Forget that 30-rack of cheap Bud Light for a minute and just imagine; a beer that doesn't taste like a can of mildly alcoholic soda water, a beer with flavors you didn't even know a beer could pull off , a beer you, gasp, actually sip and savor as opposed to just chug like water.
It exists! And it's all throughout Tampa Bay. Craft brews, made by small breweries across the country are widely available in Tampa grocery stores, liquor marts, and the actual breweries we have right here in the area like our beloved Tampa Bay Brewing Company.
Opened in 1996, the Tampa Bay Brewing Company aimed straight for the heart of the Tampa beer scene and made a direct hit with their slew of on-site brewed beers including the Old Elephant Foot IPA, Red Eye Ale, and Jack the Quaffer Porter.
Located in the heart of Ybor City on the upper level of the Centro Ybor shopping center, TBBC and its on-site brewery is equipped to produce up to 12 tapped beers and several cask-conditioned ales. Of course, it's easy for an establishment to boast a feature like this, bring in a throng of beer lovers only to have them realize it's really mediocre beer.
Luckily, TBBC beer's worth is vouched by a number of awards they've won throughout the years. Most recently, their Old Ale took second place in best of show at the Best Florida Beer Championship in 2010 and their Old Elephant Foot IPA took first in 2005.
And, what would delicious beer be without some delicious food? The TBBC happily obliges with a diverse selection of pub staples including Honey Chipotle Moosekiller Barbecue Wings, the "Bomb" Burger with bacon, cheddar, french fries, onion rings, wrapped in pizza dough, and finished with a horseradish cream sauce (holy moly), and an Iron Rat Stout Shephard'e Pie with chopped sirloin, peas, carrots, and sweet onions in a stout demi-glaze topped with garlic mash.
And now, if you love their beer, you can now buy 32 ounce and gallon growlers of any TBBC beer to bring home. Not bad, right? Head on down today and see what they're all about.
