I may be biased, but I don’t think so.
St. Augustine has the best beer.
Our city has a rich history since being established in 1565 by the Spanish Conquistador Pedro Menéndez de Avilés; however, until very recently it didn’t have any breweries or Distilleries that call it home.
A Little History
The first place to offer in-house brewing of any kind was the San Sebastian Winery in 1996. It has done very well making wine that appeals to almost everyone who visits.
It took a full 17 years for another place to open and it came in the form of St. Augustine Distillery in 2013.
Around the same time, there was a pop of breweries and distilleries. Now have the bustling brew scene we see today and it seemingly happened overnight.
While we here at St. Augustine Brewery Tours have respect and admiration for the work that these places do, we like to take guests to the smaller, craft breweries and distilleries to show more of the personal side of our wonderful city and its flavours!
Our Partners have poured their heart and soul into making the environment of their taprooms and tasting rooms welcoming and fun, while also staying true to who they are and making awesome and unique beers and spirits!
Ancient City Brewing:
Ancient City Brewing opened its doors in May of 2015, continuously offering its customers more than 20 different styles of beer on draft.
ACB offers a large selection of beers for all enthusiasts within their taprooms, and now available in six-packs year-round at local providers.
You can also find their beers on draft at over 200 locations throughout North Florida.
They have recently done some updates to their facility!
The taproom at the brewhouse has had a facelift, with new paint going up and new flooring, while the actual brewhouse has taken on a hefty upscale as well, adding four 30 Barrel fermenters and a 2800 can-per-hour canning line that is incredibly impressive.
They’ve added a few other toys, as well to add more variety to their line.
Click here to visit their website
Old Coast Ales
Opening their doors in early 2017 meant following a passion.
It was an opportunity to share their love of the craft with the locals as well as the many thousands of tourists that visit here each year.
They craft styles that appeal to our diverse craft beer community. They have a seasonally rotating draft list, with classic American and English styles and many new school brews, too!
The taproom is super laid back, and they offer an up close and personal experience with the friendly chill vibes that Anastasia Boulevard offers.
Click here to visit their website
Bog Brewing
Opening in March 2016, Bog Brewing is the most experimental of our breweries.
It’s located in the West King Street neighbourhood in a historic building that was formerly a pharmacy and soda shop.
The Bog is a neighbourhood brewery that has a beer style for every taste.
They brew classic European beer, like lagers and abbey ales, experimental American-style beers like New England IPAs and fruited sours, and hyper-local offerings such as a Smoked Datil Pepper Ale made with locally grown peppers.
The intimate brick-exposed tasting room offers an up-close view of the copper-clad brew system and barrel-ageing program, and there is a spacious patio to gather with a group of friends or family.
With 15 frequently rotating taps and a selection of barrel-aged beers by the bottle, you can count on tasting beers that are new, exciting, and unique to St. Augustine breweries.
Click here to visit their website
Dog Rose Brewing Co.
Dog Rose Brewing Co. opened its doors in Oct. of 2017 in the Historic District of St. Augustine.
Their handcrafted ales and lagers are brewed with style and tradition in mind.
Whether it be a German style Hefeweizen or Maibock to a fruited sour or West Coast IPA, only the best ingredients are used to capture the flavor profile they are looking for.
The owner/ Headbrewer, Doug, puts lots of time and energy into crafting the best beers he can to appeal to everyone.
The taproom is spacious and open, yet cosy and inviting at the same time.
This leaves the brewery itself easily accessible. If bellying up at their handcrafted Ambrosia maple bar isn’t your thing, then maybe a friendly game of shuffleboard on one of their 16′ tables or even a game of cricket on the professional dart boards is more your speed.
With 5,000 SF of space, there is more than enough room to spread out with all your friends.
Click here to visit their website
Sailbird Distillery
“Give Yourself the Bird”
Opening in October 2019, Sailbird Distilling Company is St. Augustine’s only craft nano-distillery specializing in Rum.
Brian and Susan Lieberman sold their Sailboat and invested in another hobby! The Sailbird Distillery!
Although, they started out making only rum and “Vokda,” (yes you read that right and there is a great story behind this you can learn on the tour) they have now expanded to a variety of cordials and our personal favourite here at St. Augustine Brewery Tours, the “Kookaburra” Coffee Liqueur.
It’s absolutely delicious.
They have a modest set-up at around 1300 square feet, but like to focus on making the best product possible even if it’s one gallon at a time!
Click here to visit their website
Conclusion
We thoroughly enjoy our ever-growing beer and spirit community in the nation’s oldest city, and we can’t wait to have you join a tasting tour soon!
If you haven’t been to any of our partners, please visit them.
You will not be disappointed! Please remember, too, that if you are still feeling questionable about venturing out because of COVID-19, you can always grab a growler fill and take it to the comfort of your home!
Sailbird even offers online ordering! Our breweries and distilleries need your continued support!
They will thank you for it!