Best Craft in Florida

I just found out about this restaurant called Big Bear that has really good beers and food, it's in Coral Springs.

 

Gotta disagree with nick and drift about Rapp...the CPB stout, Gose, Choc Hazelnut Porter, Imperial Berliner, Maple Wheat Bock...the list goes on...

I think German styles just aren't thought as highly of as the big stouts and IPAs...but Rapp does an astonishing number of styles and nails most of them. Every time I go I see 1 or 2 I've never seen before. Plus, not naming the beers is something I've only seem at Rapp....the tap list is just a list of syles - he's too busy cranking out so many different beers to worry about what to call them. That's hadcore right there. Lol

 

Agree. Loved all the beers at Rapp... first Gose and was addicted. Also had to get a growler of that chocolate hazelnut porter last year when I was there Friday before Hunan Day. Wish I could get it all the time.

 

I enjoy Cigar City for a lot of their different beers, especially Tocobaga. Cycle has the BA stouts damn near perfected. Randy over at Three Palms has a lockdown on his Hot Schtuff though, soild stout. I think with him teaming up with JJ Taylor, we're going to see a lot more of it too. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Tampa Bay Brewing Co. with their Reef Donkey. I think it's a little underrated and definitely a quality go-to.

 

I'm on vacation here in sarasota and I've gone to quite a few breweries. Severely disappointed because Michigan craft beer is just so much better. If there are any absolute favorites that I can get in a bottle let me know Id love to try them out before I head back to the mitten state.

 

Chopped liver...

 

What breweries have you been to?

 

I -- like @wingnutter -- want to know what breweries you've been to. Won't argue the Michigan vs. Florida thing (pointless) but hope you've been to our area's best places.

 

This. A thousand times this. Rapp's gose remains for me the gold standard of U.S. goses. His wheelhouse isn't the barrel-aged imperial stouts and triple IPAs (i.e., trade bait ... which often drives the hype train) but make no mistake: Rapp's stuff is first-rate.

 

If you came for Tampa Bay Beer Week and went to Cycle even once...

Were you at CCB Monday for Good Night Mekong? Even in Michigan you can't get the best bottles around any old day.

 

Yes, which of the "quite a few breweries" were you at that disappointed you so severely?

 

J-dubs and Big Top aren't producing great beer right now, but they're still young breweries and figuring things out. I'd recommend checking out Tampa/St.Pete for some breweries that are producing better beer. Sarasota has a ways to go, and I'd be quite happy if another bottle shop opened here.

 

Saint Somewhere Brewing tour/tasting/openhouse every Thur and Fri evening 6pm to 8pm.
Currently on...

"Fraises d Hiver" collab with "Brasserie Trois Dames" Saison brewed with fresh strawberries
"Beached Wood" collab with "Stillwater Artisanal" Farmhouse ale aged on Gulf of Mexico Driftwood
"Wayward Corsair" collab with "Late Start Brewery" Sour Farmhouse Ale brewed with Gulf of Mexico water

Just thrown that out there...

 

Those all sound fantastic, but my goodness is it a pain to get out to that brewery with traffic.

 

some of j-dubs beers are great, some aren't. it really just depends what's on tap when you swing by.

their dulce, dubious and legacy are all great beers, but hard to come by. right now it looks like they have up top and HDPA which are both quite good, as is their poolside kolsh.

 

When compared to what's pouring in Tampa/St. Pete area, it's not in the same ballpark yet. I've had some good beer at Jdubs, but a lot more misses. All subjective though.

 

i'm not comparing anything, just stating my experiences with their beer.