Miami

The 10 Best Breweries in Florida, Ranked

From Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Gainesville and the Keys, check out these must-try Sunshine State breweries.

Cigar City Brewing
Cigar City Brewing
Cigar City Brewing

Less than a decade ago, Florida’s craft beer scene was meager. Sure, there were a few (Cigar City, for example, opened in 2009), but over the past five years, the state’s beer scene has grown exponentially. St. Petersburg and Clearwater on the west coast offer the “Gulp Coast Trail,” a map of about three dozen breweries to visit. In Miami, the Wynwood neighborhood offers four breweries within walking distance of each other (with more to come). The year-round temperate climate dictates that many of Florida’s breweries also feature lush patios that allow you to get your drink on under the stars. From the theme park capital of the world (Orlando) to the sun-drenched Keys, here are the ten best breweries in Florida.

7venth Sun Brewery
7venth Sun Brewery
7venth Sun Brewery

10. 7venth Sun Brewery

Dunedin
Beer Picks: Beers rotate, but the specialty is sour beers
This tiny Gulf Coast brewery is helmed by former brewers from SweetWater and Cigar City, who operate out of only four and a half barrels but come up with the most innovative beers in the state, thanks to co-founder Devon Kreps’ degree in fermentation science. That allows 7venth Sun to push boundaries with its sour beers and give Florida flavors it hasn’t seen before.

Cigar City Brewing
Cigar City Brewing
Cigar City Brewing

9. Cigar City Brewing

Tampa
Beer Picks: Jai Alai IPA, Florida Cracker Belgian-Style Wheat Ale
This Tampa brewery is Florida’s standard bearer for good beer. Located in Tampa, tourists from Orlando make a day trip out of a brewery tour. The brewery is so popular, it has satellite locations at the Amalie Arena at the Tampa International Airport. For all its glory, you might think Cigar City (named for Tampa’s once-thriving cigar-making industry) was founded decades ago, but in reality, it started making beer in 2009. The brewery also proudly boasts that it is vegan-friendly.

Funky Buddha Brewery
Funky Buddha Brewery
Funky Buddha Brewery

8. Funky Buddha Brewery

Oakland Park
Beer Picks: Hop Gun IPA, Last Snow Coconut Coffee Porter
What started in 2010 as a small Boca Raton beer lounge has exploded into the most inventive, off-the-wall brewery possibly in all of America. The brewery opened a mega brewery and taproom in 2013, offering indoor space and an outdoor dog-friendly patio. It offers several excellent core beers like Hop Gun IPA and Floridian Hefeweizen, but it’s most loved for its culinary seasonals like a maple bacon porter, a coffee and coconut porter, and a Thanksgiving-only sweet potato ale.

7. Invasive Species Brewing

Fort Lauderdale
Beer Picks: Patrick Hazy IPA and Ninja Juice Sake/Beer Hybrid
Is it a taproom or a natural history museum? That’s the first question you’ll ask yourself when you walk through the doors of this always-lively brewery filled with skulls and taxidermy animals. Don’t let the decor distract you from the seriously good beers. Invasive Species focuses on juicy IPAs and sour ales, both of which are perfect for pounding during South Florida’s ever-oppressive heat. Don’t miss out on the Ninja Juice, a sake/beer hybrid brewed with sake yeast.

6. Islamorada Brewing & Distillery

Islamorada
Beer Picks: Sandbar Sunday American Wheat Ale, No Wake Zone Coconut Key Lime Ale
The drive from Miami to Key West is beautiful. The part of US1 that connects the Keys to Florida’s mainland is called the Overseas Highway for good reason-much of the 113-mile-long stretch of road is actually a series of bridges that connect each Florida’s keys to each other. Halfway down, you’ll find Islamorada Brewing. This bright yellow and blue building houses a small taproom that’s filled with friendly people and cold beer. Much of the core beers are brewed at Islamorada’s 25,000-square-foot facility in Fort Pierce, leaving the smaller Islamorada outpost to make experimental beers. Look out for beers made with local fruit like a mango habanero wheat ale. Islamorada also distilled its own spirits, so you can also have a cocktail if beer’s not your thing.

Pinellas Ale Works
Pinellas Ale Works
Pinellas Ale Works

5. Pinellas Ale Works

St. Petersburg
Beer Picks: Piddle Pils, Off the Leash IPA
There’s only one thing better than a pint of fresh, cold beer-and that’s knowing you’re also helping dogs in the process. Pinellas Ale Works (P.A.W.) has a dual mission, brew “doggone” good beer and host weekly and monthly events that benefit Pinellas County animal-related charities. The dog-friendly (naturally) taproom features beers with canine-inspired names like Piddle Pils, Peanut Butter Pup, and a Milk Bone stout.

Swamp Head Brewery
Swamp Head Brewery
Swamp Head Brewery

4. Swamp Head Brewery

Gainesville
Beer Picks: Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, Big Nose IPA
Gainesville is best known for its football team, but should also be proud of its beer. Swamp Head brewery is an epic operation full of beers that represent the entire Sunshine State with names like Cottonmouth, Saison du Swamp, and Hydroslide.

Tequesta Brewing
Tequesta Brewing
Tequesta Brewing

3. Tequesta Brewing

Tequesta
Beer Picks: Der Chancellor German Kolsch, Julio’s Weizen
Tucked away in a tiny strip mall just north of the Martin county line, this Treasure Coast beer stalwart has been putting out the best craft beers in that region for almost a decade. Dubbed South Florida’s first craft brewery, it won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Fest (GABF) for its Bock in Bock.

2. J. Wakefield Brewing

Miami
Beer Picks: Dragon Fruit Passion Fruit (DFPF), Berliner Weisse, Hops 4 Teacher IPA
Johnathan Wakefield started his beer journey as a home brewer who raised capital for his Wynwood brewery through crowdsourcing. Years later, the brewery is known for two things: Florida Weisse beers (sour porch pounders made with local fruit) and a Star Wars-themed space, complete with a Han Solo encased in carbonite table. The brewery is somewhat of a Miami tourist attraction, but it creates some of the most unique and solid beers in the state. Worth the hype.

Wynwood Brewing Company
Wynwood Brewing Company
Wynwood Brewing Company

1. Wynwood Brewing Company

Miami
Beer Picks: La Rubia Blonde Ale, Pop’s Porter, Laces IPA
Father-and-son duo, Luis and Luis “Pops” Brignoni, opened Wynwood-the first brewery in the City of Miami proper. The smallish taproom is teeming with locals and a smattering of tourists who find the brewery at the far west reaches of Wynwood (right near I-95). Wynwood won a GABF award for Pop’s Porter, a rich beer with chocolate and coffee notes. But its most loved beer is its La Rubia, a blond ale that’s a refreshing foil to the impressive chicken wings sold by Cluckin’ Right, which sets up Thursday to Sunday evenings at the brewery.

Miami

Bad Bunny and David Grutman's Sexy AF Miami Steakhouse is Finally Here

The rapper does whatever he wants.

Photo by Michael Stavaridis
Photo by Michael Stavaridis
Photo by Michael Stavaridis

David Grutman is back at it again, and this time the hospitality guru is bringing a new partner into the fold-award-winning recording artist, Bad Bunny. Located in Miami’s trendy Brickell neighbourhood, Gekkō, which translates to “moonlight” is a Japanese-inspired steakhouse that will serve fancy cuts of Wagyu alongside a bevy of sushi offerings. In true Groot Hospitality form, this isn’t your basic steakhouse, it’s also got a lounge that very well may play the sounds of Bad Bunny and the like into the wee hours of the night.

“Gekkō is the result of so many of my obsessions in food,” says David Grutman, Founder of Groot Hospitality. “It’s a steakhouse inspired by Japanese cuisine. There are delicious, innovative sushi rolls. There’s a lounge. I knew I wanted to do something that combined these worlds, and once I started speaking with Bunny, I knew he’d be a great partner. Gekkō is about having an incredible meal while having an equally incredible night.”

Photo by WORLD RED EYE
Photo by WORLD RED EYE
Photo by WORLD RED EYE

To celebrate the opening of Gekkō (not so coincidentally the same weekend Bad Bunny has two shows scheduled in South Florida), the crew hosted a massive grand opening party that attracted dozens of A-list celebrities and friends of both Grutman and Bad Bunny. Upon arrival, in his white Bugatti, mobs of fans who spent the entire evening swarming the restaurant began chanting “Benito! Benito!” as he exited his car in an all black suit paired with black sunglasses.

The night went something like this. A-list artists of every genre came out to celebrate. Future and Lil Wayne were seen on a couch in deep conversation and catching up with Mack Maine. Bad Bunny and Karol G were spotted running from table to table together, while DJ Khaled was seen embracing Bad Bunny and congratulating him on such a beautiful new restaurant. Timbaland and Andy Garcia were spotted hanging out for a long period, while Sophie Turner and her husband, Joe Jonas, hung with Victoria and David Beckham. Amidst that hundreds of average joes mixed and mingled while attempting to make their way to the bar so they could get a peek at some of the restaurant’s cocktails and sushi bites. It was quite a scene.

Photo courtesy of Michael Stavaridis
Photo courtesy of Michael Stavaridis
Photo courtesy of Michael Stavaridis

Okay, so back to the restaurant. Gekkō was designed by New York City-based architecture and design firm, Rockwell Group, and is made up of three different rooms with seats for up to 185 diners. It’s centred around sultry jewel-toned decor with plush and stylistic elements like a custom gold and red dip-dyed rope installation, graphic wall coverings, and velvet drapery.

Now you might be wondering about the food, because that’s really why we’re going to a restaurant, right? Gekkō’s menu begins with shared plates where diners will find things like a signature Japanese milk bread, “Lava and Ice” Kumamoto Oysters, lobster dumplings, and a wedge salad. When it comes to raw plates there’s sushi and sashimi classics as well as an opulent 24k Otoro, that’s exactly what it sounds like-deliciously tender fatty tuna covered in a layer of 24k gold leaf.

Photo by Libby Vision
Photo by Libby Vision
Photo by Libby Vision

Then there’s the steaks which include a Tomahawk cut, an olive-fed filet mignon from Kagawa, Japan, and a snow beef strip from Hokkaido, Japan. Specialty preparations include Wagyu skirt steak and a bone-in ribeye. And because Grutman is always sure his restaurants cater to the tastes of everyone, there’s even some plant-based chicken options and more.

“Sitting down with friends to enjoy a good meal is one of the moments I value the most,” says Bad Bunny. “I am thrilled that now I will have a hand in creating this experience for others.”

Gekkō opens tonight at 8 SE 8th Street in Brickell. The dining room and lounge serve customers from 6 to 11 pm Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and 6 pm to 12 am Friday and Saturday. Valet parking is available for $20 or you can attempt to find a street parking on Brickell. Visit gekko.com for reservations.

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Amber Love Bond is a contributor for Thrillist.

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