Brewed and Barreled in the Florida Keys
If you’re a fan of fine beers, ales, rums and more, you’re sure to enjoy unique libations created in the Florida Keys.
Islamorada is widely called the sport fishing capital of the world (and jokingly described as “a drinking town with a fishing problem”), but for local brewers at the Islamorada Beer Company, it’s home. At mile marker (MM) 82.9 on the Overseas Highway sits a bright yellow-and-teal–colored tasting room that has served some of the top-selling craft brews in the islands since 2014.
Many offerings call to mind the Keys’ laidback, sun-soaked lifestyle. Some, such as Islamorada Ale, Channel Marker IPA, and the Key lime coconut-infused No Wake Zone, are available Keys-wide at grocery stores, bars and eateries. Islamorada Beer Company also offers some in-brewery-only beers and seasonal specials you'll want to be sure to sample.
Locally owned and operated with brewing done on-site, Islamorada’s Florida Keys Brewing Company is located at MM 81.6 in the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District. The craft production outfit produces tasty seasonal and barrel-aged beers including light, reds, ambers and browns.
Owners Craig and Cheryl McBay infuse local flavors such as Key lime, citrus and Keys honey into their brews. Visitors can sample and purchase beers at the brewery and taproom which showcases the Florida Keys art scene with Islamorada artists’ murals and taps featuring unique mermaid sculptures.
Some of their most popular brews, many of which can be found in local supermarkets and on-tap at bars and restaurants throughout the Keys, include Iguana Bait, a honey hibiscus Kolsch and Spiny Hopster, an IPA with juicy tropical notes.
At 201 William St. in Key West’s Historic Seaport stands the Waterfront Brewery, offering American cuisine, homebrews (including the award-winning Key Lime Witness and Crazy Lady honey blonde ale) and other drafts from Florida breweries. The nautical-inspired space features a main bar, restaurant, game room and bar in the brewery and tasting room, as well as an upstairs deck.
Key West First Legal Rum Distillery is located in the island city at a former Coca-Cola bottling plant (which was also the pre-Prohibition-era Jack’s Saloon) at 105 Simonton Street. While state law prohibits distillers from selling alcoholic beverages, visitors can enjoy complimentary rum and Coke drinks — the signature Legal Vanilla Rum & Coke is recommended — if they purchase one of the cola brand’s classic glass bottles.
Private guided distillery tours and rum-tasting sessions, often led by distillery founder and local chef Paul Menta, feature quirky stories about Key West’s rum-soaked past. And visitors can buy up to two 750-milliliter bottles at a time to take home.
The many styles and flavors of the Legal Rum brand include vanilla brûlée and other white rums flavored with coconut or Key lime. Flagship bottles bear mug shots of former local residents guilty of alcohol contraband (to match the distillery’s Prohibition-themed interior décor).
The Hemingway Distillery at 201 Simonton Street in Key West features Papa's Pilar Rum, named after "Papa" Ernest Hemingway. But you'll find more than just award-winning, icon-inspired spirits at this distillery. Tours, cocktail classes, and private events are all offered at the old brick tobacco warehouse - some spooky, some historic, all as unique as Hemingway himself.
