Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is going back to its roots with the return of free beer all summer long, and the introduction of a new Busch Gardens Brew Club program. From complimentary seasonal offerings to brand new featured programs, guests age 21 and older can toast to new adventures each time they visit the park. A special hashtag for use on social media was also introduced: #BeerIsBack.

A special event for the announcement was held at the park Monday inside Serengeti Overlook. Along with park president Stewart Clark and the new Vice President of Culinary Operations Jim Messinger, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Tampa City councilman Luis Viera, and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay Santiago Corrada were on hand.

Clark opened the ceremony by discussing the park’s past, including the rich beer history and the Hospitality House, where guests of age could enjoy complimentary Anheuser-Busch products. Starting today, May 1, guests visiting the park can once again enjoy two complimentary beers per day at the former Hospitality House in the Bird Gardens section of the park, now called Garden Gate Cafe.

But free beer wasn’t the only part of the event. Turning the floor over to Messinger, it was announced that a brand new offering would also be opening – the Busch Gardens Brew Club. A ribbon cutting was held to mark the occasion.

Located on the second floor of the Serengeti Overlook just off the main dining area, the Brew Club will offer a membership program. For $79, guests will get their own stein for use at the club for the remainder of 2018, where it will be stored in between visits. The first fill up in the 12 oz. stein is free, and refills are just $5 at the club. At the end of the year, club members get to take their stein home.

Part of the opening ceremony, the first stein was presented to Mayor Buckhorn.

There is space for 1,000 steins to be stored on site, kept in cabinets around the club for safekeeping. Fans of the park may remember this space as CC Craft Brews, which opened in 2013. The new Brew Club adds on a second room and patio area overlooking Cobra’s Curse.

For more details on the free beer program and the new Busch Gardens Brew Club, visit the park’s site.

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Additional details from the press release:

NEW! Beer is Back! Starting May 1 through Aug. 5, guests can get a taste of the park’s beer garden history when they visit the former Hospitality House, now called the Garden Gate Café, to receive two complimentary beers during every visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Every two weeks, new featured beer brands will be highlighted with Corona kicking off the promotion just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Guest favorites will be on rotation throughout the summer, including Bud Light, Founders All Day IPA, M.I.A 305, Miller Light, Shock Top and Yuengling. Guests can return to the park each day through August 5 to enjoy two complimentary 7-ounce beers, included in their park admission.

NEW! Tapping into the growing Tampa beer culture, guests can sign up to join the Busch Gardens Brew Club, an all-new beer stein program featuring memberships that include a reserved Stein on display at the park, and 5 dollar refills from more than 20 on-tap brews all year-long!

NEW! Beer appreciation reaches new heights in August with the Busch Gardens all-new Bier Fest event, bringing more than 200 years of Oktoberfest and Tampa Bay’s hottest beer culture to life each weekend from Aug 25 to Sept 16. The festival selection features 100 brews from local and global breweries along with traditional German cuisine and festive music. Guests can join in the celebration of Bier Fest with their regular theme park admission.

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Thanks to photographer Matt Hopkins for the images in this article.

Join in the conversation online with #BeerIsBack. For the latest on Busch Gardens Tampa and other theme parks, attractions and more across the region, be sure to follow Touring Central Florida on twitter @TourCentralFL & @androckb, and give our facebook page a like.