Why Is There Practically No Brewery Scene In Orlando

What do you mean?

Hourglass Brewing Longwood, FL
Bowigens Brewing Casselberry, FL
Orlando Brewing Downtown Orlando, FL
Ten 10 Brewing Downtown Orlando, FL
Crooked Can Brewing Winter Garden, FL

 

Short answer is no. Bowiggens is the most promising out of the ones mentioned but still nothing on the level of any Tampa brewery. Such a shame bc Orlando has a lot of good BAs and people more than willing to buy good beer.

 

Hourglass is pretty good, there bottle release that is still in stores like Big C and Knightly Spirits, called Shizandra, a bourbon cherry quad is fantastic. I really like Bowiggens, too. Ten 10 just barrel-aged a beer for Wills Pub and his 20th Anniversary party and Crooked Can is pretty cool to go to. Non of them have cans YET but Orlando Brewing is all organic and has bottles, some bottle releases and some treats every Tuesday that aren't bad. If you like fresh beer, don't despair, there is plenty in Orlando and by next year, there will probably be twice as much.

 

Great question OP. Orlando has so many craft beer fans it's hard to imagine why we don't have a recognized brewery here. I would guess none of our local breweries would be considered top 20 in the state. I was at Hourglass last Thursday (I ordered a Jai Alai) and I couldn't believe how packed it was. I have already missed last snow at two separate locations this week. If a good brewery opens in Orlando, they will make a killing.

 

@lionssoccer13, I appreciate your candor! I've had Crooked Can's stuff and I wasn't blown away. It was OK; I am hopeful they're still improving.

(I'd be more inclined to believe someone touting how great the Orlando-area breweries are already if that same someone doesn't also tout how great a brewery here in Tampa is that's clearly not great yet.)

It's a good question, @NoleBeerNoleFun. My view is that Central Florida (broadly) is behind because virtually everything about Orlando/BV/Kissimmee -- especially the stuff from downtown, along I Drive and west to Mouse Park -- was built as a fiction designed to appeal to Middle America, and most especially families with children, and created from what had been cattle-grazing scrubland. It's amusement parks and chain restaurants and historically has attracted a demographic not seeking local craft beer but, rather, all-you-can-eat buffets and 3-for-$10 T-shirt shops.

Orlando's beer scene will come along and its best hope are the cool neighborhoods/towns/areas north and east of downtown and out by UCF. Often, breweries lead the way beerwise but it's entirely possible we'll look back and give credit to Redlight Redlight for really kicking off the O-town scene. It's certainly more a matter of "when" than "if." And I welcome it because it will mean great local beer no matter where we travel throughout the Sunshine State!

 

Two more breweries (at the same location) are working to open. Black Cauldron and Broken Strings appear they will open before the end of the year at 1012 W. Church St., Orlando - just blocks from the Citrus Bowl.

 

I really enjoyed Hourglass when I went. Plus, they put metal shows on over there. Craft beer and metal united makes me happy. And yes, their bottled bourbon barrel aged quad is the shit. Really good.

 

It has come a long way in the last year. The demand is here. We just don't have a brewery 'known' for anything yet. I have yet to have an out of state trade partner request anything from our local places. Would love to send bottles/cans/crowlers/growlers of Orlando beer but that just isn't happening right now. As someone else mentioned above it is a matter of 'when.'

 

What is interesting about Orlando is that it seems like the bars and bottle shops are driving the craft scene due to the lack of solid, established breweries. For example, Orlando seems to get a ton of Funky Buddha in distro (some liquor stores getting 4 to 5 times what their Tampa equivalent got of Last Snow) and much better selection of kegs. People I have talked to in Tampa about work in the industry all say it is because the Orlando stores are selling so much more volume of Funky Buddha then Tampa (and so much more volume of craft beer overall) which is because your average craft beer drinker is having to go to ABC or TW to get his weekly six pack and his bombers rather then buying it right from a brewery

 

Does Cask and Larder count as Orlando? Love that place.

 

The beer has been getting better. I really enjoyed the BA Imperial Porter they crowlered a few months back.

 

Didn't they get a new head brewer recently?

 

They went through a bit of a transition phase after Ron left but now Larry has taken the reigns and is putting out a solid product.

 

Mmmmm 4 Rivers.

Sorry for the off topic post but that place is awesome.

 

If only they sold beer

 

Skip 4 Rivers and hit Pig Floyds on Mills about a mile from Redlight Redlight. Insane BBQ and they actually serve beer, I always dug 4Rivers but as they expanded hasn't seemed the same original quality and Pig Floyds knocked it out of the park.

 

Hourglass - Maybe I have just had bad luck the 3 times I've been, but hourglass has just been plain awful for me. I see some BA's here disagree.

Ten 10 just opened and it's super mediocre and mildly overpriced. Hoping for improvements down the road.

Crooked Can - Meh. Great business idea and execution though, as part of the plant street market.

Bowigens is the best in Orlando but their batches are tiny and inconsistent. They are also basically unknown. Not sure if they just aren't doing a good job marketing themselves.

Dead Lizard has promise. I had some of their stuff at Oblivion a while back. But who thought it was a good idea to open in Milenia?

Broken Strings and Black Cauldron are opening soon. 2 small breweries in one tiny location. Not really sure how the logistics are going to work on that, but I am hoping for good results!

Orlando Brewing/Cask & Larder - Meh.

Redlight Redlight - Their Berliner is probably consistently the best Orlando made beer I've had, and their other beers are getting better. Brent seems to be honing his skills in a good way.

Am I missing anything?