Grover’s Glass

The ever-changing beer menu at Pareidolia Brewing Co. in Sebastian has included a number of locally inspired names. Three recent ones are Mel’s Gold Ale, 32958 Hazy IPA and Uke Can Do It. These pay tribute, in order, to the treasure hunter of the 1715 Spanish Fleet, Mel Fisher; Sebastian’s zip code; and the Ukulele Choir, a large group of mostly retirement-aged strummers who gather, practice and perform every other Sunday afternoon at the pub. It’s a sight to see — and hear.

You can now add a new quaff to that list: Grover’s Glass. The pre-Prohibition-style lager made its debut on Grover Cleveland Night, a “historic” event held at the brewery on the evening of Thursday, June 14.

As an armchair Grover Cleveland historian, I’d been struck by several factors that suggested this particular brewery might want to create a beer honoring our 22nd and 24th president.(Yes, his terms were non-consecutive, a unique distinction among U.S. presidents.)

Why? Here it is in a nutshell: Grover Cleveland’s two favorite pastimes were fishing and drinking beer. And he did both as a snowbird in the late 1890s, just three miles north of the Pareidolia brewpub. He stayed at the Ercildoune Inn, a 35-guest hotel that once stood just southeast of the bridge that separates Indian River and Brevard counties. Paul Kroegel, a Sebastian legend, served as a fishing guide.