Jimmy Buffett songs and pop culture suggest that when you visit the Florida Keys, you should drink a margarita.
But anybody who has spent a salty, sun-soaked day in the Keys knows that the real beverage for the Keys is a thirst-quenching beer.
None of the beers from Florida Keys breweries has cracked various lists of best brews in the state.
On our trip through the Keys, however, we didn’t care.
It was fun to sample a few beers in these atmospheric breweries, each of which offered an ambiance that captures the Keys experience.
The oldest of the two Islamorada breweries first opened in a warehouse a few blocks off the Overseas Highway. With popularity and success, it moved its tasting room in 2018 to a new location on the Overseas Highway, where it will snag more drive-by visitors.
The new space features one of my favorite things about the Florida Keys Brewing Company – décor created by making mosaics out of thousands of beer bottle caps.
One advantage to the new location is the backyard beer garden, a lush inviting space that is child-friendly. When we visited, kids and adults were trying out the hula hoops. The tasting room has a wide choice of games and the atmosphere is friendly and fun.
This brewery has cultivated the patronage of locals and one sign of that is the busy schedule of events that take place here, from a book club to yoga classes. Live music is performed two or three times a week.
Oh yeah, and they serve beer – a large selection with whimsical names and pretty good reviews. Lots of visitors tout Iguana Bait, made with local hibiscus (Iguana’s favorite food) and Keys honey. Other favorites are Sunsessional IPA and Kritter IPA.
Islamorada Beer Company – The second craft brewer to open in Islamorada, this place devotes about half its space to displaying T-shirts and logo merchandise and for a sand-pit and boat where kids have a blast.
That leaves room for a half dozen tables and a bar in the tasting room, where we saw friendly tourists and locals chatting about places to go in the Keys.
There is an appealing beer garden out back, however.
In an adjoining space in the same building, you’ll find Islamorada Distilling, which makes rums, gin and vodka, a popular Keys souvenir.
Among their highest rated beers is Channel Marker IPA and Sandbar Sunday, which you will find on tap in many Keys locations.
