I was struck by Roberta Roberts/ article on Magic Hat Beers arriving in Florida because it came across as an advertisement for a bar in the guise of a legitimate story.
After having been a beertender for three years, I can tell you that Magic Hat No. 9 is not new, it is not rare (the Mellow Mushroom carries it across most of the rest of the U.S.) and by my tastes, isn/t that great.
I/m not alone: It was rated as a C- by the editors of BeerAdvocate magazine earlier this year.
If Alligator readers want to enjoy rare, quality beers, Stubbie Shirt Pub, Alcove, Tim & Terry/s, Gator Beverage, Dorn/s and The Laboratory are all havens for exploring the world of good beer.
I/d suggest Bell/s, Steelhead and Oskar Blues beers, which are all far superior to anything Magic Hat makes. The new brewery in Tampa, Cigar City, is making some amazing beers, as are St. Somewhere and Holy Mackerel (both Florida-based microbreweries).
It/s very common for distributors to test products in new markets before releasing them, and this is exactly what Magic Hat/s Florida distributor is doing. While Mother/s is lucky to have the beer now, it won/t be long before we/ll be able to buy it at Publix.
Let/s see some real beer writing in the pages of the Alligator.
