Find yourself some Shojo Beer Co in Miami - great beer, nice ass people!

Heard the hype about this gypsy brewery and lucked out to catch one of their release parties at a dope spot run by another one of Miami's well-regarded breweries.

When we first got to Miami, our list of breweries to try was pretty short, but finding some Shojo Beer Co was high on that list.

No taproom? No problem!

I'm used to the concept of gypsy and contract brewing, but it never really donned on me that it makes it a little bit tougher to just belly up to the bar and try 4-5 beers from a brewery that's using that method. So when I first heard of Shojo (from Hop Culture's coverage and praise) I knew our mission would be to find them somewhere. Bekah was going out of town for a week and I was solo when I happened to find that the Friday she'd be out of town, Shojo was releasing a new version of their Kitsune sour series at Strange Beast Brewpub, another place on our list to check out. Couldn't have been a better way to entertain myself while she was away and I was in a city where I don't know anyone!

Keep an eye on their socials to find yourself a killer beer from Shojo!

With some time to kill before the tapping, I grabbed a spot at Strange Beast's bar in the Miami suburb, Kendall. Strange Beast is the brewpub and pizzeria project from another Miami brewery - Lincoln's Beard Brewing Co - and they've built a dope spot to sling their beers and pizzas. The artwork, merch, vibe is all classic movie monsters in stylized black, white and reds. I loved this place. I grabbed a spot at the bar and had my first Lincoln's Beard beer - P. Swayze IPA - a super balanced American IPA with a nice malt backbone to compliment the citrus and piney hop up front. But the real star of the show was on when they tapped the newest Kitsune Sour. With Peach, Yuzu, and Butterfly pea flower this sour was one of the most refreshing ones I've had in the southeast. Delicate and yet still full of flavor, fruited but not to the point where it didn't taste like a beer, a great balance of tartness and sweetness to make an endlessly drinkable and approachable sour. I LOVED this beer. I'm a sucker for Yuzu in beer, it just supports the citrus hop flavor but adds this salty, earthy, pithy, and distinct flavor that brings something so special. The sweetness of the peach and earthy flavor from the butterfly pea gave it a tea flavor that just put it all together so damn well. I finished up my night and was about to head out when I recognized the married couple that runs this brewery come in and start chatting with people. I swung over to say hey and, wouldn't ya know it, Haidar, the brewer/co-owner was a damn delightful human being. I knew he'd have a busy night, so I just got a minute of his time and he couldn't have been more chill and willing to indulge my beer-nerding out. Side note to this quick meeting, the next day at Unseen Creatures, I met a friend of his who is a taproom manager there, and he had nothing but amazing things to say about and endless praise for Haidar. It reminded me of one of the things that makes me love this industry and always want to keep a foot in it however I can: there are so many people in beer that are talented, gracious, and well-respected among their peers in a way that I rarely find in other worlds. Even though our encounter was just a couple minutes, it had a refreshing impact on our time down here in Miami. All that's to say, I can't wish Shojo enough goodwill and luck to crush and kick so much ass down here!

Where should we stay?

Home Depot in The Hammocks to the rescue.

Looking for a Cracker Barrel to park at in Miami? Good luck, it's impossible, they literally don't exist close to here. If you wanna be close to some of the best beer around the city though, head out to Kendall. This specific one is in The Hammocks area - 15750 SW 88th St, Miami, FL 33196 - with some grocery stores and a Planet Fitness close, you'll also be close to Strange Beast, Lincoln's Beard, Unseen Creatures, and Tripping Animals. #craftbeer #miami #shojobeer #strangebeast #lincolnsbeard