Beer Friday: Tampa Bay Edition

Besides eating our way through St. Petersburg, we also managed to drink our way through a large portion of the Tampa Bay area. Our friends who live in St. Pete were fantastic tour guides, and we were able to have a pint (or two) at just about all of the breweries I was most looking forward to checking out.

Gearing up for our trip [and a red eye] at the airport!

Real talk: The reason we flew down to Florida was Tampa Bay Beer Week and Hunahpu's Day. This year's Hunahpu's Day was my first, and it was incredible. But since I don't have previous years to compare it to, I'm not going to make this post a review about the event. All I'll say is that I had the opportunity to try a wide variety of beers that were only available at this festival, in the [hot] sunshine, right by the water, with great friends. How can you beat that? #worthit

It looks cloudy here, but trust me: the sun was fierce for most of the day!

Besides Hunahpu's Day, and this year's delicious batch of Hunahpu's, here's what other breweries and beers we checked out during our stay:

Green Bench Brewing

Large outdoor seating space complete with cornhole and a to-go Mexican restaurant next door (unrelated, but you can eat their food at Green Bench)? This is my ideal brewery setup right here. Their beer is well-made, the head brewer is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and the atmosphere is top-notch. I would spend a lot of time here if I lived in the area.

Cycle Brewing

We came here during Beer Week, so this place was busier than usual, but the small space open to the sunny sidewalk was still lovely to check out. I've been a fan of Cycle's beers for quite some time now, and it was fun to try some brewery-only beers while there. Some beers to try, if available: Vienna IPA and Cream and Sugar Please porter.

Cigar City Brewing

The brewers of Hunahpu and all its delicious variants, Cigar City has been on my must-visit bucket list for a long time now. The ginormous space was really cool to check out (hello, shuffleboard), and was perfect for our large party. Beers I loved: Strawberry Shortcake lager; Jai Alai IPA, always a favorite but even better fresh and on tap; and Cubano Espresso brown ale. 

Copper Tail Brewing Company

On our last full day in Tampa Bay, we sat outside at Copper Tail - and I must say, this spot was a highlight for me. The large, open space inside was beautifully decorated with plenty of fresh beers on tap (and, women: the bathrooms were spotless), but the outdoor patio complete with food trucks was what made this spot for me. (And the giant Jenga blocks didn't hurt, either). Beer to try, if it's available: Hoppuccino, a coffee IPA.

Other spots that deserve an honorable mention: Willard's Tap House (they had Angry Chair Brewing's German Chocolate Cupcake Stout on tap - life-changing!) and Hops and Props, a divey but awesome bar with a fantastic local tap list and darts to boot.

What great beers have you tried lately?