Sure, the little blue beauties in Keel and Curley Winery’s fields are the main attraction at the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival. But guests of this year’s festival also should take the time to sample Keel and Curley’s newest offerings.
For the first time in festival history, Keel and Curley Winery’ will serve its own beer. Two Henrys Brewing Company, the brand the winery launched in October 2013, has been quite successful throughout the Plant City area and promises be a large attraction over the weekend.
Perhaps it’s something in the brews. Some of the mainstays on the menu, including the lager and the stout, have been popular since their inceptions, even making good sales in local restaurants.
“With some of the Budweiser products, some restaurants go through a keg a month,” says Director of Farming Operations Ryan Keel. “But, with our lager, they sometimes go through a keg in a week.”
And then, there are others that are occasionally on the menu, whether they were intentional or not. The winery briefly featured a double Indian Pale Ale, which wasn’t originally supposed to be a double. But, because IPAs are extremely popular right now, the winery featured it anyway and quickly sold out.
Or, perhaps it’s because the people of Plant City just love to buy locally produced goods.
“We have a lot of people interested in the organization, with the new brewery,” says Clay Keel, vice president of production and head brewer of Two Henrys Brewing Company. “We have a new group of customers we’ve never had before — that, plus selling our wine in Walmart gives us new shoppers.”
To go with the festival, Clay Keel has been working on a new product specifically for the festival: a blueberry lager, which will be the first that Two Henrys has ever featured as a menu item.
Fans of the limited Strawberry Shortcake Wine also will be happy to know that it’s coming back, and that experience is going to be a little different, too.
“We unveiled the Strawberry Shortcake Wine last year, and it’ll be back again,” Clay Keel says. “It’s made with the sauce from St. Clement’s strawberry shortcakes. They’re going to help us serve it this year — the first time they’ve done that.”
In addition to the beer, it’s also going to be perfect timing for those interested in picking their own fresh blueberries. Because of the recent weather, blueberry season will peak during the festival this weekend. Usually, it peaks earlier.
“We’ll have a ton of blueberries this year,” Clay says. “This weather pushed everything later, which is good for the U-pick. We’re estimating to have about 30,000 pounds in the fields.”
The winery is hoping to exceed last year’s attendance total of about 12,000.
“The most appealing thing about the festival — if I were a guest — is that there’s so much going on, and you’re not going to spend a fortune,” Clay Keel says. “It’s $5 to park, free to get in, and you can pick three pounds of blueberries for $12. There’s wine, beer and live music. It’s just a good family day — that’s what it’s really all about.”