Suggestions for Beers From Florida!

So my buddy is heading to Florida, I think Miami, this weekend and offered to bring me back a few bottles. Im from California so it will be nice to try a few east coast beers. Unfortunately I have no idea what is available in that area. I know Cigar City is supposed to have some really good beers. Anyway, all suggestions will be appreciated. And keep in mind that I can only have him bring about 4 bottles or so back.....So make them count!!!

Get four Cigar City beers and you will be happy.

Cigar City Jai Alai IPA- 12 oz bottles
Cigar City Humidor Series- bombers- get 2 or 3 cause it's amazing.

The Florida beer co makes a beer alled southernmost wheat that has key lime in it.

Red Brick Brewing co is from Georgia but only distributes in the SE states. Their special release stuff is pretty good.

I'd stick mostly with the Cigar City bombers. The Humidor IPA is incredible!!

Nice! Do you know how many beers from the humidor series are available right now?

Florida beer is not worth your time or money. I will add my vote got anything CCB makes. Also I don't know if you can get terrapin but they are good for sure.

If he is in the Miami area Total Wine has a nice selection of beer, I always stock up before going home. I second the Cigar City Jai Alai.

http://www.totalwine.com/eng/categories/beer
Select the location near where he will be and you can see some of what they carry

Cigar City:

Jai Alai Humidor
Cubano Espresso Brown
and any one-offs or collaboration beers.

JonBoy47 said:

Nice! Do you know how many beers from the humidor series are available right now?

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The local beer stores, like Total Wine, carry CC humidor series beers all the time. I second the Humidor Series IPA, just amazing. Perhaps my favorite beer ever.

I will definately have him bring back some Cigar City beers. Is there any other great breweries that distribute in Florida that dont get distributed on the west coast? They dont have to be brewed in Florida.

seminoleale said:

get four cigar city beers and you will be happy.

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this

JonBoy47 said:

I will definately have him bring back some Cigar City beers. Is there any other great breweries that distribute in Florida that dont get distributed on the west coast? They dont have to be brewed in Florida.

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Swamphead is pretty good - especially their Midnight Oil and Stumpknocker, but they don't bottle (other than their saison, which is excellent, and their Cigar City collaboration, which I heard was kind of meh).

Tequesta makes an excellent Koelsch, but again, I do not know if they are bottling their beers.

The Bold City Red is nice, but - same as above - dunno about bottles.

Stay away from the Orange Blossom Pilsner beers.

St Somewhere if you like belgians
Swamphead makes good beers for the hophead but I am not sure they distribute in bottles yet

Tampa Bay Brewing Company!!! Ybor city..... Moose killer is awesome.....and any of their in house brewed Beers!!!

Tamarlane said:

St Somewhere if you like belgians

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Saissons only I thought?

definitely need to check out the Cigar City Maduro. pretty easy beer to find in florida.

also, if your buddy is headed to south florida, tell him to stop by the Big Bear Brewery in Coral Springs. excellent beer and nice people. if you entertain the brew master with beer talk (trust me, he'll be really excited due to the lack of home brewers in south florida), he'll give you some bottles or let you fill up a growler. the bourbon barrel IIPA is amazing.

definitely stay away from Palm Beach Brewing Co.

Had some Orlando Brewing beers this past December, even did a brewery tour there. Really quality beer and only 1 of 10 USDA-recognized organic breweries in the US. One of the best Pale Ales I've ever had, and I don't generally care for Pale Ales.

When I was in Florida last month, I only had a chance to check out Cigar City and Florida Beer Co. Definitely get a few Cigar City brews. I wouldn't recommend anything by Florida Beer Co. Thankfully, the tasting was free, and I was staying in Melbourne, so it wasn't out of the way. Though, that did guilt me into buying a six pack of the pilsner. But, it was only $7.

ArcaneXor said:

Stay away from the Orange Blossom Pilsner beers.

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oh god, you couldn't be more right!

swamp ape is a decent kick in the balls DIPA (not sure who makes it)

There's SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta GA. 'Happy Ending' sounds good, thou I haven't had any.

passedpawn said:

Saissons only I thought?

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Their two mainstays are a saison and an "abbey ale" that they describe as a Belgian Strong Pale Ale...they describe themselves as a "brewer of traditional Belgian style ales"

+1 for the cool corked bottles as well

Which reminds me... on the subject of Cigar City/saisons... try to get your hands on a bottle of the Guava Grove Saison. It is a saison with guava fermented with the St Somewhere house yeast strain

sea1961 said:

Tampa Bay Brewing Company!!! Ybor city..... Moose killer is awesome.....and any of their in house brewed Beers!!!

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A bit far from south Florida... but they just started selling their Elephant Foot IPA in 16oz cans ($10/4 pack) so you may be able to get your hands on that if you are lucky. Decent IPA no doubt