Tampa

No, Tampa isn’t San Diego or Portland, Ore. Unlike those great beer towns, the stuff isn’t just lying there for the taking. It requires a little effort to find great beer in sunny southwest Florida. Tap handles for the fizzy yellow stuff pollute many bars. But put in a little work and a bit of forethought, and scratch beneath the surface. If you do, you’ll find a beer scene that’s quietly burgeoning. It’s been an organic growth, and it’s about to take the rest of the country by surprise.

Feel like getting ahead of the curve? Here’s where to start: The best beer destinations in the greater Tampa area, as ranked by the BeerFly users on BeerAdvocate.com.

We’ll start in Ybor City, Tampa’s historic heart. The district is named for its founder, Vicente Martinez Ybor. The cigar magnate set up shop in the area in the late 1800s, and in the span of a few decades, helped transform Tampa from a sleepy, sticky outpost to a bustling manufacturing port. The cigar trade left behind a mixture of brick-and-beam warehouses and ornate European architecture. Today, the area serves as Tampa’s chief entertainment district. There are sweaty clubs and unattractive drunks, and the like (Ybor City is très speedy, but they throw such killer parties), but there’s also good beer lurking around. The Tampa Bay Brewing Company is a must-visit destination. It was one of the city’s first brewpubs, and it proved popular enough to demand a significant expansion. When in the area, also hit the New World Brewery, a younger party spot that features a nice tap lineup.

You’ll find the best place for beer in the city proper, in an unassuming spot—in the shadow of Tampa’s airport. That’s where to find Cigar City Brewing, Tampa’s newest brewery. Cigar City has been accumulating a tower of kind words and breathless accolades. We suggest you not only believe the hype, but taste it as well.

Of course, half the reason to come to Tampa is to leave Tampa—for the nearby beaches, that is. The villages around Clearwater and St. Petersburg, both just a short drive across the Bay, boast some fantastic oceanfront stretches. Remember to stay hydrated, though. That’s why (we think) the beer gods put the Dunedin Brewery so darn close to the water. And any beer drinker driving along the Gulf must stop by the Saint Somewhere Brewing Company in Tarpon Springs. The historic fishing village was once famous for its sponge-harvesting industry; it’s now on the map for a different reason—Saint Somewhere’s sublime Belgian brews

Mr. Dunderbak’s
Here’s what Dunderbak’s doesn’t have: “No frozen mugs, no fruit in your beer, no mixing beers, no Bud on tap.” Instead, the wildly popular German destination offers up 50 taps and casks, and hundreds of bottles. Hope you can manage.

Cigar City Brewing
This new brewery has piled up rave reviews over its short lifespan. Big-ass IPAs, midnight-black Russian Imperial Stouts and all sorts of adventurous, non-styled brews show that great beer knows no boundaries, and takes no prisoners.

Tampa Bay Brewing Company
An Ybor City institution for well over a decade, this location is the brewpub’s second incarnation. Party-wise, it’s an upgrade: The brewpub rocks a killer patio. If anything can improve a great cask ale, it’s a warm breeze off the bay.

New World Brewery
Don’t look for any tanks, and don’t puzzle over the name—this beer bar boasts two dozen high-quality micro taps, tasty stone-oven pizzas, a free jukebox and a bustling courtyard.

Mellow Mushroom – Citrus Park
Mellow Mushroom has grown into a rather sizable chain by pairing great pizzas with quality brews. The Citrus Park location is no different. Look for taps from Dunedin, as well as all the craft industry’s heavy hitters.

Yeoman’s Road
During the day, Yeoman’s Road is a relaxing, well-worn dive that pours the best beers on Davis Island. At night, the place is a riot scene—in the best, sweatiest possible way.

Taps Wine and Beer Merchants
An upscale bar that’s heavy on small plates, sandwiches and quality beverages. Twenty-five taps and hundreds of bottles make for a nice, if moderately pricey, surprise.

Tank’s Tap Room
Tank’s is a raucous sports bar that loves its beer nearly as much as it loves the Pittsburgh Steelers. Belgians, pierogies and touchdowns. Oh boy.

Yuengling Brewing Company
Yuengling serves its Southeastern markets from a production facility that’s steps away from USF’s campus. Convenient, no?

Datz Deli
Datz feels like a New York spot that got lost and wound up in Florida; it woke up, saw the beach and decided to stay put. Six taps and dozens of bottles pair with gourmet cheese, charcuterie, monster-sized sandwiches and latkes. You can take beer to go, but with this menu, why would you?

Dunedin Brewery
Good beer. Good food. Good times. And it’s all steps away from the Gulf. What’s to quibble with?

Saint Somewhere Brewing Company
Bob Sylvester is living the dream: The former homebrewer is captaining his own brewery, and cranking out delicious Belgian ales at a furious pace. And the people cry, “More!”

The Independent
A small, surprising and altogether satisfying spot for drinks in downtown St. Pete.

World of Beer
This is the place to go if you’re looking for some nice beer, and the phone number of some sexxxy young thing. The bar boasts 30 taps, 500-odd bottles and a whole mess of humanity. (And, if you’re only into the suds, beer to go.) ■