A Burgeoning Craft Beer Scene Is One More Reason To Visit Florida's Vibrant Art And Culture Mecca

Miami: A hot city known for its vices, Cuban sandwiches, beaches, and party scene. It's not necessarily a city known for its craft beer scene. But craft beer — traditionally associated with cooler climates like Denver and flannel shirt memes – is taking off in the tropics. Tampa is Florida's craft beer capital, with dozens of microbreweries transforming hops into innovative bevvys, and Orlando is getting in on the game, too. But Miami, the land of tiki bars and bottle service, has a roster of breweries worth exploring and an expansive tap list worth sampling.

Miami's first craft brewery — on Miami Beach, no less — opened in summer 1995. At the time, people doubted its viability: South Beach was a destination for sophisticated cocktails and wannabe scenesters. Yet 30 years later, the Abbey Brewing Company is going strong, serving signature Trappist-style ales, Immaculate IPA, apricot ale, and other beloved beers in its rustic, neighborhood setting.

J. Wakefield Brewing helped usher in modern Miami craft beer, opening a tap room in Wynwood in 2015 — then still on the cusp of an "arts district" rebrand from the immigrant-industrial enclave it had been. His "Star Wars"-themed microbrewery pioneered the fruity "Florida weisse" ale, putting Miami beer on the map. Others followed as Wynwood grew into a craft beer hub, with Veza Sur, Wynwood Brewing, and Concrete Beach Brewing. After the COVID-19 pandemic and soaring real estate prices, J. Wakefield shuttered its taproom in 2024, though it still produces beer. Concrete Beach closed permanently, Wynwood Brewing was acquired by Anheuser-Busch and merged with Veza Sur, which rebranded as La Casa de Rubia. Small brewers may have been priced out of Wynwood, but the city's craft beer scene continues to grow, with newer names like Unseen Creatures and Lost City marking their territory.

Notoriously, the only Florida brewery to maintain production during Prohibition was Florida Brewing Company, based in Ybor City, a Cuban enclave in Tampa. It took years for South Florida to catch up — some say because of the extreme heat, humidity, and lack of access to ingredients. Wagner Brewery was founded around 1934 and eventually sold and rebranded as the maker of Colt 45. But Wynwood Brewing, which opened in 2013, is largely credited with reviving Miami's craft beer scene.

Today, Miami boasts 23 breweries, sprawling from South Beach to Doral, down to Homestead, and up to Fort Lauderdale — most of them small-scale, independent operations. A craft brewery is an independent brewery that creates innovative, high-quality beer — meaning it's at least 75% owned by a craft brewer. A microbrewery produces fewer than 15,000 barrels per year. Part of the appeal of South Florida's craft beer scene is its innovation with fresh, tropical flavors. While the West Coast is known for bitter, hop-forward IPAs and the Northeast for juicy, hazy styles, Miami's brewers are focused on beers that beat the heat but still pack flavor — think tart sours, crisp lagers, and fruit-infused ales. These are beers meant to be enjoyed indoors or out on a steamy patio, perfect for Miami's year-round summer vibe.

Though it doesn't have the craft beer lineup it once did, Wynwood remains one of the city's best walkable neighborhoods — known for its vibrant murals and eclectic shops – and is worth a stop to see the art walls and check out Cervecería La Tropicale, a Cuban-rooted brewer now central to Miami's craft beer scene. The atmosphere's lively most nights, with frequent live music, a full food menu, and tropical twists on classic beers, like citrusy session IPAs and amber lagers aged in rum barrels.

Lost City Brewing has been called "a rare find," and it's quickly becoming a favorite among beer aficionados. The vibe is unpretentious, with a 15-tap lineup pouring everything from coconut cream ales to blondes, Irish stouts, and collabs with Wynwood's J. Wakefield Brewing. Unseen Creatures and Lincoln's Beard are within walking distance of each other in the Bird Road/Westchester area, which also boasts a growing scene of art galleries and vintage shops. Unseen Creatures specializes in fruited IPAs and wild-fermented saisons, while Lincoln's Beard brings a funkier, inventive energy, offering New Zealand rye IPAs, tangerine hefeweizens, and imperial stouts, all with playful names. It also hosts live music, unique events (goat yoga, anyone?) and rotating food trucks. While you're in the neighborhood, check out Shōjō's Dojo, a speakeasy and Miami's first sake brewery.

Época Brewing in North Miami is tucked into an industrial warehouse with a surprisingly sophisticated design, including a terrazzo bar, marble walls, and a lush garden patio. The menu features small-batch IPAs and wild fermented ales, and there's usually a food truck parked outside. Head west toward Doral, where you'll find Tripping Animals, one of Miami's most acclaimed breweries. Known for bold, illustrated can art and creative fruited sours, standouts include No Mames, a crisp lager with notes of flaked corn and sourdough lemon. Their IPAs, lagers, and sours are well-balanced in both innovation and drinkability.

No Miami craft beer crawl is complete without a detour to Homestead, 40 miles south of downtown. Miami Brewing Company is located on the lush, sprawling campus of Schnebly Redland's Winery, founded by local farmer Pete Schnebly. Spend the day touring the winery, sampling beer and wine flights, dining at the Redlander Restaurant, and catching seasonal events on this tropical estate.