Pete, or Portland. Or that "pucker face" that serious sours can induce — visceral reactions and stories shared with folks in a friendly setting.  

But, on Wednesday, July 14, from 6-10 p.m., we are back, baby!

See, our bottle shares, while centered around beer, are powered by the community — people helping people. People ravaged by wildfire, a brewer devastated by a hurricane weeks before opening, or parents Hanging Tough while caring for children suffering from illness or requiring extra care.

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Charity bottle shares are equal parts beer festival and a boost to unsung heroes, people who rise and grind every day to be a voice and a light for those who need it most. 

People like Kelly and Kimberly Griffin, who — through mutual friend Justo Cruz (owner of Tally Mac Shack) — in 2018 shared their story about balancing all the things raising a family throws at you — with the added layer of having a child with Down syndrome. A story shared, a connection made, and an idea born.

What if we took the bottle share concept, did it big the way our beer scene does, added a donation component, and raised money for different charities? The first beneficiary, the Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee, and, in what seemed like a sign from the divine, the date scheduled out of pure luck was March 21 — World Down Syndrome Day. The result?

Well, we think DSAT President Amber Davis Williams said it best, "It is partnerships like this that help bring awareness to all segments of our community and raise critical funds needed to serve individuals with Down syndrome and their families. We can't thank them enough!" 

An excellent time for a great cause; you are helping to provide support and education to families with Down syndrome children.

While we hosted several charity shares in the years since that first one, DSAT at Deep Brewing Company became a staple of our March calendar. In fact, we had the bottle share lined up for 2020, and then, in the blink of an eye, the world changed. No cliffhanger ending, no "I'll be back" proclamation, just canceled plans and many questions.

Bottle shares are finally back after a too long delay

We knew there would be bottle shares down the road, but as weeks turned to months and months turned to a year, we weren't sure when and where, and how they might look. But we continued to stockpile and cellar beer, waiting for the day we could pop tops together again. 

As the numbers of vaccinated rose, cases fell, and our community slowly crept out of the pandemic, it only made sense to pick up where we left off, with DSAT, Deep, Tally Mac, a bevy of beers, and prize-filled raffles to rally the Tallahassee beer community.

July 14 cannot get here soon enough!

A community event, bottle share protocol is simple: arrange a ride, bring a bottle, bring a donation ($20 suggested), have a great time! 

Joining us will be a cast of familiar favorites with Mac Shack, Rankin Tacos, Red Shed Bar-B-Que, and B Mani's Sweets and Eats donating food: always clutch at a bottle share. New to the food lineup, OysterMom will be on-site shucking samples of her fresh, locally-farmed oysters.

Additionally, area restaurants and businesses have generously donated raffle prizes; places like Riccardo's Italian, Madison Social, World of Beer, Quick n Save, 1861 Distilling, Float Tally, and Capital City Pedicabs.

The grand prizes include tickets to upcoming beer festivals such as Brews by the Bay, SGI Brewfest, Elder Care Oktoberfest, and Tallahassee Beer Festival. A $20 donation will get you one entry into raffle drawings with additional entries for every dollar donated above that.

The party begins at 6 p.m. at Deep's 2524 Cathay Court #2 location and wraps at 10 p.m. When the festivities wrap, we don't want anything to ruin your good vibes, so please enjoy $5 off your Lyft ride home — on us — by using promo code 850beers when scheduling your ride to or from the event. 

Let's drink beer and do good.

Matthew Crumbaker is the co-founder, along with Danny Aller, 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.