October is unofficially designated as one the best months to drink beer! Why not? The weather is getting cooler, football is back in season, and of course there’s Oktoberfest. Now annual passholders at Busch Gardens Tampa have another reason to celebrate. Free beer sampling is back at Busch Gardens Tampa!

Beginning October 1st, Busch Gardens Tampa will give their passholders (and only their passholders) two free beer samples at Crown Colony Pub. The samples are limited to two per pass, and you must be over 21 with valid ID. The beer samples are only available from 11 a.mm until 4p.m. and NOT available during Howl O Scream.

While this may not seem like a big deal, it really kind of is, as Busch Gardens was created as an add on the Anhueser-Busch Brewery that originally opened where Sheikra now stands. Back then the park was just a collection of wildlife that guests could see from the roof of the brewery. The brewery tour was the real attraction, and so were the free beer samples. When the park started to develop as a theme park, the hospitality house was still available for guests to sample Anheuser-Busch beers as well as eat. When the company was taken over in 2009 by Belgian beer giant, In-Bev, the theme parks stoppes serving free samples to their guests. The beer giant sold off the theme parks to Blackstone, any traces of Anheuser-Busch were sold off with it.

In recent months the park has announced that they would be closing Crown Colony temporarily, a common practice for theme parks during slower times. This, however, seems like a great shot in the arm to the restaurant, and a way to lure in passholders to not only grab a beer, but also a snack as well.

Regardless of how you look at it, free beer is an absolute good.

For more information, or to become an annual passholder, visit the official Busch Gardens website by clicking here!