While craft beer might not be the first thing visitors to Miami think of, maybe it should be. From Wynwood to Homestead and Coral Gables, Greater Miami is bursting with breweries, from full scale production breweries with spacious tap rooms to intimate brewpubs. With so many ways to enjoy craft beer here, plan ahead to make the most of what's brewing.
Tip 1: Stay Current on the Latest Openings
“It's definitely been growing in recent years, exponentially,” said Matthew Weintraub, brewmaster at The Tank Brewing Co.
Opened in April, The Tank Brewing Co. brings a distinctly Miami flair to the beer scene. Its facility features a full cigar lounge in addition to a lineup of aptly named brews such as El Farito IPA and La Finca Miami, a Belgian style-wheat saison. With over a dozen taps and food served up by Twisted Fork Kitchen, Tank is well worth the drive out to Miami's western suburb of Doral.
Once here, Weintraub recommends visiting MIA Brewing and Biscayne Brewing all in one day, "because we're all fifteen minutes apart.”
After, make your way to Miami's über-hip Wynwood area where Veza Sur has set up shop and is scheduled to open Aug. 19. With macro backing from Anheuser-Busch InBev, Veza Sur is a collaborative creation between craft beer bonafides Bogota Beer Company in Colombia and 10 Barrel Brewing out of Portland, Oregon.
“Apart from offering, our takes on bold and a true-to-style session IPA and a wheat IPA showcasing the fruity and bitter beauty of hops, we will pay tribute to our roots [Latin/German] and the Miami climate,” said brewmaster Asbjorn Gerlach. “We will be focusing on easy-drinking but flavorful, seasonable beers on the lower alcohol range, some of them with an experimental twist.”
Other breweries to be on the lookout opening this year include Bousa Brewing in Little River, Descarga Brewing and Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending in North Miami, Tripping Animals Brewery in Doral and Unbranded Brewing Company in Hialeah. Pro tip: Sign up online for newsletters, tasting and opening announcements from your favorite breweries, in addition to following them on Instagram.
Tip 2: Save the Date for Beer Fests
In the fall and winter, Miami steps up its festival schedule and Octoberfests abound.
Oct. 6-8: Although it may not be the original Munich 16-day party from the 1800s, the German tradition is alive and well at Sam Adams' Octoberfest. The event features a reproduction of a Bavarian Beer Hall that's open for free for three days at the Sam Adams Castle in MANA Wynwood.
October 14: Each year Grovetoberfest lives up to the hype with more and more breweries joining to quench the thirst of craft beer aficionados. This year, the festival returns to where it all started—Miami's Coconut Grove Peacock Park. Admission ranges from $44 for general admission to $89 for VIP.
Nov. 11-12: The Coral Gables Food & Wine Festival is a celebration of nearly 300 brands of beer, wine and spirits, plus plenty of food in seven pavilions around Alhambra Circle. General admission to the a la carte area is free, however if you want to splurge for the VIP area with unlimited food and exclusive wine and beer, it will set you back $99.
January: Grab a cold one on the field where the Miami Marlins play at the Miami Beer Fest. Hobnob with other beer lovers as you sample international and domestic beers, play lawn games and groove to the music. General admission tickets start at $45 and range up to $80 for the Beer Connoisseur's ticket which includes an additional hour and access to a VIP area.
April 7:SPRUNG! Beer Festival brings a particularly Wynwood vibe to the old RC Cola Plant where guests sample more than 300 local and international brews engulfed by the iconic Wynwood murals. Admission ranges between $39.99 to $89.99.
Tip 3: See What's Brewing Behind-the-Scenes
While sipping handcrafted brews in tap rooms is certainly a fine way to spend one's vacation, if you want the inside scoop on craft beer you'll need to go behind-the-scenes. Here are a few of our favorites to get all the nuanced details of how the frothy stuff is made or how these places got started, tour its fermenters, bright tanks and sample a few experimental new beers.
Wynwood Brewing Company offers tours Saturdays and Sundays, from 2 to 3 pm and from 6 to 7 pm with a $10 donation that funds the Roberto's Kids' boys baseball team in Wynwood’s Roberto Clemente Park. Tour admission includes a Wynwood Brewing glass and a free pour of your favorite brew.
Tour South Florida's largest brewery, Funky Buddha, Thursday through Sunday, and learn its funky history, taste its unconventional beers and discover the secrets behind its eccentric brewing techniques. Commemorative Funky Buddha Brewery glass included with tour ($8).
Mondays and Fridays at 7 pm and weekends from 1 to 4 pm, visit Wynwood Miami's Concrete Beach Brewery for free tours and hang out with the locals as you sample its small-batch brews.
