I recently visited Tampa, Florida. I flew to Florida to visit with my parents and although the main purpose of my trip was to spend time with my family, they knew that I always like to check out the local beer scene. We ended up checking out a place right in my parents' neighborhood, and that place was Hoppers Grille & Brewery. Before leaving Chicago, I did some research on local brewpubs and breweries, and based on information I found at Beer Advocate, Hoppers seemed like the one place to visit. (It also helped that it was located down the street from where I was staying.)
What I found was a
smallish brewpub located in a strip shopping mall with friendly staff
and some big brews. We went to Hoppers for dinner and I chose the
blackened shrimp dinner for my meal. The nine shrimp came with
two sides making for a very filling meal. Since it was my first time at
Hoppers I ordered a sampler of ten different beers, all brewed on the
premises. The beers in the sampler included the Amarillo Light, Royal
Bohemian Pilsner, Old Porch Dog, Fischers Hefeweizen, Cat Tail Pale
Ale, Wild Berry Lambic, Duchesse de Bourgonge, Pina Colada Lambic,
Dusseldorf Alt, and Blitzen. 
The sampler was
huge, not in the number of beers, but in the alcohol percentages and
the size of the glasses -- the beer was served in 10-ounce glasses --
bigger than any samples I've had at any brewpub. The most unusual beer
among the "samples" was the Pina Colada Lambic. It's unique appearance
(looking like fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice) and high alcohol content
(10 percent by weight) made it striking even before the first sip. The
taste of this beer was of pineapple and coconut laced with sugar and
alcohol. It was fairly light-bodied and could be considered quite easy
to drink if the alcohol didn't slow you down. I was surprised that both
lambic beers were so strong. When I inquired with the manager about the
high alcohol content, his reply was that the brewmaster had found that
the high alcohol beers were the most popular. Although these high
alcohol beers are considered popular they were not my favorites.
I thought the Cat Tail Ale (a pale ale hopped pretty close to an IPA) and the Royal Bohemian Pilsner were the best beers. The Cat Tail had a great spicy hop flavor balanced by caramel malts, while the Pilsner also had nice spicy hops and showed some nice lacework down the sides of the glass. The next best was probably the Dusseldorf Alt, with toasty malt flavors backed by fairly bitter hops kept in the background and clean finish accented by some mineral content. There's no doubt that the fact Hoppers employs two Austrian brewmasters has something to do with the quality of the Pilsner and possibly the Alt.
Although I found the high
alcohol content of the fruity lambic beers to be a bit too much, I did
find the bold interpretation of the style interesting. I have to wonder
if the hot and humid climate made thinner bodied, stronger beers more
popular. Both Wild Berry and Pina Colada Lambics both tasted more like
cocktails than beer. All I can say about this possible trend is that if
beers of this strength are included in sampler with eight other beers,
it shouldn't be attempted by just one drinker, and certainly not one
who is driving. So, if you go to Hoppers and order the sampler, be
prepared to walk home or bring a designated driver!
What: A visit to Hoppers Grille & Brewery
Where: 12227 W Linebaugh Ave,
Tampa, Florida, Ph. (813) 814-7748
Number of Beers on Tap: Ten
Best Beers: Royal Boheman
Pilsner, Cat Tail Pale Ale
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