The Tampa Bay Brewing Company lies in the heart of Ybor City, Florida. © Dawn Damico
Benjamin Franklin said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” And in Tampa, Florida love and happiness flow freely through the heart of Florida’s craft beer movement!
Breweries are run by people who are passionate about their craft, enjoyed by people who are passionate about beer, and provide a gathering place that connects locals and visitors to the community. Just like pubs have always been where ideas are exchanged, craft breweries pick up that torch and carry it to the next generations.
Many of these modern-day pubs honor the past while forging new paths to the future with unique flavor experimentations. From key lime pie to maple and bacon and more, tasting a Tampa Bay craft beer is like celebrating Florida’s past, present, and future.
Florida’s First Brewery – Starting at the Beginning
The Florida Brewing Company, originally called the Ybor City Brewing Company, in Ybor City was the first to brew in January, 1897. © Dawn Damico
Beer and cigars. Nowhere else is that connection more prominent than in Ybor City, Florida. Tampa saw a massive transformation in the 1880s from a sleepy fishing village to a thriving center for cigar manufacturing. Vicente Martinez-Ybor built a company town around the factory, and the Cubans, Spaniards, and Italians worked and lived in the area. According to an 1895 publication, “Tourists’ and Settlers’ Guide to Florida,” the factory’s average weekly payroll was $65,000. The town was thriving.
The Florida Brewing Company, originally called the Ybor City Brewing Company, was the first to brew in January 1897. By 1900, its annual output was about 10,000 barrels of lager beer. They had bottling works and used a vacuum system of fermentation with artificial refrigeration. Their claim to fame was the water. Underneath the ground beneath the original brewery building was the spring that provided water to Fort Brooke. This water gives Tampa brews a great foundation.
What is Craft Beer?
Tampa has earned the reputation as “The craft beer destination in the Southeast” © Dawn Damico
Craft beer is grains, hops, yeast, water, and, some say, a little magic and inspiration. Every beer has a story. From their unique tastes, the art-inspired labels, the design of the building, and even the brewery’s name, discovering the story behind the beer is often an adventure all on its own. It’s more than beer. It’s the farmer who grows the grain, the visionary who looks at an unused space and sees the possibility, and the creative brewmaster who dares to step outside the norm to create something memorable.
Craft beer is a way to solve the problems of the world, when the problem with the world is everyone is a few drinks behind. And with over 250 craft breweries, Florida is certain to have one where you can find something to love.
5 Tampa Breweries to Taste on your Next Visit
Kent Bailey opened Coppertail Brewing Company in 2014, naming it after the story his young daughter told him about a mythical sea monster that lived in Tampa Bay. © Dawn Damico
Coppertail Brewing Co
The murals outside this building, where railcars used to transport olives and mayo in the 1920s, are a great reason to visit this brewery! You can enjoy food or beer outside on the dog-friendly patio or balcony. Inside, you’ll find little bits of vintage Florida throughout the decor, like an unearthed train rail at the bar. And the name? Well, that’s vintage Florida too. As long as there have been sailors, there have been tales of sea monsters. And while the brewery’s founder is a former lawyer and not a former sailor, the idea of a mythical sea creature seemed perfect for his venture into the unknown.
I enjoyed the Free Dive IPA at Coppertail Brewing Co. They have scheduled tours except on the last Sunday of the month when they open their back lot to local artists.
Location: 2601 East 2nd Avenue, Tampa, FL
Ybor City (by Ikea)
The brewers at Bastet say that in ancient Egyptian culture, the gods were offered beer, workers were paid in beer, and people were buried with beer to enjoy in the afterlife. © Dawn Damico
Bastet Brewing
A few blocks from Coppertail is your next stop. Located in a small strip mall, the first surprising thing you’ll notice is the Egyptian artwork, including a piece that marries ancient Egypt with modern-day superhero comics. As I learned, beer was a staple in ancient Egyptian society. According to the brewery, literature from around 2200 BC reads, “The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer.” The gods were offered beer, workers were paid in beer, and some were buried with beer to enjoy in the afterlife.
Luckily, we don’t have to wait until the afterlife to enjoy beer at Bastet’s Brewing. I tried a flight in a range of colors from purple (yes, purple) to deep espresso.
It included Ra-Toberfest, an amber lager with beautiful color and rich flavor; Root Beer Soda-yes, soda, with a creamy, vanilla-y flavor; Luxor Blonde, a blonde ale; and Ube Dube Do, brewed with ube, a purple yam. The Ube Dube Do was interesting mainly because I’ve never had a purple beer. It was light and refreshing. It tasted more like tangy Kombucha tea than beer, probably because of the lemon.
Location: 1951 E. Adamo Drive, Tampa, FL
Ybor City (by Ikea)
Cuban territory in the heart of Tampa, Parque Jose Marti honors the Cuban national hero who led the island’s revolution against Spanish rule in the 1880s and 1890s. © Dawn Damico
Ybor City: Don’t Miss Parque Jose Marti
Before heading to your next stop, go to Cuba…no passport required (although getting a passport stamp would be cool!). Parque Jose Marti honors the Cuban national hero who led the island’s revolution against Spanish rule in the 1880s and 1890s and has been a Cuban territory since 1956. It’s just 0.14 acres, but stepping into the well-kept grounds feels peaceful even though you’re in the heart of an urban Latin district. Maybe it’s the inviting park benches or the tributes to Cuba’s past. Or, perhaps it’s the fowl. Chickens, roosters, and baby chicks roam free, as chickens are meant to do, and watching them is a surprising treat. The park is open to the public to enjoy with no entry fee.
Just like pubs have always been a spot where ideas are exchanged, craft breweries pick up that torch and carry it to the next generations. © Dawn Damico
Tampa Bay Brewing Co.
After visiting Parque Jose Marti, walk down to Tampa Bay Brewing Co. The space inside is intimate and welcoming, and outside is a dog-friendly patio area. The decor is red brick and wood with multicolored wooden slats on the walls, a bar that lines one side, and a round neon sign that states the obvious, “Beer is your Friend.”
With names like Reef Donkey (Pale Ale) and Old Elephant Foot (IPA), expect the unusual! I tried a flight with PB&J (yes, that’s peanut butter and jelly), Sun Dew, Gaspar’s Grog, and Great Catherine. The PB&J was sour, you could taste the peanuts, and the color was light. I didn’t expect to like this one, but I did! Great Catherine has dark chocolate and smoky overtones, like sipping chocolate-covered bacon.
Gaspar’s Grog is a strong ale aged six months in Cotherman American Rum-soaked oak barrels. Anything soaked in rum is a good idea; this blend was definitely different. The description promises a “full-bodied mouth-feel with generous flavors of caramel, toffee and brown sugar.” It was like drinking a heavy molasses, dried fruit, bread pudding baked in a wood stove oven by one of our nation’s founders. A meal and a drink in one.
Location: 1600 East 8th Ave., Tampa, FL (Ybor City)
note: TBBC has a second location in Westchase:
13937 Monroes Business Park, Tampa, FL 33635
The Tampa Riverwalk connects restaurants, parks, and gathering places along the Hillsborough River. © Dawn Damico
Ulele (pronounced You-lay-lee)
A former waterworks station is the home of Ulele. Located on Tampa’s Riverwalk, the food at Ulele is cooked on a 10-foot barbacoa grill, and they brew beer to be paired with the food. The location along the Hillsborough River can’t be beat. Arrive by boat and dock at Waterworks Park, where events are held throughout the year. Be sure to stop and enjoy Ulele Springs, an urban spring that is being lovingly restored to its gilded age glory. Ulele Spring Brewery gives tours upon request.
Location: 1810 North Highland Ave., Tampa, FL
Why try a tap room? There is nothing like the experience of drinking a beer that was created a few yards away. © Dawn Damico
Cigar City Brewing Brewpub and Taproom
The Channelside Drive location is closest to the other breweries mentioned, so if you’re staying downtown, choose that one. I visited the Spruce Street location, which is where their dream began. True to the name, you’ll find cigars on display and a spacious tasting room with large steel drums holding the creations poured into your glass as you sit just a few yards away.
Cigar City Brewing is known for its Jai Alai India Pale Ale, noted by the giant mural of the popular sport from the Basque region of Spain. It’s refreshing with tastes of Florida oranges and hints of caramel. Like sunshine in a glass. The first batches were brewed here. They have a full menu, so enjoy a meal, flight, pint, or growler.
After asking my server what they were known for (Jai Alai), I asked what else I should try, and he pointed out the seasonal and specialty beers. When he recommended the Coquito, I was delighted to taste another dark brew. It is Coconut Rum Barrel aged, with hints of horchata, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Smooth and rich, like drinking dessert, this was the perfect taster to end the day’s tour.
Cigar City Brewing has three locations:
1) 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa, FL
*Behind the Home Depot Building
2) Under the Pam Iorio Parking Garage near AMALIE Arena
375 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL
3) Inside the Tampa International Airport (near Gate C43)
One More Thing
In the 1920s, railcars used to transport olives and mayo from the building that now houses Coppertail Brewing Co. © Dawn Damico
Discover the Ale Trail 2023
Get your pass, drink your beer, and collect stamps at participating Breweries throughout Florida.
