Cheers, Westchase!

Best Of Cheers Westchase 2012

We take a look back at some of our best Cheers Westchase columns!

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 finish. Asian Goddess' Reigns Supreme at Samurai Blue - Comprised of pear sake, Absolut Mandarin vodka, Sprite and a splash of pineapple juice, the …

• Photos (1)

Cheers, Westchase!

The Golf Club Features Simulated Golf Courses, Sensational Martinis

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

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, Malibu Rum, Blue Curacao, pineapple juice, and Chambord. What's in the name?  "I originally developed the recipe as the signature cocktail at my wedding," …

• Photos (3)

Blend Lounge Introduces Pumpkin Pie Martini And New Menu

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

Cheers, Westchase!

Blend Lounge Introduces Pumpkin Pie Martini And New Menu

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

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? Shaken with ice, then topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, the result is a creamy, pumpkin flavored delight -- like a slice of pie in a martini glass! Tonight (Thursday, November 8) Blend is holding a Menu Release Party from 8-10p.m.  Come dressed to impress and ready for some fun.  They will be giving  samples from their new menu, complimentary wine tastings, drink specials and more. Also, if you purchase two menu items and receive a different fall delight: a free shot of Finlandia Vodka, infused…

• Photos (2)

'Drink 4 Ta-tas' in October at Blend Lounge

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and to honor the cause, Blend Lounge is featuring a vibrant, pink-inspired cocktail called "Drink 4 Tatas." Ten percent of all sales of the drink during October will go to the  Breast Cancer Foundation. Drink 4 Ta-tas is a blend of Chambord Vodka, Zonin Rose Champagne & Lemonade, topped off with fresh raspberries. Zonin Rose is a lightly-colored sparkling rose with a delicate perlage. (Perlage is a  term meaning "steady streams of small to tiny bubbles.) See, maybe you learned somehting new today! It is well-blended, soft on the palate and smooth with floral notes and a hint of almond. Chambord Vodka: The makers of the world-renowned black raspberry liqueur recently introduced a new taste …

• Photos (4)

Pumpkin Beer Ushers In The Fall Season

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

Fall is (almost) upon us and while we might not have the glorious changing colors of the leaves here in Tampa, we can always count on a few fall staples:  football, chili in the crockpot, and pumpkin beers. This week we highlight a beer that smells and tastes exactly like pumpkin pie: Pumking, found on tap now at World of Beer. The brown sugar "backbone" of this Imperial Ale allows the pumpkin flavors to come to the forefront; it has a low bitterness and a medium-light body. Pumking combines spices with a malty sweetness, and flavors of vanilla, clove, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and pie crust -- sounds like autumn in a glass. Southern Tier in New York state has been making this beer, which they say is "bewitched and brewed with pagan …

• Photos (3)

Volere: Wine in a Handbag?!

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

For the wine-loving fashionista, here's a new accessory to toast to: Volére. It's a wine that comes in the shape of a handbag, complete with a carrying strap. This fun and unique beverage can be found at Napa Flair for $16.99.  The wine producer is Cantina di Soave from Italy’s Veneto region and each purse holds 1.5 liters (two bottles worth) of boxed wine. Napa Flair owner LuAnn Shapiro says, "This is a good wine and I think it's perfect to bring along for a day of boating or a picnic." Reasons we love Volére: Curently Volére comes in three varietals: 1) Pinot Grigio: This has crisp flavors of apple and white pear that lead to a long, elegant finish.  2) Merlot/Pinot Noir: This blend is a combination of red fruits, cherries, strawberries…

• Photos (3)

Cheers, Westchase!

Try On This "Flip Flop" For Size...

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

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 aside for wintertime anymore, and this one can be found at Vilage Market for $8.99. The makers of Flip Flop suggest pairing this wine with black & blue…

• Photos (3)

Best of Beers: Cheers Westchase

We look back at some memorable brews featured in Cheers Westchase!

Each week Lauren Cresta brings you the best in spirits found right here in Westchase. This week we're taking some time to look back - at beers to be precise. Below are the top 5 beers featured in the Cheers Westchase column. With the hot dog days of Summer, it's the perfect time to work your way through this list. So, without further adieu....

• Photos (1)

Cheers, Westchase!

Toasting To the RNC: Petite Petit Packs a Punch

Each week "Cheers, Westchase!" helps you kick off your weekend, highlighting either a beer, cocktail or wine you can find right here in the neighborhood.

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 RNC, we headed to Napa Flair to highlight a wine with some acrobatic elephants on the label: Petite Petit. "Petite Petit is a blend of Petite Sirah …

• Photos (3)