Why Is There Practically No Brewery Scene In Orlando

Discussion in 'South Atlantic' started by NoleBeerNoleFun, Aug 19, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. NoleBeerNoleFun

    NoleBeerNoleFun Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2015 Florida
    Trader

    with it being the number one destination in Florida?....it's never made sense to me and no one has ever really been able to give me an answer....is it just because most of the breweries wants to be in The Tampa Bay Area?....seems like a new Brewery opens up weekly in Tampa with very little happening in Orlando
     
  2. floridadrift

    floridadrift Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2014 Florida

    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
     
    Starscream86 likes this.
  3. NoleBeerNoleFun

    NoleBeerNoleFun Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2015 Florida
    Trader

    Never heard of a single one of those..never seen there beer in any city in Florida either..are any of them any good?
     
  4. lionssoccer13

    lionssoccer13 Zealot (518) Jun 30, 2011 Florida
    Trader

    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.
     
  5. floridadrift

    floridadrift Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2014 Florida

    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.
     
    Starscream86 likes this.
  6. danh53

    danh53 Initiate (0) Dec 28, 2014 Florida

    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.
     
  7. The_FishermanJay

    The_FishermanJay Pundit (936) May 16, 2010 Florida
    Trader

    @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!
     
  8. nmyers462000

    nmyers462000 Initiate (0) Oct 1, 2013 Florida

    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.
     
    floridadrift likes this.
  9. colt3ninja

    colt3ninja Zealot (732) Sep 27, 2014 Florida
    Trader

    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.
     
    floridadrift likes this.
  10. Mangbus

    Mangbus Initiate (0) Aug 25, 2014 Florida

    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.'
     
    floridadrift likes this.
  11. Bartos

    Bartos Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2013 Florida

    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
     
  12. Beerly-Departed

    Beerly-Departed Initiate (0) Dec 5, 2013 Florida

    Does Cask and Larder count as Orlando? Love that place.
     
    Mangbus and johnyb like this.
  13. Mangbus

    Mangbus Initiate (0) Aug 25, 2014 Florida

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

    Bartos Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2013 Florida

    Didn't they get a new head brewer recently?
     
    Mangbus likes this.
  15. thirstygator

    thirstygator Initiate (0) Mar 29, 2012 Florida

    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.
     
    kpanter and Mangbus like this.
  16. NoleBeerNoleFun

    NoleBeerNoleFun Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2015 Florida
    Trader

    Good Information all...I will hit some of these places next time I am in town....In the past I always did The Redlight Redlight than on to 4 Rivers for BBQ thing...it will be nice to change it up
     
  17. MikeMoriendi

    MikeMoriendi Initiate (0) Jun 13, 2008 Pennsylvania

    Mmmmm 4 Rivers.

    Sorry for the off topic post but that place is awesome.
     
    colt3ninja likes this.
  18. Freehouse

    Freehouse Crusader (487) Nov 17, 2012 Florida

    If only they sold beer :slight_smile:
     
  19. wesbourne

    wesbourne Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2013 Florida

    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.
     
    pmangold and NoleBeerNoleFun like this.
  20. Kevinhcraig

    Kevinhcraig Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2011 Florida

    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?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.