It's absolutely amazing how many local breweries have popped up in the last few years here in Southwest Florida. I love choices. And just to make a point, I went to some of the local craft brewers and bought beer to go when the world was shut down due to the 'Rona. Back when you weren't allowed to have people in the bar but you could sell 'to go'. I'm proud to say that I did that. These local craft breweries are a treasure. As our area continues to grow and more and more chain stores and chain restaurants move in and attempt to homogenize our SWFL, there's one local business model that is definitely thriving. People LOVE local craft beer. They love how it's made here. They love the quirky local names the beers are called. It's an industry that is still VERY local. If you're looking for a road trip, check out Florida’s Highest Rated Beers, there's quite a few within a hour or two drive.
But now that's there's so many local breweries, where do I go to end my sobriety? I have a pretty simple way of choosing. Where's the Sweet Cheesus Food Truck?
Not kidding, Sweet Cheesus is the perfect pairing with a hoppy IPA. If my methodology doesn't suit you, there's always the traditional way to search out the best. Good ole' Tripadvisor. They compile rankings from people who visit the breweries, and then are sober enough to click on how many stars they want to give. There's some reviews, but most are pretty short. I get it, you're not very eloquent when you're 3 flights in and the game is on. Pinkies up everyone, let's take a look at the 12 best breweries in Southwest Florida.