Author: timandjohnna

Located one block off the famous Ybor City main drag, this brewery feels more like a typical downtown nightclub than a serious brewery. Offering only 6 beers on the menu, they served us the 311 amber ale and the Have Gun Will Travel pale ale in plastic cups. Yes, plastic cups! There is a first time for everything.

The second of only two breweries on this island, they offer over a dozen good beers and a great food menu. We had the Wai’Ale’Ale golden ale and the fish & chips – all of which were very good.

12 hours of flight time brought us here! One of only two breweries on the island, this isn’t our first time. We again enjoyed the Lihue lager along with some fine snacks including the pretzel, fish tacos and mac & cheese.

More like a club than and brewery, we visited this place a year ago or so when we were in the area. While they do have a great variety of good beers, the atmosphere is loud, busy and not condusive to enjoying craft beers. Our first visit had live music that was way too loud for such a small venue and this visit had numerous TV’s tuned in to the FSU-Alabama football game. When not raining, there is a very large outdoor area providing several “bar games” and a food truck. On this visit, we went overboard and tried 6 of their beers – all of which were pretty good.

They say that everything comes full circle. What better place to make our 1st stop for homecoming back here in Florida then the place where it all started. A little less than four years ago, we toured this very location to open our own brewery but the leasing agent never called us back to sign a lease. Now we know why! Turns out she had someone else who had the same idea and everything happens for a reason. While owning our own brewery would have been fun, we would have probably lost out on the opportunity to tour over 130 other brewers along with the 12 NASCAR races. We’re kinda glad it didn’t work out!

This tasting room is located in the heart of downtown but doesn’t actuall brew their beer here. Their brewing operations is located west of town and they have two tasting rooms. We drank the Killer Whale cream ale and the Duke’s brown ale – both of which were very good!

Hip brewery located just blocks from the Jaguars stadium in downtown. Offer a wide variety and extensive selection of good brews as well as some tasty small plates from their onsite kitchen. We enjoyed the People’s pale ale and the First Coast Kolsch, both of which were smooth and flavorful.

Typical industrial brewery in a busy commercial part of town. Not a traditional tasting room and more of a brewery/restaraunt but offering over a dozen beers and variety on the food menu specializing in raw oysters. We drank the Southern Belle blonde and the Lemon Grass Kolsch which were pretty decent.

It’s Bristol, baby!  Know as “the last great colosseum”, this track is a must-see for any NASCAR enthusiast. Measuring in at only 1/2 mile and surrounded by high-banking turns, the intimate confines and high speeds make for some exciting racing and earned the track the self-proclaimed Fastest Half Mile in The World. We stayed at the campground area next to the drag strip which made for a 10 minute walk to the track and was greeted by some friendly race fans ready for a weekend of racing which started Wednesday night with the trucks and wrapped up Saturday night with Cup. Who doesn’t love three races under the lights!

 

 

A true tasting room experience! Great beer, great service and great people. A no nonsense tasting room offering only 5 beers with locally made Moose popcorn (delicious!) and a simple decor. We thoroughly enjoyed the blonde ale, pale ale and Dunkelwwizen (yes, all 3) as well as meeting the Owner/Brewmaster Ken & hearing his story. The name was a meld of his mothers maiden last name and the orignal German spelling of his last name.