By Josie Gulliksen
It’s a great time to be a beer lover in Miami because the craft beer scene gets hotter by the day at Miami breweries. With several breweries already open and established around Miami-Dade and new ones opening regularly, you can get your sudsy fix on whenever you like. Here’s a list of picks — the beers, who serves food, and what the ambiance is like. Part 1 covers Wynwood, Doral and Coral Gables. Part 2 is South Miami, Little Havana and Miami Beach.
Wynwood
Wynwood Brewing Company’s the veteran in the hipster area, where the La Rubia, the Pop’s Porter their robust beer made with a blend of roasted malts and the Wynwood IPA India Pale Ale are their top sellers and available year-round. Should you be headed to the brewery with a non-beer drinker, they’ve got rotating food trucks here Thursdays through Sundays. The colorful wall mural, communal wood tables and chalkboard full of specialty crafts give this place great ambiance. http://wynwoodbrewing.com/
If you’re a fan of Star Wars and craft beer then J Wakefield just a few blocks away’s got you covered. Sample their five signature year-round brews the Berliner Weisse The Stush and The Hops 4 Teacher India Pale Ale, or the UJP English Smoked Porter, Hefeweizen El Jefe and The Nothing a Russian Imperial Stout amongst Jedis, R2D2s and C3P0s from a galaxy far, far away. You can munch on light snacks like empanadas and handcrafted gourmet popcorn in the taproom or eat a full meal from one of their rotating food trucks Friday through Sunday. https://www.jwakefieldbrewing.com/
On tap at Concrete Beach Brewery’s huge social hall are the Stiltsville Pilsner, the Vienna-style Havana Lager, the Double IPA Mas Hops and the wheat ale Tropic of Passion. You can’t miss their outdoor patio in the heart of Wynwood, just look for the pretty lady on the Concrete Beach sign. They keep the food interesting here with a rotating list of menus that including fritas from the Magic Box food truck, empanadas and Grumpy Greg’s barbecue. http://concretebeachbrewery.com/
Then there’s Box Elder Craft Beer Market where the selection of beers is as extensive as the dinner and beer pairings they do, collaborating with Miami’s best chefs. Come here for local craft beers from around Miami as well as picks from other parts of Florida, as well as California, Michigan and Delaware. Proper Sausages, based in Miami Shores have now brought their fresh sausage-making skills to Box Elder. Try the fig and blue cheese, The Proper made with Berkshire pork and fresh sage or The Wynwood Porter also made with Berkshire pork and you guessed it, Wynwood Brewing Co’s Pop’s Porter. http://www.bxldr.com/
Doral
The City of Doral is giving Wynwood a run for its money with three breweries in the neighborhood. MIA Beer Company was one of the first in the area and serves up their signature Miami Weiss Hefeweizen, a crisp Golden Ale the 305 Ale and the M.I.A. IPA an India Pale Ale. It’s in a non-descript warehouse-type area, the norm in certain parts of Doral. MIA is also a full restaurant serving up sliders, Korean-style chicken wings and a full-on brunch. The dark, rich interior is inviting and almost elegant for a brewery. http://www.mia.beer/
At Biscayne Bay Brewing, the second brewery to open in Doral they’ve got four signature brews you can sample while marveling at their giant tanks from indoor picnic tables. Have a taste of the Saison a combo of Pilsner, pale and wheat malts, the Miami Pale Ale with a scotch malt foundation or the English Style Porter they call La Colada. Any of those go well with either their pork sliders or cheesy goodness of the lechon grilled cheese. http://www.biscaynebaybrewing.com/
The newest is The Tank, an industrial style space with the name emblazoned on its exterior and a huge bar as its centerpiece. Grab a stool and try El Farito IPA, Freedom Tower an American Amber or La Finca Miami a Belgian-style wheat Saison. Did you notice a couple are named after iconic Miami spots? Sprawl out in their large seating area or visit their more intimate tasting room. Out front you can grab burgers, fries, pork belly, brisket and wings from the Twisted Fork Kitchen food truck, Wednesdays through Sundays. http://thetankbrewing.com/
Coral Gables
Titanic Restaurant & Brewery is known as a hangout for the younger set because it’s right near the University of Miami Campus. It’s another veteran and has far too many craft brews to mention here but they do have six signature drafts they’ve had on tap for more than 17 years. Going perfectly with Titanic’s nautical theme is a full menu featuring calamari, cedar salmon, seared ahi and a fish fry. http://www.titanicbrewery.com/titanic/