Orlando's own craft beer, orange blossom pilsner

Bobby Koebler (left) of Junkie Rush and Dom Maresco of The Supervillians enjoy OBP.

Craft beer is all the rage these days, and why not? Flavors and florals aplenty can tantalize your nostrils and taste buds instead of the good old go-to brew. Is ‘craft beer’ just a buzzword marketers use to entice and excite us? If not, what are craft beers? The accepted definition is pretty simple, though like wine aficionados, folks berserker about beer squabble over the fine points. Craft beers are beers brewed by microbreweries or specialty breweries. Craft beers often also feature new and exotic flavor combinations such as toasted coconut, toffee, and raspberry, and are brewed as stouts, porters, ales, lagers and everything in between. Another major characteristic of craft beer is the local flavor profiles as well as sites of the breweries. For example, n Philadelphia Johnny Brenda’s bar and restaurant serves all-draught and all-local beer, year-rounds, and seasonals. Plus they have a killer broiled octopus sandwich. Here in Orlando we have a craft beer to call our own, and if Orange Blossom Pilsner (OBP) is served, it is always my order.

Orange Blossom Pilsner, or known affectionately by its fans as OBP, started as a garage hobby of Orlando resident Tom Moench. His orange blossom brew containing 2.3 teaspoons of orange blossom honey in each bottle became his beer-drinking friends number one choice out of his array of craft beer experiments. OBP was originally brewed right in Orlando and is available throughout the state as well in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Central Tennessee, and Michigan. In the 2004 and 2005, OBP brought medals home from the Great American Beer Festival validating that the sweet citrus flavor of our town is truly part of the Americana craft beer movement. OBP is also the beer of choice for favorite local musicians Bobby Koeble of Junkie Rush and Dom Maresco of The Supervillians both pictured above. OBP often sponsors shows and events in and around Orlando keeping the OBP love alive in the Orlando community.

OBP is a beer that just goes down easy. Going for the second or third round is motivated by taste first and its alcoholic effects second.  OBP is refreshing with a great mild, natural orange flavor. The sweetness isn’t too sweet and it often reminds me of eating honeysuckles right off the vine as a child. Although OBP is entirely satisfying, for those of us looking for a bit more kick there is also OBP Squared. OBP Squared ups the alcohol content to 11.5% so bee careful! One bottle of OBP squared is enough for a small lady such as myself, but although there is more alcohol the taste is splendidly crisp and keeps you coming back for more. Sound like a beer you should try this summer or better yet this weekend? I think so, so here is a listing of bars in Orlando that serve up our finest:

OBP Orlando Bars

• Backbooth, Downtown Orlando, Pine St.
• Copper Rocket Pub, Maitland, 17-92
• Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Winter Park, Aloma Ave.
• McRaney’s Tavern, Winter Park, Fairbanks Ave.
• Red Light Red Light, Baldwin Park, Bennett Rd.
• Red Star Tavern, Orlando (Fashion Square Mall on E. Colonial)
• Taste, College Park
• The Lodge, Downtown Orlando, Orange Ave.
• The Social, Downtown Orlando, Orange Ave.
• Will’s Pub, ViMi on Mill’s Ave.

For stores and other locations in Florida or elsewhere, visit OBP’s home website at http://www.uniquebeers.com/obp/ or visit their myspace page to tell OBP how much you love OBP at www.myspace.com/orangeblossompilsner.