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South Walton Wine Fest

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival: Ready to pour once more!

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10th annual festival runs April 21-24

By Michelle Farnham
April 15, 2022

SANDESTIN – Canceled the past two years due to public health concerns, the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival is back in 2022, and ready to pour once more!

The decision to shelve the 2020 and 2021 installments of this annual celebration was a difficult one, according to festival executive director, Stacey Brady.

“We were about five weeks out and we just had to dig in and do the work to cancel it, and refund a lot of money,” Brady explained. “Some folks opted to hang onto their tickets and they will still be good for the 2022 festival, even though ticket prices have increased. Their optimism paid off!”

Now set to mark its 10-year anniversary this spring – complete with individual hand sanitizers for guests – the three-day VIP package sold out months in advance. As of press time, individual tickets were still available to all four days’ events.

Wine & Spirits Jam
The Craft Beer & Spirits Jam runs Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.

Early events

The party gets started with the Winemakers and Shakers bash Thursday, April 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wine World Destin. Taste bottles from some top wineries, poured by the winemakers themselves at this opening soiree.

Friday things get underway at Grand Boulevard’s Grand Park with the Craft Beer & Spirits Jam from 6 to 9 p.m. Here guests balance craft beers and spirits with food from Eats Street – an eclectic mix from 10 different South Walton restaurants – all to the beats of a live DJ.

A little competition helps to stir inspiration, and new this year, organizers are hosting the first annual Golden Shaker Award for Best Craft Cocktail Bartender in the Florida Panhandle.

“There are 12 mixologist finalists who will make amazing original craft cocktails, competing for the $1,000 first prize, the Golden Shaker Award and name inclusion in a nationally distributed press release,” Brady said. “The People’s Choice winner walks away with $500. It’s going to be quite a show!”

Eats
The Savor South Walton Culinary Village features a pairing menu along with bites from local restaurants.

Grand Tastings

Saturday and Sunday are the premier events with the Grand Tastings, held from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit the rows of tents offering more than 600 wines, Spirits Row, and enjoy a lineup of tasting seminars and chef demonstrations. The Nashville Songwriters Showcase takes the main stage for your enjoyment all day long.

“For our festival, the quality of the wine is very important, especially to knowledgeable wine drinkers,” Brady acknowledged. “We want to pour wines that you can’t necessarily buy in the grocery store. Our attendees look forward to tasting wines they’ve never tasted before or that are too expensive to buy before tasting.”

Brady was particularly excited to welcome a lineup of featured winemakers, especially Jill Russell of Cambria Estate Winery, and Greg Brewer of Ex Post Facto.

“In 2020, Greg was named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Wine Star Awards. It doesn’t get much better than that!” Brady added.

The Savor South Walton Culinary Village features a pairing menu from festival Executive Chef Scott Plumley, while annual favorite Yoshi Eddings of Harbor Docks will be back with her team, rolling sushi on-site, just to name a few food options!

Impress friends with the knowledge you pick up from any of the four tasting seminars, included in your ticket price.

Saturday’s presentation by eighth generation Beam Distiller Freddie Noe will be representing Knob Creek and Basil Hayden.

“Suffice it to say that Kentucky bourbon will be tasted!” Brady assured.

Kick off Sunday with champagne from Heidsieck-Piper, then enjoy the chat with Lisa Wicker of Willow Jane on their small batch bourbon.

Wine auction
The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation takes place during Saturday’s grand tasting.

A toast to charity

Running concurrently with Saturday’s grand tasting is the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s annual auction, held in a separate tent on the grounds. Brady said these two non-profit powerhouses come together each year to create the ultimate wine week – for a good cause.

“The auction is the major fundraiser for DCWAF, yet the net proceeds from the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival are also given to DCWAF to benefit the children’s charities,” Brady said. “DCWAF has donated more than $25 million to Northwest Florida charities … and impacted the lives of over 90,000 youth, including those afflicted by health issues and abuse.”

Brady and her team couldn’t be more pleased to see the return of the festival weekend.

“We are back! At our 10-year anniversary, our team is committed to producing the best ever South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival – and that is saying something,” Brady exclaimed. “Cheers to 10!”

The South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival takes place April 21 to 24, 2022, in the Grand Boulevard complex at Sandestin. For more information, visit www.sowalwine.com. Read coverage of the 2019 event from 30A Food & Wine.

File photos by Michelle Farnham

Grayton Beer

Grayton Beer Company Expands with Addition of Brewpub

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Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. (April 23, 2018)– Grayton Beer Company is pleased to announce the opening of the Grayton Beer Brewpub in Grayton Beach, Florida. The fully operational brewery, restaurant and bar is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Conveniently located in Grayton Beach, the brewery’s namesake, the Brewpub occupies the space formerly known as Craft Bar 30A.

Grayton Beer
The fully operational brewery, restaurant and bar is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Grayton Beer Brewpub is the company’s second location that offers consumers the experience to sit and sip where the beer is made. The Grayton Beer Taproom, a 30,000 square-foot production facility located in the South Walton Commerce Park, is open to the public six days a week.

As the craft beer category continues to expand in popularity throughout the Southeast, Grayton Beer Company is uniquely positioned to introduce the millions of tourists that visit the Gulf Coast annually to its craft through the new Brewpub and existing Taproom. In addition to the 15+ styles of beer, Grayton Beer Brewpub offers a varied food menu designed to highlight the freshest ingredients, 4-handle beer engine which pumps beer from casks within the Pub’s cellar, crowler fills, along with wine and craft cocktails.

“Craft beer has the ability to bring people together as a community,” said Grayton Beer Company’s Founder and President Jamey Price. “Our Brewpub, which is the first in South Walton, will allow us to share our craft with people from all over the Southeast. It will be unlike anything in our area. This is an amazing opportunity to put a pint of Grayton Beer in every interested consumer’s hand.”

The Brewpub is outfitted with a 7-barrel small batch system which presents another touchpoint for the Grayton Beer Company brew team, under the direction of Brewers Tyler White and Josh Gauger, for in-depth research and development and education for both the general public and Brewpub employees all while producing creative and unique beers on a smaller system.

Located at 170 E County Highway 30A, Grayton Beach, Florida 32459, the Grayton Beer Brewpub will offer live music, communal space for socializing, special events and much more.

An official grand opening will be announced at a later date. To stay up to date with all that is going on find Grayton Beer Brewpub on Facebook and Instagram or read more at https://www.graytonbeer.com/brewpub/.

Special Contribution to 30a Food & Wine
Photos attached by Steve Mangum of STM Photography

Holiday Gift Guide Grayton Beer

Day 11 – Grayton Beer Tour and Tasting

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Almost have everyone covered on your Christmas list? We’ve got you covered here at 30a Food and Wine. Our Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway is in full swing and we have two more days to register for a chance to win big!!!

Need something for the craft beer lover on your list….read on and see what we’ve got in store!

Holiday Gift Guide Grayton Beer
Enjoy a private tour of Grayton Beer with one of the head brewers.

And don’t forget!Santa’s bag is getting full…..check out the cool gift ideas we’ve brought you so far:

Day 1 – A selection of Wines from Chan’s Wine World.

Day 2 – Tickets to the 32nd Annual Sandestin Wine Festival.

Day 3 – The World’s First Bourbon Blending Kit from Timber Creek Distillery.

Day 4 – Flavors of the Southern Coast Cookbook from Tommy Bahama.

Day 5 – Tickets to the 29th Annual Sandestin Gumbo Festival

Day 6 – Kilwin’s Gift Box

Day 7 – Big Bad Breakfast Cookbook from John Currence of Big Bad Breakfast and City Grocery.

Day 8 – Dinner at the Vue on 30a

Day 9 – Tickets to the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival

Day 10 – Signed Copy of Essential Emeril by Emeril Lagasse

Remember you can register once a day until the end of Tuesday December 5th.

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Day 11 brings you something on for the craft beer lover on your list. How about a tour of the tap room at Grayton Beer right here in Santa Rosa Beach? The tap room is located at 217 Serenoa Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. You can call 850.231.4786 to set up a tour or beer tasting. You can chat with brew staff on the latest tips and methods of brewing the famous Grayton Beer Beach Blonde Ale.

Check out the 2017 Hops Harvest from Grayton Beer:

Want a special treat? 30a Food & Wine has put together a private tour and tasting for 2 people with one of the head brewers at Grayton Beer with a with a keepsake 32 oz. growler with your choice of year round style fill up.

Please be sure and register for your chance to win the grand prize!

Photos courtesy of Grayton Beer Company.

Grayton Beer

Grayton Beer Company taps into fresh fall flavors

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Brewery celebrates its 2017 harvest ale, CentenniALE

By Michelle Farnham
October 1, 2017

After a long, hot summer of sipping 30A Beach Permit Blonde Ale on sandy shores, Grayton Beer Company switched gears – and seasons – with the release of its 2017 fall harvest ale, CentenniALE. To celebrate the tapping, the local brewery hosted its Harvest Ale Release Party Sept. 28.

Due to the delicate nature of a hops flower, a harvest ale is likely the freshest ale you’ll ever taste. Brewers have just 24 hours after the hops are harvested before they’ll start to turn, so time is of the essence. Adding to the time crunch, most commercial hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast – not exactly down the street from the South Walton brewery.

The CentenniALE is named for the 1,000 pounds of Centennial hops it is made from, and according to GBC head brewer Tyler White, creating this year’s brew was a marathon effort.

Grayton Beer
Grayton Beer Company head brewer Tyler White discussed the creation process of the 2017 CentenniALE. Photo Courtesy of Visit South Walton

“The crew at Hop Head Farms in Michigan started picking in the wee hours of the morning, they drove through the night, and we had these hops in the kettle in 19 hours,” White said, while sipping samples during the evening’s media reception. “We chose Centennial hops with a great bright, really citrus taste, herbal and some pine on the aroma and the finish.”

So what makes a good harvest ale?

“The weather’s cooling down, you think fuller mouthfeel beers, you think slightly higher alcohol, and that deep amber color to match the season. We’re really excited to release it,” White said.

Since fresh is the name of the game with this brew, GBC will only offer the 2017 CentenniALE on draft.

“Our challenge as a brewery was, we need to get it to the most people possible as fresh as possible, and the way to do that is as a draft,” White said. “We’re going to look into some options moving forward to go to a can or bottle, but this year draft made the most sense. You’ll see it around town.”

Other eclectic tastes

Media reps were also able to try some of GBC’s limited-release brews: the Franklin County Oyster Stout, Dubbel Barrel, and Rosé of the Gulf.

In addition to 500 whole Apalachicola oysters, the English-style oyster stout is flavored with the seemingly unlikely mix of poblano and chipotle peppers, and lemon peel.

“You get the brine of the salt water and a touch of heat from the peppers, but you also get the great malt quality from the dark malts and a pretty dry stout. We do this once a year, too, so it’s always exciting to bring it back,” White said.

The Dubbel Barrel is done in the style of a Belgian Dubbel, aged in bourbon casks and crafted in collaboration with Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery of Nashville. At 8 percent alcohol and 23 IBU, this extremely limited release is bottled in a 750ml champagne bottle.

Featuring flavor profiles that typically appeal to wine-drinkers, the Rosé of the Gulf combines dried hibiscus flowers and berries to give it that light, rosé color.

“You get the great floral and fruit notes, but it’s subtle and a little bit salty, a little bit tart. It’s low alcohol, so it makes perfect sense for when it’s 9,000 degrees here,” White joked.

Back in the taproom, the crowd listened to the musical stylings of The Graytones while munching on food from the new Back Beach Barbecue, located at 19714 Panama City Beach Parkway in Panama City Beach.

Idyll-Hounds-Brewing-Company-30afoodandwine

Craft Beer Anyone???

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Story by Natalie Haddock

If you love craft beer, good food, nice people, and live music, than I hope to have seen you at last Friday’s Craft Beer and Spirits Jam, the official kick off party to last weekend’s annual South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival.

Over 100 varieties of craft beer and spirits were available for guests to sample along with delicious food from nearly a dozen local restaurants. Attendees were invited to mingle and taste as they explored each tent and vendor station set up throughout the beautiful courtyards of Grande Boulevard.

Attendees were immediately greeted by the aromas along “East Street” at the festival entrance. There Another Broken Egg greeted us with a delightful portion of southern shrimp and grits. I stopped at Roux 30A and was delighted with a sampling of beer-cheese soup, presented with a soft pretzel morsel on the bottom. The crowd around me agreed, it was amazing. We are talking 3-year aged Vermont cheddar infused with Grayton Beach Pale Ale and served up shooter-style, just the sort of creative influence that got us excited for the evening’s tastings. Other vendors included Raw and Juicy, Cabana Cafe, The Marginy, and the Craft Bar.


In the courtyard was an array of bourbons, whiskeys, flavored wines and craft beer. While each booth was as inviting as the next, I ended up making my way toward Grayton Beer Company and their popular array of local brews. A South Walton original, Grayton has made a name for itself with the 30A Beach Blonde but have been recently exploring new recipes and new labeling with their Artist Series in which local artists create the labels based on the brew and proceeds are donated back into the artist community. We are told to be on the lookout This Memorial Day weekend for “Can Full of Thorns”, a session IPA infused with rose petals.

Another Santa Rosa Beach brewery showcasing their flavorful fermentations was Idyll Hounds. Their introductory brews, the Divide and Conch’r and the Man-O-Wheat, created a buzz throughout the crowd but it was their Chili Porter, a small batch brew, which kicked its way into our hearts with bite and spice.

Some of the bigger craft breweries presented at the festival were Sweetwater Brewing Co, out of Atlanta, GA, and Abita Beer from Abita Springs, LA. Abita Brewing Company is arguably the oldest and largest craft brewery in the Southeast and spoke happily about being one of the event’s sponsors. Attendees were offered their high gravity brew, the Andygator, along with some sweeter options like the Citrus Spring IPA and the popular Purple Haze. I was also glad to see a booth for my personal favorite, New Belgium, for a familiar sample of Fat Tire, the #2 selling craft beer in Florida and the #1 selling amber ale in the country. Their Skinny Dip is also a favored light summer beer, but interesting to note was their 1554, “the only black Belgium anywhere”, I was told.


The Oskar Blues Brewery also made quite an impression on the crowd that evening introducing their “throwback” IPA and newest year-round beer, the Pinner. In 2002 Oskar Blues was the first US craft brewer to can its own beer, starting with their flagship Dale’s Pale Ale. Yella Pils and Old Chub were also available to taste. Although the brewery kicked off its first batch in a brewpub basement in 1998, the Colorado based beer company has been winning awards and moving out ever since. In 2012 they opened a second brewery in Brevard, NC and was named Beverage World’s Brewery of the Year.

As the sun went down that evening and the music kicked up, it was obvious that The Craft Beer and Spirits Jam was a hit. The intimate atmosphere and the quality of food and drink provided seemed reflect of the essence of craft beer – Small batches, big success! I look forward to seeing you all at next year’s Jam as part of the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival.