Florida is weird. From the manufactured reality of its theme parks to the bizarre news documented daily by the Florida Man twitter account, the Sunshine State has a reputation for polarizing extremes. Maybe the heat and humidity drive people mad, or maybe the state has a magnetism that attracts that certain element, but regardless, Florida has a well-earned reputation for being weird.
For years, too, Florida lacked great beer. I was born, reared, and came of drinking age in Florida, and the options for a nascent craft-beer lover at the time were limited, to say the least. Antiquated laws about bottle size kept anything bottled in 22-ounce bombers out the state, and any European imports in standard sizes (375ml or 750ml) were similarly forbidden until the law finally changed in 2001.
The 1990s craft-beer boom brought out a few potential in-state players—Ybor City Brewing Company had a brief run, and the Hops Grill & Brewery chain brewed some passable beer at its dozen or so Florida locations before closing en masse—but still Floridians had to look to out-of-state breweries for most of their craft-beer fix.
Then, in the late 2000s, something changed. Saint Somewhere Brewing started producing some interesting saisons from its humble industrial space in Tarpon Springs. Cigar City launched with an IPA and other styles that the entire state could finally be proud of (and which garnered national praise and medals). The breweries grew fast; talented brewers came then left to start their own ventures in surrounding towns; great beers won more and more fans away from macro beer; and in the space of five or six years, the craft-beer landscape turned 180 degrees.
Today, that west coast of Florida—from Tarpon Springs down to St. Petersburg and across the bay to Tampa—is a brewing hotbed, and any self-respecting craft-beer drinker would be well-served to add it to his or her beercation bucket list. Here are some highlights that should be a part of any beer-centric itinerary.
Tarpon Springs and Dunedin
Most brewers agree that the contemporary history of Florida brewing took a turn when Bob Sylvester launched his Belgian-style-only Saint Somewhere Brewing Company in a remote warehouse in the vacation town (and sponge-diving capital) of Tarpon Springs. The current facility is a nondescript warehouse with the most modest of brewing and serving equipment (a three-tap keezer provides samples during the monthly “open house” nights), but its kickstarter campaign was successful in raising funds for a new taproom and guest house, which will make it more than worth the drive from Tampa and St. Pete.
From there, shoot south on Highway 595 to Dunedin and make a required visit to 7venth Sun. The taproom and brewery are cozy and the 3-barrel brewhouse (open to the tasting room) will have you wondering how they produce the volume of beer they do, but the beer is well worth the trip. If the weather is nice, grab a seat on the patio and indulge in well-crafted hoppy beers such as Time Bomb Session IPA or a refreshing fruited Berliner Weisse (or is that a “Florida Weisse”?).
While in Dunedin, walk across the street to the Dunedin House of Beer for forty taps that cover everything from European classics (St. Bernardus 12, St. Louis Framboise) to national heavyweights (Bell’s Two Hearted, Ballast Point Sculpin) to a dozen or more locals. You know craft beer has reached new heights in Florida when the bar didn’t have Cigar City on tap because it “wasn’t local enough.”
Clearwater and St. Petersburg
Continuing south, stop by Willard’s Tap House and let one of the knowledgeable bartenders select something new for you. The décor is a bit grungy with a dive feel, but the beer selection is top notch.
Rapp Brewing is only a few minutes away, and its diverse approach to brewing will certainly yield something you’d like to try. Rapp brews in very small batches—with a 55-gallon Blichmann mash tun and two 75-gallon boil kettles, producing large volumes of any one beer is out of the question—but the resulting twenty beers they typically serve concurrently in the taproom are one of the widest selections I’ve seen.
Five minutes further and you’re at Pair O’Dice Brewing, where Ken (pictured at top) and Julia Rosenthal (both Anhueser-Busch brewery alums) pair the efficiency of a larger-scale brewhouse with a focus on quality execution. Solid core hoppy offerings have a bit of a West Coast lean, and the taproom features a wide range of styles from a Belgian-style white to a big Russian imperial stout.
Downtown St. Petersburg has experienced a renaissance of brewing of late, with three significant breweries opening their doors over the past few years. At 3 Daughters, you’ll find a laid-back open warehouse vibe and good beer from an experienced hospitality-industry crew. The Beach Blonde might be a bit on the light side for readers of this magazine, but don’t miss wood-aged offerings such as the Barrel-aged Belgian Quad, if available.
Two blocks from Tropicana Field, Green Bench Brewing is making waves on the brewing scene with its mixed-fermentation farmhouse ales that Shelton Brothers just recently picked up for national distribution. While those wild and wood-aged foeder beers are gaining exposure, don’t pass on its darker beers, as the stouts are equally accomplished. From the stag head image on the wall to the upcycled wood wall, the taproom hits all the hipster cues, but lounging on the patio under the lights is a fantastic way to start or end an evening.
Cycle Brewing, another brewery founded by a former Cigar City alum, made the jump last year from the back of Peg’s Cantina to a very cool urban space on Central. Although it is known nationally for its trader-favorite RareR DOS and Nooner series of stouts, its Crank IPA and Fixie session IPA are some of the best we’ve had in the state and echo those bright, soft, and citrusy IPAs from New England. It’s a must-visit for any self-respecting craft-beer fan in the area.
Tampa and Ybor City
Across the bay, Tampa and Ybor City are hotbeds of Florida brewing, with new breweries launching at a rapid rate. It’s strange to consider a brewery launched seven years ago a “classic” or “standby,” but that’s exactly what Cigar City Brewing has become in its relatively recent history. The praise is well earned, however, as Brewmaster Wayne Wambles and Founder Joey Redner have remained focused on producing consistently great beer despite the meteoric growth the company has experienced. The demand for its beer has sideline benefits—it’s almost impossible to buy an out-of-date six pack of Jai Alai IPA on store shelves because it sells as quickly as the brewery can make it.
A visit to the brewery off Dale Mabry is a pilgrimage for Florida beer fans, and the vast tap list (and special brewery-only bottle sales) make it a necessary stop. Further north, the Cigar City Brewpub also merits a visit if you’re in the mood for Cuban-inspired cuisine along with fantastic beer (and some brewpub-exclusive brews).
Continuing the Cigar City theme, the recently opened Cigar City Cider & Mead in Ybor City is the first of its kind in Florida, with a wide list that ranges from watermelon or pineapple cider to elderflower and cactus cider to show meads (along with a couple of Cigar City and guest taps for good measure). It’s a great spot to visit with friends or family who might not be as enthusiastic about beer as you are.
While in Ybor, hop down to newly opened Coppertail Brewing. We made the visit last New Year’s Eve, two months after it opened, and found a friendly Zeus Cordeiro more than happy to give us a tour of the sprawling complex. Most striking is the showpiece 50-barrel brewery that feeds 150-barrel fermentors—a major capital investment for a brand new brewery. Founder Kent Bailey and Brewmaster Casey Hughes (formerly head brewer of Flying Fish in New Jersey) have made a bold statement about the future they envision for the brewery, but if the beer they’ve brewed so far is any indication, it’s a safe bet.
Up in Seminole Heights, Angry Chair Brewing has been open less than a year yet several fellow Tampa brewers recommended it. Floridians love their tart wheat beers and their flavored stouts, and Angry Chair does both well.
If rare European bottles are your thing, then the drive up to Mr. Dunderbak’s is well worth it. If the German cuisine and extensive on-site bottle list with standouts from Belgian masters such as Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen don’t excite you, then surely something on the fifty-two draft taps will.
Brewers in other beer hubs around the country may have had a decade or more head start on Florida brewers, but there’s an undeniable energy at work in Florida’s west-coast brewing scene. While Florida doesn’t need any help drawing vacationers, these creative brewers are adding another reason to make the trip.