A Craft Beer Crawl in Paradise: Key West Edition

By PintPerspective.com

Key West isn’t just sunshine, turquoise waters, and roosters strutting through the streets — it’s also got a quietly growing craft beer scene worth exploring between snorkeling trips and slices of key lime pie. On our recent trip south to the Southernmost City, we checked out two standout breweries, sampled a handful of local specialties on tap around town, and made a note to come back for the ones we missed.

Waterfront Brewery

If you’re going to start a Key West beer crawl, it might as well be with a view. The aptly named Waterfront Brewery sits right on the edge of the harbor, offering a front-row seat to watch boats drift in as the sun sets. Inside, it’s laid-back and welcoming — a spot equally great for a group hang or a solo beer with a book.

We started with a trio of their own creations:

• Crazy Lady – crisp and tropical, perfect for the heat.

• Lazy Way IPA – a smooth, balanced IPA that leans citrusy without going full hop bomb.

• Island Life – a light, easy-drinking brew

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First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery

Just a few blocks inland, First Flight serves beer with a side of aviation history. This 1927 building is the birthplace of Pan American World Airways, where Pan-Am sold its very first tickets for flights between Key West and Havana. The walls are dripping with history, but the taps are all about the present.

We grabbed:

• Sunset Clipper – crisp and clean, with just enough malt backbone.

• Captain Maverick – a bolder brew with a touch of caramel sweetness.

• Havana Red – a smooth, malty red ale that paired perfectly with the island breeze.

On the List for Next Time

We didn’t make it to Southernmost Pint Brewpub this trip, but it’s firmly on the Key West beer bucket list.

And while not every beer we tried was a local craft standout, there were plenty of unique-to-Key-West pours worth noting. Bars across town feature house-labeled beers brewed by bigger Florida names like Funky Buddha and Veza Sur:

Sloppy Joe’s Island Ale & Soppy Hoppy IPA (Funky Buddha)

Hank’s Island Lager & Hair of the Dog IPA (Veza Sur)

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Other craft sampled on the trip

Beers like No Wake Zone (Islamorada), Key West Pale Ale (Carib), Sun Session IPA (Florida Keys Brewery), Hop Gun IPA (Funky Buddha), and Channel Marker Session (Islamorada)