Bolts Brew Fest: What You Need To Know

Bolts Brew Fest is back at Amalie Arena. Here is what you need to know. The Tampa Bay Lightning are gearing up for the new season and to get everyone excited they are throwing another big beer festival Aug 9th. It's the 7th year for Bolts Brew Fest.

Bolts Brew Fest includes a wide array of craft beer from local and national breweries available for individuals to choose from. Also included will be tons of fun games, ice sculptures for great photo ops, plus ThunderBug will of course be there! New this year, is an Artist Area on Ford Thunder Alley where guests can explore a gallery showcasing the local talent.

Tickets are $55.00 for general admission and are on sale now. There are also VIP tickets available Craft beer enthusiasts can purchase a VIP Admission ticket which will allow them access into the event two hours prior to General Admission. VIP also includes, beer sampling, early entry from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for an extra hour of sampling without the crowds, access to AMALIE Arena's Ashley VIP Lounge featuring exclusive VIP-only beer and food. It also includes a code for a buy-one-get=-one ticket for one Lightning pre-season game.

There are tons of different types of craft beers to check out. If you love craft beer, breweries, then this is your party. There are so many great local craft breweries in our area. This is a great opportunity to sample what is out there in the bay area in one location. Everything from IPA's to Seltzers will be available to sample. You can find a list of every brewery and sampling here.

To get an idea of what the Bolts Brew Fest is all about. Creative Loafing put together a great video. Looks like an amazing date night or fun night out with friends. Games, ice sculptures and craft beers.

Tickets are selling fast Click HERE to purchase. Ticket price will go up day of event at the door if not sold out ahead of time.

Today is a sad, sad day for Lightning fans. After being teased and promised about a resigning of Captain Steven Stamkos, it looks like the Bolts have decided to part ways with the face of the franchise. As we sit back and wonder why the Lightning are okay with losing such a key player in their roster, we'll look back at some our most favorite memories of Steven Stamkos highlights.

Stamkos is 34 and has spent 16 years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, 10 seasons as our captain. He finished last season with 40 goals, and 41 assists. At the beginning of the 2023 season, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois had promised Bolts fans they would address and re-sign Stamkos after the 2023-2024 season. A few days ago rumors were spreading around X (formerly Twitter) about the offer to the captain, and many fans found it insulting.

After a lot of a back and forth between the team and Stamkos' agent, the Lightning offered him a contract of $3million a year for 8 years. Stamkos' agent was hoping for at least $4.5-$5 million. Even after making $16 million in cap space after trading a star defenseman and another forward, JBB didn't change his offer to Stamkos, which seemed to be the last straw.

It was announced today at the start of free agency that Stamkos took a deal with the Nashville Predator's for $8 million for 4 years. Below is a statement from the Captain:

So many stats could be stated to show how Steven Stamkos has contributed to the team and community over the years. Over 500 goals, over 1,000 points, 2 Stanley Cups, Rocket Richard trophy winner, overcoming heartbreak and injuries, donating thousands to the city. It's no shocker why Stamkos was so loved around Tampa Bay and no doubt he'll have his own spot in the Lightning Hall of Fame. So be sure to check on your friends who are Lightning fans today, as we are going through a mourning process.

June 20, 2008 was a day to remember in Lightning history. Although it wasn't the first time Stamkos was drafted first overall, as he was also taken first overall by the Sarnia Sting in the OHL draft. But this was the start of everything for Lightning fans, a breath of fresh air when we needed it the most.

This just proves what a warrior Steven Stamkos is. Stamkos broke his tibia in this game against Boston in 2014 and still was trying to stand up. His return to the ice as our new captain after this injury still gives me chills.

In the 2009-2010 season Steven Stamkos became the 3rd youngest player in league history to score at least 50 goals in a season. This earned him the Rocket Richard trophy.

Another playoff memory that's forever etched in Lightning fan's brains is the 90 mph slap shot to the face Stammer took back in the Game 7 of the ECF against Boston. A shot deflected from St. Louis and hit Stamkos directly in the face. Just after 5 minutes of clean up, Stamkos returned to the ice in a full cage, just showing how tough he is.

Who could forget Stamkos' iconic goal in the 2020 SCF against Dallas. Stamkos had less than 5 shifts on ice and under 9 minutes in playing time that game. But all it took was 1 shot and 1 goal to change momentum of the series.

Not sure who we'll miss more, Steven or future Lightning captain, Carter Stamkos. We'll miss his cutest moments like driving the zamboni or stealing the show at his dad's 500th goal celebration

Every great memory surrounding Stamkos can be summed up with the back-to-back boat parades. One of my favorite moments will always be Stamkos lifting the cup on Alex Killorn's jet ski, his speech to the fans at Raymond James, and watching him lift the cup on home ice.