In Florida until the 11th. Anyone have any “don’t miss” beer recommendations? We are doing a week in the Naples area and a week in Orlando for the kids.
Thanks.
Not much down south, but Orlando has some good spots. Go to Redlight Redlight, a bar with an eclectic selection, especially good with sours. In Winter Park eat at Cask and Larder and drink all of Ron Raike’s beers. He’s the best brewer in the south, not just my opinion.
If you go through Sarasota or come up to Tampa or St. Pete, there’s a heck of a lot more variety. We seem to have a new brewery opening every week. Cigar City is a quarter mile from Tampa International and has a great tasting room. CCB also has a brew pub in the Southwest airside at TIA. Downtown St. Pete is turning into a beer destination with Green Bench, Cycle and St. Pete Brewing Co. all close to each other.
When you say, “Olando” do you mean “Kissimmee?” That’s where Disney is. They have a decent Gordon Biersch prewbub at Boardwalk the name of which escapes me right now. River City?
Thanks Jeffy.
Yeah, I guess I mean “where Disney is”. With 4 kids, we won’t be eating out much. Is there a local beer I can gt at the “beer store” that I should get for my wife and I to try?
Total wine should have a good selection. Anything from St. Somewhere (saisons) or Cigar City are worth buying, but a lot of the breweries don’t package yet or only sell in certain regions. Swamphead may be available there. They’re good.
Southwest Florida is a bit of a craft beer wasteland. I would travel up US 41 to Ft. Myers and shop at the Total Wine there (I believe there may be one in Naples).
Load up on Cigar City Jai Alai and anything by them. I wouldn’t waste time in any brewery in that area, along with Orlando. You can hit Cigar City just out of the way in Tampa on your way to Orlando, great tap room. The new restaurant they opened would be out of your way.
If you go through St. Pete ( a little longer trip) you could go to Peg’s (great lunch and beer) or just go straight to Cycle brewing.
Cheers!
Best beer I found in Florida was totally unexpected: Myakka State Park ‘Outpost’
Go see the alligator and drink a bunch of crazy good beer after the boat ride. Don’t drink the beer before like I did, there’s no urinal on the boat!
Just found this winterfest ad:
Upcoming events
~ PAST event PHOTOS ~
2013-2014 Florida frostfest
Saturday January 18th 2014 12:00am - 8:00pm
Come Join Us For A Great Day In The Park
We will have 3 tons of man made snow that will feature a huge Snow Slide For The Young (And Young at Heart) … Ride all Day Wrist Bands Only 3$
Live Music All Day
10 Winter Beers On Tap Down Stairs and 4 in the Cafe
Food
More Information to Come …
Sooooo, your saying you haven’t had Jai Alai?
[u]Orlando Brewing’s tap room[/u] is worth checking out. They’re brewing some tasty beers there.
The owner, John Cheek, was the founding president of The Central Florida Home Brewers back in 1989
+1 on Jeffy’s opinion of Ron Raike’s brewing skills!
Well, we’ve moved to Orlando. My 2 cents so far - I like Naples.
Will keep looking for Jai Alia. Did get to Total Wine in Naples but ended up getting some Belgians for New Years Eve and I didn’t want to keep the person I was with for too long so I didn’t go through the craft section well enough. Been sticking to the staples that I can’t get in Canada so far (Bell’s, DFH etc). Will check out some other stuff over the next week.
Thanks all for the recommendations.
BTW, turns out we are camped out in Clermont.
got some Jai Alai in FL over the holidays, quite good as always.
I was really impressed with the CC Tocobaga, canned on 12/23 and in my hands on 12/26. The delicious “hopped on high seas” IPA with Ahtanum was equally fresh and the always great Maduro was only a week or so older.
…those guys make some damn fine beer.