An Ode to Sarasota's Craft Brews & Microbreweries

If you're the kind of traveler that visiting the area's offering of craft breweries and beer gardens is on the top of the list, you'll be pleasantly pleased to find that Sarasota County has a number of flagship liquid creations.

And thanks to creative ingredients, innovative recipes and talented brewmasters, Sarasota County is now home to state-renowned microbreweries and craft beer bars. With a growing group of enthusiasts, you'll likely find a friendly and knowledgeable local, or a fellow visitor with the same idea of fun as you, to chat up and cheers while sipping your flight. 

Sarasota—Downtown & Beyond

Sun King Brewery is a family-friendly taproom and small batch brewery with a full selection of Sun King’s award-winning craft beer with a beach and surf theme. When the weather is nice, enjoy the back patio area with yard games. Four days out of the week, guests will get to take advantage of different local food trucks to pair with their mainstay and seasonal craft brews of Sun King—including its award-winning Mexican lager, Pachanga and its popular Orange Vanilla Sunlight Cream Ale. 

Close by, head to the newly expanded, circus-themed Big Top Brewing Company. With sought-after seasonal beers like the aptly named Ringmaster Raspberry Berliner Weiss, along with a fleet of recognizable core and flagship beers—including Circus City IPA, Conch Republic Key Lime, Hazy Sky Wire NEIPA, and Trapeze Monk Belgian Style Wit—Big Top has made a name for itself in this town full of deep-rooted circus history and beer lovers looking for uniquely Florida-flavored styles. Families love the massive beer garden, offering a kid-friendly and pet-friendly place to play cornhole, lounge in Adirondacks, and enjoy the firepits under giant banyan trees.

A local and traveler's favorite includes 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottleshop, a go-to place for high-quality craft beer, a Cheers-style atmosphere and Florida-made creations mixed in with top-rated nationwide brews. With 34 drafts and a well-stocked selection of cans and bottles to go, 99 has arguably the best and widest selection of hard-to-find and sought-after craft brews. Here, you can have a crowler or growler filled with one of the rotating draft beers to take with you. Sit on the lively sidewalk outside or enjoy the chic interior, but don't miss the weekend bagel brunch.

Calusa Brewing is a cornerstone of Sarasota's craft beer community, renowned for its innovative and consistently well-crafted beers. This veteran-owned brewery has built a reputation for its ever-rotating selection of brews, ranging from traditional styles to hop-forward ales and mixed-fermentation creations. Their spacious taproom offers views of the brewing process as well as bar games and elevated fare. 

Venice Island

Further south in Venice, you'll stumble upon more selections on your brew tour. The town's local breweries include the husband-wife owned, Off The Wagon Brewery & Kitchen—Venice's first microbrewery—and their second location, 3 Bridges Brewing. Along with roots that date back to 1947, the owners raised their family within the confines of the “south”, “middle” and “north” bridges of Venice Island. This eventually spawned the inspiration for the name 3 Bridges Brewing and has since won many local and regional awards. 

Tucked away in North Venice, Back Porch Brewing Co. is a New England couple-owned and operated taproom offering a warm, inviting atmosphere where guests can try their specialty hand-crafted ales during weekly releases. If you're a New England-style IPA fan, give their tropical fruit recipe a try—balancing the bitterness with flavors of passionfruit, peach, mango and tangerine. 

More crafty stops on your ale trail in Venice should include Linkster's Tap Room, Venice Ale House and Off-Trail Bike & Brew, which takes you on a fun bicycle ride and tour around the island of Venice, followed by socializing and sipping some fine Florida suds.

Lakewood Ranch & UTC Area

Tucked within Waterside Place town center, find the beautiful lakefront patio and brewpub restaurant of Good Liquid Brewing Company. Good Liquid has been a winner of the Best Florida Beer Competition for its creation, Peachy O'Rings Smoothie Style Sour. These local brewers love to experiment with off-the-cuff sour and fruit combinations—including a Sour Patch Kids-flavored sour that put them on the map.

More brew-tastic spots in the Lakewood Ranch and University Town Center area include Craft Growlers To Go & Tasting Room on Main Street, Scullers Draft House, Yard House and Oak & Stone, a New American tavern featuring the largest RFID technology self-serve brew wall in the region, with rotating draughts along the wall, ranging from 40 - 60 taps you can self-pour by the ounce.