There’s nothing better than drinking an ice-cold beer with friends after spending a hot day in the Florida sun. While you may instantly be thinking of the tourist trap restaurants that only serve a handful of domestic brews, there are plenty of craft breweries all over Orlando. From spots with big outdoor spaces with games and TVs to intimate hotel bars, there’s a craft brewery for every vibe.
Even better is that the breweries are dotted all around the city, so whether you’re staying in the hip neighborhoods like Winter Park or closer to the tourist district and the theme parks, there’s a craft beer with your name on it. Just be sure to have a designated driver in your group, or use a ride-share service. Never drink and drive. These are the best breweries in Orlando to check out now.
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One of Orlando's most popular breweries, and my favorite, is Crooked Can Brewing Company in Winter Garden. The brewery is part of the Plant Street Market food hall, where you can order a beer and take it around the food hall and grab everything from BBQ to sushi before making your way out to the patio to enjoy. Nearly every night of the week, there’s live music, and on Tuesday, there’s themed trivia.
My other favorite spot to sit back and have a cold beer is Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company. The tasting room is open daily, and the brewmasters and bartenders serve everything from blonde ales to porters. The brewery is also known for its fun special-release brews that pop up throughout the year. I’m a big fan of the Park Hopp’r, a golden pilsner that is super refreshing on a hot day.
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If you’re looking for one of the more eclectic breweries in town, head straight to Broken Strings Brewery, which is themed after music icons. All over the walls are portraits of singers and artists like Amy Winehouse and David Bowie. The taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday, and beers are usually named after a band or a riff from a popular song. I'm a big fan of the Small World, which is a pineapple whip sour, a take on the popular Disney snack. The Country Road American light lager is also a good beer to wash down snacks from the food trucks that stop by the brewery.
Winter Park is a thriving food neighborhood and one spot that is constantly full is The Ravenous Pig Brewing Co. Here, you can enjoy beer and great food inside the taproom or outside on the sunny patio. The beer here is all made in small batches and is closely monitored by brewmaster Larry Foor. The brewery has some year-round brews, including Lone Palm Golden Ale and Working Man Porter, along with seasonal favorites that often sell out in weeks. Those looking to take some beer home can get beer to-go in growlers or cans. What’s even better is that you can get the beer at Ravenous Pig’s sister restaurants, The Polite Pig at Disney Springs and Cask & Larder at the Orlando International Airport.
At Grande Lakes Orlando, you’ll find the nano-brewery, Whisper Creek Farm: The Brewery. Here you can enjoy the signature honey and citrus ale, the Surplus, where the honey was sourced from the resort’s on-site apiaries. There are 28 gallons of beer produced weekly here, making it a truly exceptional experience that can only be had in Orlando. Each of the beers is available at the hotel’s restaurants, where you can also order impeccable meals to be paired with your pint.
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With its first location in Florida, the New York Beer Project is bringing the rich history of brewing from New York to Winter Garden. The beer hall is a recreation of the 1892 Atlantic Beer Garden in New York City, complete with a first-floor taproom that looks into the brewing floor. The events calendar always has something on it here, from bingo and brunch to themed days where drinks are at a discount. One beer that’s brewed just for the Orlando location is the Orlando Lager, which is a light and refreshing beer that’s perfect to pair with any of the gastropub dishes. I’m a big fan of the Hell’s Kitchen quesadillas with jalapeño ranch for dipping.
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Tactical Brewing Company is known for its slogan as a “strategically chaotic beer.” The brewery was founded by veterans who strive to make craft beer and a cool spot for other veterans and first responders to hang out and form a community outside of work. Each of the beers here tends to push the boundaries of what a craft beer can be. One of the more unique options is the Cuddly Chupacabra, which is a mango-habanero sour, for a few sweet and spicy sips. And if you’re gluten-free, the brewery offers a few beers on tap that are made specifically gluten-free.
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The Milk District of Orlando is always buzzing with new restaurants or bars, and one of the coolest is Twelve Talons Beerworks. The craft brewery, cider, and meadery is known for its core selection of IPAs, sours and stouts. Along with your beer, grab a few Mexican-style bar bites like tacos, churros or quesadillas. Each week the brewery hosts bingo and trivia, and twice a month is comedy night, making this a great spot for a fun night out.
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Located in the eclectic Mills 50 District, Ten10 Brewing Company is making great beer and bringing people from all across Orlando together. Each week the brewery hosts happy hour on Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6pm along with weekly trivia nights on Thursday. The brewery makes a variety of different beers, including saisons, coffee browns, porters and IPAs, so there is something for everyone in your group to enjoy. I particularly love the Hazelnoot, which uses hazelnut cold brew from Barnie’s Coffee, which is a local roaster.
Those looking for a family-friendly and pet-friendly brewery should look no further than Rockpit Brewing. This craft brewery is known for its ever-changing lineup of beers. In fact, you can go in one day and love something and it can be gone the next. The taproom has 20 different IPAs, lagers, pilsners and even hard seltzers.
The Lake Nona neighborhood is one of the fastest-growing areas in Orlando, and one spot to be seen in the area is Park Pizza and Brewing Company. The industrial-style restaurant and brewery is known for its incredible hand-tossed pizzas and perfectly crafted beers. Throughout the year, the brews that are made here rotate, so there’s always something different to try. If you can’t decide what beer to get, you can always get a flight to try a bit of everything.
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