Hopulist Issue Eight

By David Guest
Cold, wet terror strikes me on
my left cheek just below my
eye. A single drop of rain that
holds the promise of a Biblical deluge
that’s just minutes away. I’m pedalling
fast, weaving my way through a hot
and dusty Floridian business park
desperately searching for a craft beerflavoured
pot of gold at the end of
this rainbow. The sky turns a shade
of black that is normally reserved for
the twilight hours as one of Florida’s
seemingly daily rainstorms is about
to take hold. Cycling the couple of
miles from the villa I’m staying in
to Naples Beach Brewery – one of
Florida’s premiere independent micro
brewers located in the town of the
same name – seemed a great idea at
the time, however panic has now set
in that all I’m going to end up with
on this endeavour is a right, royal
soaking. At last a sign appears – both
metaphorically and literally – a wooden
a-frame directing me to turn left and
be met with the promise of some of
this state’s best locally-brewed craft
beers. After hastily navigating a couple
of speed bumps and abandoning the
bike outside, I make it into the airconditioned
bliss of Naples Beach
Brewery just as the rain started to fall
– and then bounce another foot back in