One trend that shows no sign of slowing in the Sunshine State is the rise of craft breweries, many offering tap and tasting rooms that groups can use.
The Tampa area, for one, is home to more than two-dozen craft breweries, including one at the new restaurant Ulele on the Tampa Riverwalk, where they offer group tours, says Cristina Duschek, a spokesperson for Visit Tampa Bay.
Across the bay from Tampa, the St. Pete/Clearwater Craft Beer Trail runs from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs—about an hour’s drive—where groups can stop to sample fresh artisanal beers, take a tour, meet the brewer and take some beer to go (though here, a bus is recommended).
Northeast of Tampa in Jacksonville, the local craft beer scene has doubled in the past few years and continues to expand downtown and beyond. One popular downtown stop is Intuition Ale Works, which specializes in small-batch handcrafted ales and features a tap room as well as space for private events. Tours of the brewery include tastings and a souvenir pint glass.
If your group finds itself doing the “Duval Crawl” of pub-hopping along Duval Street in Key West—epicenter of nightlife in the Florida Keys—be sure to stop in at Sloppy Joe’s, a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, where a tap room welcomes group tastings.