Clearwater Brewing Company

 

Stopped in on an early Saturday afternoon and place has a very laid back and friendly vibe, although the lack of AC hurt today b/c the humidity more than made up for the open windows and the fans (welcome to Florida). Had a decent amount of beers on tap although they seemed to concentrate on NEIPA/IPAs and sours. Had a beer and it was ok and didn't have any food (I think they have chips for sale). Will say that if you happen to be in area it can't hurt to stop in here, but this isn't my first stop for the breweries in Clearwater and surrounding area.

My wife and I stopped here to try the beers. This brewery is on a corner lot inside a former gas station or auto repair shop. The front canopy provides some protected outdoor seating. One 'bay' inside the building contains the brewing equipment, and the rest of the space is taken up by an L-shaped bar with seating plus a few tables/chairs. But overall it's a small place. A couple of TVs were hanging on the walls. It looks like a small patio is at the rear but I didn't peek out to see its actual size. There is limited parking in the front, or curb parking along the side street. The vibe is good for the setting. Our visit was at mid-afternoon on a Sunday, so they were not busy and service was good.

We ordered a sampler flight of four of their 11 beers (one seltzer was also on tap) to try to evaluate the place. All of them were brewed well to style, and a couple of them stood out a bit. Overall they earned a B-minus grade. A few guest wine are also available for the non-beer drinkers.

There was a food truck that looked as if it might be permanently parked, but I didn't inquire to see if it could make this brewery eligible for an Eatery designation. It serves from a menu that is described as 'Island style' foods, and we tried an appetizer to have with our beers. It was good. Howlers and crowlers are offered for beers to go.