There's a lot of reasons to love Tampa; our killer sports teams, the eclectic array of restaurants and nightlife, all the people that make it great, and recently, the beer.
Beer?
Yes, beer. Over the past few years, Tampa has slowly become a pretty big blip on the American craft beer radar with a proliferation of new breweries, microbrew-focused bars, and newfound adoration for this hoppy libation.
Here's five of our favorite places to grab a tall, cold one in Tampa.
We put a lot into our bodies every day, and we'd like to think, for the most part, we know where it comes from and how it's made; meat from animals, soda from sugar and water, pickles from cucumbers, you get the point. But, what about beer?
Crafting a quality batch of brew is a beautiful and incredibly complex process you can see right up close for yourself at the Yuengling Brewery in Tampa. Take a FREE tour of the brewery and learn all about how Yuengling is made then "sample" a few of their prized beers at the end of the tour in their biergarten.
World of Beer is a chain, but it's anything but homogenized and corporate. Simply put, if you want to drink good beer (Bud doesn't count, bro) or learn about it, make a stop at W.O.B. A.S.A.P.
World of Beer is cool because each location really prides itself on finding and serving different, maybe not as well-known, beers from all corners of the U.S. and Europe. Really, where else are you going to be able to try a brew called "Golden Monkey" with about twice the alcohol content of your typical beer? Not many places. Stop in today and discover a world of beer at, uh, World of Beer.
Locations throughout Tampa include SoHo, Tampa Palms, Westchase, and Land O' Lakes.
You've got to admire a restaurant that ignores the standard line-up of mega-beers like Michelob, Bud, and Miller, and basically says "Forget it. We'll just make our own."
Not just a singular beer either, but nine different ones. From the Old Elephant IPA to the Moosekiller Ale, Tampa Bay Brewing Company will hook you up with a palate-pleasing pint you won't soon forget.
Few things go better together than a delicious beer and live music. Get both at the New World Brewery in Ybor City. With more craft beers than you can shake a stick at and a seemingly endless rotation of local acts and recognized and respected national bands playing on the patio, New World is the haven for anyone beer and/or music adoring.
And, finally, Cigar City Brewery, Tampa's newest craft beer lovechild, a line up of totally local-brewed beers we can genuinely call all our own. Stop by their tasting room and try a pint of delicious Jai Alai IPA, Maduro Brown Ale, Florida Cracker White Ale, or, if you can't pick, get a flight and try 4 different beer samples. Tours of the brewery are available Wednesday through Friday by appointment.
