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A group choosing a brewery can agree on the room and disagree on the beer. Hop State Brewing gives that group another route through the menu: a house-made seltzer base with flavors added when it is ordered.
At 7052 Benjamin Road in Tampa, the brewery puts customization alongside its own beer lineup. Guests can choose how much flavor goes into a seltzer while someone else at the table orders a pilsner or an imperial stout.
Hop State Brewing lets guests build the seltzer
The brewery’s website describes making its seltzer with house water and dry wine yeast. It offers a plain base and a dry-hopped option, then adds flavor at the bar. Its instructions suggest one pump for a noticeable but less sweet result, with more pumps for stronger flavor; guests can combine flavors.
Start with one flavor and a lighter amount. Ask the bartender about the plain and dry-hopped bases before combining flavors.
In a September 25 sponsored Creative Loafing update, the owners suggest passion fruit with iced tea and wild strawberry with white peach.
The beer list still covers different kinds of orders
The BeerMenus page linked by the brewery, dated July 26 when checked for this article, lists Prima Vittoria Italian pilsner at 5 percent ABV, Ophanim Coffee blonde ale at 5.2 percent, Fallen Gods hazy double IPA at 8.6 percent and D’luscious imperial stout at 10.5 percent. It describes the coffee beer as using Colombian beans from Wiregrass Roasting Company and the stout as using cacao and macadamia nuts.
A dated menu is a reference, not a guarantee that every keg is pouring now. Check with the taproom before making a trip for one named beer.
Who is behind the brewery?
Hop State’s site traces the project to Ed Valenti’s homebrewing, with Gary “Buddy” Cernan and Ed Fitzpatrick joining as partners. The brewery links to its event calendar and tap list for visit planning.