The clean, white beaches of the Gulf Coast combined with the brilliant sun, dynamic, flavorful food, multitude of cultures and hand rolled cigars makes Tampa the ultimate destination for any tourist.
However, a beer tourist needs more.
I don’t want to speak for everyone one, so this is what I need.
- A local brewpub, taproom or brewery ( or two )
- Hopefully, One beerstore with a knowledgeable staff
- Possibly, other craftbeer bars/brewpubs within a 45 minute radius
Without looking too hard, I found that Tampa’s burgeoning craft beer scene is perfect for both types of tourists.
The cornerstone of our trip is the often heralded Cigar City Brewing Company. Not only was it the cornerstone of our trip, but it is also the cornerstone of the Tampa Craft Beer scene.
Our Trip:
We arrived a few days earlier and took in the sights and sun of the local communities and planned our trip to CCB on Thursday.
Our arrival was rather prompt and the doors were just being unlocked when we walked up to the door. Tim, the bartender/host/CCB Historian, let us in and immediately put some righteous tunes on the antiquated, yet perfectly tuned 70′s era stereo. As I walked around and snapped some pics, QW engaged Tim in some beer conversation and ended up playing, “What state is this Brewery in?”. I will have to say that she did rather well by scoring a 66% on Tim’s quiz. (The last one was a trick question. It was a small brewery from his home state, but it’s his playground so we will go by his rules. Don’t want him to take his beer and go home.)
We ordered a pint for each of us. Mine was the Humidor Series IPA, while QW went with the big and tasty Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout. **Wow!** We ordered the right beers and , so they could mingle with their friends, we ordered the sampler. (I guess that would be considered our chaser.) I didn’t find one beer that I didn’t enjoy. I’m sure I say that a lot, but when a brewery has “IT” there is no denying it.
The taproom was very nice and reflected the laid back culture of Cigar City Brewing. There was even a set of dominoes for the game, “Mexican Train”. (If you don’t know this game, check it out. It’s the perfect way to pass the time with a pint and some friends.)
Once again, a brewery that is laid out within a warehouse and then develops the taproom around them is a winning combination. This is the fourth one that we have visited that has used this business practice to create a successful brand and thriving business. The others include Three Floyds in Munster, Indiana, Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Yazoo Brewing in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was a quick trip to Cigar City brewing, but overall it was a great experience. They are clearly living up to the hype and helping Tampa meet the needs of this Brews Traveler. Cheers!
Hints/Tips:
- The Brewery has a special area for their limited releases and the door is marked as the Tasting Room and Beer Shrine. This is NOT the door to enter for daily tastings. The tasting room is the glass door to the right.
- However, the restrooms are through the original door marked tasting room. There is a small building within the brewery that is built for the bathrooms. The Ladies room is the first door and the Men’s room is on the other side. Be sure to look around at the walls. This is their shrine to the many craft beers they have quaffed.
- The tasting room is pretty roomy, but getting there when they open is best. The hours for the tasting room is limited. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 11 AM till 5PM. And Friday and Saturday from 11 AM till 11 PM. (Also, There is no food served, but there are plenty of places near by to grab a bite.)
- It is very close to the highway and very accessible.
