Sweaty armpits quickly dried up last Saturday when the Tampa Bay Lightning opened Benchmark International Arena to fans looking to throw one back inside downtown’s extremely air-conditioned hockey palace.
At the ninth annual Bolts Brew Fest, brewers both local and beyond took over not just the floor of Benchmark, but the concourse, too, for what felt like a laid back, libatious kegs party complete with locker room tours, slushy tequila, the loudest steinhoist ever, Stiegl shots, games, golf, Denis Phillips, and more.
All photos by Nick Cardello
This article appears in July 23 – 29, 2026.
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Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief…
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