Every day is beer season in Pinellas County. Craft breweries can be found from Dunedin to downtown St. Pete, and the best local bars offer dozens of local craft brews to quaff and quibble about. There’s an awarded-winning craft brew for every taste, from light and lively saisons and pilsners to hoppy IPAs and demure ciders waiting to be sampled.
Breweries offer fun for all, from live music and trivia to themed parties and silent disco. At some local breweries, you can take home growlers or purchase your favorite local craft beer in cans at grocery and liquor stores. Coming 2020 to downtown St. Pete is the much anticipated Grand Central Brewhouse serving 16 beers, seating for 250 and alfresco seating, including an outdoor roof terrace. Also check out the Gulp Coast craft brewery passport and get rewarded for visiting St. Pete/Clearwater’s best at gulpcoast.com
Here’s some of our fave brewhouses.
Sip & Savor: Want to sample dozens of locals? Head over to Pour Taproom, Oak & Stone, the Ale & The Witch and Big Jim’s Steakhouse or plan to join some friends on a Brew Tour with Thirsty Pelican.
Arkane Aleworks: This Largo brewhouse serves up adult coloring and craft beers in North Pinellas for the ultimate relaxing tippling of Strawberry Shortcake (their latest Pastry Sour) or Wandering Star (maple vanilla coffee Milk Stout).
Big Storm Brewing Co.: With three locations and a full menu available from lunch to later, this is where the locals go to drink craft beer and wine on tap in North Pinellas. They even roast and sell coffee beans! The Firestorm Black IPA, American Pale Ale, Southern Pale Ale brewed with honey, and Cocoa Convergence tantalize the taste buds. Seasonal beers at this craft brewery are some of the best in town.
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: Technically not a “local” craft brewery, it’s still one of my personal faves coming out of San Diego’s amazing beer scene like Ballast Point and Karl Strauss, especially since they design dishes with their beers and pour the amazing Brewhouse Blond and Oasis Amber.
Caledonia Brewing Co.: Once the Dunedin Printing Company in North Pinellas, the terracotta block tasting room and the Rat Arsed Scotch Ale pays homage to the town’s Celtic heritage.
Crooked Thumb Brewery: Safety Harbor’s explosion of New England, Southern, and French cuisines pairs well with a visit to this restored warehouse tasting room, a beer garden with picnic tables, and family fun from yard games to live music. The whole family can come to this craft brewery since it’s pet-friendly!
Cueni Brewing Co.: Bike the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin and stop here for an English or Belgian ale on the alfresco patio or tasting room. My personal favorite here is the Oh Amber Belgian brown ale!
Cycle Brewery: Yes, it’s a bike shop, java pit stop, and craft beer fitness fanatic hangout. Check out the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Start for a real kick-in-the-pants craft beer.
Dunedin Brewery: Enjoy live music, a Tuesday night drum circle, and Monday laugh jam while sipping a refreshing fruity brew (apricot peach ale, Sour Blonde with raspberry, cherry, and lime) or old school 22 Anniversary Pilsner. A $5 tour gets you a souvenir glass at this craft brewery in North Pinellas.
Dunedin House of Beer: This tap house serves 40 beers both local and regional on tap including enchanting suds and a hip vibe plus free pool on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Flying Boat Brewery: The photo murals pay homage to Downtown St. Petersburg’s aviation history in partnership with the St. Petersburg Museum of History. You can sip on the patio, the industrial-décor taproom, or in one of many spare, modern rooms perfect for a laid-back meeting, the legendary Wednesday trivia night and kibbitzing over board games.
Green Bench Brewery: Hosting cool community events and tastings, and with easy access to Red Mesa’s spicy Mex fare, best with their Green Bench IPA, a medium-bodied ale with aromas of soft citrus and earthy pine combined with very subtle notes of tropical fruit, you’ll find some of the best saisons here like the dry, crisp “Green Bench Saison” with hints of citrus and peppercorns. Upstairs is an adults-only lounge.
Grindhaus Brew Lab: Off the beaten path in Clearwater, you can drink movie-themed beers in a lab beaker and watch cult classics in this quirky, experimental craft brewery.
Lagerhaus Brewery & Grill: German-style beers from a fifth generation Austrian brewer pair well with homemade beer sausages and bratwurst in this Palm Harbor pub.
Mad Beach Craft Brewing Co.: Make a beeline for John’s Pass Village for savory apps and refreshing and fruity (even gluten-free) beers and ciders, family-friendly games, lots of big-screen TVs, and live music. Some of their savory apps include tots poutine, gator bites, jerk chicken, and my favorite, the house-brined, roasted Pork Belly with crispy bacon, arugula, tomato, guava jelly, cilantro crema, and beer battered onion rings. Drink up, especially the Life’s A Beach Orange Blossom Honey Wheat Ale and tangy Dolphin Drool Dry Hopped American Pale Ale.
Mastry’s Brewery: The craft brewery and tasting room at 7701 Blind Pass Rd. in St. Pete Beach, has a relaxed open setting, entertainment, delicious food from The Kitchen, on-site Thursday – Saturday, superb customer service and knowledge of beer. Mastry’s brings you a taste of a vacation in a glass. With the diverse tap list at Mastry’s Brewing Co., you can drink an award winning Hefeweizen, a smooth full-bodied Stout or order the latest in hazy, juicy IPAs. Follow them on Instagram or Facebook for the latest on what’s on tap.
Overflow Brewery: The former brewer for Rapp owns this craft beer establishment, and his sour beers, grunge Seattle décor, cheeky bartender, and exterior murals on 1st Ave. North in Downtown St. Petersburg is dive-hip with the most refreshing sour cherry and grapefruit beers. Genius!
Palm Harbor Brewery: This craft brewery in North Pinellas with a casual tasting room and quaint outdoor patio features craft beers and Two Lion Winery vinos and wine slushies. Thursday features a drum circle, and there’s live music on occasion.
Rapp Brewing Co.: This Seminole outlier serves some terrific small batch beers, especially dark. Food trucks, events, and more make it a convivial local hangout.
Sea Dog Brewery: Locations in downtown, Gulfport and Treasure Island (oh what a view with a marina too!) serve up Shipyard drafts, yummy apps, and an authentic lobster roll.
St. Pete Brewing Co.: This craft brewery in St. Petersburg is a great spot to chill over some beers that taste like beer, and you can enjoy the Italian food from next door at Angelo’s Grill & Bar.
7th Sun Brewery: With an outdoor patio, dog-friendly policy, and a tiny tasting room big on small batch IPAs, oak-aged sour beers and spirited barrel-aged beers, this Dunedin craft brewery showcases local artisans on the first Wednesday of every month and celebrates Hangover Day in March.
Saint Somewhere Brewing Co.: This craft brewery in Tarpon Springs serves up farmhouse ales and saisons in this kitschy two-story Victorian home with 10 taps and a two-room B&B upstairs.
Silverking Brewing Co.: Tarpon Springs 1909 Fire Station is on fire! Now a craft brewery, Silverking Brewing Co. is filled with historic memorabilia and fishing trophies. The Silverking Strike golden blonde is one of twelve flavors you’ll want to drink over and over again!
Soggy Bottom Brewery: From the Toasted Coconut Porter to the Blood Orange Sweet Tart, this craft brewery in North Pinellas mixes cocktail-flavored suds in Dunedin dreamed up by three former bartenders. You can also enjoy live music here with your craft beer.
Stilt House Brewing: Cruise on the Pinellas Trail to Palm Harbor’s best craft alehouse with 26 brews on tap, game nights, corn hole tournaments, and more.
3 Daughters Brewery: This cavernous taproom and unassuming building houses a live music stage, quirky events like Silent Disco and Musical Bingo, food trucks, game rooms, and outdoor picnic tables in Downtown St. Petersburg’s artsy 22nd Ave. Warehouse District. Stop in for a thirst-quenching Beach Blonde, then sip a flight for a seasonal craft beer.
Tampa Bay Brewing Co.: This Oldsmar legend with another location in Ybor is one of Florida’s first craft brewers, creating Florida lifestyle beers hosting fundraisers, live music, and winning awards for their 38 seasonal brews matched well with burgers, pizzas, and steaks.
Two Frogs Brewing Company: Once home to a Tarpon Springs drugstore, this USF home brewer graduate reinterprets his grandfather’s pre-Prohibition beers. Try the Bullfrog Blonde or Beach Cruiser Summer IPA.
Woodwright Brewing Company: Is it a ski chalet or Dunedin’s half brewery/half woodshop? You decide over a flight of Irish Red and German Ale sipped on the patio or in the upstairs loft.