While the number of options has grown exponentially in the past several years, there's always a handful that stand out from the rest. They're the breweries taking the game to the next level, crafting solid beers while creating the type of taproom experience that draws crowds from across the nation — and even the globe.
Take Luis Brignoni, who opened Wynwood Brewing Company with his father Luis Sr. when the city didn't have a craft beer scene to speak of. The biggest hurdle to opening the city's first production brewery and taproom was discussing rules for the fledgling industry with city leaders.
South Florida's independent craft beer community has come a long way since then. Over the course of the past decade, the craft beverage industry has grown exponentially nationwide, and Miami is no exception. More than 20 breweries have opened, and more are on the way.
For consumers, that means finding Miami-made beer in a variety of styles, flavors, and settings easier than ever, with ten of the best brewers found on this alphabetically ordered list.
Beat Culture Brewing
7250 NW 11th St., Miami786-431-5642
beatculture.com Beat Culture Brewing is one of the city's most exciting breweries and a passion project brought together by three friends. Here, imbibers can find an ever-changing beer and mead lineup. The brewery, housed inside the Days Inn by Wyndham Miami, embraces retro inspiration while also giving the brewery a modern touch. The 8,100-square-foot space was once home to the Eastern Airlines employee lounge in the 1960s. Here, partner and head brewer and Miami native Carlos Biaz uses a five-barrel brewhouse to craft beers that are truly unique to Miami. A rotating selection of styles includes different treatments and experimental one-offs, but returning favorites include "Vamoose," a hazy double IPA; FIU hybrid lager collaboration brew known as "Sunblazer"; the "Sake-San" high-proof rice lager made with lemongrass hops that gives it a hint of citrusy zest; and "Fucuata" released in early summer each year made with local mangos to create several batches of this Florida-inspired tart wheat ale The taproom offers patrons a chance to sit, order, and stay while enjoying a few beers paired with the in-house kitchen, Farmhouse Barbecue, specializing in Texas- and Miami-inspired barbecue. Several dishes rotate seasonally, but you’ll always find the 18-hour smoked brisket, honey-drizzled queso frito, and loaded tostones topped with pulled pork.
Biscayne Bay Brewing
100 NE First Ave., Miami305-418-0179
biscaynebaybrewing.com
Biscayne Bay Brewing is more than just a Miami brewery — it's one of Miami's longest-standing. Established in 2012, the brewery crafts beers that embody the city's essence, exemplified through Biscayne's partnerships as the official local brew of choice for both the Miami Heat and the Miami Marlins. The new flagship location located at the Old Post Office building in downtown Miami offers a dozen taps that pour everything from their "Tropical Bay" IPA and "Colada" Porter to a rotating lineup of seasonal and guest beers. A full bar offers a bevy of cocktail, and a robust in-house food menu features shareable items like a charcuterie board, Mediterranean dips, and Wagyu picanha crostini alongside heartier fare like a burger and G1 Angus ribeye. Keep an eye out for seasonal beer launch events, weekly live music performances, sports nights, and a happy hour featuring $6 beers, $10 cocktails, and $8 bites.
J. Wakefield Brewing
120 NW 24th St., Miami786-254-7779
jwakefieldbrewing.com Johnathan Wakefield earned a master's degree in accounting before deciding that brewing beer was a lot more fun than crunching numbers. Boasting Star Wars-themed murals, this Wynwood brewery is known for its fruit-forward Berliner weiss — tart, low-alcohol beers that go well with Miami's warm, tropical climate. Beers are made with tropical fruits, such as the "Dragon Fruit Passion Fruit" Berliner weisse, ranked number eight among the top ten beers of the world by ratebeer.com. Today, the brewery remains a go-to for everything from barrel-aged, adjunct-spiked stouts and experimental IPAs to easy-drinking lagers and — of course — those colorful, fruited sour ales.
Lincoln's Beard Brewing Co.
7360 SW 42nd St., Miami305-912-7390
lincolnsbeardbrewing.com When John Falco opened Lincoln's Beard in May 2016, he chose a spot near Westchester instead of competing with more established brewers in Doral and Wynwood. The idea: Create a community hub for the neighborhood's beer-loving denizens. The brewery, which is located in the Bird Road Arts District and boasts the tagline, "Weird at the beard," has become just that — a true gathering place where guests can find a food menu to pair with their brews alongside weekly events like trivia, live music, and karaoke. Don't miss the brewery's annual "Swayzepalooza" which features various iterations of its "P. Swayze" IPA, along with activities celebrating the iconic actor.
M.I.A. Beer Company
10400 NW 33rd St., Doral786-801-1721
mia.beer If it's variety you crave, M.I.A. is the brewery for you. Owner Eddie Leon created this Doral brewery as an experimental playground for all things beer and craft beverages. That means the brewery has a beer garden and tasting room with a 50-plus roster of craft IPAs, lagers, ales, sours, stouts — even housemade spirits — including core M.I.A. beers with Magic City-centric names such as "Miami Weiss" and "Tourist Trappe." Never one to stick to the rule, out-of-the-box concoctions include homemade sangria and the brewery's line of spirits, which can be found in several taproom cocktails. In true experimental fashion, M.I.A. is one of the first U.S. breweries to create its own flavored hard seltzer and, more recently, house line of spirits and cocktails. Can't decide what beer to try first? Sample them all with the brewery's mega flight — one of every beer on draft — and pair it with food from the in-house restaurant, Masa Craft Kitchen. It doesn't get more MIA than that.
Prison Pals
8205 NW 12th St., Doral305-487-2780
prisonpalsbc.com
Since March 2020, Prison Pals has been making some of Miami's best brews — at first without a taproom. That changed after the Doral brewery was awarded a bronze medal in the 2023 Beer World Cup for its "Nelson" hazy IPA, a smooth and easy-drinking IPA brewed with seven pounds of Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops per barrel. Now, there's a second taproom and beer garden in Fort Lauderdale, as well. It's a significant achievement for a brewery that began as a passion project by Argentine friends CEO Juan Pipkin and brewmaster Diego Setti. Today, Prison Pals offers a growing list of experimental brews and true-to-style lagers and ales, including "La Colorada" amber ale, "Dorada Pampeana" blond ale, "Cielito Lindo" Mexican lager, and "Born to Be Free" pale ale. The original Doral taproom and its sister taproom in Oakland Park provide an ever-changing selection of Setti's one-off brews, including the brewer's smoothie series: high-ABV sour ales treated with 35 to 40 percent fruit. Despite a heavy rotation and ongoing experimentation, among the most popular is "Aloha," a nod to one of Setti's favorite smoothies in Argentina, which blends pineapple, ginger, and mint.
Spanish Marie Brewery
14241 SW 120th St., Miami305-456-5490
spanishmariebrewery.com Like its namesake, Marie Waite — the 1920s South Florida rum runner who outran the Coast Guard smuggling booze across the Florida Straits — this West Kendall brewery is a South Florida legend. Amid the dozens of breweries that have opened in the past several years, Spanish Marie manages to stand out. Here, co-owner Alby Cespedes and head brewer Jaime Medina are the masterminds behind a number of creative brews churned out by a seven-barrel system that keeps everything small-batch, experimental, and full of funky flavor. The brewery produces a variety of styles, ranging from hop-forward IPAs and easy-drinking pale ales to barrel-aged stouts. But it's Spanish Marie's niche passion for intensely fruited sours that sets the brewery apart from the rest. They're all available in the taproom, where a robust food menu offers made-to-order pizzas, tacos, and creative bar fare. In keeping with its Prohibition-era origins, a ten-seat tasting room is open only on select days and accessible by a secret door. If speakeasies aren't your style, the Spanish courtyard-themed beer garden is nothing short of beer-geek heaven.
The Tank Brewing Co.
5100 NW 72nd Ave., Miami786-801-1554
thetankbrewing.com This massive brewery offers a selection of beers brewed consistently for quality. Enjoy them in one of the area's largest taprooms, one that measures a whopping 25,000 square feet, with 7,500 square feet for the brewing area alone. Here, you'll find more than 15 beers on tap, including guest brews. Core offerings include "La Finca," a Belgian wheat saison; "Freedom Tower," an amber ale; and "El Farito," an American IPA. Looking for variety? In addition to its Miami-centric cores, the Tank serves up a veritable calendar of seasonal porters, lagers, and ales. The taproom also hosts numerous events, from a celebration of Shark Week to an annual 5K beer run.
Tripping Animals Brewing Co.
2685 NW 105th Ave., Miami305-646-1339
trippinganimals.com When Tripping Animals Brewing Co. came on the scene in 2018, no one could have guessed the Doral-based brewery would become the steward of Miami's growing craft beer community. Over the past few years, the Venezuelan-born and reared team of brewers and owners (Daniel Chocron, Ignacio Montenegro, Iker Elorriaga, and Juan Manuel Torres) have banded together to become a living embodiment of all things South Florida beer. They host annual beer festivals like Irie Jungle that attract guest breweries from across the nation, are sponsors of Miami's first official craft beer week, and are ground zero for some of South Florida's best brews. The bustling taproom is typically packed with thirsty patrons ready to throw back a few lagers or sample their latest in continual experimentation of hazy, hop-infused IPAs, boldly fruited sours, and dessert-themed stouts. It's easy to spend hours in Tripping Animals' cozy, lounge-like spaces, or a large game room in the back of the brewhouse where you can shoot pool or hoops, throw darts, or even play video games.
Wynwood Brewing Co.
565 NW 24th St., Miami305-982-8732
wynwoodbrewing.com As one of the first breweries to open in the city of Miami, Wynwood Brewing is a father-son business that offers a variety of core favorites that have stood the test of time — nine years to be exact. Today, the brewery continues to offer the quaffable La Rubia blonde ale. Available locally in retail stores and on draft at select locations, the beer is among the most popular, alongside locally distributed core brews like a Belgian-style golden ale and Laces IPA. Don't miss the award-winning "Pop's Porter," named for the elder partner "Pops" Brignoni. The brewery fully embraces its artistic neighborhood by hosting local street artists and sporting tap handles fashioned from spray-paint cans.
