Pensacola March Madness bracket 2023: Vote for your favorite local brewery
March Madness is almost here and we’re doing something a little special — a Pensacola beer edition.
In 2019, Pensacola was ranked No. 9 by market research company C + R in a list showing which cities had the most breweries per capita. Needless to say, Pensacola likes its beer.
Throughout March, we’ll be pitting 16 local favorites against each other in a basketball-style bracket ranked by popularity for fairness. Pensacola doesn’t quite have 16 breweries, so we included some favorites in Santa Rosa County, too.
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Cast your first vote below. Voting is open each week through 2 p.m. Thursday. Each Monday, look for a new story announcing the preliminary winners and opening the next round of voting. We'll announce the final winner in a story on Monday, April 3.
Here are the brackets:
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Perfect Plain
50 E. Garden
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.
Brew Angels
6821 U.S. 90, Milton
Brew Angels is located smack dab in the middle of downtown Milton and offers a cool place to grab locally crafted beer, small bites including loaded “totchos” and fried cheese and larger bites like a pub burger, chicken parmesan and more.
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Odd Colony
260 N. Palafox St.
Odd Colony Brewing Company is a farmhouse-inspired brewery with a strong emphasis on seasonal beers. This means that your favorite beers will likely change as often as you visit. The philosophy behind the beer is to provide something fitting for Florida's hot climate, with a focus on lagerbier, saison, and IPA.
St. Michael’s Brewing Company
2199 FL-87, Navarre
St. Michaels’ Brewing Company became the third brewery in Navarre when it opened in 2020. Owner Michael Bares, a veteran, named the brewery partly after himself but also referencing St. Michael, the patron saint for law enforcement and military. Those characteristics are reflected in Bares' beer menu, as each of his beer names are a nod to military, police and first responders. The 1,000-square-foot taproom seats about 45 people between the bar and a few large tables and has about a dozen craft beers to try.
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Pensacola Bay Brewery
225 Zaragosa St.
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.
Ye Olde Brothers Brewery
4458 FL-87, Navarre
Ye Olde Brothers Brewery is Navarre’s oldest brewery, but it does so much more than just beer. Its family-friendly restaurant atmosphere is perfect for enjoying brick-oven baked pizza, smoked meats and more paired with a variety of craft beers.
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Emerald Republic Brewing
1414 W. Government. St.
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.
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.
Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.
Gary’s Brewery 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.
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.
Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.
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 has 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.
Big Top Brewing Company
21 W. Romana St.
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.
Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.
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.
Doc’s Hop Shop
500 E. Heinberg St.
The newest brewery to hit Pensacola sits in a familiar space — the former location of Gulf Coast Brewery. Father-son duo Steve Moehle and his son Rob took over Gulf Coast Brewery and completely reimagined the brewery from the ground up. From the free-play arcade games and ice cream cooler to the timeless first-aid logo behind the Doc’s name, the new space drips with nostalgia for simpler times.
Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.
Coastal County Brewing
3041 E. Olive Road
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.
Beardless Brewhaus
5139 Elmira St., Milton
Beardless Brewhaus closed its original location on Caroline Street for 17 months. In November 2022, the brewery reopened to the public at its new location in downtown Milton. The new place embodies the same atmosphere as before but now there is a lot more space, beer and daily food options, thanks to the Texan B’s BBQ parked outside. The space has become a popular after-work hangout spot to listen to a band or play a board game with friends for military veterans, business owners, snowbirds and college students alike.
Using the app? Click here to cast your vote.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola March Madness bracket 2023: Vote for your favorite brewery
