Disclaimer: I was given two VIP passes to the Beer Spring Fling as part of the Tampa Bay Bloggers – Big City Events partnership in exchange for my honest review. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

When Iron Chef Allan and I heard that Samuel Adams Season Beers would be the featured beverage served at the Spring Beer Fling, we were there before the event organizers even tapped the kegs.

All right so maybe that is a slight exaggeration, although we were definitely excited to attend the Spring Beer Fling.  Honestly, the lineup of craft beers and cocktails were very impressive.

• Samuel Adams Cold Snap
• Samuel Adams Rebel IPA
• Samuel Adams Boston Lager
• Sierra Nevada Torpedo
• Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
• Fat Tire
• Sunshine Wheat
• Snapshot
• Angry Orchard Cider
• Twisted Tea
• Deep Eddy Vodka cocktails

Once we arrived at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in the heart of downtown Tampa, I spotted the Subaru vehicles parked on the lawn. Being in the market for some new wheels, I was excited to sneak a peek at the new Forester without a high-pressure car salesman leering over me like a predator.  Sadly, the cars were locked so I could only window shop.

After drooling over the cars for a short spell, we redirected our focus back to the beer and made our way to the VIP tent.  Much like the Margarita Festival, the VIP tent had its own private bar and attentive servers, however, this time, it offered a limited selection of Deep Eddy cocktails and beer, such as IPA and Cider, which is what Allan and I chose to drink first.

Despite the limited selection of drinks, I enjoyed hanging out in the tent. We had a great view of the bands and a fun place to rest our drinks and chillax.

Whenever we were tired of sitting or wanted to drink something different, we ventured out among the masses and explored the festivities happening throughout the Spring Beer Fling.  In the cooler months, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is the perfect venue for events like this.  A gorgeous breeze off the Hillsborough River helped build a beach-like atmosphere.

With the addition of surfer rock music amplified throughout the park, the bands created the perfect soundtrack for this fun beach-themed festival as guests tried to ride a wave on a mechanical surf board.

To add to the uniqueness of this festival, a handful of food trucks served eclectic sandwiches and appetizers. Allan and I shared a Mojo Chicken Panini and a Dadio (marinated skirt steak and grilled onions) with seasoned fries from Paniniriffic. Both were sandwiches were delicious!

Later we were joined by our friends, Chrissy and Mike, and we all split a pile of nachos smothered in cheese and  pulled pork from Street Surfer, which was also delicious.

Big City Events pulled off another fantastic event and added one more fun-themed festival under their ever expanding party tent.  Sadly, Allan and I couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked to, but the time we spent at the Spring Beer Fling was truly a beachy keen time.

Want to join me at Big City Events next festival, the Tampa Bay Margarita Festival on Saturday, May 24? Purchase tickets here.