The Best Breweries in Tampa for Craft Beer Lovers

A Craft Beer Lovers’ Guide to the Best Breweries in Tampa

There are upwards of fifty breweries in Tampa, Florida, ranging in size from small microbrews to large-scale operations you’ve probably heard of, like Cigar City or 3 Daughters Brewing. In fact, Tampa is even home to Florida’s oldest microbrewery! Since we moved to the area in 2021, Brett and I have been enjoying the best craft beer Tampa has to offer, and I’m eager to share our favorites with you! Whether you’re local or planning a visit, these are the best breweries in Tampa for craft beer lovers. I’ll also be including some gems from St. Petersburg, which is a short twenty-ish minute trip from South Tampa.

Like with my Tampa restaurant guide, I will update this craft beer list as we try new places, so bookmark it and sign up for my newsletter for more Tampa brewery recommendations!

The Best Breweries in Tampa & St. Pete

BarrieHaus Beer Co.

BarrieHaus Beer Co. is an all time favorite of Brett and mine (we literally had our engagement photos taken there). This community-centered microbrewery founded on the passion of family tradition, a love of innovating, and the enjoyment of world-class lager beer. Specializing in German style beers, BarrieHaus grew out of a family brewing business beginning in the 1860s. I highly recommend checking out the brewery’s about page here to learn more about the family history involved!

BarrieHaus Beer Co. has been opened here in Tampa going on two years now. Co-owner and head brewer Jim Barrie is a double Gator like myself and went to UF Law before turning towards brewing. He even worked with First Magnitude Brewery in Gainesville, one of my favorites (more on that here).

BarrieHaus offers a wide variety of beers, including a robust menu of flagship beers. Honestly, I’ve enjoyed every beer I’ve tried at the brewery, which is rare for me to say of the breweries in Tampa (or anywhere, for that matter). The Family Tradition Vienna Lager is a crowdpleaser, rich and refined with a toasty, malty flavor. Tampa Export, a dortmunder, is also a favorite, brewed in the traditional Munich-style. Ice Works IPA is one of my favorites, a nice and mellow IPA that’s great year round – it does pack a bit of a punch in terms of ABV so bear that in mind.

Of course, if you can get their Oktoberfest beers — either the Amber Marine or Gold Festbier — you must get those. They’re both amazing.

Visiting BarrieHaus Beer Co.

Address: 1504 E. 5th Ave Tampa, FL 33605
Useful Links: Tour Info | Beer List | Instagram


Common Dialect Beerworks

Seminole Height’s newest brewery, Common Dialect Beerworks, is an oasis of color, craft beer, and parking. The latter in that list being important because parking is such a commodity in the area. After opening in early January 2023, Common Dialect has quickly built up a strong community through their comfortable atmosphere, consistent event planning, and regular food truck options. According to a Tampa Bay Times interview with the owners, the husband-and-wife team sought to create “approachable” beers, and “IPAs for people who typically aren’t big IPA fans.” As an IPA fan myself, color me intrigued!

Brett and I finally made it over to the new brewery at the end of March and immediately felt comfortable in the colorful, dog-friendly space. I tried two of their beers — a Nordic Pilsner and one of their IPAs. Both were great warm weather beers, light and bright with distinct flavors. Of all the breweries in Tampa, this is one of the best options for hanging out outdoors and enjoying the nice Florida weather. I’m a little biased, but even with the heat, I think Tampa is one of the best places to visit in the USA in June and July — any summer month, really — and patios like this one are the best way to enjoy the season!

P.S. the owners of Common Dialect also own the pet store, Healthy Mutt, next door. Definitely plan to stop in to pick up something fun for your furbaby! While they focus on dog supplies, I was really impressed by their selection of cat food, catnip toys, and other supplies. Definitely Cat Mom Life approved!

P.P.S. Common Dialect is also across the street from (and shares a parking lot with) another Seminole Heights favorite of mine: The Independent Bar & Cafe! Learn more about the European style pub The Independent here.

Visiting Common Dialect

Address: 5023 N Florida Ave Tampa FL 33603
Useful Links: Website | Beer List | Instagram


Coppertail Brewing Co.

An artsy brewery with a whimsical backstory, Coppertail Brewing Co. manifests steampunk-oceanic style with a variety of delicious, highly-flavored beers. Coppertail is definitely one of my favorite of the breweries in Ybor city, and widely regarded as one of the best breweries in Tampa.

Fun fact, the brewery is named for a mysterious sea creature from the owner’s daughter’s imagination!

Coppertail’s tasting room is set in a 1920’s Arturo Fuente building. The location is “decorated with old world Tampa in mind.” Overall, Coppertail offers a unique space, with two stories of indoor and outdoor seating, along with a comfortable vibe. For planning purposes, Coppertail could be considered an Ybor craft brewery, but it’s really on the edge (right by Ikea).

Coppertail has four core beers. They also have approximately sixteen other taps at any given time (click here for their current tap list). The “core four” offerings include: Free Dive IPA (my favorite), Dependent Pilsner, Night Swim Porter, and Unholy American Trippel Ale. They also offer wine for non-beer drinkers in your retinue, as well as a large food menu.

Coppertail has brought back their monthly craft fair events! This event features craft vendors and creatives from all over the Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida area.
Learn more about the Last Sunday Markets at Coppertail here!

Visiting Coppertail Brewing Co.

Address: 2601 East 2nd Ave. Tampa, Florida 33605
Useful Links: Tour Info | Beer List | Instagram


Cigar City Brewing

Started in 2009, Cigar City Brewing (CCB) is one of the most popular breweries in Tampa, Florida. It’s also one of my favorites of the Tampa craft breweries we’ve tried, particularly of the breweries in South Tampa. Featuring quintessentially Floridian flavors, Cigar City Brewing highlights the sun and citrus in a mixture of unique ales and lagers. Their Spruce Street taproom is a large, recently-renovated space with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Featuring a full-service kitchen (get the pretzels and the guac) and a colorful store, is is easy to hang out there for hours.

Cigar City Brewing has eight year-round beers, including two renditions of a great IPA: Jai Alai and Jai Low. Jai Alai, one of the better known CCB beers, and is readily available throughout Florida. Jai Low is a lighter edition of their popular IPA, “designed with moderation in mind.”

Besides these, their year-round beers include: Florida Man Double IPA, Fancy Papers Hazy IPA (another favorite of mine), Margarita Gose German-Style Sour Ale, Guayabera Citra Pale Ale, Maduro Brown Ale, and Frost Proof Belgian-Style White Ale. This is all to say nothing of CCB’s seasonal beers, of which Space Pope is my favorite, or the special releases, which offer a wide range of styles.

P.S. I think Cigar City takes the cake as the best of the breweries near Tampa Airport! Something to keep in mind, perhaps, when planning your next stay!

Visiting Cigar City Brewing

Address: 3924 W. Spruce Street Tampa, Florida 33607 (CCB also has locations in Amalie Arena & Tampa Airport)
Useful Links: Tour Info | Beer List | Instagram


81 Bay Brewing Co.

The first microbrewery to open in Tampa, Florida, 81 Bay Brewing Co. is quickly becoming a new favorite hang out of ours. Situated in an unassuming shopping plaza, 81 Bay Brewing Co. is a huge, comfortable space with a variety of great beers and tasty pizzas. All in all, a great hang out spot or casual date night location.

The best part, though…is the brewery cat. Her name is Mittens. I gave her a Cat Mat (this color). We’re best friends now. Brett snapped a pic of me taking a picture of her (far left), which is perfect because in a brewery with a cat is, we decided, my natural habitat.

Anyway, 81 Bay Brewing Co. is certainly a Tampa micro brewery staple, and it offers a variety of weekly specials that promise a good time. They host trivia every Wednesday, for example, plus occasional themed trivia nights. Brett and I visited the brewery for the first time because they hosted Schitt’s Creek trivia (we got third place, thank you very much!), which was a blast.

Check out 81 Bay’s tap list here for all the up-to-date menu changes. Personally, I am loving The Sun Viking IPA, both because of the name and because of the delicious flavors. It’s a great light IPA, perfect for summer here in Florida. Plus, it has a great logo.

81 Bay Brewery Co’s taproom is currently closed for renovations.
Check their website for updates on when they plan to reopen.

Visiting 81 Bay Brewing Co.

Address: 4465 W Gandy Blvd. Suite 600 Tampa, Florida 33611
Useful Links: Website | Beer List | Instagram


Magnanimous Brewing

Since opening in 2020, Magnanimous Brewing has gained a strong reputation in the Tampa craft beer community. Charlie Meers, owner and founder of Magnanimous, had his start in craft beer in Georgia, with Terrapin, SweetWater, and local craft beer festivals in the area. All this experience, plus some time with Cigar City and Cycle Brewing, goes into Magnanimous’ unique take on craft beer.

Magnanimous specializes in juicy, hoppy, and hazy beers, a popular style among some of the best Tampa breweries. As a lover of citrusy IPAs, this is a great theme for me! I particularly like the Subliminal Haze New England IPA and Critical Haze, also a New England IPA.

Besides beer, though, Magnanimous also hosts a coffee shop amongst their beers! That is, they have cold brew on tap, draft lattes, and more for the coffee-loving beer aficionado. I haven’t tried their coffee yet, but plan to next time we visit. Definitely a unique feature among the many breweries in Tampa!

Magnanimous has two tasting room locations, one in Tampa and one in Bradenton. The Tampa tasting room is a comfortable, casual spot, not too far from one of my favorite Tampa spots, Armature Works. There’s generally good parking for the Tampa tasting room, as well, and plenty of local restaurants to order take out from if you’re feeling peckish.

Visiting Magnanimous Brewing

Address: 1420 N Florida Ave Tampa, FL 33602
Useful Links: Website | Beer List | Instagram


Pinellas Ale Works (PAW)

I had been wanting to visit Pinellas Ale Works (PAW) ever since I heard about its commitment to supporting rescue animals. PAW works hard to brew “doggone good beer” while hosting monthly charity events for rescue animals and maintaining one of the most dog-friendly breweries in the Tampa/St. Pete area.

PAW opened in 2016 and now distributes their beer throughout the surrounding counties. Many of their beers are dog themed, with names like Pawbock (a German Maibock), Doggy Paddle (a summer shandy), and Pomeranian Porter (a Baltic Porter). I really enjoyed their Off the Leash West Coast IPA and the year-round Oktoberfest Festbier. Since I grew up with some great Pomeranians, I had to get a sample of the Pomeranian Porter to try. While porters are not generally my favorite style, I am happy to report this one was quite delicious!

So, check out PAW for some tasty beer and dog watching, as there will surely be no shortage of sweet pups hanging out with their humans!

Visiting Pinellas Ale Works

Address: 1962 1st Avenue S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Useful Links: Website | Beer List | Instagram


St. Pete Brewing Co.

Close enough to be considered a great Tampa brewery, St. Pete Brewing Co. is a must-visit for craft beer lovers. Inspired by the character of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Pete Brewing Co. creates delicious craft beers to enjoy with the city’s waterfront views. The brewery itself is centrally located in downtown St. Pete, close to a variety of restaurants and other renowned craft breweries. It’s a great spot to stop for a drink while at one of the areas many craft fairs, for example, or as the first stop on a self-guided brewery tour!

With a large tasting room and lounge, St. Pete Brewing Co. is great for groups. It even has a game and meeting room called the Nest, which they rent out for special events! All in all, it’s a great spot to lounge and chat or to people watch.

St. Pete Brewing does a lot of limited releases, which they sell at their tap room, alongside their core offerings. Milo’s IPA is one of my favorites, a hoppy American IPA brewed in celebration of the owner’s dog, Milo. Put Me In, Kolsch is also a great choice, if you’re looking for something lighter. Really, everything St. Pete Brewing brews is a winner, so maybe go with a flight and try them all!

Visiting St. Pete Brewing Co.

Address: 544 1st Avenue North Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
Useful Links: Website | Beer List | Instagram


Tampa Bay Brewing Company

One of the first breweries in Tampa we explored, Tampa Bay Brewing Company offers a regular rotation of seasonal releases alongside their year-round regulars. Overall, they focus on hop-centric IPAs, American Pale Ales, and fruit-forward “Florida-weisse” styles. It’s a classic Ybor city brewery for a reason, and it even has Tampa in the name!

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of background information about the brewery on their website. However, I found that it was opened in 1995, originally as a home brew supply store owned by husband-and-wife team, Vicki and John Doble. The shop evolved into a family-owned brewery and, now, into a two-location operation based out of Ybor City.

Tampa Bay Brewing Company’s beers have big flavors, and I really enjoyed the variety of IPAs they offer. My favorite was Old Elephant Foot, a hoppy brew they offer year-round. Reef Donkey is another popular year-round option, offering a dry-hopped American Pale Ale “that drinks like a session IPA.”

Besides a tap list of over twenty beers, Tampa Bay Brewing Company also offers a huge food menu with something for everyone’s tastes.

Visiting Tampa Bay Brewing Company

Addresses: Ybor Location – 1600 E 8Th Ave Tampa, Florida 33605 | Westchase Location – 13937 Monroes Business Park Tampa, Florida 33653
Useful Links: Beer List | Instagram


3 Daughters Brewing

A staple from the Tampa-St.Pete area, 3 Daughters Brewing makes delicious beer and pairs them with a great brewery atmosphere in their taproom. 3 Daughters opened in December 2013 and has grown to become one of the largest independent Florida breweries.

This brewery has a wide range of styles, with a handful of year-round beers and a bunch of rotating seasonal brews. The Beach Blonde Ale is one of my favorite beers from 3 Daughters, and it can typically be found all through the state. They generally have some great IPAs on tap, as well, so I tend to try those before I make a final pick!

Last but not least, 3 Daughters has some great brewery food! From appetizers to burgers, tacos to salads, there are great snacking options, sharable plates, and full meals.

Visiting 3 Daughters Brewing

Address: 222 22nd St S, St Petersburg, FL 33712
Second location: 381 Mandalay Ave 3rd Floor, Clearwater, FL 33767
Useful Links: Website | Tap Room Info | Instagram


Woven Water Brewing Co.

Woven Water Brewing Co. opened in late 2020 in Tampa Heights. With a sizable storefront on Columbus Drive, Woven Water offers a succinct-yet-eclectic tap list, with a variety of great IPAs and sours. The Woven Water beers really run the spectrum, though, from traditional Czech Pilsners and Hefeweizens to Imperial Stouts, so there’s something for everyone. Plus, they have some of the best names for their beers.

What I really enjoyed about Woven Water was the Art Deco vibe. It has a really distinct feel amongst the Tampa craft breweries, and it’s a great place to people watch. The brewery is on the smaller side, but even when it was full of people, it wasn’t cramped. There are plenty of seats, including high tops, bar stools, and even some comfy couches. All in all, a great spot to hang out and people watch. Note that they do not have their own kitchen, though, so plan accordingly!

My favorite beer from Woven Water was the Lucid Blurry IPA. This lightly-hazy IPA was easy to drink and very refreshing. Iridescence Double Blurry IPA was also very refreshing, but at 8.2% ABV, it was a bit heavier — although not as heavy as an 8.2% Double IPA might sound! Brett tried the Revenant, which is a fruited sour ale with blackberry, marshmallow, cinnamon, and coffee. I’m not generally a sour fan, and the flavors sounded a bit outrageous for me, but it drank incredibly smoothly! I highly recommend at least getting a sample to check it out because it’s so unique.

Visiting Woven Water Brewing Co.

Addresses: 456 W. Columbus Drive Tampa, Florida 33602
Useful Links: Beer List | Instagram


Looking for more great Tampa gems?
Click here to check out my ever-growing guide of
the best restaurants in Tampa!


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*This post was originally published on June 3, 2021. It was last updated on December 13, 2023.