Ybor Brewing Company - Ybor Golden Ale

Ybor Golden Ale is brewed with a combination of two-row pale, Carapils, Munich and Caramel malts. German Hallertau hops are added at the beginning of the boil to add a slight bitterness to the beer while Northern Brewer hops are added towards the end for their aromatic contributions. Note a light copper color in this filtered, medium-bodied beer. Look for a predominately malty nose which has a slight hop bitterness true to style. We found the body to be a nice toasted maltiness balanced nicely with a slight hop bitterness.

Ybor City Brewing has a rich history. The brewery's president, Humberto Perez, is a third-generation brewer whose grandfather founded one of the largest breweries in Venezuela, Cerveceria, some 70 years ago. And keeping with the Latin tradition, Ybor's brewery is located in a renovated cigar factory. In the late 1800s, Ybor City was the cigar capital of the world. Jose Martinez Ybor led the migration of the Cuban cigar industry to Ybor City in Tampa largely due to the city's able work force and as it offered a navigable port close to Cuba.

In 1922, Ybor City had 140 cigar makers within its borders. But soon, with the depression and the advent of automation, as well as the boom of American cigarettes, the hand-rolling cigar industry declined. The old cigar factories lay dormant for decades. In 1994, Ybor bought one of the grand old cigar warehouses, and turned it into a craft brewery. "There's no automation in the brewery," states head brewer Vince Palosi, "all the brewing is done by hand and manual labor. It's a brainchild of craft beer people who love their art."

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (813) 242-9222