Beer lover? You’re in luck! May 16th kicks off American Craft Beer Week and we know a number of Orlando bars will be celebrating, including local favorite, Will’s Pub.

Tuesday, May 17, will feature “An Evening with Rich Nowack of Brooklyn Brewery.” The event, which runs from 6-7 p.m., will include a special tapping of Brooklyn Blast.

Will’s Pub
1042 N. Mills Avenue
Orlando, FL

Will you be checking out any local spots for Craft Beer Week? Let us know!

Sadly, neither of us were able to make it to the Shipyard Emporium Grand Opening despite my obvious interest in going.

Thankfully, friend of Pulse, April Killian, did attend and offered to share her thoughts.

April Says:
So I went to the grand opening of the Shipyard Market, Bakery, & Brew Pub located at 200 W. Fairbanks Ave. Winter Park, FL. This place is a definite must go! They managed to combine some of my favorite things in life into one fantastic location: beer, wine, bread, baked goods, great food, and shopping! Seriously?! Where else would you need to go on a Saturday, Sunday, Friday, forget it… or any day?!

Can you say big beer selection?!

The location in town is convenient to get to. Parking is a little scarce so be prepared for that battle but it is well worth the fight. The staff is uber-friendly and their brew-tastic knowledge is bordering on impressive. All staff members had to attend beer classes and school prior to the opening and they can tell you what ingredients were used, what foods the beer pairs well with, as well as the alcohol percentage.  PLUS they brew some beers on site and will be changing the draft selections out periodically so you will never tire of what they have on tap. Also, you can purchase a Shipyard large ceramic beer stein that you have to leave on-site (sad I know, but then you don’t have the risk of losing the thing nor do you have to wash it!). The price was $50 and you get a permanent discount on draft brews. Oh, and if you are tired of drinking beer (funny!) they have a fantastic home-made root beer on tap that I was practically begging them to throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream into.

Whoa, that's a big mug o' beer!

I think that will make it to the menu VERY soon. For now go for the beer and great local foods, do a little shopping for take home items, and be sure to try the root beer. I highly suggest that you make a point to visit this place if you have not done so already!

April’s details on the opening made it sound so much better than I could hope for, so I decided to check out Shipyard for myself this past week. Five days after their big grand opening, I saddled up to the bar for a beverage. A couple of things stood out to me … they were out of a few of their own draft beers; (Obviously they underestimated how much we drink in Winter Park!); everything on their menu sounded delicious (mostly sandwiches and salads) and each item had a locally inspired name;and parking is precarious even post-grand opening, on a Wednesday. Most memorably though, they served the Seadog Bluepaw draft with FRESH BLUEBERRIES! Nice touch!

So … have you been? We’d love to hear what you think. And, if you want to see more of April’s pictures, check out our Flickr page.

Apparently all my posts are about beer … what can I say, tis the season!

Anyway, next week, just in time for pre-New Year’s celebrations, Orlando Brewing is having its monthly Beer:30 event.

What’s Beer:30, you ask? Simply, $2 beers ALL DAY.

I happened upon a Beer:30 a couple months ago and let me tell you, it was packed, but also a ton of fun.

Orlando Brewing
1301 Atlanta Avenue
Orlando, FL 32806

Check out more Orlando Brewing events here.

Had the opportunity to check out The Milk Bar Friday night, a bar that I doubt I would know existed if not for Kelly Fitzpatrick’s review of it in the Sentinel.

Located just a few doors down from Sportstown, The Milk Bar is a tiny, unassuming place, but it manages to welcome you like you’ve just walked into your best friend’s living room.

We settled into a few of the Bar’s comfy leather chairs and perused the vast beer menu, which conveniently lists the beer and its alcohol content (for beer drinkers on a mission?).

The Milk Bar Orlando (Photo Courtesy of www.TheMilkBarOrlando.com)

The prices were super reasonable … we managed to fit in three rounds for just at $30 … something I think that would be tough to accomplish at many a downtown bar.

What: The Milk Bar
Where: 2424 East Robinson Street, Orlando
Why: To get your ‘beer’ on