Welcome back, lushes! It’s time to fill our 6-packs once again, and this episode is all about celebrating the best breweries in Northeast Florida — as ranked by the girls’ very own Boozy Blondes Field Drinker, Tanya.
As a seasoned beer explorer who’s visited breweries all over the country, Tanya knows her way around a tap list. The Boozy Blondes challenged her to narrow it down to their home turf and rank her Top 6 Northeast Florida Breweries.
If Tanya sounds familiar, that’s because she first joined the podcast back in Season 2, Episode 040 (listen here), and the girls were thrilled to have her back to fill a 6-pack. But also, Molly and Chrissy filled their own 6-pack, and Tanya judged.
The girls met at Legacy Ale Works and enjoyed a variety of beers from their local Jacksonville brewery. Molly had the Pineapple Express Milkshake IPA, Chrissy sipped on The Front Porch American Stout, and Tanya enjoyed one of Legacy’s flagship beers, Hibbity Dibbity IPA.
Tanya divided the area of northeast Florida into three regions: north, middle and south. She consulted with her husband (also a craft beer drinking connoisseur), and they just couldn’t narrow it down to six. So Tanya brought two roadies with her, aka honorable mentions. Here is her list:
SOUTH
- Legacy Ale Works | Tanya has been enjoying the beers at Legacy since its inception, and she loves the growth she’s seen there over the years. Retired Navy officers currently own the brewery, and offer events, family days, and have grown to operate a full kitchen!
- Old Coast Ales | A Boozy Blondes’ fave! Old Coast is right next door to Osprey Tacos and who doesn’t love tacos and beer? This brewery started with just 10 gallons in a garage and has grown into a St. Augustine staple. And you can hear more about Old Coast in Episode 003 in the St. Augustine Breweries Pub Crawl episode (listen here). Her favorite combo is the Salt Run (gose) with the Cuban tacos at Osprey.
MIDDLE
- Ink Factory Brewing | It’s a coffee shop and brewery! You can hear more about Ink Factory in Episode 050 Jax Ale Trail Volume 3 (listen here). Tanya loves the sours. And shout out to Hard Pressed Burgers parked outside and the Ink Factory swag!
- Wicked Barley | “Naughty Ales for Noble Souls” Fun fact: you can paddle up to the brewery! They are home to a dog-friendly beer garden and event space. Tanya loves Blood Drive, a blood orange IPA. Wicked Barley also offers a full menu, including Sunday Brunch, complete with a mimosa flight. And they serve mead!
NORTH
- First Love Brewing | Located in the Fernandina Beach area, Tanya literally stumbled upon this brewery driving around that area of town one day. They have a large beer selection and rotate taps every three weeks or so. The owner has tons of official boozy education…which poses the question, why did the Boozy Blondes not go to school for brewing?! Tanya says don’t miss their pizza! She loves the hot honey pepperoni pizza.
- Mocama Brewing Company | Tanya loves that their beer is available in Publix, so if she can’t get to the tap room, she can stop by her neighborhood store and enjoy some at home anytime she wants! Prosim Pilsner is one of her faves, and she loves that four friends own this brewery.
As noted before, Tanya brought two roadies along for the ride since narrowing it down to just six proved to be an almost impossible task! Her honorable mentions are Aardwolf Brewing Company and Grace Note Brewing.
The girls present their 6-pack to Tanya and earned a solid B+. They filled their 6-pack with:
- Old Coast Ales
- Dog Rose Brewing Company
- Fishweir Brewing Company
- Azalea City Brewing Company
- Southern Swells Brewing Company
- Green Room Brewing
Definitely listen to this episode if you want a down and dirty description of some of the best breweries Northeast Florida has to offer! The Boozy Blondes are so thankful for their friend, and drinker in the field, for researching her faves and providing you lushes a great resources for checking out the beer scene in the Boozy Blondes’ home base.
Do you have a favorite brewery that missed the list? Leave a comment below and maybe the blondes can make a visit on a future episode! Cheers!
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