Florida: Beer Wasteland or Diamond in the Rough?
When I moved to the Tampa Bay area of Florida fifteen years ago, finding a craft beer in a bar was like finding an outdoor skating rink: it just wasn’t there. Sure, you could find good imported beer; Guinness, Bass, Newcastle, and so one were readily available in just about every British and Irish pub from St. Petersburg to Clearwater to Tampa. A few specialty beer stores were around that carried a limited variety of American craft brews, but the selection was sparse, and their coolers were also mostly dominated by imports. The other aspect of what passed for “beer culture” in the Tampa Bay area was the fact the Anheuser Busch (and the Busch Gardens amusement park) dominated the beer scene. Budweiser was everywhere, and was – like so many other places – the drink of choice. For a beer lover coming from northern California, it was a bit of a culture shock.
Sure, there were a few glimmers of hope. Ybor City Brewing (since assimilated into the Florida Brewing Company) opened the year I arrived; however their brews were more in line with the macro-tradition of quantity produced and not quality. While the Gaspar’s Porter was enjoyable, the “Brown”, “Amber”, and “Wheat” styles were evocative of Bud, Michelob, and a feeble attempt at a wheat beer. Their “Light” could easily have been Michelob Light. But as unimpressive as the brews were, it did open some eyes to other possibilities in the beer world, and for that I give them credit. It may have been pretentious, but it was also somewhat of a status marker to order a “local” beer instead of what everyone else was drinking.
Two years later, however, real change came to the area in the form of two new breweries, one on either side of the bay. On the Pinellas County side, the Dunedin Brewery opened its doors as the first brewpub/microbrewery in the county. With a small but tasty pub menu that complimented the beers they brewed, their year-round styles were bottled and sold on local retail shelves. From their Piper’s Pal to their Redhead Red and Beach Tale Brown, the Dunedin Brewery has become a stronghold of good beer and good craft beer values in Pinellas County.
That same year in Ybor City, the Tampa Bay Brewing Company opened their own brewpub. Where Dunedin keeps their menu small and simple, TBBC has created a beer-driven gastronomical juggernaut. Beer is central to everything, and many of the menu items share their name with the brew they are made with. Iron Rat Stout Shepherds Pie. Home Made Jack the Quaffer Bread Pudding. Fish and Chips made with their One Night Stand Pale Ale. In 2006, the brewpub moved to a new location still in Ybor City, more centralized and with much more seating. Their beers continue to be excellent and they host the Tampa Beer Fest in May each year.
One of the newest arrivals to the craft brew party is Cigar City Brewing in Tampa. Started by beer-writer Joey Redner and award winning brewmaster Wayne Wambles, Cigar City takes its name from the long and storied history of the cigar industry in Tampa, but their approach to brewing is fresh and exciting. Of course, they have their “standard” line including the excellent Jai Alai IPA and the Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale, but what really set them apart from the crowd is their innovative use of flavors in combination with their brew. Their Humidor Series IPA won the GABF gold medal this year for Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer. Guava, vanilla, and coffee are just some of the other exotic additions you will find in the simple but comfortable tasting room at the brewery, in full view of the production area. Cigar City is a working brewery, so do not expect snacks or luxury when you visit, but growlers are available to go, and of course the full assortment of collectible shirts, posters, and glassware.
A little further north in Tarpon Springs is St. Somewhere Brewing, focusing exclusively on Belgian style ales. Opened in 2006, Bob Syslvester brews three different beers now, using Belgian malt and wheat, whole noble hops and open fermentation add to the complexity of his ales. Their beers are unfiltered and re-fermented in the bottle, and are available locally in the Tampa Bay area.
Also new to the brew-pub scene this year is Peg’s Cantina and Brewpub in Gulfport. Originally opened at a Pizza and Mexican cantina in 2004, Peg and company have relocated and reopened in March of this year as a brewpub. Doug Dozark, assistant brewer at Cigar City, brews the house craft beers. Usually there are 3 on tap; an IPA, a wheat and a porter.
So what is next for Florida in the world of craft beer? Each year the Florida Brewers Guild-sponsored Tampa Beer Fest draws more and more attendees as well as more breweries offering a taste of their brew. The Craft Beer Expo in St. Petersburg has become a must-attend event, with representatives from all over the country in attendance, as well as a VIP cheese and beer tasting session and lectures on food pairings.
Florida is still far behind the “Beervana” of Portland, Oregon or the craft brew Mecca of the San Francisco Bay Area (of the over 400 breweries represented at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO, only two were from Florida in 2009). Years of dominance by AB (now UniBev) and antiquated anti-microbrew laws have faded away now, though. Homebrewing is on the rise in Florida. craft beers are showing up in local bars and restaurants, and previously unavailable flavors and styles from around the country are finding their way onto the shelves of even the supermarkets. Beer culture is on the rise in Tampa Bay and throughout Florida. Only time will tell, but things are looking up in the Sunshine State. I think that calls for a beer.
14 Comments to “Florida: Beer Wasteland or Diamond in the Rough?”
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We had St. Somewhere beers up here in Minnesota for a time. Saison Athene is one of the best I saisons I have had. Wish they would come back…
There are some great beer things going on on the east coast of FL as well… Abbey and Titanic Brewing in the Miami area & Orlando Brewing in central FL
Wylie,
I have been wanting to get over to the Atlantic side to do a run from Jax to Miami and check out everything in between. Next time I am on that coast i will definitely be in touch!
The Bonita Springs/Naples is a Florida wasteland as there aren’t any brewpubs or any really, really good places that serve really, really good beer.
if you are in naples, then I feel your pain. I went to visit not too long ago and was dissapointed by the offerings. The jewel of the city tho, is The Pub next to the Whole Foods at the Mercato Plaza. They have one of the few casks available in Florida which carries the current Brew Dog seasonal. Brewdog does not exist on the east coast. you better drink that up.
Yep, I intend to go to Pub Naples by Whole Foods for some decent beer. I take it they don’t have any Cigar City beer(s) there as I read somewhere else?
Whole Foods might have some, though…
The local beers in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale? Ugh. I’d kill to live in Cigar City. But Total Wine has classed up this joint immensely. That Saint Somewhere beer. Those guys have two of their beers here but I never knew it was a FL beer until some dude from Chicago told me a few days ago. Funny. I am going to check them out!
[...] I have mentioned several times in the past, Florida is often looked upon by craft beer lovers as somewhat of a [...]
Great article!!! what we need next is a mega-beerfest like GABF or World Beer Festival or the Boonville Beerfest…! an annual fest that would bring people in from all over the country! we have the weather and we are getting the beer reputation.
also Lagerhaus Brewery & Grill in Palm Harbor brews craft beer.
We are Bringing People to Tampa for
Beer This Weekend!
Those of you who are already there may want to join us for this brewnique event…
Chef Partner Ryan Mitchell from Fleming’s Steakhouse in partnership with Bon Beer Voyage, a beer travel company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts, will present a 4-course dinner menu paired with a selection of 4 outstanding craft beers from across the spectrum of the brewer’s art.
Bon Beer Voyage will be hosting this gourmet beer paired dinner at Fleming’s Steakhouse on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 at 7:30 pm as part of their Beer Safari Weekend Tour in Tampa. A limited amount of seats at this dinner are available for $65 per person for those who are not participating in the rest of the weekend’s events. The price includes dinner, beer pairings, tax and gratuity.
For reservations or more information on the dinner or Bon Beer Voyage tours, please call 1-888-U-Go-Beer or book online at their website: http://www.BonBeer.com.
Sounds fantastic! Wish I could join you.