Southern Brewing & Winemaking

Checked out Southern Brewing for the first time on a Saturday afternoon. I loved how they had the beers divided up by category on the chalkboard behind the bar. It was easy to scan for what you were in the mood for based on headers like Hoppy, Sour, Dark, Collaborations etc. We were pretty impressed with the selection overall and immediately planned on sampling and ordering several of the beers. Unfortunately, we only got as far as our first round due to the poor servce. The Gose and Hefeweizen themselves were both very solid and def left us wanting to try others. The girl behind the bar didn’t seem very interested in helping customers though. She spent most of our time there leaning on the bar talking loudly and obnoxiously to a couple that were either her friends or regulars. Even after she quite clearly saw us waiting to order drinks, she chose to pick up a rag and wipe things down instead. We witnessed her doing the same thing to several other customers, as well. In fact, at least two other patrons had asked for a beer listed on the board that they were apparently out of. The bartender told them both that she just hadn’t erased it from the board yet. Not once did either of the two girls behind the bar ask us how we were doing, if we needed anything or if we enjoyed our choices. We purposely moved our seats to the bar itself once they were available so we can discuss the beers and ask questions. This is what I’ve come to expect after frequenting breweries throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. We were totally ignored. I would expect trashy service in a dive bar but not anywhere in the craft beer community. We cashed out just to avoid further aggravation. On the way out, we stopped at the home brew supply section of Southern. The gentleman working over there was fantastic and really the only reason I didn’t give a lower rating. He was happy to help and give me all sorts of information about a conical fermenter I was eyeing. I appreciated the information and the great customer service. I would really have liked to experience more of the beers at Southern but there’s clearly some issues that need to be addressed behind the bar.

So first off we almost drove right by it because it looked like an abandoned warehouse from the front. Even as my husband made the turn I was insisting he was wrong because «this looks too sketchy». But as the old saying goes don’t judge a book by its cover. It was a hidden gem. The back patio was truly whimsical. Lots of room to sit and feel cozy with your group. We sat by the fire pit, but it was far to hot to enjoy the fire so thank God it wasn’t on. In the back they have many lounge chairs, picnic table and plenty of fan’s. But being Florida you need to expect the heat that comes with the out doors. There were several families and children playing around, so it was definitely a family friendly environment as everyone says. There was a food truck and thank God because we were starving I had a grilled cheese which was huge and very filing. I generally like the red ale’s and the only one they had was a sour red and that was not my cup of tea, so I went with the sangria (which on a hot evening was VERY refreshing) and Oliver’s gruel stout which was flavorful and filling, both were very enjoyable.
Now if you don’t enjoy the out door’s or are prone to getting bitten by bugs, make sure to sit by the fans and bring bug spray. Definitely figure that into your plans. The fly’s out there are as boozy as the people ;).
All in all a fun place, with great beer, definitely felt like a locals place and the staff was great. We will certainly be coming back, but I do think it’s a place I will enjoy far more in the cooler months. :)
Truely this is more of a 3.5…better than average… not quite my first choice… but I think it would be more of a 4 in those winter months. :)

This place is the best! Bring the dog and drink a beer! And, if you want to brew some beer, this is the place!

I just went here last weekend on the local loop on the new bus, and I’m so glad I did! The atmosphere was very relaxed, I loved the indoor and outdoor seating areas. And the beer was great; I will definitely come back here again soon.

Came in on the Brew Bus and couldn’t get a beer because the credit card machine went down… Came back later and got skipped over after waiting for a while and couldn’t get a growler to take home. There was only one bartender and I’m disappointed not to be able to take good beer home to share :(the tour was cool and the beers were good but customer service should be priority #1

It is easy to drive past this gem and think that it is closed, I myself have done so before. This is mainly due to the fact the the parking lot is on the side and you actually enter through the back of the building, therefore the front looks closed. Once I decided to do a little homebrewing myself, I realized just what I had been missing. This place turned out to be better than I had hoped for. Outside features a a covered patio and usually they have a food truck on the weekends. There are two sections inside, which are not really separated. Once inside, to the left is a nice sized bar which serves Southern’s own brews on tap. I opted for trying a Amber Ale and it was very good. Past the bar are couches and tables, I believe they do live trivia on Tuesday or Thursday nights. I’ve been on a Wednesday afternoon and a Saturday afternoon and both times the place was busy, so they must be doing something right! Most importantly they are a homebrewer’s dream. I was helped by Eric, who was very knowledgeable and outgoing, he was very accommodating of my lack of knowledge at that point and willing to help, he is definitely an asset to Southern. The homebrew area features and amazing amount of grains, hops, yeast, malts and everything else you need along the way to brew. They sell everything to starter kits to advanced equipment such as keg systems. Their prices are almost impossible to beat as well, even online stores such as Amazon have not been able to beat their prices from what I have seen. The convienance and knowledge is second to none! I will definitely be a customer for a long time.

Your dream bar awaits
Libations, conversations
PWNing the Pilsner.
What would be your dream neighborhood bar? Maybe some large televisions? Trivia? Great outdoor sitting space? Fire pit? A rotating food menu? Everything you need to brew your own wine, mead, cider, and beer? A non-​alcoholic selection? AND YOU CAN BRING YOUR DOG?!
Southern has got it all, and some New England quality brews. The best beer I’ve had in Florida, and it’s my home bar. What sold me? Their dedication to the Pils. That’s how you know a brewer is real, just a solid, makes you want to have another drink, never gets old, refreshing, Pilsner. I especially appreciate their Kombucha and Root Beer. Check the food truck schedule to see what’s there for lunch, dinner and snackage. They don’t really serve their own food, but you can bring it in!

Nestled deep down Nebraska Avenue near MLK, Southern Brewing & Winemaking is a hidden gem for home brewers. If you drive by and the place looks deserted, it’s because parking is located in the back and there’s no front door. The first time I tried to visit, I actually left because I thought it was closed! I’m sure kicking myself for that now that I’ve been.
My boyfriend and I recently decided that we would try out brewing our own beer. We are just amateurs, but Eric was so nice and helped us out while we browsed the equipment and ingredients. We decided to purchase the beginner’s brewing kit, but we waited to buy ingredients since we live only a few miles away. We aren’t sure what we want to make for our first batch yet, but Eric recommended starting with a stout or IPA.
While we debated our shopping list, Taylor and I decided to enjoy a beer from the bar area. I had the Gose and it was pretty good. I only wish that I had seen the flavored syrups that you can add before I started drinking! Of course, wine is also served. There’s a cute outdoor patio area where you can enjoy your drinks and it’s also dog friendly. They even have a Yappie Hour! Food trucks are frequently parked outside on weekends, so you can make a whole day out of your trip.
I’m sure we will be visiting frequently now that we have picked up this new hobby. Eric has assured us that he will be there to answer any questions we have. It’s pretty nice knowing that we have this resource so close to home!

First time here and I loved it. The outdoor area is wonderful. The only way I even found this place was due to the brew bus. So glad I had the opportunity to hang in their tropical outdoor area and try some great local beers. I can see myself coming here more often since it’s so cozy. You don’t feel like your at a brewery at all. They make you feel at home and their beer is top notch!

This is a pretty good brewery that is lesser known in the area. It is a GREAT place to go if you home brew because they sell a ton of supplies. The bar portion of the brewery is small in comparison, but they have good beer on tap. It’s a wide variety of anything from stouts to sours and they rotate the taps regularly. There is live music on some nights and they usually have a food truck out back. Plenty of parking in their private lot and another lot on the other side of the street. Worth a visit if you’re in the area (it’s also a stop of the Brew Bus Local Loop).

I’ve been coming here on and off for a couple of years now due to some financial issues before I switched industries. I’m a huge fan.
Maybe an hour from where I live in Pasco, for the longest time it was my closest option for ingredients. I have only once gone and been unable to find a specific ingredient. The staff were quick to point me in the direction of a few substitutes, as well as advising me on subtle differences I could expect in the finished beer.
The staff has also never had a problem answering what I’m sure were stupid noob questions, even when I made it clear I was only there for the food truck and tap room. On these occasions they have treated me with the same respect as someone loading up a cart. Granted, I also waited till they weren’t busy with retail customers.
The tap room has killer selection. Core Beers are always on point and a veteran craft drinker or a Bud Lite type can find something in the Core that’s equally agreeable. My favorite thing though is the special brews they tap of otherwise hard to find styles like sours and some more obscure Continental European styles.
Like something on tap? You can get the recipe. They have binders at a few of the tables that have the recipes in them, recipes are in both extract and all grain. Don’t know what that means but want to? Ask, or sign up for one of the classes they offer.
All around great place if you like
1. Drinking Beer
2. Making Beer
3. Learning about it
4. Supporting a local business.
I can’t recommend this place enough.

My boyfriend needed to buy some yeast to brew his beer, so we headed over here. It was more than we were expecting. It not only had beer and winemaking supplies but an interior bar, outside courtyard (including a couple ‘lawn games’), a food truck parked outside. They had a schedule of events and classes as well. The beer I ordered was really good. I also appreciated the different size options. This was a great place to just back and relax on a weekend afternoon.

Off flavor tutored tasting. This is a great venue for tasting a variety of beer types. For the uninitiated beer lover, an off flavor taste test is available.

Not my favorite. The beer selection was decent. There were zero ciders or wheat beer choices. My favorite thing about this place is when they have live entertainment and the huge connect 4 game. The fire pit was a cute touch as well. It is never really packed.

Impressive. We went to the Taste of Seminole Heights walking tour this past weekend, and it began here. We’ve never been before, so we stopped inside to utilize our tickets for two beers. However after we ordered two beers the bartender advised us that the sample size beers or outside and then we would have to pay for our beers. We took one sip and we were fine with that deal. We found some other people that we knew and gave them our sample beer tickets. I had a Funky Kolsch Medina, and loved it. Light, crisp and perfect for a warm day filled with walking. Sitting at the bar it took me a little while to figure out what was actually going on inside of this shop, I guess I’m just a little slow sometimes. There were all of these blue bins and I thought that it was just some of the supplies that they were using to brew their beer. To me it was interesting that they would just sort of be out in the open. After I got about halfway through my beer, I realized that this wasn’t just a brewery, it was a place that sold supplies for people who make homebrew and wine. I know absolutely nothing about brewing beer or making wine but that didn’t stop me from walking around and taking a look at the wares. I’ve got to tell you that I wasn’t really sure about what half of the stuff was, but it looked pretty cool. There were cheese cloths, corks, tubing, live yeast, dry yeast and hops for days. There was a guy in there with a buscarte and long list of supplies that he needed, and it was cool to see him stocking up. Like I said, I don’t know anything about making beer, but what I can tell you is that I’ve never actually seen a place that offers supplies for people who want to brew. For me, that makes this place very unique.
After we completed the Taste of Seminole Heights tour, we came back into Southern Brewing and had two more beers before heading home.
Loved the place, loved the staff and will definitely be back.

We love this place!
Great selection of beers to sip on draft and food trucks for snacks (we’ve come two Sundays in a row).
There is a ton of interior space/​seating as well as seating outside with TVs, games and pretty landscaping.
Very relaxing place to hang for an afternoon.

This spot was full of unexpected surprises. I went for one of the outdoor markets… I was trying to find a guava tree and figured I would stop by the Seminole Heights Sunday market which is being held at the brewery over the summer months. I was not in the mindset for drinking beer at all, but that quickly changed.
The inside area is made up of a bar, a couple of small tables and then a shop with all kinds beer brewing necessities. All types of tools, supplies and ingredients you’ll need to make your own home brews. By the time I was done strolling I felt inspired to start on my own creation.
I decided to put my brewing dreams on hold and ordered the Pacific Rim IPA. It was pretty good, I tried a couple of other beers and ciders from the people I was with. Some were brewed by them some were guest tap options. All really good.
My favorite part is the back porch/​garden. They have some long tables as well as lawn chairs, fans and lots of places to lounge. The landscaping is really cute and it creates some large and some small sitting areas. It looks like a garden party back there! It gives off an intimate neighborhood feel and fosters a sense of community amongst the patrons.

Love love LOVE this place! I don’t think there is a better place in Tampa to hang out and have some brews with friends. They have a great combination of beers and Biergarten going. With a constantly rotating selection of homemade brews, there is always something new to try – often in unexpected pairings and combinations. My favorite is when they brew their pepper brews seasonally – and by beers, I mean they literally add peppers to all of them. Never had a pepper stout? Southern is wiling to fix that problem for you! (And it is a problem!)
The thing that really makes Southern stand out as my go-​to microbrew location is their outdoor patio. It is huge, shady, with a garden feel – and it’s open year round with fans in summer and a fire pit when it gets cold. Add in some games to the mix, and weekend food trucks (or the option to always bring in food) you have a real winner in my mind! You will find me here almost once a week when I’m in town!

Located in Seminole heights 5 blocks north of MLK off Nebraska Ave and Emma St, this hidden gem has a great selection of beers. The staff is very knowledgeable and will really take the time to help you pick out beers that you will like. There is a large covered beer garden outside with a fire pit that is pretty cool. They also sell supplies for those looking to brew their own beer at home. There is plenty of parking onsite. There is no food available here normally but they do have food trucks outside Friday’s and Saturday’s. You can take a 32 oz beer home with you in growlers. The bartender Will give u free samples until you find something you like. I had the prohibition pilsner, hopburst, Oliver’s gruel, and west side and they were all pretty good. Their prickly pear is pretty good too. Will be coming back again. Thanks! :)

Great overall craft brewery with an excellent collection of home brewing (wine and beer) kits, supplies, ingredients, and even full book/​magazine offerings on brewing.
Being in the center of Seminole Heights the location is excellent. The tasting room and outdoor beer garden are quite extensive, yet this remains an overall relaxing, neighborhood oriented place.
The extensive offerings of barley, grains, hops, fruit mixes, etc in addition to all sorts of hardware for home brewing adds a unique niche to the usual local craft brewery model.
A few of my favs include: Pacific Rim ipa (excellent west coast ipa and very fresh), Moonraker imperial stout (great approach w/​coffee, chocolate, raisin taste), and their Upper Westside IPA (also in DIPA version) which is a real FL type IPA, ala Hop Gun from Funky Buddha.