FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 2, 2014) – Shoeless Joe’s at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers, announces its Spring Beer Summit & Dinner to take place on Wednesday, May 14 at 5:30 p.m.Featuring Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing Company, the summit will include a guided tour of SweetWater’s beers and ales, as well as a seasonal four-course menu prepared by Crowne Plaza’s Executive Chef Hector Garcia:
First course: BBQ shrimp wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and served with a tangy horseradish BBQ sauce
Second course: Baby mixed greens and arugula with honey-roasted pecans, sundried berries, raspberry vinaigrette and flash fried goat cheese
Third course: Grilled New York Strip served with artichoke au gratin potato, grilled pencil asparagus and topped with a beer mushroom demi sauce
Fourth course: Chocolate trilogy cake with raspberry sauce, whipped cream and fresh berries
“These summits are a beer lover’s dream with unique brews, great food and, of course, a fun-loving crowd,” said Jim Larkin, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Bell Tower Shops. “The demand from past beer summit guests make this one of the most fun and creative events we host at the Crowne Plaza, and we are delighted to welcome SweetWater Brewing Company this season and see what they have in store for our attendees.”
Space for the special event is limited. Tickets are $55 per person all inclusive. To reserve, contact Jim Larkin at 239-210-2460 or jlarkin@cooperhotels.com.
SweetWater’s roots began back in Boulder, Colo. in the early 1990s while Freddy Bensch and Kevin McNerney were roommates at the University of Colorado. During their time out west, they realized they had more of a hankering for beer than books. Their first step into the profession was washing kegs on the loading docks of a local brewery for free beer – not a bad job when you’re in college. After graduating, Bensch and McNerney headed off to the American Brewers Guild in California to sharpen up their knowledge on fermentation science. Soon after, they were brewing beer for other breweries around the West Coast, learning their craft while keeping the dream of their own place alive.
Offering a new style of brewing and selling beer in Atlanta, Bensch and McNerney opened SweetWater Brewery in 1997. In seven years, they saved all their pennies to later purchase 25,000 square feet of brewing goodness smack in the middle of all the action, opening SweetWater’s second and current location in midtown Atlanta. SweetWater Brewing Company brews nearly 100,000 barrels of beer a year and offers year-round flavors like its SweetWater Blue, a unique light-bodied ale with a hint of fresh blueberries, as well as seasonal ones in their Catch-and-Release and Dank Tank Series, showcasing tastes for everyone’s palate.
For more information about SweetWater Brewing Company, visit www.sweetwaterbrew.com.
