I'll be in Longboat Key for most of the week, likely without a car. I've done a little digging but can't seem to find much info on the beer scene (if there is one) around the area. Can anyone shed a little light on what beers might be available and the best possible places to look around? I know CCB is about an hour away but I doubt I will be able to make the drive. Cheers!
How you getting from VA to Longboat Key? Your answer dictates my suggestions. In any case, if you're really going to be on the beach without a car, you'll wanna hit a Total Wine before you get to your final destination. This string is a good resource for beers (maybe more for places to go). Here's a range of some local/Florida beers that's likely readily available at a Total Wine in cans (for the beach and to bring home): CCB Jai Alai IPA, CCB Invasion (pale ale), Intuition I-10 IPA, Big Storm Arcus IPA, Tampa Bay Brewing's Reef Donkey (super-good American pale ale at 5.5%); CCB's Florida Cracker (a Belgian white); Bold City's Killer Whale (cream ale) adnd Duke's (brown ale); Intuition Jon Boat (golden ale) and People's Pale Ale; and 3 Daughters' Beach Blonde. I know Funky Buddha has expanded its distribution outside South Florida; it would be worth looking for their stuff.
Longboat Key is going to be pretty isolated. Some of the local restaurants carry a limited amount of core products from CCB and other local breweries. As stated above, without a car your best bet is to stop at Total Wine, or one of the larger ABC Liquors, on your way into Longboat. On you way in to Longboat, the Total Wine and ABC combination that make the most sense (if you wanted to do both on your way in) would be on University Pkwy. Total Wine is in the shopping center immediately off the exit (heading West) on the North side of the road, and ABC Liquors is about 2.5 miles further West towards your destination (again on the North side of the road). Otherwise, there is a large ABC on Manatee (Sr 64 running through Bradenton) that would work if that is closer to your chosen route. There is no Total Wine in Bradenton, so you would not be able to double up if you went this route. I will say that if you go this way, you would put Bradenton's breweries in play only a short distance away. Motorworks and Darwins are both only a few minutes off Manatee avenue. Also in play would be Lost Kangaroo (beer bar), which has a pretty darn good selection most days (though they allow smoking, which may be a drawback). You asked specifically about Sarasota as well, and that is where you find the most options for on-premise consumption: Breweries Sarasota Brewing Co (Gulf Gate area) JDubs (Near Ed Smith Stadium) Big Top (Near I-75 off Cattlemen between Fruitville and Bee Ridge) Beercentric Bars/Pubs Mr. Beery's (Mall area) Shamrock (Just East of downtown near Fruitville and Lime) **** and Bull (Near I-75 off Cattlemen between Fruitville and Bee Ridge) World of Beer (Main St - downtown Sarasota)
Flying in to Sarasota, then have a ride to longboat. Once on longboat, I'm not sure how flexible the group I'm with will be about venturing out. So if I were to make one stop between the airport and longboat, what's the most convenient place to go? Thanks so much for the help!
The airport is on University, but about 2-3 miles West of the ABC Liquor I mentioned above (thus 5 or 6 miles West of Total Wine). So if they were willing to back track a little you would get the best selection to take over to the Key. Otherwise, Publix has a decent core selection of CCB and a few others typically. I did overlook Growler's Pub which is on 41 about 2-3 miles South of the airport, and likely directly on your way to Longboat Key.
The airport is essentially on University Parkway, about 7 miles west of the Total Wine (i.e., Total Wine is 7 miles east ... which is going the opposite way of where you're ultimately heading). If you're arriving around a mealtime, you could make the case that the area where the Total Wine is has some dining options (and a World of Beer!). Also, there's a Target in that cluster of shopping complexes in case your group needs to stock up on other beach essentials as well. That could be another "in" for you. Good luck!
What he said ^^^^^ I used to work at that Total Wine. It's one of the largest in the country. You'll have no problem stocking up on awesome beer there.
Mandeville is new and by downtown Sarasota. It has a great tap list and pretty good food. There is also a Publix on LBK with their normall CCB, JDubbs, and some other beer selections. Whatever you do on LBK watch out for the cops, they are ruthless on the island with one road in and one road out.
Thanks everyone for the tips! Worst case scenario - I'll be drinking Jai Alai all weekend and I'm totally OK with that.
Couldn't get to a TW. The hotel gave me a lift to a Publix down the street where I found week-old Jai Alai. Of course I bought a lot of that.
