Once upon a time, ordering a beer in an airport bar meant choosing from among a handful of uninspiring adjunct lagers. But now, more and more craft brewers are working their way through security and establishing outposts of good taste near even the most far-flung gates. Here are eight hot spots to order a cool beer and recover from the trauma of your intimate preflight pat-down.
Cigar City Brewing
Tampa International Airport (TPA), Airside C
Cigar City’s pub in Tampa’s airport (pictured above) is the country’s first airport pub to feature an on-site brewery. Jai Alai IPA and Florida Cracker share space with Tony Jannus pale ale, named for the aviation pioneer who became the world’s first commercial pilot when the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line opened (for five months) in 1914.