There’s more to Orlando than Walt Disney World and other splashy theme parks. A recent New York Times travel article reported on the central Florida city’s burgeoning craft beer scene. There are now 20 to 25 breweries and craft beer bars in the Orlando area, according to the nonprofit association Florida Brewers Guild; five years ago there were fewer than 10.
For instance, Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour, which opened in 2005, has a menu of 26 rotating drafts, as well as 300 bottles from small producers around the world. It also has more than 50 varieties of sour wild beers from countries including Switzerland, Italy and Belgium.
The three-year-old Milk Bar is a 750-sq.-ft. space named after the milk factory across the street, and focused on smaller niche beer brands. And Cask & Larder has a menu of nine rotating ales that are brewed in a glassed room so customers can watch the process. The restaurant and beer, which opened a year ago, also specializes in beer/food pairings.
Local craft beer producers include Hourglass Brewery and Orlando Brewing. It’s taken a few years to get a collective sense of Orlando’s brew culture, the article notes, because the area–and the beer halls—are so spread out. But the region is taking shape as a craft beer destination.
Read the full article here.