BREWERY
Their craft food menu, like their craft
beer menu, is extensive, so we chose the
food carefully, but then let head brewer Joel
select the beers to accompany our selections.
We began with a Caprese Salad of thick
cut heirloom tomatoes and a luscious goat
cheese garnished with fresh basil and topped
with a balsamic glaze that paired perfectly
with their Tropic Pressure Florida Ale that
had a hint of hibiscus and was easy to drink.
We then went to Kung Pao Jumbo Chicken
Wings in a Sichuan ginger, garlic pepper
sauce with chopped roasted peanuts that
were highlighted with a crisp Lightning
Twenty–Five Lager to balance the light heat
of the wing sauce. These were followed with
some fire-roasted Piquillo Peppers that
were stuffed with yellow rice, chorizo and
manchego cheese with a drizzle of balsamic
glaze and a daikon slaw that was wonderful
with their Palm Bender IPA with a little
higher alcohol content.
Since there are several gluten-free items,
we tried the BBQ Falafel Balls from fresh
garbanzo beans glazed with barbeque sauce,
served with jicama mango slaw, which had
a wasabi cream and sweet chili sauce that
we loved, along with Big Storm’s Category
1 Belgian Single, which had hints of clove
and a spiciness that made it very drinkable.
The beef sliders were infused with their
highly successful Oats in the Hose Oatmeal
Stout, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces,
Dijon mustard, stuffed with cheese and
topped with Arcus IPA caramelized beer
onions on brioche buns. Joel had us try a
malt and smooth Wavemaker Amber Ale
that seemed to be the ideal accompaniment
for these little bites of heaven.
Our final foray with food was a Four
Cheese Flatbread that sparkled with
homemade pesto that Joel cleverly matched
with a rich Havana After Midnight Coffee
Porter-Nitro. It was dark, full of flavor and
made us understand why everyone is loving
craft beers.
This was a huge learning experience for
us, and we have already planned our next
visit to the Big Storm Taproom for some
more of the treasures that can be found there.
The casual laid-back atmosphere of the
taproom sets the stage for your enjoyment of
their craft beers that are constantly changing.
They are listed under broad headings such as
dark, hoppy, malty, light and Belgian to help
you get an idea of what you can expect, but
we found that we enjoyed tasting different
styles, particularly with food.
There is so much going on at Big Storm,
we can only assure you that once you visit
one of their taprooms, you will want to
return again and again, as everyone is bound
to find some special perk, such as their lunch
specials for Monday through Friday. It is a
happy place filled with happy people. That
is the magic of craft beer. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Big Storm Brewing has two
taprooms. One is at 12707 49th St. in Clearwater,
(727) 201-4186, and the other at 2330 Success
Drive in Odessa, (727) 376-2890. Craft food
is available at the Clearwater location, with
rotating food trucks in Odessa.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 171
Big Storm Brewing uses the most
advanced brewing methods to ensure
the high quality of its products.
The Four-Cheese
Flatbread with homemade
pesto at Big Storm is a
work of art and is the
perfect food to share
while tasting a variety
of beers.
These Kung Pao Jumbo Chicken Wings had
a bit of heat to them that was quenched nicely
by Lightning Twenty-Five Lager.
Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, a gourmet fire-roasted
treat that no one would call bar food, were paired
with Palm Bender IPA.