**Update: Brewlando Tours are no longer offered. If you're looking for a beer tour, try Hop On! Orlando Brewery Tours.
Orlando's craft beer scene has taken the nation by surprise over the last couple of years. In fact, the entire Sunshine State is getting in on the action, with Florida now ranking ninth in the nation for craft breweries, according to Brewers Association. The number of Florida craft breweries has doubled from 2011 to 2014, making Florida ranked No. 1 in the nation for barrel growth for craft beer over the last three years.
Lucky for us, there are more than a dozen craft breweries located in the Orlando area. You can now discover and explore many of them with Brewlando Tours.
Run by local couple Laura and Christopher Solar, Brewlando Tours was inspired when the duo took a trip to Dublin, Ireland. After enjoying a pub tour, the Solars got the idea to bring the concept to Orlando, which surprisingly offered nothing similar. They started Brewlando Tours to showcase local breweries and provide tourists/locals with a fun alternative to theme parks.
PUBLIC TOURS
Phillips Afternoon Pint Tour
What: The tour starts and finishes at World of Beer in Dr. Phillips. Afternoon tours include transportation to the following local breweries:
- Hourglass Brewery
- Red Cypress Brewery
- Bowigen’s Beer Company
When: Select days from 1-6pm
Price: $30 per person
Beer tasters/samples are not included in the tour price, but special pricing on beers is offered at each location. You also receive pretzels to snack on, a bottle of water to stay hydrated and a cool souvenir cup at the end of the tour. Expect to spend about $20 additional on beer tastings/flights.
Phillips Evening Pint Tour
What: The tour starts and finishes at World of Beer in Dr. Phillips. Evening tours include transportation to the following local breweries:
- Ten10 Brewing Company
- Ocean Sun Brewing
- Orlando Brewing Company
When: Select days from 6:30-10:30pm
Price: $30 per person
Beer tasters/samples are not included in the tour price, but special pricing on beers is offered at each location. You also receive pretzels to snack on, a bottle of water to stay hydrated and a cool souvenir cup at the end of the tour. Expect to spend about $20 additional on beer tastings/flights.
PRIVATE TOURS
Private tours can accommodate up to 10 people. The itinerary, tour length and pickup/drop off location can be customized to accommodate your group. The breweries your group can visit is also customizable. Contact Chris and Laura via the Brewlando Tours website to inquire about this package. The $225 rate is for a five-hour tour; $40 per additional hour.
OUR TOUR
On the afternoon tour I took, our group stopped at The Hourglass Brewery, Red Cypress Brewery and Bowigen’s Beer Company.
At The Hourglass Brewery, I had the Forealzies, an American strawberry wheat ale. The hint of strawberry notes made it a great beer to enjoy during the summer. The Hourglass Brewery is one of the few local breweries that experiments with sours.
Then it was off to Red Cypress Brewery, where I ordered a flight of, which included:
- The Pitchfork (from Sonoma Cider in Healdsburg, Cali.): A pear cider
- Bring Da Ruckus: A cream ale
- Fruit de la Terre: A saison with spice and orange
- Death Roll Nitro: A nitro milk stout
- Night Swim (from Coppertail Brewing Company in St. Pete): A porter
All of the beers, except for Night Swim and The Pitchfork, were from Red Cypress. My favorite was the Death Roll; I love the smoothness of nitro beers.
Our last stop was at Bowigens Beer Company, where I had a flight, which included:
- 7 Layer Stout: A milk/sweet stout
- Cherrywood Smoked Port: A smoked beer mad by using cherrywood smoked malt
- Belgian Cinnamon Roll: A Belgian Dubbel
- Kimberry: An American pale wheat ale that is brewed with fresh ginger and juniper berries
They were all equally great, but the 7 Layer Stout and Cherrywood Smoked Port definitely stood out the most to me.
BONUS PERK: The tour van features a cooler so you can purchase beer from the breweries to take home chilled (as I did with the limited The City Beautiful beer from The Hourglass Brewery).
MORE THAN JUST BEER
You learn A LOT of the history behind Florida's craft beer movement on this tour. Chris Solar was very informative about when craft beer was first brewed in Florida and how Prohibition affected brewing in the state. He also knew a ton about Orlando-area breweries.
Next time you’re looking for a fun date night or you're in town and what to explore Orlando's beer scene, take a tour of Orlando breweries with Brewlando Tours. You might just find your new favorite brew or your next favorite hangout!
