Beer! Not my first choice when choosing an adult beverage. Normally, I go in the direction of wine or vodka. But so much has changed in the world of beer. I started to research a bit in regards to craft beers and breweries that are within close proximity of our home. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that in less time than it takes to watch an episode of The Real Housewives, I can drive south and find over a dozen breweries! And if we head north, there are just as many! I happen to be married to an incredible guy who is always up for anything! As we discussed how many breweries are close by, we decided to spend the rest of 2019 diving into the world of craft beer, so liver…. Get ready!
By definition, a craft beer brewery produces less than 6 million barrels a year. At least 75% of the brewery is owned by the actual craft brewer. Today, nearly 22% of beer sales are from craft beer. You won’t find as many bottles of craft beers as the brewers prefer to can the beer rather than bottle it for a few reasons. Light that degrades the beer can get through the bottles but not the cans. Cans also cool much quicker. And a can has more surface area for designing the label. This I found interesting as some very cool artwork can be seen on craft beer cans! Though if you do purchase the brew in cans, it is recommended that you pour it into a glass when drinking time comes!
The great thing about visiting a brewery is that it doesn’t require a lot of time. If you have 30 minutes, you can pop in and enjoy a glass. Also, attire is always casual. This is especially true in Florida, as many of these breweries have outdoor space. This is where the fun happens. You can play games or just sit back and relax. Due to our muggy weather, if you plan on hanging around at an outside table, you better dress accordingly!
As someone who can be rightfully accused of being obsessed with their dogs, breweries are a great hangout spot for you to bring your four legged best friend! This is a fun way to spend an evening after the sun goes down. I’ve fallen in love with the idea of sitting outside trying a new beer with Nelson and my dogs!
Let’s not forget that I have an unhealthy obsession with food! Many breweries are just that, a place where the beer is made. But if you find yourself hanging out for a long period of time, you’ll eventually want food. Don’t worry, many have food trucks in the parking lot. You can usually find their food truck schedule online. Or you may get even luckier because some have their own kitchen.
Here is where we get to an actual brewery visit! Our first stop was Peace River Beer Company. It’s located in Punta Gorda, Florida. Nelson and I popped in on a Friday evening around 7:30. They had a few outside tables which is where we planted ourselves for the next hour.
We headed inside to make our selections. The inside area was much larger than I had expected. There was a long bar with a very creative countertop. It was filled with “Floridian” type items and it sparked some fun conversations! There were many seating options inside along with a variety of board games to play at your table. There was even an indoor corn hole area as well.
Now on to the beer! Nelson went with a beer that is brewed in St. Pete but it was on tap at Peace River Beer Company. It’s called 3 Daughter’s Key Lime Cider. Wow, it’s was so full of key lime flavor! It was light and easy to drink. We both would definitely order it again! In fact, the next night we were still talking about it. But remember, we are pretty new to the world of craft beers.
The bartender was beyond sweet and helpful! I was torn between 2 choices and she made a combination cocktail out of the 2. She said it’s called Peace River Sunset. It was a blackberry cider layered with a blood orange cider. It was gorgeous to look at and tasty as well. Though if I’m being honest, I enjoyed the key lime cider a tad bit more. Though I would not turn down a Peace River Sunset if it was placed before me!
I also tried the Sandbar Sunshine Blond Summer Ale. It is made with orange blossom honey and orange zest. It was smooth and a good beer to relax and enjoy.
Beer pours ranged from 12 to 16 ounces. I found the prices to be reasonable with the least expensive glass being poured at $4.00. From there the prices capped out at $7.50.
The Friday evening that we visited, there was a food truck on site. I’m not sure if this was just because it was a weekend though. The food truck, named Hunger Station, had Mediterranean food that smelled delicious. We already had dinner so unfortunately we didn’t try it. We enjoyed it being there though because the food truck had a great sound system and played hits from all different time periods! I believe that’s what added to the enjoyment of sitting outside trying out these beers. So when the food truck left, we were disappointed because the only sounds we were hearing came from the major road nearby.
Overall, we would return to Peace River Beer Company. They had what appeared to be an interesting selection of about 20 beers. The place was clean and the bartender had a great personality. I would not hesitate to bring children here. I’m confident in saying we will be back! Gotta have another glass of that Key Lime Cider!
This is the first in a series of Craft Beer Breweries! Up next will be Cigar City Cider & Mead where we try Mead for the first time. If you have any breweries in South Florida that you enjoy, please share them with me in the comment section. I’m always looking for suggestions!
