Long before Water Street boomed and Champa Bay blossomed, the humble local brewery scene made its mark in the bay area.
The variety, creativity and excellency of its beer is right up there with the likes of Asheville, Southern California and others. One might even wonder, do we witness this influx of community and capital if not for the popularity of the Jai Alai? Do the Bucs and Bolts grab three rings if Coppertail doesn’t bring home the hardware first?
It’s too tough to call.
What we do know is we love Tampa Bay beer. And with International Beer Day rearing its head (that’s a beer foam joke), it got us wondering, how would we go about picking our favorites? And even more specific: If you could walk into a hypothetical beer haven, with every single local brew at your disposal, carrying an empty six-pack container, which six beers are you going home with?
We posed the conundrum to the Staff Slack-line and here’s how our answers panned out. Worth noting: this may just be the first how-to on creating a six-pack that actually advises you to drink more beer.
Thompson Brandes: Now that I’m looking at it, my six-pack is essentially the ’96 Bulls of six-packs. So it’s probably best to break this down by roster. The Postcard and Florida Special are my Jordan and Pippen—elite and dependable. Hidden Springs’ Bear Lasers is my Rodman (easy). The Cigar City Maduro is veteran Ron Harper in the clutch. Which leaves our Minivan Kolsch and Xander IPA as our Tony Kukoc and Steve Kerr, respectfully.
- Green Bench Brewing Co. | Postcard Pilsner
- Coppertail Brewing Co. | Florida Special Lager
- Hidden Springs Ale Works | Bear Lasers IPA
- Cigar City Brewing | Maduro Brown Ale
- Zydeco Brew Werks | Minivan Kolsch
- Bay Cannon Brewery | Xander New England Hazy IPA
Kristen Carney: If you’re looking for a variety, you won’t get that from me. I gravitate to anything with fruit and citrus. Here’s my go-to sixer for the summer, but let’s be honest I drink these all year round.
- Cigar City Brewing | Margarita Gose
- Green Bench Brewing Co. | Sunshine City IPA
- Big Storm Brewery| BroMosa IPA
- 7venth Sun | Graffiti Orange
- Brew Bus Brewing | You’re My Boy, Blue!
- SwampHead | Berry Jelly (I have to close out my six-pack with an homage to my hometown—still a local Florida beer!)
Ben Shotten: When it comes to beer, I’m not too picky. Recently, I’ve been really into Graffiti Orange. I love the citrus flavor and as the self-proclaimed “Duke of Sparkman,” I’m delighted that it’s on tap. Give it a whirl.
- Cigar City Brewing | The Benwood
- 7venth Sun | Graffiti Orange
- Late Start Brewing | The Pour Father
- Hidden Springs Ale Works | Drone Thugs-N-Harmony
- Hidden Springs Ale Works | Bear Lasers
- Cigar City Brewing | Margarita Gose
Kaylee Glyder: My ideal beer is served in an outdoor bar in a cold glass. I’ve become quite the lightweight, so I’ve had to drink less of my favorites (IPAs). However, these choices are all full of flavor which is important in my beer selection! These are the quintessential Florida beers with citrus, salt, and hops—the can artwork also captures the sunshine state pretty perfectly with their arrays of vibrant colors.
- Orange Blossom Brewing Co. | Orange Blossom Pilsner
- Cigar City Brewing | Fancy Papers
- Florida Avenue Brewing Co. | Dead Parrot
- 3 Daughters Brewing | Beach Blond Ale
- Cigar City Brewing | Frost Proof
- Tampa Bay Brewing Co. | Last Days of Summer
Special Guest, Local Beer Connoisseur and Former Editor, Tyler Graddy: Any beer? Rad. Variety is the spice of life and beer is the ultimate vessel. My perfect six-pack takes me on a beautiful journey and really listens when I talk about my day, you know? It makes me feel safe, comforted, exhilarated and fulfilled all at once—in a way, it’s just like Tampa Bay.
- Hidden Springs Ale Works| Bollywood Nights (Nitro Sour)
- Cigar City Brewing | Tampa Florida Man (Double IPA)
- Overflow Brewing Company | Dayman (Blonde Ale)
- Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company | Banana Hammock (Hefeweizen)
- Dissent Craft Brewing | Hazy Mangover (American IPA)
- Coppertail Brewing Company | Old Union (Lager)