So we sent our first shipment of Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale to our distributors. This is a pretty big deal, but between the sneezing and coughing, fever spikes and cold chills; it's hard to get as excited as I should be. My twin toddler girls, who I call my little Petri Dishes, have brought yet another bug home to daddy.

This is pretty monumental for us though. If you have been following this blog since day once then you'll know that technically Wednesday would have been our "Mission Accomplished" moment. We sold beer. People will be able to drink it very soon. The long journey isn't over, we still have to get the bottling running, get the tasting room built and licensed and a million other things. But, we sold beer. And as soon as I know where people can get it on draft, I'll post that info here.

We sold beer, but the work isn't over. We still have a lot to get done for the launch party which is being held March 28th at Oldsmar Taphouse. And we have a lot more beer to brew. The IPA is nearly finished and tasting very good in my opinion. Bolita is still fermenting, but will be ready soon. Then we start the Scotch Ale, some more Maduro and then the Imperial Stout. We will also be working on lots of small batch one-off versions of some of our seasonals. Different fruit/wood combos, different barrel aging and of course a bit of blending. It's pretty cool making big batches of beer and that is of course where our future lies, but for me personally experimenting with new stuff is what keeps me feeling like a wide-eyed kid when it comes to the world fo beer. I know Wayne feels the same way, so once the tasting room is open, don't be suprised if we have new beer offerings, the product of our experi-play sessions, nearly every day!

So we have turned a page. We are no longer a brewery in planning, but a brewery. We have started a new chapter, but I suffer from no delusions that things will get easier now. They'll just be challenging in completely new ways. Wayne and I are both ready. And we both want to say thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way. You are too numerous to mention but from helping out at the brewery, spreading awareness about us and just generally being supportive you have helped us get to this point. We truly do appreciate it. And we want to thank you the only way that would be fitting, by being the local brewery you can be proud to call your own.