Pensacola craft breweries: Pensacola is up to 14 breweries, here's a list of them all

A year before the COVID-19 pandemic threw most of society on its head, Pensacola was ranked No. 9 by market research company C + R as having the most breweries per capita nationwide.

In 2019, we had just nine breweries. Today, that number is 14.

Read below to stay updated with all of Pensacola’s local craft breweries.

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Pensacola Bay Brewery

225 Zaragosa St.

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Pensacola Bay Brewery has been located in the heart of downtown Pensacola for 12 years, making it one of the original breweries in town. The taproom has over 20 beers on tap, plus wine and cider. Knowledgeable staff will help patrons pick out the right beer for them. The outdoor patio is a great spot to bring the pup for a weekend walk or take in the sights and sounds of a local festival.

Perfect Plain Brewing Co.

50 E. Garden

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Perfect Plain is now the amalgamation of Garden & Grain and The Well, two sister bars that specialize in various cocktails. The original bar was established in its current location in 2017 and quickly became a popular hot spot thanks to its quality beers and relentless pursuit of fun, weekly events to keep people coming back for more.

Coastal County Brewing

3041 E. Olive Road

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Coastal County Brewing isn’t just a place to have good beer. It’s a brewery for people who love the outdoors. According to the owners, the mission is to brew delicious and refreshing beer for enjoying with any activity from boating to beach fun. Lagers, IPAs and fruited sours are the specialty, but it also provides variety with wine, cider, mead, hard seltzer and hard tea, plus it offers food and appetizers — including gluten-free and vegetarian options.

Big Top Brewing Company

21 W. Romana St.

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Big Top Brewery began as the first craft brewery in the Sarasota area. It has since opened locations in Lakewood Ranch, Gainesville and here in Pensacola. This brewery artistically crafts world-class beer inspired by passion, integrity and a little bit of Sarasota history. On tap you’ll find everything from hard seltzers to dark ales, IPAs and lagers.

Odd Colony Brewing Company

260 N. Palafox St.

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Odd Colony Brewing Company touts itself as a farmhouse-inspired brewery that has a heavy focus on seasonal beers. That means your favorite beers will likely change about as often as you go out. The philosophy behind the brewed beer is to provide something fitting Florida’s hot climate. Lagerbier, saison and IPA are some of the focuses.

Emerald Republic Brewing

1414 W. Government. St.

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Emerald Republic Brewing first opened its doors with just six beers on tap in December of 2019. In early 2021, a storm ripped the roof from the brewery, forcing it to prematurely close its doors. The bar hosted its "re-re-reopening" — a joke due to having to briefly close during the pandemic— at the tail end of 2021, seizing on a new opportunity with a fresh renovation that increased seating by about 30% to 40%, offering a permanent food truck with chef Rusty Strain and more. But what about the beers? On tap, you'll find everything from sour ales, lagers and IPAs to wine and ciders.

Gulf Coast Brewery

500 E. Heinburg St.

Gulf Coast Brewery is a microbrewery with a tap room, wine lounge and a large brew house that has ping pong, corn hole and a TV. The brewery is dog friendly, making it a perfect place to lounge on the weekends. The current menu features a bit of everything with pilsners, wheat beer, fruit beer and several types of ales.

Spahr Brewing Company

3541 W. Fairfield Dr.

Spahr Brewing Company is run by a father-son duo on West Fairfield, a bit off the beaten path from the rest of the bunch on the list. This brewery tends to focus on German- and Belgian-style beers. Spahr likes to keep things interesting throughout the week as well with several weekly events.

Alga Beer Company

2435 N. 12th Ave.

Alga Beer Company is one of the newer kids on the block after opening in East Hill in 2020. It replaced the former Brew Ha Ha restaurant. While the brick and mortar existence of Alga may be new-ish, the concept has existed for a few years, having representation at nearly every beer-related event and festival throughout Northwest Florida. Alga prides itself on crafting classic, American-style ales and lagers.

The 5 Barrel

121 S. Palafox St.

The 5 Barrel brewery and taproom embraces local history with a sea of time-worn memorabilia lining the walls, custom fire-branded wood chairs and more. You’ll find live music, board and bar games, bar food and plenty to drink. The brewery also features a membership club. For $100, Bootlegger’s Club members receive a custom challenge coin, exclusive weekly specials, access to new beer releases and invitations to member-only events.

A Little Madness Brewing Company

9839 N. Davis Highway

A Little Madness Brewing Company is another off-the-beaten-path microbrewery located on North Davis Highway. A pizza kitchen is also up and running, so you can enjoy your favorite brews with your favorite type of pizza. A Little Madness focuses on sustainability, so you’ll find a lot of quality, seasonal beers.

Gary’s Brewery and Biergarten

208 Newman Ave.

Gary's Brewery and Biergarten sits next door to its retail counterpart, Gary's Home Brew Supply Store, on Newman Avenue. The supply store is a popular go-to for novice home brewers looking to get into the craft and even experts looking to spice up a new recipe.

The microbrewery consists of a taproom and outdoor area, providing 18 taps full of its home-brewed beer and cider, plus more from around the world. The business sits on a 2.5-acre lot, so there is plenty of room for furry friends, cornhole, board games, giant Jenga and more.

Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse & Redneck Riviera Brewing Project

2811 Copter Road

The Redneck Riviera Brewing Project is a nano brewery that operates out of the front end of Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse. Goat Lips is just a fun place to hang out, whether you’re chowing down on some of the seriously delicious pub foods or singing old sea shanties on the deck with regulars. The nano brewery is only able to produce a small amount of beer, so the rotation tends to change somewhat frequently but you’ll find plenty of ales, IPAs and more.

McGuire’s Irish Pub

600 E. Gregory St.

McGuire’s Irish Pub is an often forgotten local craft brewery, but not because it lacks quality, mostly because McGuire’s just does so much. McGuire’s isn’t just the oldest craft brewery in Pensacola, it’s the oldest in Florida. It’s crafted fine ales, porters and stouts in its traditional oak and copper brewery since 1988. That’s 34 years for those of us bad with numbers. There are five regular beers but several rotating seasonal selections such as raspberry wheat, Belgian ale, India pale ale, Octoberfest, Christmas ale and more.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola craft breweries now up to 14. Here's a list of them all