The cornerstone of Tampa Bay’s craft brewing community, Cigar City built on more than a century of brewing history – Florida’s first commercial brewery opened here in 1896 – to build Tampa Bay in the Sunshine State’s hub for crew beer. Staples like Jai Alai and Florida Cracker draw on that unique history along with Maduro, which is made with locally roasted Cuban coffee.

An intimate, neighborhood vibe makes Cigar City Cider & Mead a great local hang-out in Ybor City, Tampa Bay’s historic Latin Quarter. Small-batch brewing means offerings change frequently. Just how local are the ingredients? The habanero pepper plant growing in the corner provides the fire for some of the most popular varieties of cider.

Amazing, imaginative murals make Coppertail Brewing stand out long before you order your first beer. The brewery and the art are inspired by the mythical sea creature the founder’s daughter imagined lurking in the waters of the bay. Popular beers like Free Dive and Night Swim keep the nautical theme alive (just watch out for creatures of the deep).

Tyler and Jordan began their beer journey as roommates in college. they started out, as most do, drinking beers they could find at gas stations and grocery stores. It wasn’t long until they found Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on the shelf, changing their perception of what beer was and what it could be. Tyler found a job at a local craft beer bar and they were officially enamored with craft beer. After trying hundreds of labels in a short time they were inspired to try their hand at brewing their own.

Late Start Brewing was born in 2012 within the confines of a two-car garage in Tampa. Within a few batches of homebrewing, their hobby turned to an obsession. Brewing as much as they could, too often starting late after sunset, finishing up in the wee hours of the morning. They started serving their beer around Tampa February ‘13 exclusively at beer fests and special events. Around this time Tyler and Jordan met Streeter when they both landed jobs at Cigar City Brewing.

With Southern rockers JJ Grey and Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame as an owner, it’s natural that Rock Brothers Brewing would including music as part of its identity. Along with beers like Nare Sugar Brown and High Road Ale inspired by Southern living, the brewery hosts a steady stream of intimate performances at The Attic, its event space upstairs from the tasting room.

Unlike its counterparts, Ulele restaurant’s in-house Ulele Spring Brewery keeps all its product close to home. You won’t find Rusty’s Red Ale or their popular Wedding Beer on someone else’s tap. Brewmaster Tim Shackton builds his brews using Germany’s Reinheitsgebot purity laws and tailors the flavors to match Ulele’s menu of native seafood and locally available ingredients.

If the brick streets and iron balconies of historic Ybor City call to mind the French Quarter of New Orleans, there’s a reason for that: After a devastating fire in the early 20th Century, Tampa Bay’s Latin Quarter was rebuilt in brick by investors from the Big Easy. So, it’s probably fitting that Zydeco Brew Works brings a bit of N’Awlins back to Tampa Bay.