Florida SMaSH Beer Festival Returns For 8th Year, Feat. Riverbend Malt & Yakima Quality Hops

LONGWOOD, FL— The eighth annual Florida SMaSH Beer Festival is the official kick off event for 2024 Orlando Beer Week. Thirty breweries will serve single malt, single hop beers made with malt from Riverbend Malt and hops from Yakima Quality Hops on Saturday, February 17th at Reiter Park.

The 2024 beers on tap at Florida SMaSH were made with Riverbend Avalon Pilsner malt. “With subtle notes of melon, honeysuckle and a mouthfeel reminiscent of coconut water, Avalon Pilsner can excel in a wide range of styles from American Lager to Belgian Farmhouse ales,” says Riverbend Malt House Co-Founder Brent Manning. “Avalon barley is a new variety bred to support the needs of brewers and distillers. We’re beyond excited to sample what will undoubtedly be a full-color spectrum of expressions of Avalon from so many different brewhouses at Florida SMaSH.”

Last year, the Florida SMaSH Beer Festival raised $16.027.74 for A Spoon Full of Hope. These funds support Second Harvest’s no-cost 16-week Culinary Training program, which provides qualified, economically challenged adults with the culinary and life skills training to pursue a sustainable career in the food industry. ‘This donation was over 42% higher than our previous highest donation. We were thrilled, to say the least,” says Eric Garbarczyk of Hourglass Brewing Co. “We aim to top our donation to A Spoonful of Hope again in 2024!”

Florida SMaSH  is presented by the Brewers Establishing Altruistic Regional Development (B.E.A.R.D.) nonprofit organization, Hourglass Brewing, and the City of Longwood. This festival was created to celebrate the creativity and camaraderie of breweries in the Sunshine State. Each year, a people’s choice beer wins the coveted, ever-evolving Florida SMaSH Festival Champions Lamp; and the Judge’s Choice competition awards first, second, and third place medals.

Tickets to the festival are available via Eventbrite, and festival details can be found at www.flsmash.com.

ABOUT B.E.A.R.D.

Brewers Establishing Altruistic Regional Development (B.E.A.R.D.) is a non-profit organization created by brewing industry professionals with a mission to serve their communities. Over 7 years, B.E.A.R.D. has successfully donated more than $60,000 to local charitable organizations such as A Spoon Full of Hope.

ABOUT HOURGLASS BREWING

Hourglass Brewing is now serving their 11th year, producing Seminole County’s first small batch craft beer. With two locations in the Orlando area and no less than 30 beers on tap they continually push for innovation while holding on to nostalgia, with a thirst for good times. Visit Hourglass online at hourglassbrewing.com.

Contact Bill Murphy at [email protected] with media inquiries about Hourglass Brewing.

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malt house east of the Mississippi River, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 square foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.

Contact Emily Hutto at [email protected] with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House.

ABOUT YAKIMA QUALITY HOPS

YQH is a family-owned business focused on quality and service. Founded in 2013, Yakima Quality Hops provides the highest quality hops to breweries throughout the United States and abroad. Based in Yakima, WA, we work directly with growers, allowing us to offer the best pricing and quality control. We work with breweries of all sizes and in all stages of growth. Whether you’ve been brewing for decades or are just getting started, let’s connect so we can get to know your hops needs. Learn more at yakhops.com.