Hunahpu Day Recap, or “How I Won the Championship Belt”

Ladies and Gentlemen, your NEW Champion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But more on that later…

I have been swamped since Tampa Bay Beer Week, and getting any writing done at all has been a challenge, but I knew that this post had to get finished and out there before too much time passed… so here it is!

As expected, Hunahpu’s Release Day Party was a smashing success.  According to reports, there were over 5000 people in attendance,  and all of the bottles were sold.  Due to a prior commitment, I arrived late (around 1:00pm) and started working almost immediately pouring some really great beers for the thirsty masses.  At times I worked with Doug Dozark (of Cigar City and Peg’s Cantina), “Evil” Phil Palmisano (of Dos Beerigos, United We Drink, and CCB fame), and Tim Ogden (CCB brewer extraordinaire).  I poured pretty much non-stop until about 5:30, and got to serve up so very tasty beers like:

• 2012 Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout (Cigar City)
• 2011 Hunahpu (Cigar City)
• Stranahan’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Hunahpu (Cigar City)
• Palm Ridge Barrel Hunahpu (Cigar City)
• Marron Acidifie (Cigar City/The Bruery)
• Red Wine Barrel Vuja De (Cigar City)
• Imperial Stout (Founder’s Brewing)
• Passionfruit Berlinerweiss (Funky Buddha Brewing)
• Floridian Hefeweizen (Funky Buddha)
• Older Viscosity (Port Brewing)
• Trogdor the Burninator (Avery Brewing)
• Stygian Darkness Dark Belgian Strong Ale (Three Floyds)

After I finished pouring, I got a chance to wander a bit and do some tasting, talking, and enjoying.  The music was great, with lots of dancing, and lots of food options from a fleet of food trucks and other vendors.  Bottle-sharing was everywhere, and the fine folks at cigar City even set up some carnival-style games for entertainment, complete with a dunk-tank.  Joey, Justin, and the gang took turns mocking would-be dunkers and were great sports when they did get wet.

But for me, the culmination of the evening came when I was approached by the United We Drink lads, Mike & Phil, and presented with a Championship Belt.  You may recall some months ago a contest held for “Guest of the Year” on the United We Drink podcast.  It was done through online voting, and as the contest progressed, there was some heavy campaigning going on.  It quickly became a two-horse race between myself and That Damn Tom Barris, aka The Wild Cicerone.  In the end, with a last minute (and questionable) push, he was named the victor.  I will not stoop to name-calling, but lets just say there was some question of the validity of his “victory”.  That said, he did not show up to claim his title, thus vacating it.  And the title fell to me, the true Champion.  Recognizing this fact, and meeting their obligation to fairness and all that is right with America, Phil and Mike proudly presented me with the Belt.  There was fanfare.  There were pictures.  And there was a noticeable lack of That Damn Tom Barris.  And there is a New Champion.

~ by Sean Nordquist on April 4, 2012.