Beer Tour of St. Petersburg, Florida

Saint Petersburg, Florida is a place where palm trees sway in the ocean breeze and murals are beautifully displayed on the sides of various buildings spread throughout the tropical landscape. This bustling Florida haven is where culture and history thrive together, as tourists swarm to get a glimpse of some of the finest artwork, food and music in the state. Over the past ten years, Saint Petersburg has seen a rise of new businesses and residents alike, and among these businesses are eleven uniquely designed breweries that have popped up just within the past six years, with ten being situated within a mile stretch and just a short walk from the famous Tropicana Field (home of Major League Baseball’s Rays).

On the furthest end of the brewery spectrum towards the east side of the mile stretch is Cycle Brewing. The name reveals some of what the brewery’s theme is on the inside with bicycles hanging on the back wall and a metallic piece of artwork set up in the taproom with bright green lights illuminating it from behind. Colorful chairs are situated around several small “cubby” areas with tables and chairs nestled inside along with interesting artwork and photos from local aspiring artists and photographers posted up. A small brewing system is set up in the back that pumps out hopped-up delights including Fixie Session IPA, Hazelnut Cream and Sugar Please Coffee Porter, Ryerish Red Ale and some barrel-aged specialties.

Across the street and a block over from Cycle Brewing is St. Pete Brewing Company. This brewery brings out the sailor in you with its cool nautical-themed design with two oars and a lit-up anchor positioned front and center in the taproom. Though St. Pete is another small-batch brewing system, that doesn’t stop them from brewing up a wide array of different styles and flavors that includes McCracken Scottish Ale, Altheos Belgian Triple and Bearded Pelican Chocolate Porter.

Only a few yards from St. Pete Brewing Company is Aggregate Brewing Collective that features a homey atmosphere with cozy couches and a packed-to-the-max bookshelf. Originally brewing under another name that specialized in sour, this brewery is fairly new to the scene and has only been operating a few months. Seeking to reach a much broader audience with a list of brews that are more tailored to your average craft beer drinker, Aggregate offers up one of the buzziest beverages in the business: a hard seltzer! Aggregate's hard seltzer is called Funk Water.  Beyond that, the brewery brews various IPAs including FB.IPA and pale ales as well as a delectable milk stout called Connexion Milk Stout.

 A couple of blocks down from Aggregate Brewing is Overflow Brewing Company, a vibrant and lively brewery that is decked out with Nintendo Game Boy-themed murals that encompass the entire exterior portion of the brewery. Inside is just as exhilarating with Lego-inspired tap handles and artwork from local artists hanging throughout the taproom. The nostalgic design of Aggregate leads to a well-stocked tap list that includes ten or more brews at all times, including Comfort Panda Sour, Grain Bag Slumber Party English Mild and Moroccan Dream Saison.

Overflow Brewing Company is a vibrant and lively brewery that is decked out with Nintendo Game Boy-themed murals, Lego-inspired tap handles and artwork from local artists hanging throughout the taproom.

Moving a few more blocks west from Overflow Brewing is one of the first breweries in St. Petersburg, Green Bench Brewing Company. A red brick exterior building that provides you with little information as to what may lie inside other than a sign posted up top. Inside is an industrial-themed design with pipeline-styled overhead lights and a giant glass window that gives you a glimpse into their spectacular brewing operation.

Unlike the previously mentioned breweries that operate on small-batch systems, this operation is rather large with several fermentation tanks that hold more than enough beer to quench the thirst of the greater St. Petersburg area. Some of their numerous brews include Postcard Pilsner, Honey Saison, Les Grisettes Farmhouse Ale and several smoked beers. 

Not only do they provide plenty of delicious craft brews in their taphouse, but they also have an awesome cellar room next door that features various sour beers that are fermented in a foeder as well as a number of aged barrel-aged brews.

Three blocks further down from Green Bench Brewing is another smaller operation, Avid Brew Company. Another industrially inspired brewery with metal pipelines set up as footstools and a brick interior along with a small overhead apartment that is entered through a spiral staircase, Avid makes you feel as though you went back in time with Doc Brown into the 1950s.

A smaller brewing system is set up inside the taproom that houses several smaller fermentation tanks and a boiler. Some of their brews include a Belgian strong golden ale, a black IPA, a pale wheat, and a fruited sour. Not only do they brew up some great beers, but they also sell homebrewing essentials and hydroponic growing equipment.

Just down from Green Bench Brewing are four smaller breweries all of which are situated only a short walk from each other. The first stop of the four is Pinellas Ale Works, where they always have 30-plus beers on tap in the taproom and, as their dog paw print logo suggests, they are one of the most dog-friendly breweries in the area. Some of their multiple brews furhter underscore the dog-themed brewery, as their names suggest: Sit Amber Ale, Milk Bone Sweet Stout, 1888 Russian Imperial Stout and Barrel-Aged Play Dead Barleywine.

One of the more well-known St. Petersburg breweries is Green Bench, which produces a variety of styles including Florida weisses, hazy IPAs as well as specific brews such as Postcard Pilsner, Honey Saison and Les Grisettes Farmhouse Ale.

Right across the street from Pinellas Ale Works is Cage Brewing Company. This brewery has a spacious taproom with a double set of taps located on opposite sides of the same wall and a verdant beer garden that houses a large stage where local bands can play their tunes. They house a small brewing system where they brew up various IPAs as well as beers such as CBR Light Lager and Pinball Porter.

Two blocks over from Cage Brewing is a small brewery called If I Brewed The World. This cleverly named brewery features a unique setup: a one-tank brewing system is hidden away behind a secret bookshelf door, and although they only have one tank, they somehow manage to have at least seven or more brews on tap at all times. Some of their concoctions include Grapefruit Hazy Bois IPA, Session American Brown Ale and a Captain Crunch Berry-inspired wheat beer called Crunchberry Cereal Wheat.

Right around the corner from If I Brewed The World lies a brewery that is tailor-made for craft beer lovers and video game enthusiasts alike: Right Around The Corner Brewing. Here is where the love of video games and beer come together in perfect harmony with several delicious brews including Tiffany’s Melons Watermelon Wheat, Porthole Porter and Horse Wheelie Cream Ale, all of which are poured out of Nintendo-inspired tap handles. Several arcade games are spread throughout along with a giant screen set up in the middle of it all where you can play all your favorite classic video games on their original systems.

Leaving Right Around The Corner Brewing and heading two blocks south you run into another one of the first breweries built in Saint Petersburg: 3 Daughters Brewing. This brewery is far from the other four breweries in as far as brewing capacity goes. 3 Daughters houses several spectacularly large fermentation tanks in two separate buildings, some of which are the largest in the state of Florida. “Last year we produced a little over 15,000 barrels with 1,800 of those barrels going through the tasting room,” 3 Daughters owner and founder Mike Harting said.

3 Daughters Brewing houses several spectacularly large fermentation tanks in two separate buildings, some of which are the largest in the state of Florida.

Image Courtesy 24/7 News

Even though 3 Daughters has only been in operation for a little over six years, their market reach is on an international scale. “We distribute throughout the state of Florida as well as internationally, including France, England, Brazil and the Caribbean.” Harting explained.

Their taproom is no less awe-inspiring than their brewhouse with two different bar areas with plenty of unique and fascinating brews on tap, as well as a large stage that hosts local bands along with several tables, each of which are etched with various board games right on the surface. Inside their main taproom area is a lab where all their products are tested by a biologist for quality control as they seek to produce the highest-quality products possible. Nearby the lab is a large game room that houses several old-school pinball machines and arcade games to help enhance your beer-drinking experience.

3 Daughters brews up various styles and flavors, including Strawberry Blonde Ale, El Hefe Hefeweizen​ and several barrel-aged beers, yet their most popular brew by far is their flagship, Beach Blonde Ale, according to Harting: “We have 45 different tap handles and we’re always making something different, and yet at the end of the day, the Beach Blonde Ale is always the number one beer that consumers choose.”

Not only do they brew up some good beers, but they also provide some scrumptious food via a small food truck set up outside the brewery. While the truck provides various types of foods, including burgers, and other typical pub grub for the time being, the brewery is currently constructing a small indoor platform inside the taproom to cook and serve up food from an actual kitchen. “We’ve had the trailer for about a year now and it has worked well for us, but now our food will get its own front-end identity.” Harting stated.

“We have 45 different tap handles and we’re always making something different, and yet at the end of the day, the Beach Blonde Ale is always the number one beer that consumers choose," says 3 Daughters Owner and Founder Mike Harting.

All Images courtesy respective breweries, except where noted