Bone Island Brewing Company

This Micro Brewery is located in the Restaurant Store. The quality of their beers are good, however not a large selection. They do have an very good selection of Craft Beer from around the country for sale. I would highly suggest going, so don't go completely by my rating.

 

I stopped in there a year ago when I was on vacation in Key West. I was surprised to see a microbrewery there. They were doing a tap takeover with Terrapin Brewing. While that was going on, they were brewing a micro batch, in the beautiful Key West Spring sunshine, that they planned on releasing a few weeks later. The owners were very friendly, and I had a good time there. It will be a stop the next time I'm in Key West.

I've been to some odd brewery locations, but this may take the cake. Located well away from anyplace interesting in Key West, the brewery resides in the basement of a restaurant store & deli. I wasn't sure I was in the right place, but the woman at the counter assured me that I was and then went downstairs to get me my sampler. I liked the Cream Ale and the Oatmeal Stout ok, nothing spectacular, but good. I get the impression that this may be a homebrewer that is getting ready to take the next step.

Stopped in to do a beer tasting as we will typically seek out any brewery we can find while on vacation. Yes, it is in the middle of a kitchen supply store. So you are sitting there at a table with a pint or a beer flight surrounded by shelves full of, well, kitchen supplies. So as far as vibe... um, imagine doing a beer tasting in the middle of Williams Sonoma.

And for service, you place your order at the register, and then a few minutes later someone comes out, drops your pint/flight at your table, and that is it. Everyone there was very nice and pleasant. But no one ever came by to ask how we were doing or see if we wanted anything else.

The beers were actually quite good. There were 5 house brews and we sampled all 5. I remember the Tripel and the Stout being especially tasty. They also sold packaged beer and wine to go, and they probably had as good a selection as I have seen in Key West. So they get plus marks for that.

If they could somehow set up a separate tasting area that was not in the middle of the store, and have a person working dedicated to the brewery, they would get a much higher rating, because the beer has promise. I will stop in again on my next trip to Key West to see if they have made any changes.

A combination bakery, brewery, bottle store, coffee shop. Well, Key West is small so you gotta do what you gotta do. And they're open from 10-6.
The vibe is cool because of the eclectic mix of things for sale.
Staff (Sam) is very knowledgeable and friendly.
The beer for sale is arranged on racks, bombers, sixes & singles. Plenty of choices from Hitachino to Cuvee des Jacobins, Corsendonk, Delirium, DFH, Franziskaner, Founders Blushing Monk, Bell's Two Hearted, etc.
Hard to find without a sign but worth coming.

I had a great time drinking some great beers here. We were in the Keys for a week and returned four times. We simply couldn't stay away. Richard and Ray (the owner and beer guru, respectively) were very helpful and accommodating. On our first visit, Richard gave us a tour of the place and chatted with us for almost an hour, while sipping brews. They have a fantastic beer and wine selection. Ray ensures that it is stocked with rare and interesting offerings. We have lots of craft beer stores up north, but this was a selection unlike anything I'd seen. The Bone Island beers were all well-crafted and true to their styles. The staff was very friendly and passionate about their craft. A very cool place, and a MUST-VISIT if you're in the Lower Keys and have a taste for good liquid.

Just a couple of kegs in the back of a restaurant supply store. The owner/help (?) was surley...