One of our FAVORITE spots in the keys is Islamorada Brewery and Distillery! First of all, we absolutely LOVE their beers! It’s our go to beer in the keys whether it’s the Channel Marker IPA, Coconut Lime Ale, Sandbar Sunday, or Islamorada Ale to name a few, we are fans!
Until 2020, while we always drank their beers, we had never visited the brewery and distillery because it was a bit of a drive from Miami and if we were just coming into the keys to eat, it probably wouldn’t be wise to come in and start tasting all the things. We went last year and loved it and so on our trip now, we wanted to take my parents. The kids were so excited they dressed themselves in swag we bought last year!
You come in to find a bar area and friendly staff. You have the option of sitting inside in the bar area or outside in the beer garden. The whole reason we were here rather than out boating is because not only was it windy and choppy but it was raining on and off so we opted to sit inside. You can find some of their beers at Total Wine or Publix but at the brewery they have some beers on tap you can only find there. They have a bundle you can buy that comes with a flight and a pint with a souvenir cup so Peter and I usually choose this option. On our flights we usually go with beers you can only try at the brewery. I tried the following:
- Local Color (Key lime hibiscus ale)- I found it to be light and tarte
- Angler House (Amber Ale)- it was also light but good!
- Florida Gal (strawberry wheat ale)- this had a sweet aftertaste
- Floridays (hoppy pale ale)- My FAVORITE and the one I ordered a pint or two of after the flights! I like hoppy beers though so it depends on your preference.
- Feel the Heat (pepper ale)- Peter had this one on his flight but I was curious about it. It’s very different! it tastes like a normal beer with a little kick at the end!
If you don’t like beer, no need to worry! It’s also a distillery so they offer a selection of cocktails! One of my favorites is the Lavender Lemonade! My mom is not a beer drinker so she ordered the Classic Mojito. They also have options for food. I wouldn’t plan on having a big meal here. The food is coming from Spankys Kitchen Food Truck located in the beer garden. It’s mostly appetizer type items. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays they also have the food truck ‘Off the Hook Churrascaria serving food but unfortunately since we went on a Monday, we were not able to try. We ordered the pretzel with beer cheese, tuna nachos and beer battered shrimp! I don’t know if it was because we were starving but everything was delicious!
One of my favorite things about this spot is that it is also very family friendly! It may be a brewery and distillery which you would think is more geared towards adults, but they actually have a shelf with games for the kids to play! My kids played a little Guess Who and a little UNO which allowed us to relax while drinking our beer and enjoying our food. They had chicken finger and curly fries for the kids so I can also confirm that there is kid friendly food!
You also cannot forget dessert! They had several options but my kids, especially Natalia, love fried oreos so we went with these. They were SO GOOD! I definitely recommend!
After this we decided to visit the beer garden to have a drink there. It had an amazing atmosphere! It’s a relaxing little area with a bar. There were picnic tables and seats. We saw a family who brought their own food so it seems that’s an option as well. It is also very dog friendly! Jeter will be coming next time! As if the games at the bar didn’t make things family friendly enough, there is a little playground area here for the kids. It also has hacky sack games which I know many adults enjoy!
Finally, every time we come we like to purchase some swag and some drinks! On the boat I usually drink spiked seltzers since they are light. They sell some from crooked palm distillery which are delicious! I also went by the distillery for a free tasting. They have vodka, different rums, flavored gins, and even a whiskey! I ended up buying some of their vodka and the blue hibiscus flavored gin since I think it will make great cocktails!
If you are in the keys and looking for something different to do, I highly recommend visiting here! I think it’s such a fun place for the whole family. I think we will be back before our time in the keys is over but next time Jeter (our dog) will need to join!
Thanks for visiting!
-Jenny