Daytona - Beaches, babes and $1.50 craft beers

Daytona Beach is definitely more my speed than Orlando.

Not because it’s party central – it’s not peak season so it’s relatively quiet – but because it’s different. And that is part of the point of being on vacation.

Orlando has palm trees and warm weather, but we were staying at a downtown hotel and I can have that big city experience (and then some) back home. Here it’s beaches and ocean as far as you can see, and I can see it all from my seventh floor balcony. Just gorgeous.

That’s something I CAN’T get back home.

We may have come at a bad time, however. The strip is filled with good-looking, athletic women (and a few men as well, to be fair. Someone has to form the base of the pyramid), all in town for the National (college) Cheerleading Championships.

Jake and I will just suffer through it.

Jake and I at the beach

Not that I don’t miss my Orlando hotel, stuffed as it was with quirky, mostly drunken people from all over the world. There was always something odd going on in the hotel, from beauty pageants for children to tango competitions, and the lobby bar always seemed to have a fresh batch of eclectic people in it, from sequined Vegas-style entertainers – all in their 60s and 70s – to quirky, more than slightly drunk sculptors from Southern Ontario.

The bartender knew nothing of craft beer, but the Total Wines outlet down the road a bit sure did, and I will miss that.

Daytona has the next best thing though. It’s called ABC Wines and Spirits and it’s right across the street from our hotel. It had a pretty good selection of must-have and never-heard-of beers to add to my collection.

The problem I’m having is as soon as I start filling up my take home case, I start drinking them. And I’m running out of money to buy more.

I have managed to find the long sought-after Centennial IPA from Founders Brewery and its little brother All Day IPA. But more on that later.

Finding things to do for the J Man has been easy. The ocean is our playground and we have spent many hours having a blast playing in the surf. I don’t remember Jake being a particularly strong swimmer last summer. He sure as hell is now. He absolutely loves it here.

Daytona Beach baseball

We also found time to tour the Daytona International Speedway and we spent last night at Jackie Robinson Field, home of the Class ‘A’ Daytona Cubs, who just happened to be playing the Dunedin Blue Jays at the time.

Parking was a whopping $2, admission was $7 ($6 for Jake) and hot dogs were a buck. You can’t go wrong there. The real kicker? Craft beer was just $1.50. There was even some Long Hammer IPA down at the Budweiser Bar in the outfield, but I settled on some Fire Rock Pale Ale, a Hawaiian-style pale ale from Kona Breweries of, well, Hawaii. Nice citrus/floral aroma with a strong malt base. Not bad at all.

I mentioned the beer price to my seat mate and he said I went to the wrong booth. “My beer was just a dollar,” he said. “What are you drinking,” countered I. “Miller,” he said.

Uh huh. I’ll pay the extra 50 cents, thanks.

The other bonus was our seats were right behind home plate and the ball park was just crammed full of beautiful women of all ages. This place was, apparently, the happening hot spot in Daytona this night.

The iconic sign at Daytona Beach

And the Jays kicked some ass, trouncing the Cubs 12-2 to complete the three-game sweep.

Today we had lunch at Hibachi Grill, Daytona’s answer to Mandarin Chinese Buffet. Jake was a little disappointed that Florida doesn’t do chicken balls (his favourite, natch) but at $6.99 each, all you can eat, we both came away happy.

Most of the rest of the day we spent at the beach and having a wonderful time. It’s too bad we have to go home tomorrow.

I’m really going to miss this place. I just hope I still have some take-home beer left to remember it by.

(More) Beer O'clock

I’ve tried too many new beers to list here, so I’ll just give you a few, starting with a pair from Founders Brewery of Michigan. Their Centennial IPA is something I’ve been chasing after in Ontario for months, but there are lots here. It’s very good. Pours a deep copper, with a nice hoppy and floral aroma and a bitter after taste. Not sure if it’s one of “30 IPAs to drink before you die,” as one magazine called it, but it is damn good.

I was more impressed with the All Day IPA from Founders. This session ale is just 4.7 per cent and 42 IBUs, but it packs a powerful hoppy punch. There’s a strong grapefruit taste and the beer is nicely balanced. It also has a very appropriate name because I really could drink this all day.

Another winner was the 60-Minute IPA from Dogfish Head of Delaware. (I have the 90-Minute IPA waiting in my take-home case) Lovely orange/copper colour with a thin head, this six per cent beer tastes of citrus and bitter hops. Delicious.

Finally (for now) is Long Hammer IPA. At 6.2 per cent, this beer pours a hazy golden with a faint citrus aroma that dissipates to slightly bitter finish. Not bad.

I have many more beer to talk about, but that will have to wait until I get home.

Shout-outs to pals Cat and Steve - who haven't written much lately - and Don, who is working through his blog back load, starting with http://tinyurl.com/mp65ekw, also known as Don and Saga do Toronto's Spring Beer Festival.

Cheers!