Outback's New "Out Front" Bar Concept Brings New Drinks, Dishes - This Cheers installment highlighted a new concept introduced at the Outback in Citrus Park. This location is the exclusive location in the country featuring the brand new "Outfront Bar." Volere: Wine in a Handbag?! - It's wine and it's in a cute handbag, what more can we say? You can get three types of Volere wine. Local Brew Pays Homage To Cigar City Jai Alai IPA - We love highlighting local brews and Cigar City is among our favorites. The Jai Alai has flavors of citrus, with caramel and and tropical fruit hop notes in the …

Fa-la-la-la-la. It's the holiday season and World of Beer has two Christmas brews that promise to be as crisp as the year's first snowfall. (Or so we hear.) True, it may never snow here in Tampa, but these two brews are sure to put an elfish pep in your step. The first is Belgian-brewed Delirium Noel Christmas Ale.  It's a darker ale with a full body, and quite strong at 10 percent alcohol by volume! The second is Missing Elf Doppelbock, which is new to WOB and comes from Lithuania (9.5 percent). This is a golden orange, medium bodied ale with hints of sweetness. You can try both of these at …

Not long ago, Greek City Cafe opened in Westchase. We're always glad to welcome new businesses to the area, so this week we raise our glass to the new location of this Tampa-based franchise. And we'll toast with a Mythos! Mythos Hellenic Lager is the Cheers, Westchase pick of the week. Made by the second largest brewery in Greece, this lager has a bright golden color, and a pleasant refreshing taste with a dry finish. Greek City Cafe manager Petros Lampropoulos reccomends pairing it with their signature Gyro Pita Pizza, which has homemade feta-dill sauce, toped with pieces of gyro meat, feta …

Cocktail fads may come and go, but the margarita’s popularity has remained steady since its invention. This week for Cheers, Westchase, it's a margarita with a twist from the "Outfront Bar" at Outback Steakhouse. The Outfront Bar is new a concept that combines a bar and a kitchen, right out front, in the middle of the resaturant. Chefs prepare bar food and hand-crafted cocktails in the center of all the restaurant. The Cucumber Rita features: Fresh cucumbers muddled with basil and lime juice, Patron Silver Tequila, and agave nectar. I reccomend pairing it with their Avocado and Crab Stack …

The "pop" of a champagne bottle is synonymous with the holiday season. There's no debate, champagne is delightful -- but if you're looking for something a little different to please the palate of your wine-lovin friends this season, I have found the perfect (sparkling) stocking stuffer. I reviewed another flipflop this summer (a Riesling) and I found that it was an outstanding wine at a great price point, which makes it ideal for entertaining. Just in time for the holidays, the winemaker has introduced their new line of Bubbly -- enter flipflop Bubbly Moscato. A carbonted sweet white wine, …

The Golf Club is a new bar in Westchase, in the location formerly known as Big Daddy’s. I can say without hesitation that it is a veritable golf lover’s dream, but it also has plenty going on that makes it appealing to non-golfers alike. Inside this chic and contemporary bar are four theater golf simulator rooms that can fit 12 guests (in comfy leather seats), an indoor/outdoor patio, an enormous wrap-around bar, and a martini list to rival any downtown bar. Enter the Cheers, Westchase pick of the week: the Orlando Encore Martini. This vibrant azure cocktail features Three Olives vodka, …

Finally! We're in the thick of fall season, which is the best time of year to enjoy a cockail outside on a patio Here's a drink that will surely get you in the autmun spirit: the Pumpkin Pie Martini at Blend Lounge. What's in it? Hiram Walker Pumpkin Liquer, which has a pumpkin pie filling taste with graham cracker, vanilla and cinnamon/nutmeg, with a deep orange brown color. Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum, a bold, spiced rum that gets its robust flavor by fermenting in charred oak barrels. Stoli Vanilla Vodka, which is made from an infusion of pure vanilla beans from Madagascar and Indonesia. …

Typically in "Cheers, Westchase!", we focus on locally-owned small businesses serving up unique wines, beers and cocktails. Today we veer off that path, if but for one day, and highlight a behemoth in the restaurant industry. But the reason for doing so is actually some really cool local news: Did you know that the Citrus Park Outback Steakhouse is the exclusive location in the country featuring the brand new "Outfront Bar?" Outfront Bar is new a concept that combines a bar and a kitchen, right out front, in the middle of the resaturant. Chefs prepare innovative bar food and unique, hand-…

To close out October and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our pick of the week is a wine called Cashmere from Cline Cellars vineyard. Says Napa Flair owner Luann Shapiro, "A silky blend of Mouvedre, Grenache, and Syrah, Cashmere has a velvety structure and mouthfeel with a great balance of ripe cherry, raspberry, and plum fruit flavors layered with intriguing spices and toast." When it comes to food pairings, Cashmere is a versatile red that serves well as an accompaniment to grilled salmon, pork roast or duck. Cline Cellars is a supporter of Living Beyond Breast Cancer.  LBBC empowers…

Oktoberfest is one of the most famous German events and is the world's largest fair, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending  annually.  Held in Munich, it's a 16-day festival of Bavarian culture celebrating one primary beverage: beer.  Sounds like a good time, doesn't it? Lucky for us, we can get a taste of the fun as we have our own local version. WOBtoberfest happens at World of Beer Westchase Oct. 19-21. And our Cheers, Westchase pick of the week is the beer that's star of the festival: Warsteiner Oktoberfest. The Beer: Warsteiner Oktoberfest is amber in color with…

This week, we said enough with the wine -- and headed to Blend Lounge for a brightly-colored cocktail that will help get you through the mid-week monotony. Enter the Black and Blue Martini. In the mix? Grey Goose L'Orange vodka, made from freshly picked oranges. Essential orange oils from the fresh fruit are mixed with wheat spirit and distilled to achieve the signature vibrant citrus flavor. Add some Chambord Liquer, Blue Curacao, equal parts sour mix and cranberry juice and you've got yourself one delicious beverage.  Tart, sweet and garnished with a sugar rim, this is a must-try martini …

Here at Cheers, Westchase! we kicked off the summer and wrote about one Flip Flop wine back in May.  But as you know, flip flops always come in pairs -- so as we near the end of summer '12, we close out the season by finding the "other flip flop" -- a red to go with the white that we sampled at The Village Market. We enjoyed the riesling, so we were pleased to discover the merlot is equally likeable.  The flavor is bright, similar in many ways to a Petite Sirah, coupled with the typical depth of a merlot. There are delicious notes of vanilla, spices, oak and plum. Red wines are not just set …

With the Republican National Convention just around the corner, Tampa is in a frenzy of excitement.  In just a couple of weeks, thousands of politicos will descend on "Cigar City" for what will not only be an historic event for our city, but one that will stimulate our local economy -- which is good news, no matter who you plan to vote for. The elephant has long been the symbol of the Republican Party. In 1874, when politcal cartoonist Thomas Nast illustrated the group as an elephant in an issue of Harper's Bazaar, the symbol somehow stuck and is still used today. So this week in honor of the…

Mellow Mushroom is known by brew-philes for the fact that their bar showcases a wide variety of craft beers from around the country. From ales to weizens to stouts, they carry it all in an ever-changing lineup that is sure to please the palate of even the most refined beer snob. This week, we headed there to try a Tampa-brewed favorite: Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. This beer has flavors of upfront citrus, with caramel and and tropical fruit hop notes in the finish. The IPA, or India Pale Ale style of beer has its roots in the ales that were sent from England to the British troops in India during …

  What better pairing is there than a burger and a beer? This week, Cheers Westchase! heads to Burger 21 for just that combo. The Beer: Magic Hat #9 is brewed in Burlington, Vermont by the Magic Hat Brewing Company. Not quite a pale ale, this is an English Ale made with apricot extract and contains 5.1 alcohol by volume. The Burger: Burger 21's head chef Chef Shane Shaibly suggests pairing Magic Hat #9 with the Black and Bleu burger.  Blackened to perfection, it's stacked with lettuce, tomato, applewood-smoked bacon and bleu cheese crumbles. If you want to share with friends, the Black and …

  This week we return to our roots and choose a Westchase Wine of the Week. Simply Naked Pinot Grigio, which you can find at The Village Market for less than $10 a bottle. Naked...wine? This one is named as such due to the fact that it is unoaked, and instead aged in stainless steel barrels -- leaving the true characteristics of the grapes "exposed" for you to enjoy. Winemakers that choose to age wine in stainless steel vs. oak must use a higher quality grape. Pinot Grigio Fun Facts: Pinot Grigio grapes vary in color from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink. It is …

We're on a beer kick here at Cheers, Westchase. This week, we headed to Stonechase Brick Oven Bar & Grill for a refreshing summer ale. Have you ever tried a saison? Saison (French for "season") is a type of beer that has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. This particluar one, Saison Diego, is crafted by Greenflash Brewery of San Diego, California. It's an unfiltered golden ale, brewed with orange peels, Chinese ginger and something called "grains of paradise." We're not sure what those are, but don't they just sound nice? Saisons were originally developed in the French-speaking …

  We've been covering a lot of light, summery cocktails on Cheers, Westchase lately, but every now and then, we love a good pint of beer. So belly up to the bar, because it's time for a Black & Blue at Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers. What's a black & blue? It's a layered draft beer -- a Guiness layered over Sea Dog Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale. Everyone knows Guiness is "Ireland's favorite beer" but in this concoction, it's floated over a fruity ale with bold blueberry notes, made by Maine brewery, Sea Dog. It's stout meets ale, it's heavy meets light, it's an enigmatic yin and yang for the lovers …

It's here: swimsuit season... and whether you'll be sporting a bikini or a Speedo, you know it's time to cut out the indulgent cocktails. Say goodbye to the Mudslides and hello to the Skinny Mojito, a refreshing cocktail that packs a punch without all the sugar, syrup and empty calories. Cuba is the birthplace of the mojito, but you can find this version at Blend Lounge for $10. In the mix: Bacardi Superior Rum, organic muddled mint leaves, fresh limes, Splenda and a splash of Diet Sprite.  The sweetness of the Sprite and Splenda complements the potent kick of the rum, and the muddled citrus …

There's no doubt about it. The hot temps are here and we find oursleves searching for creative new ways to cool down.  And by that, I mean frosty adult beverages.  If you can't decide between an ice-cold Corona and a hand-crafted margarita, don't fret, Westchasers. Why not have both at once? The Shackarona from Surf Shack Coastal Kitchen is your answer. If a margarita and a Mexican beer got married in a summertime wedding, this would be their lovechild.  Through an advanced technology made possible by a tiny plastic siphon, a Coronita (a miniature Corona), seeps slowly into a traditional …