Florida sun

I don't get up that early. There's no rush. Matt isn't picking me up until 11:30.

Once I've showered and shaved, I head over to the beach. It's hot. Fucking hot. Too hot for me. I don't linger all that long. I’m really not built for the heat. In several ways. I’m English, old and a fat bastard. Triple whammy.

Matt is bang on time again. It's not far to Odd Breed, his brewery. Which is in the original Pompano Beach downtown. His barman, Scott, is already starting to open up. It’s not huge. There's a modestly-sized bar area at the front. One wall is totally lined with oak barrels.

Which is what you would expect, as all Matt's beers are mixed fermentation and barrel-aged. He has more patience than me. Most of his beers take two or three years to be ready. That's quite a commitment.

Just after opening time, the first customer rolls up. As Matt introduces me, he says "We've met before, in Portland." This happens to me more often than you might expect. As is proved when the second customer tells me that we met in Chile. Is the beer world so small, or do I get around a lot? A bit of both, I think.

Scott serves me a Saison. It's beautifully balanced, with citrus, Brettanomyces and fruity hops. Very drinkable.

I slowly work my way through the draught beers as the room starts to fill up. I need to warm up. And hydrate up. Can’t talk well with a dry throat. I'm grateful for the airco, given the heat outside.

Just after 13:00 I move behind the bar and start my talk. Brettanomyces in British Brewing is the topic. Very appropriate, given the type of beers Matt brews. It goes pretty well. I've given it multiple times and am really confident with the material. I can easily field the questions at the end. Mostly.

 

I've a few books still. I sell them all straight away and have to disappoint a few potential customers. It's always a nightmare trying to work out how many books to bring with me. I pretty much never get it right. All gone in minutes or a stack left over.

I sit at the bar and chat with people. Which is always good fun. I enjoy meeting people. Especially beer people. Always plenty to chat about.

The crowd gradually thins out and I get to chat more with Matt. The more he tells me about his process, the more impressed I am. It's not just about fermenting the wort then throwing it into a barrel. Many of his beers he starts in French oak puncheons then transfers into former spirit barrels. Something which adds levels of flavour. As does the bottle conditioning he insists on.

Matt pulls out various bottles and shares them around. The bloke from Chile, German, has some bottles and cans from his brewery. They get shared around, too. Lots of dead interesting stuff. This is a great way to spend Saturday afternoon.

Matt and I get tacos from the food truck next door. Very good they are, too. I do like me a taco. They're just fiery enough for my taste.

As evening draws in, I get an Old Rasputin. Unlike tap rooms in many states, they're allowed to sell beer from other breweries here in Florida. There's only so much sour beer I can drink in a day before my stomach starts to object.

Around 20:00 Matt drives us over to another brewery in Pompano Beach, Dangerous Minds. It's not the most romantic location, being in a strip mall. It's owned by a Brit and a German. They mostly concentrate on classic styles, which is perfect for me.

I get an Imperial Stout. It's pretty good. Being a little peckish, we order food. Matt gets a pizza. How could I get anything but the Scotch egg? I haven't had one for ages. It comes with HP sauce. Perfect.

We're sitting outside. The temperature is perfect. How brilliant is this, being able to drink al fresco in shorts in February?

Matt tells me all about the Florida brewing industry. Which is quite insular in many ways. I guess it is a long way from South Florida to any other state.

We linger until closing time. It's after midnight when I get to my hotel room. Whisky whistles me to sleep.

Odd Breed Wild Ales
50 NE 1st St,
Pompano Beach, FL 33060.
https://www.oddbreed.com/


Dangerous Minds Brewing Co
1901 N Federal Hwy Suite E115,
Pompano Beach, FL 33062.
https://dangerousmindsbrewing.com/