When it’s time to relax with your friends in Orlando you may just think that the only things that are available are tourist trap restaurants and overpriced watery cocktails. However, there are actually some incredible Orlando breweries that serve amazing beer at a fair price. The beer industry here is big – bigger than you’d ever imagine!
In fact, you are able to find almost any kind of beer in nearly any setting – from a casual outdoor deck that has TVs for watching the big football game and lively food halls, to a far more intimate hotel restaurant that has pool loungers and floor-to-ceiling windows. You ask and Orlando will deliver!
No matter where you may be staying in Orlando there’s a craft brewery nearby that is waiting to welcome you in, with wide-open arms, with a pint of their finest. And don’t worry if you overindulge in the beer too much as most of the breweries on our list are in the absolute best sections of town to get a bite to eat as well.
What Are The Three Best Breweries In Orlando?
Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company
One of our absolute favourite spots to sit back and have a cold brew is Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company. You may know this Orlando brewery from the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival’s Appley Ever After Sour. This was a collaboration with the owners of the apparel company The Lost Bros, however, the brewery is a lot more than just a festival beer tap.
The tasting room is open every day where the brewmasters and bartenders are serving everything from blonde ales right down to porters. In addition, the brewery is known for its fun special release brews which pop up during the year.
Crooked Can Brewing Company
One of the most popular Orlando breweries is Crooked Can Brewing Company which is situated in Winter Garden. The brewery forms part of the Plant Street Market food hall, where you are able to order a beer, then take it around the food hall and lay your hands on everything from tacos to sushi before you make your way out to the patio to enjoy your spoils.
In order for you to get a closer look at how the beer at Crooked Can is made you are more than welcome to schedule a brewery tour. This takes place every Sunday. After the tour, we suggest that you grab a pint and enjoy the warm Florida sunshine which comes through the open windows of the bar while you watch TV or enjoy a chat with locals.
Rockpit Brewing
Those looking for a family-friendly and pet-friendly Orlando brewery should look no farther than Rockpit Brewing. This craft brewery is well known for its ever-changing line-up of beers. In actual fact, you can go in one day, love something, and then it’s gone the next.
The taproom is filled with a range of 20 different IPAs, lagers, pilsners, and even hard seltzers. Believe it or not, this Orlando brewery is even catering to those people with lactose intolerances. It’s No Regrets sour is brewed with maltodextrin instead of lactose. In addition, it tastes like acai berry.
How Many Breweries Are In Orlando?
There are far more than 35 breweries and taprooms which are situated in metro Orlando. This includes businesses with multiple sites in the area.
What Is The Largest Brewery In Orlando?
In 2005 Brent Hernandez was hunting craft beer. While just a few bars and restaurants carried a very small selection of craft beer products, none met the diversity that Brent wanted. The next reasonable step was to open up a bar of his own, one which would not only offer an eclectic selection of beers but excel in introducing these ‘obscure’ but delectable beverages to a community that did not yet realise it was on the cusp of the biggest beer revival from the time before prohibition.
With his partners Dan Owens and Josie Fluri, Brent opened up his bar on the second floor of one of the oldest structures in Winter Park in a room which was frequently said to be similar to the bottom deck of a pirate ship. The trio called it Redlight Redlight as an homage to the building’s sleazy past as a hotel of ill-repute. With this, a new legend was born.
While craft beer was still looked at as a novelty product by a lot of consumers, Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour was able to increase in popularity through captivating shows with touring and local bands (for example The Cook Trio), art events and – of course – its singular atmosphere.
Nonetheless, it was Orlando’s small, but enthusiastic craft beer community who proved to be Redlight Redlight’s most loyal and long-standing regulars. From the very start of their journey, Redlight Redlight committed to never carrying a macro beer. To this very day, they are proud to say we never have.
What Are The Major Beer Festivals Or Events In Orlando?
There are a number of major beer festivals and events in Orlando. Here’s what to expect for the rest of 2022:
- St. Augustine Craft Brewers’ Festival,
- Irie Jungle Craft Beer Festival, and
- Emerald Coast Beer Festival.
Which Brewery In Orlando Has The Best Food?
Ten10 opened its doors in the Mills 50 District in 2015 and has been pouring mouth-watering brews ever since then. There is an extreme level of care and maturity in their brews which we love. However, did you also know they serve up some stunning sandwiches?
We adore pairing one of their ales with the “Chixbacavo”. This is a chicken breast sandwich that is topped with tomato-bacon jam, avocado, aged Swiss cheese, basil dressing and crispy prosciutto. The base of this sandwich is garlic marble rye. Try the pretzel with cinnamon sugar and cream cheese icing and report back to us!
Orlando certainly has a hidden layer of the city that beer lovers will absolutely love and will keep them coming back for more. The best Orlando breweries are just a drop in the vat of what’s available!
Jake has been a craft beer and homebrew enthusiast since his college days. He loves scouring Europe for unique and unusual hops to add to his beers.
Founder of Jake’s Brew Haven – he currently hosts beer-tasting sessions at select local pubs in Baltimore.
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