Florida Craft Beer: Northwest Florida Part II

In Florida Craft Beer: 5 Breweries Near Destin, Florida, we shared some of our favorite breweries to stop in after your day at the beach with Crab Island Watersports(opens in a new tab). But the coast of Northwest Florida has so many options to choose from, we thought it only fair to include a part two to feature ALL our favorite breweries near Fort Walton Beach! Check out these excellent breweries in Niceville, Navarre and Pensacola to get your Florida craft beer fix.

This microbrewery is about a 30 minute drive west of Crab Island Watersports in the Santa Rosa County community of Navarre, Florida. Founded by a collective of retired and active duty military members with a shared passion for beer. Their name references St. Michael the Archangel.

St. Michael was the patron saint of the warrior and thus the patron saint of the armed forces, firefighters and all whose job is to serve and protect the people. You’ll notice references to this theme in many of the names of their beers, such as the “K9 Furmissile IPA” in honor of K9 law enforcement officers and their furry companions, or the “Chargin’ Charlie Red Ale” in honor of those who have served in the United States Air Force RED HORSE units.

St. Michael’s Brewing Company specializes in traditional European-style brews. They have a tap room as well as a beer garden where they host different food trucks throughout the month. You can check their holiday, food truck schedule and upcoming events on their online calendar. Here’s what previous customers have to say about St Michael’s Brewing Company:

“A real nice experience every time we go. Outside, they rotate/schedule different themed food trucks for great food variety. Inside, a huge variety of beers. I recommend a “flight” (multiple beers that you choose) to ensure you don’t miss out on a drink that might be your new favorite! They have board games, friendly service, and it’s clean. Check this place out. Highly recommended.”

“Great place to get a nice local craft beer, Im a huge IPA fan and I think they nailed it with the Kelly Day !! Really nice place overall can’t go wrong for a good draft.”

Address:
2199 Highway 87 Navarre, FL 32566
Phone: 850-710-7337
Hours:
Mon CLOSED
Tues – Thurs 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday – Saturday 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sunday 12:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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For another veteran-owned spot with tasty craft beer, check out 3rd Planet Brewing in the Okaloosa County town of Niceville, whose mission is to serve quality craft beer in a comfortable environment with exceptional customer service. Their “Mothership” location opened in 2018 and that same year the Brewer’s Association named them the 14th fastest growing craft brewery in the US. The Mothership is also an approximately 30 minute drive from our Crab Island Watersports home base in Fort Walton Beach. This location not only hosts and features local food trucks, they were the first brewery to work with the city to establish a food truck ordinance prior to opening.

Local accolades include the title of “Finest on the Emerald Coast Craft Brewery” in 2018 and 2019 and “Finest on the Emerald Coast Best Beer selection”, based on local consumer votes in the Northwest Daily News. The Niceville Chamber of Commerce also voted them the “2019 Small Business of the Year” and they look forward to continuing growing their business and expanding production and distribution. Read below what a few happy customers have to say about the place:

“Great local microbrewer, run by local, for local… beers are great, atmosphere is great. Live music..food trucks…love this place..”

“We had a flight and tried different styles. Third Planet does them all very well. So rare to find one brewer that does. I couldn’t find fault with the bramber, the sours, the porter, or the special dark 10pct whew! And the husband enjoyed the IPAs and the bramber as well.”

Address:
1400 E John Sims Pkwy, Niceville, FL 32578
Phone:+1 (850) 424-4257
Hours:
Sunday 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Monday-Wednesday 3:00pm – 10:00pm
Thursday – Friday 12:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm
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While you’re in Niceville, you won’t want to miss out on a stop to yet another veteran-owned brewery, Bayou Brewing Company. Customers rave about their friendly staff, great atmosphere and refreshing ciders and beers, brewed in-house. They don’t currently have a website, but you can follow them on their social media. Check out what others have said about this Niceville brewery run by Air Force and Army veterans:

“Great selection of beers from sours, stouts, ipa’s and some more normal blondes and ambers. They always have several new beers rolling out every couple weeks and the staff is bar none some of the friendliest folks around. This is my favorite local brewery in Niceville (and really, Okaloosa county).”

“My amber was amazing and my son’s stout was perfect. We had the opportunity to chat with one of the owners, Parker. Super nice guy! Very clean place and cozy. I will be back!”

Address:
120 Partin Dr N, Niceville, FL 32578
Phone: (850) 424-7010
Email: bayoubrewingco@gmail.com
Hours:
Sunday-Tuesday Closed
Wednesday-Thursday 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Saturday 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sunday Closed
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Just a 10 minute walk from 3rd Planet Brewing, you’ll find Strange Colt Brewery, a Euro-style pub that serves a range of craft beers brewed on-site and classic pub fare. Inspired by the typical neighborhood pubs of Europe, this fun spot hosts a weekly trivia night as well as a happy hour weekdays from 3pm – 5pm. Read what people have to say about this quirky craft brewery in Niceville, Florida:

“Wow! They let us taste a few selections and I picked the El Caballo Loco (Mango-Habanero IPA). I don’t like IPAs, but I loved this one! Just a little heat and a whole lot of satisfaction. We had about 20 of us in the back room and it was great!”

“Nice, clean brewery with pleasant wait staff. We are visiting Destin and decided to try. The Irish red was great! Tried the Shire Stout and will be getting it the next time. Great place for some brew and the food menu sounded great!”

Address:
1103-B John Sims Pkwy EastNiceville, FL 32578
Phone: +1 (850) 424-5300
Email: strangecoltbrewery@gmail.com
Hours:
Sunday-Monday Closed
Tuesday-Thursday 3:00pm – 9:00pm
Friday 3:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday 3:00pm – 10:00pm
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If you head an hour west of Crab Island Watersports, you’ll find Pensacola Bay Brewery in the historic district of Pensacola. They’ve been around since November 2010 and pride themselves on their consistent high-quality brews. They have a taproom as well as a covered patio where you can bring your dog. They also host live music most Sundays from 2:30pm – 5:00pm! Read what others have said about this Pensacola staple:

“You can simply not visit Pensacola without having an ice cold beer here. Great variety of styles, lovely area to seat outside, very much recommended.”

“Really good beer. Everything is definitely above average in its category. Glad I popped in for some flights. Also, pricing was super reasonable for such a premium product.”

Address:
225 E. Zaragoza Street, Pensacola, FL
Phone: (850) 434-3353
Email: beer@pbbrew.com
Hours:
Monday–Thursday 12:00pm – 9:00pm
Friday–Saturday 12:00pm – 11:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm – 8:00pm
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