When it comes to beer, “best” is subjective and hotly contested. Here is our take on which Pensacola breweries are best!
Pensacola is consistently ranked in the top 10 for most breweries per capita. It certainly helps to have a small population of only 50k people. Local Pensacola breweries recently brought home 12 awards in the Best Florida Beer Competition.
There are currently 13 breweries in Pensacola: A Little Madness, ALGA, Big Top, Coastal County, Doc’s Hop Shop, Emerald Republic, Gary’s Brewery & Biergarten, Goat Lips Chew & Brew House, McGuire’s Irish Pub, Odd Colony, Pensacola Bay, Perfect Plain, and The 5 Barrel. There are multiple breweries in the immediate surroundings of Pensacola as well, including 5 Flags Brewing, Beardless Brewhaus, Big Beach, Fairhope, St. Michael’s, and Ye Olde Brothers.
Certainly you could visit all the Pensacola breweries and decide which ones are the best for yourself. You can easily do a walking downtown brewery crawl starting at Pensacola Bay Brewery with stops at The 5 Barrel, Big Top, Perfect Plains, and ending at Odd Colony, approximately 1 mile of walking all in all. However, if you have limited time and looking for a specific style of beer, this guide is for you!
5. Gary’s Brewery & Biergarten and Big Top Brewing
Fifth place is a tie for us.
Gary’s Brewery & Biergarten started as a home brew supply store and morphed into the biergarten you see today. In addition to offering up their own beer they usually have some really good guest beers on tap. If you’re a big hard cider fan, I’ve always found them to have the best selection. While they generally have some decent beers on tap, occasionally they have some real winners. I still salivate when thinking about the pistachio beer they had on tap several years ago.
They are currently closed on Monday and Tuesday. Their large outdoor space means they host a lot of regular events including trivia night, open mic night, and a Sunday arts market. They are pet friendly and often have a food truck or 2 onsite. The one downside is it is not centrally located and means a trek out to West Pensacola.
Big Top Brewing Co is conveniently located downtown just off Palafox. This is a secondary location with the original brewery being in Sarasota, FL. I believe most of the beer is brewed in Sarasota and shipped in. We love Big Top for their interesting variety of beers; there is always something new to discover. How can I forget my first ever white stout, the White Winged Dove? I had the pleasure of drawing the last glass from that keg. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve threatened to petition for the return of the Peach Milkshake IPA. I also recall a very tasty peanut butter and jelly ale too. It was weird but it worked.
Big Top also has an excellent kitchen with not only a good lunch and dinner, but a really hearty brunch. They do a weekday lunch special served in 10 minutes for only $10. It’s also really hard to say no to their staple menu item, loaded tater tots. They have a text alert you can subscribe to for 2 for 1 beer coupons which can make this a really budget friendly stop. They did briefly experience some quality issues during COVID, however this appears to be on the mend and our last few trips here have been really good.
4. Emerald Republic Brewing
No great Pensacola breweries list would be complete without Emerald Republic. It’s a bit of goth meets Sci-Fi. Be sure to check out the (real) human skull mounted on the wall to the right of the bar.
If you love sours or dark beers, this is the place for you because they do them well. Buddy really loves their black IPA. For me, I have to say the award winning Gozen is the best sour I’ve ever had. It literally tastes like a cherry pie. I was really sad it was temporarily off tap on my last visit and I was forced to order something different. I had the Wolves, Not Sheep, a very solid milk stout. Keep an eye out for Shugga Money, a pink guava golden ale. While not always on the menu, it does make appearances regularly.
Emerald Republic has a nice outdoor space with a stage and frequently hosts live music on the weekend. They also have a bottomless mimosa for $10 pp on Sunday’s and, to my surprise, they use a decent quality champagne. Be sure to check out the food truck out front, the Rustyc Spoon. Their food is absolutely killer and brunch in particular is extra special. If you plan to come for brunch, come early. They often sell out.
3. Odd Colony Brewing Co
It’s really hard to describe the theme at Odd Colony with the animal skulls, 3 eyed wolf, and clusters of mushrooms but it definitely has a 70’s vintage quality to it. If you’re into IPA’s this is your place.They usually have a variety and lately I’m noticing more beers with lactose. Of all the Pensacola Breweries, they hands down have some of the best beer names. One of my favorites to date was The Bees Made Honey in a Rams Skull: A double imperial stout with pistachios and honey. They also aren’t afraid to experiment. They’ve actually made 2 beet beers!
The downside to this brewery is it is on the smaller side but quite popular making seating difficult to find sometimes. Be sure to check out their regular food truck, MISU, parked out front most days. They offer Mexican-style street food and their chicken strips are easily my favorite. If you like Mexican street corn, be sure to try their corn ribs. You will be talking about them for days.
Odd Colony recently announced an expansion project. They will be opening a neighborhood biergarten, The Burrow, in the historic Sacred Heart Building in East Hill.
2. ALGA Beer Co
ALGA is likely to take top spot among Pensacola breweries within certain circles. Located in the eclectic neighborhood of East Hill, it has a large community following. The name is a combination of AL for Alabama and GA for Georgia, where the 2 owners brewed their inaugural batches of beer. There are a lot of regulars and this brewery has a very Cheers-esque vibe: Everyone knows your name. They offer a wide range of high quality beers and always have a few solid lagers or ales for the folks who want their beer to just be a beer. They happen to do stouts really well but don’t offer them often enough in my opinion. They also make some great IPAs.
They have a small shaded outdoor space behind the building with picnic tables and the permanently parked Brown Bagger. This food truck serves up excellent wagyu burgers and chicken strips with enough dipping options to make your head spin. Don’t miss out on the loaded Brussels sprouts. They frequently have rotating second food truck in the front. Weekly trivia, bingo, and movie nights have a loyal following but the live music acts always pack the house with standing room only. As with most Pensacola breweries, they are dog friendly. If you’re into plants, be sure to bring one with you for the “take a plant, leaf a plant” swap.
They recently announced a new project called The Florida Room. Later this year they will be adding a cocktail bar with a retro 80’s style old Florida tropical vibe decor.
1. Coastal County Brewing Co
You ask any local for recommendations on Pensacola breweries, Coastal County is sure to be on the list. The owner is a bit restless. He is always brewing new beers, planning new events, and expanding his brewery empire in some shape or form. There are 28 taps on the wall plus an additional dispenser for 10 seltzers. They have multiple excellent flagship beers but also a constantly rotating menu of new beers. You will never be bored. Every style, including ciders, are available. This is the place you bring a group with mixed preferences. Everyone will find something they like.
Coastal also has a huge outdoor space complete with a volleyball court and fenced dog run. In addition to the traditional weekday offerings like trivia and bingo, there are always big events planned on the weekends. Not only does Coastal have their own kitchen with easily one of the best club sandwiches in Pensacola, but they frequently invite multiple food trucks for special events.
They recently opened a separate event space perfectly suited for small wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, and anniversary parties. It has private bathrooms and space for a band. It can comfortable seat around 50 people. They have plans for a second, much larger private event space though the opening date is a few years off yet.
My only complaint about Coastal is it’s too far from my house.
I hope you found all this info on Pensacola breweries helpful. When visiting a new place, drinking local is an important part of the experiences. In addition to being great places to get a fantastic cold pint, our breweries are pretty instagrammable. Be sure to check out my blog post on best photo ops in Pensacola.
