Grab a cold one and gather around for a quick history lesson. Founded nearly two decades ago by local Tampa brewers, the Florida Brewers Guild was built on the idea of uniting an industry for advocacy and sharing best practices in an effort to elevate brewing across the state. Since 1996, the Guild has been responsible for helping increase the bottle size standards in 1999, permitting the influx of import and craft beers into the market, and fostering the growth of craft beer in Florida. Today, it continues to encourage all sectors of the industry to come together under the common principles of advocacy, education, and good ole fashioned brewing.
Our mission is to educate the public about the brewing industry in Florida; to promote networking and educational opportunities between brewers, consumers, suppliers, and government regulatory agencies; and to continually promote free market access of the Florida brewing industry to the public.
Want to get involved?
Craig Birkmaier, President
Swamphead Brewery
Jim Massoni, Treasurer
Florida Beer Company
Tim Ogden
Cigar City Brewing
Eric Lumen
Green Room Brewing
We have a great team comprised of individuals who help strategically guide the organization each and every day. Members of the Florida Brewers Guild board are elected by the membership and serve two-year terms.
Staff:
Josh Aubuchon, Executive Director, General Counsel, and Lobbyist
Alligator Brewing Co LLC
10 S E 2nd Ave Gainesville, FL 32601
Barley Mow Brewing Co, LLC
518 West Bay Dr Largo, FL 33770
Big River Brewing Company-Disney
2101 N Epcot Resort Blvd-Disney Boardwalk Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Big Storm Brewery
2438 Merchant Ave. #103 Odessa, FL 33556
Bone Island Brewing
1111 Eaton Street, Key West, FL 33040
Brewers Pizza Inc
14 B Blanding Blvd Orange Park, FL 32073
Charlie & Jake's Brewery Grille
6300 N Whickham Rd #137 Melbourne, FL 32940
Cigar City Brewing LLC
3924 W. Spruce St Tampa, FL 33607
Cocoa Beach Brewing Company
150 N Atlantic Avenue Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Cold Storage Craft Brewery
4101 North Florida Ave Tampa, FL 33603
Condon-Meek Inc
1211 Court St Clearwater, FL 33756
Due South Brewing Company
2900 High Ridge Rd #3 Boynton Beach, FL 33426
Dunedin Brewery
937 Douglas Ave Dunedin, FL 34698
Florida Beer Company
2500 S. Harbor City Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32901
Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery
2621 N Federal Hwy Boca Raton, FL 33431
Grayton Beer Company
PO Box 611381 Rosemary Beach, FL 32461
Holy Mackerel Brewing Co, LLC
902 SW 8th St Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
Inlet Brewing Company
PO Box 1483 Jupiter, FL 33468
Intuition Ale Works
720 King Street Jacksonville, FL 32204
McGuire's Irish Pub of Destin
33 Hwy 98 E Destin, FL 32541
Mile Marker Brewing
3420 Agricultural Center Dr, St Augustine, FL 32092
Naples Beach Brewery
4110 Enterprise Ave. Suite 217 Naples, FL 34104
Native Brewing Company
212 City View Drive Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
Orlando Brewing Partners, Inc
1301 Atlanta Ave Orlando, FL 32806
Peg's Cantina & Brew Pub
3038 Beach Blvd S. Gulfport, FL 33707
Pensacola Bay Brewery
225 E Zaragoza St Pensacola, FL 32503
Rapp Brewing Company LLC
10930 Endeavour Way Unit C Seminole, FL 33777
Sarasota Brewing Company
6607 Gateway Avenue Sarasota, FL 34231
Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery
9735 Gate Parkway North Jacksonville, FL 32246
Shipyard Brewpub Orlando
200 West Fairbanks Ave Winter Park, FL 32789
Swamp Head Brewery
3140 SW 42nd Way Gainesville, FL 32605
Tampa Bay Brewing Company
1600 E. 8th Ave Suite A123 Tampa, FL 33605
Tequesta Brewing Co
287 S US Hwy 1 Tequesta, FL 33469
From craft brewers and distributors to individual beer lovers, our membership spans a wide variety of industry advocates. Raise a glass to our current Guild members.
The Florida Brewers Guild stands strong as a unified organization focused on enhancing the Florida brewing industry. Become part of the Guild today.
The Perks?
More details
Please, no pets allowed!
Regular Admission Tickets are $30.00 in advance, plus 7% tax
New This Year: VIP Tickets: $75.00, plus 7% tax, limited to 100 guests
VIP Guests will be issued VIP Badges that permit entry into two VIP areas that will have a number of limited and special edition beers from our brewers as well as food provided by Tampa Bay Brewing Company and Cigar City Brewpub
Tickets the day of the event, if available, are $40.00. This event has sold out the past 5 years!
No tickets will be mailed. Please bring a copy of your receipt and ID for admission to the BeerFest.
This is a Rain or Shine event, no refunds or exchanges.
Sat. March 2nd, 2pm - 6 pm
New Location: Centennial Park, Ybor City
Over 40 Florida Breweries
Food, Music, Beer, FUN!
Buy Tickets: must be 21 or older
Interested in becoming a sponsor for the annual BeerFest? Email for more information.
The Florida Brewers Guild encourages and supports efforts to educate brew masters and other beer enthusiasts. What topics would you be most interested in learning more about in an educational seminar?
Do you have an upcoming event you’d like help promoting? Please submit brewery and beer-related events here.
Coming Soon
Great beer takes a lot of work! Quality brewing is labor-intensive and, therefore, accounts for thousands of jobs around the state. The Florida beer industry has a significant positive impact on our state’s economy. While our brewers comprise only five percent of the total beer sold in Florida, they provide approximately 85 to 90 percent of all beer-related jobs. Learn more about the issues that are impacting the Florida brewing industry.
Ever wondered why you don’t see Growler containers available for purchase here in Florida? That’s because current Florida law limits the size of individual alcoholic containers to 32 ounces or less and bulk containers to 1 gallon or more. The Florida Brewers Guild is actively petitioning to change the law to allow for containers of 64 ounces. Currently, House Bill 715, sponsored by Representative Katie Edwards (D – Broward), proposes to remove these restrictions.
And you can help! Let your voice be heard. Contact your state senator and representative and let them know you support legislation that amends the 32-ounce container limit.
Florida currently has the 8th highest excise tax rate in the U.S. with a rate of $0.48 per gallon of beer. These high taxes discourage new brewers from doing business in our state, and they are ultimately passed on to consumers. Both federal and state governments collect excise taxes on all beer/malt beverages produced in the United States. Every manufacturer is required to pay these taxes.
Current Federal Excise Tax Rate: $7.00 per barrel (31 gallons) for the first 60,000 barrels for manufacturers making fewer than 2 million barrels and $18.00 per barrel after the first 60,000. Learn more about the federal excise tax rate.
Love beer? Love your job! The following Guild members have employment opportunities for you:
Props Brewery - new startup up brewery in the FL Panhandle
Opening a Brewery
Considering opening a brewery in Florida? We’re here to help. Read our guide to setting up
Employment
Find employees passionate about their work.
Submit your job openings here
Think you’re deserving of a brew course scholarship? Apply today.
In memory of John G. Doble III, we’ve partnered with the Siebel Institute of Technology to provide an annual scholarship for the World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology held each fall in Chicago. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of the financial and technical need of both the brewer and the brewery, and the winner is selected by the Scholarship Selection Committee, which is comprised of members of the Florida Brewers Guild. The scholarship provides:
• Full tuition for the World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology
• Limited travel funds of up to $800 to help cover the cost of airfare and accommodations
| 2011 | Justin Stine | Cigar City Brewery |
| 2010 | Ed Canty | FBG Founder, Sarasota Brewing Co, Orlando Brewing Partners |
| 2009 | Cody Cassidy | Bold City Brewery |
| 2008 | Tim Ogden | Hops Grill & Brewery, Cigar City Brewery |
| 2007 | Madison Roane | McGuire's Irish Pub & Brewery, Dunedin Brewery, Cigar City Brewery |
| 2006 | Eric Lumen | Seven Bridges Grill & Brewery, Green Room Brewery |
| 2005 | Tom Anderson | McGuire's Irish Pub & Brewery, Harbor Docks Seafood & Brewery |
Want to know more about the man behind the scholarship?
John G. Doble III was born in a U.S. Military Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1965. As a soldier in the United States Army, Sergeant John Doble traveled the world as a Ranger assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (“The Big Red One”) as well as the 101st Airborne (Airmobile) Division.
After his time in the military, Doble graduated from The Siebel Institute of Technology and began to pursue his passion of brewing beer. He was the cofounder and brew-master of Tampa Bay Brewing Company in Ybor City and The Brew Shack in Tampa. His dedication to excellence in both food and beer was nationally recognized when the Tampa Bay Brewing Company was selected as one of the top four restaurants/breweries in America for beer-infused foods. The Tampa Bay Brewing Company was also recently featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” on Food Network.
Doble was an American hero, natural leader, tireless worker, and devoted father. His ashes were embedded in an artificial reef off the coast of Sarasota. His passion for brewing beer lives on through the recipients of this scholarship.