It’s somewhat fitting that The Masters just wrapped up last weekend ahead of the 9th Annual St. George Island Brewfest this weekend.
Because the SGI Brewfest — just like The Masters’ famous slogan — has become “a tradition unlike any other.”
Sure, we love the HUGE field of breweries, homebrewers and hometown feel of the annual Tallahassee Beer Festival draws. And there’s no duplicating the vibe and energy of the St. Marks Brewfest. Or the Panacea Craft Beer & Oyster Fest, for that matter. (Shoutout Big Bend Brewfest and Thomasville Beerfest, too!)
But for those who have attended a SGI Brewfest before — which is LITERALLY set in paradise with a historic lighthouse in one corner, palm trees in the other and the sound of the crashing waves of the Gulf in the backdrop — you know this to be true about this event:
It just hits different.
A few tickets left
And we simply can’t WAIT to attend this Saturday, April 18, when it all goes down once again at St. George Island Lighthouse Park from 12-4 p.m.
Well, it’s actually only 12-4 p.m. for those who were lucky enough to snag VIP waaaaaay back in 2025 when they went on sale — and then immediately sold out. VIP-ers are treated to early admission, a VIP swag bag, and a cool shaded VIP tent area with free food from VIP Tent Sponsor Captain’s Corner Deli, plus tables, chairs and fans. It’s a pretty sweet way to attend this event, and you should note that NOW for 2027!
For general admission, it’s 1-4 p.m., which — trust us — is STILL plenty of time to get your fill of unlimited craft beer, wine, hard seltzers, ciders and ready-to-drink cocktails. And there are a record 55 breweries and brands signed up to pour this year. So that means there will once again be zero shortage of great things to sample.
However, as of the writing of this column on Monday, there were still a few general admission tickets left — roughly 75 — but no promises there are going to be any available by the time you read this.
Because, without fail, this event ALWAYS sells out. All 8 previous years, in fact … and it’s about to happen again. (But you’re welcome to check SGIBrewfest.com just in case!)
For the furry friends
President of the SGI Brewfest Committee, Amy Hodson, wears that detail as a badge of honor. After all, her SOLE goal is to raise tens of thousands of dollars for their benefactor, the Franklin County Humane Society, every year to help them improve their facilities and resources to care for their animals. And a big part of how she does that is through ticket sales and selling this event out.
And helping her do that since Day 1 is longtime SGI Brewfest Committee member Sheryl Clouse, who puts in an enormous amount of volunteer hours behind the scenes to make this event a record-breaking success every year, including working with dozens and dozens of sponsors in the local community who graciously — and blindly — support this event every go ’round. (The SGI Brewfest donated a record $90,000 to FCHS last year alone!
“What a great number ($90,000), right?!? We feel so fortunate to be able to get these funds to the Franklin County Humane Society where they do amazing things every day,” Clouse said. ” A lot of stars aligned last year and we had AMAZING community support. We are hoping to see the same magic again this year. We believe we will see that giant $100,000 number in the next couple years for sure … maybe even this year ….? Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
Party starts in Apalachicola
The SGI Brewfest party actually starts Friday, April 17, with a pre-party at Waterfront Brewing & Distilling in Downtown Apalachicola from 5-9 p.m.
They call it the “Hoedown” and features beers and cocktails from Watercraft and two live music acts performing in the middle of the closed down streets: Dirty Bird (5-6:15 p.m.) and The Palmetto Kickers (7-9 p.m). This event is free and open to the public, whereas you’ll need tickets to attend the SGI Brewfest the next day.
Fresh oysters, corn and ‘Rescue Dogs’
Coming back once again in the Brewfest area will be yours truly, the TLH Beer Society.
We’ll have a booth with free giveaways, Drink Tallahassee Beer merch and 2026 Tallahassee Beer Society Membership Cards for sale. And we’ll also once again be handling the online voting poll for the “Best Brewery” and “Best Beer” awards that the SGI Brewfest gives out every year. Attendees can vote between 12 and 3:30 p.m. by scanning the QR code on the voting signs placed throughout the event.
Also returning for another year is Indian River Lagoon Oyster Company, which will be shucking fresh, farm-raised oysters for guests during the event. And a newcomer to the festivities will be KK’s Street Corn, which sounds like a cool addition and an item that’s easy to eat as you’re walking around sampling beers.
But Hodson has a few other food tricks up her sleeve this year.
“It’s always important to have some nosh available for our attendees and we’re excited to have Indian Lagoon Oyster Company returning this year along with newcomer KK’s Street Corn. Her corn is practically a local celebrity. It’s so good! ” Hodson said.
“But we also have Kim Council from Mangia Italian Restaurant in Eastpoint who will be there serving hot dogs and her famous bacon wrapped ‘Rescue Dogs.’ And we’ll even have a special ‘salty snacks’ tent this year with all of your salty favorites like peanuts, trail mix, and snack mixes for attendees to enjoy.”
With several newcomers to the event for the first time this year — you can view the full list of who’s pouring at sgibrewfest.com — there’s a lot to look forward to once again, Clouse said. But as much as we tried to nail her down on who she’s most-looking forward to trying, she refused to pick a favorite!
“Is it cheating to say ALL of them? Because it’s the real answer!” she said with a laugh. “The whole POINT of this day is to discover these great microbreweries and what they are doing and creating where they are. I have some favorites I’ve found during past Brewfests, but I can’t wait to try all of the new ones. It feels like every year I find a new favorite.”
So there ya have it. Our 9th Annual SGI Brewfest preview is complete — and all that’s left to do is take a ride down to the Forgotten Coast this weekend, drink beer and do good. Sounds pretty easy to us!
Oh, and by the way — did we mention the FCHS is there every year with adoptable dogs ON SITE?!? Well, they are! And they had a record number of adoptions last year as well with seven on the day of the event. Do we hear 10 this year? Maybe 15?
Let’s make it happen, North Florida! See ya there!
Danny Aller is the co-founder, along with Matthew Crumbaker, of the TLH Beer Society. Reach the Beer Society on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or email tlhbeersociety@gmail.com.
If you go
What: 9th Annual SGI Brewfest
When: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 18
Where: St. George Island, large parking area adjacent to the SGI Lighthouse
Tickets: Visit sgibrewfest.com: $65.87; eventbrite.com
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Head to the coast for 9th year of St. George Island Brewfest
Reporting by Danny Aller, TLH Beer Society / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
