Lyndsay Fogarty
With over 250 breweries in Florida, there are plenty of opportunities for day or weekend brew crawls.
The summer sun will likely have you reaching for an ice-cold beer. Local breweries offer unique selections, making them ideal spots for brew crawls. Here are some of our favorite Florida spots.
Must hit spots
• A popular Central Florida stop is Crooked Can Brewing Company in downtown Winter Garden. From core favorites like McSwagger’s Own, an American-style amber beer, and Cloud Chaser, a German-style Hefeweizen, to a selection of seasonal beers and small batch core brands, there is something to tempt every palate.
• Next, visit Cape Canaveral for a taste of Florida Beer Company’s 28 styles of ales, lagers and ciders. The tasting room always has 12 to 14 selections available at any given time. At 4 p.m. each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a guided tour of the brewery comes complete with a flight of four beers and a souvenir glass.
• Boynton Beach is home to Due South Brewing Co., where you can sip on beers like the Caramel Cream Ale, with caramel notes in dark crystal malts and a vanilla finish, or the Category 3 IPA, a special blend of American hops that maintains a balance between malty and bitter. You can also take a tour every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Unconventional beers and eccentric brewing techniques have made Oakland Park’s Funky Buddha Brewery one of southern Florida’s largest breweries. Schedule a tour and enjoy flagship selections like Hop Gun IPA and Floridian Hefeweizen, along with newer brews, in a commemorative Funky Buddha Brewery glass.
The island life
• Live the island life at Islamorada Beer Company, the only brewery and distillery in the Florida Keys. With fun names and unique flavors, you will find brews such as a key lime coconut ale called No Wake Zone, an IPA called Key Hoppin, a rum ale called Shipwreck’d, a chocolate raspberry stout called Mermaid Kisses and an Earl Grey tea ale called Island Tea, among others.
• After two years of research and planning, Fort Myers Brewing Company opened its doors with modest aspirations. The tasting room has since grown into quite the local hangout with nearly 20 flagship and seasonal beers as well as small-batch specialties served every day but Monday.
• Cigar City Brewing in Tampa has become a major attraction for those who appreciate and seek out excellent beer. The company highlights those strengths on its labels and in its recipes. Tour the facilities or sip a glass of the company’s well-known beers, like Jai Alai or Maduro, as a professional rolls you a cigar.
Take it back home
• Back to Orlando, Orlando Brewing is located southwest of downtown Orlando. Take a free tour of the facility Monday through Saturday at 6 p.m. (first come, first served) then head to the bar for an organic beer, like the Orlando Weiss, a lagered wheat beer with citrus-like aromas and hints of vanilla.
Whether you’re sticking to Orlando breweries for the day or planning a route across the state for a weekend away, this brew crawl route offers a tasty adventure.
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