Thanks to a unique partnership between Carnival Cruise Line and the Miami-based Concrete Beach Brewery, the Carnival Vista is now brewing and serving three exclusive craft beers onboard at the RedFrog Pub & Brewery.
And in the name of research (of course!), I took some time during our recent Carnival Vista sailing to learn about the first onboard brewery in the Carnival fleet and the beer making process.
Enjoy Beer Brewed on the Carnival Vista
The Carnival Vista is the exclusive home to three new beers – the ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA, ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat and FriskyFrog Java Stout.
The ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA has both floral and hoppy notes with a taste of passionfruit and citrus. The ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat is an unfiltered lager with aromas of bananas and spices – and its also my personal favorite. It’s the perfect afternoon, summertime beer and light in color and flavor. The FriskyFrog Java Stout is more of a traditional stout – dark and rich with coffee flavors.
image courtesy of Andy Newman for Carnival Cruise Line
Meet Colin – the Carnival Vista Brewmaster
In my opinion, Colin Presby has the coolest job on the Carnival Vista. He’s the official Brewmaster of the RedFrog Pub & Brewery and oversees the brewing of the pub’s three signature beers – ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA, ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat and FriskyFrog Java Stout.
Colin has been in the role since March 2015 – roughly two months before the ship’s inaugural voyage. I had the opportunity to meet him during our sailing and I could instantly tell he loved his job.
He’s dreaming big with hopes of expanding the onboard beer program to hopefully include growlers and maybe one day even beer pairing dinners. (Wouldn’t that be fantastic?!)
image courtesy of Andy Newman for Carnival Cruise Line
Sign Up for a RedFrog Pub & Brewery Tour
Ready to Set Sail on the Carnival Vista?
Carnival’s newest, largest and most innovative ship, Carnival Vista is set to operate a series of Mediterranean voyages through October before repositioning to New York for a series of departures in November 2016.
Carnival Vista will launch year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean service from Miami in December 2016.
image courtesy of Andy Newman for Carnival Cruise Line
Be sure to check out the Carnival Cruise Line Facebook page and they’ve been posting some great pictures over on Twitter at @CarnivalCruise.
Which Beer Would You Like at RedFrog Pub & Brewery?
** Carnival Cruise Line hosted my husband and I on this press trip. Thoughts and opinions here are my own. **
Saliing in December 2018. Can’t wait to take the tour and try sea brewed beer.
Has anyone taken the brewery tour on Carnival Vista? I enjoy learning about experiences that go beyond the usual cruise activities. A fellow traveler once mentioned Pro Ride Limo while talking about getting to the cruise port, which reminded me of trip planning. Was the exclusive beer tasting worth booking the tour for?