Visiting Tampa/Orlando? LOOK HERE FIRST! Fall '14 Update

Ok so many people have vented concerns about the amount of "Where's the beer in Tampa/Orlando?" posts in the SA forum. While I know we are all generous BAs here in FL who want to help folks out, it gets kinda old answering the same questions daily.

SO, I'm taking a cue from the "Visiting Portland" thread in the Northwest forum that is updated seasonally. It's helped me out tremendously on my trips there, and kept me from posting redundant questions in the NW forum.

As a disclaimer, I do NOT live in Tampa or Orlando, but I visit both very often. That being said, I will be happy to "moderate" this thread, but I will need help from local Tampa/Orlando BAs to stay current and relevant. If you think I'm missing something, please PM me or post below the main post. If I've left something out or something new has opened(c'mon Angry Chair!) let me know, and I will adjust accordingly. Next update will be autumn on September 1.

Sorry if I am stepping on anyone's toes, or if I didn't step on toes that you thought needed stepping on. I went back at least 50 pages in the SA forum to see what BAs most often recommended in these towns, and I based my post on those findings. Your favorite brewery/bar/bottleshop may not be listed due to this. As I see places being recommended more/less, I will add/delete them. They do not reflect any personal bias.


TAMPA area (includes St. Petersburg/Clearwater)

(Almost) Universally Recommended "Must-Hit" Breweries & Brew Pubs
Cigar City Brewery
Cigar City Brewpub
Rapp Brewing
Cycle Brewing/Peg's Cantina
Seventh Sun Brewing
Southern Brewing and Winemaking(also a homebrew shop)

Other Highly Recommended Breweries & Brew Pubs
Tampa Bay Brewing
Barley Mow Brewing
Green Bench Brewing
Dunedin Brewing
Three Palms Brewing
3 Daughters Brewing

Highly Recommended Beer Bars
The Ale and the Witch
The Independent
Willard's

Highly Recommended Bottle Shops
Luekens(check website for stock)
Total Wine(check website for stock)

(A Few) Beer-centric Restaurants
Mr. Dunderbaks
Datz
Cajun Cafe on Bayou
Stein & Vine
Brewers Tasting Room

Tampa Area BA listings - http://www.beeradvocate.com/place/city/69/

Tampa Beer Map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...2,-82.544147&spn=0.929126,0.503138&dg=feature

Able to sort area breweries in creative ways(growlers, kid friendly, food) Neat idea.
http://thebrewerybay.com/


ORLANDO area

Highly Recommended Breweries & Brew Pubs
Cask & Larder

Highly Recommended Beer Bars
Redlight Redlight (May have to be moved to above category soon)
Tap & Grind
World of Beer Dr. Philips(closest to Disney)

Highly Recommended Bottle Shops
Knightly(Orange Blossom Trail location)
Big C Liqour
2 Total Wine locations(check website for stock)
Various ABC locations: Apopka Vineland store closest to Disney)
Lake Mary & Winter Park have growler stations

(A Few) Beer-centric Restaurants
Oblivion Taproom
Cask & Larder
The Smiling Bison
Gnarly Barley
Frank & Steins

Orlando Area BA listings - http://www.beeradvocate.com/place/city/80/

Orlando Beer Map http://www.orlandobeerguide.com/orlando-beer-guide-maps.html


Disney Tips
For those traveling to Disney, many places throughout the parks and resorts now serve craft beer.

Visit www.beersandears.net or download the beersandears app to find out what beers are available at which parks and resorts.

Yes variety in the parks is limited.

Yes it's expensive to buy beer in the parks or at your hotel.

Yes you can bring your own beer to Disney resort pools.

 

During their first year downtown they would occasionally put BA beers on tap from time to time. Doesn't happen often. At first they didn't write them on the board. You had to ask if anything BA was available. After awhile they stared putting listing them on the board on the rare occasion they had one on tap. I always ask either way. Most of the time the answer is "no", but it's more than worth it to ask.

 

Hopefully we will be able to add Coppertail to the list for the Winter update! I've enjoyed a lot of their brews at recent beer festivals.

 

I agree that SS absence is odd. I just didn't count many people recommending it in the forums.

 

Thanks for leaving feedback! Winter update is in a couple of weeks. Keep the recommendations coming, and please if you see a recommendation that you agree with, second it. This is what gets breweries/bars/bottleshops/etc...added to the list. Glad to see AC is finally open. Haven't made it up yet, but have immensely enjoyed their brews at festivals these past couple of years.

 

WOB Lake Mary has been good to me the couple of times I've visited.(Most WOB have not been).

That Lake Mary ABC off Rinehart Rd is stellar. Discovered it by accident a couple of years ago while driving down I-4 and slid off the interstate to check it out. Now I make it a point to stop there any time I'm passing through. Great recommendation.

As for the N.vs S. Orlando, that would take someone with a little more Orlando expertise to figure out. Besides those two places we just discussed, I personally have experience with nothing else in the area.