Miami’s craft beer scene has quietly become one of the most distinctive in the South. The breweries in Miami cluster densely around Wynwood, with satellites in Coral Gables, Doral, Little River, and South Beach, and what ties them together is a flavor you won’t find in Portland or Asheville: Cuban-style lagers, tropical-fruit IPAs, and barrel-aged stouts that borrow from the city’s Latin pantry. This guide covers where to drink, what to order, and how to plan a crawl — with an eye on the fact that the local scene has reshuffled in the last couple of years.
What Makes Miami’s Beer Scene Different
The Latin influence is the whole story here. Cuban-style amber lagers, Colombian-inspired tropical IPAs, plantain-and-rum barrel-aged stouts — Miami brewers reach for ingredients and cultural touchpoints that give the beer a genuine sense of place. Just as important, most taprooms double as community spaces, with live music, food trucks, art markets, and dog-friendly patios that make them hangouts as much as drinking destinations. If you’re planning a night out around them, they slot neatly into the wider Miami nightlife scene.
Wynwood: The Brewery District
Wynwood is where Miami’s craft beer story began and where the most walkable cluster of taprooms still sits — though the lineup has changed. In early 2024, two of the city’s original breweries, Wynwood Brewing Company and Veza Sur, merged, and the result reopened in December 2024 as Casa La Rubia at 55 NW 25th Street.
Casa La Rubia (and the Wynwood Brewing legacy)
Wynwood Brewing Company was Miami’s first craft production brewery — the godfather of the whole scene — founded by Luis Brignoni and his father, whose Puerto Rican roots ran through everything they made. Its flagship, La Rubia Blonde Ale, was built for hot Miami weather: crisp, clean, and endlessly drinkable. After the merger closed the original 565 NW 24th Street taproom, those legacy beers found a new home at Casa La Rubia, which now brews and pours La Rubia alongside longtime favorites like Father Francisco and Pop’s Porter, plus special editions from both brands. Expect salsa nights, fútbol watch parties, pop-up markets, and a lively indoor-outdoor space — this is the neighborhood hub now.
Cerveceria La Tropical
The most distinctive taproom in Wynwood traces its name to Cuba’s first brewery, founded in Havana in 1888. The reborn version at 42 NE 25th Street honors that heritage with Cuban-style amber lagers and Hispanic-Caribbean takes on classic styles, poured on a lush open-air patio that often has live Cuban music. The on-site restaurant turns out Cuban classics with a brewer’s touch, and the whole place feels like a proper destination rather than a quick pint. It’s a natural pairing with the surrounding Wynwood arts district.
Concrete Beach Brewery
Founded by craft-beer veterans, Concrete Beach plays in the sour, wild, and barrel-aged sandbox. Its Wynwood taproom — the “Social Hall” — has an industrial-chic look and a big garage door that rolls up to the street, making it an easy stop on a neighborhood wander.
Magic 13 Brewing
An indie favorite on the smaller end of the scale, Magic 13 uses its little batches to experiment — think passion fruit goses, plantain stouts, and mango IPAs. The taproom is unpretentious, and more often than not one of the brewers is the person pouring your beer.
J. Wakefield Brewing — a note
Homebrewer-turned-pro Jonathan Wakefield built a cult following with boundary-pushing, Star Wars-themed beers — his fruited Berliner Weisse and barrel-aged stouts are the stuff of trading lists. The original Wynwood taproom has since closed and the brewery has been relocating, so while the beer is still worth chasing, check its current status before you plan a visit rather than counting on the old address.
Beyond Wynwood
Some of the best beer sits outside the Wynwood bubble. In Coral Gables, Lincoln’s Beard Brewing Co. pairs a cluttered, eccentric, almost dive-bar room with genuinely serious beer — sour ales, hazy IPAs, and one of the best stouts in South Florida — plus trivia, comedy nights, and pet-adoption events. Out in Doral, Biscayne Bay Brewing Co. anchors the west side with a Cuban-leaning lineup led by its 1513 Cuban-style lager, alongside IPAs, wheats, and seasonals, all served in a family-friendly space with a big patio and weekend food trucks.
On South Beach, the tiny Abbey Brewing Company is the sandbar’s only working brewery and a delightful counterpoint to the mega-club energy outside — a dim, pub-like room specializing in Belgian-inspired abbey doubles, tripels, witbiers, and sours. And up in Little River, Beat Culture Brewing has become one of the scene’s rising stars, with a dog-friendly outdoor space, approachable hazy IPAs and fruited sours, a standout coffee porter, and a Saturday food-truck rotation that turns it into a weekend destination.
What to Order
New to Miami beer? These are the styles the local taprooms do best. A Cuban-style amber lager — La Tropical’s calling card — drinks like a Mexican lager with more depth: crisp, malty, and sessionable. A tropical IPA leans into mango, guava, and passion fruit, the natural result of Miami brewers’ love of fruit additions. A fruited Berliner Weisse, the style J. Wakefield made famous, is tart, low in alcohol, and made for the heat. Coffee stouts lean on the city’s Cuban-coffee culture — Beat Culture and Lincoln’s Beard both nail them — and if you ever spot a plantain or coconut barrel-aged stout on a limited-release list, grab it.
How to Plan a Wynwood Brewery Crawl
The smartest way to drink your way through the scene is a Wynwood walking crawl, since the neighborhood’s taprooms sit within about a 10-minute stroll of each other. A relaxed three-stop afternoon might look like this: start at Cerveceria La Tropical around noon for a Cuban amber and a bite from the kitchen; walk over to Casa La Rubia by 1:30 for La Rubia Blonde Ale and whatever market or music is on; then finish at Concrete Beach around 3:00 for something sour or barrel-aged with the garage door open to the street. Book a rideshare to start and end the day — DUI checkpoints are common around Wynwood after dark, and it’s simply not worth the risk.
Food and Pairings
Most Miami breweries skip full kitchens and lean on rotating food trucks instead. The notable exceptions are La Tropical, with its full Cuban restaurant on-site; Lincoln’s Beard, with a short menu of pub food; and Beat Culture on Saturdays, when several trucks set up at once. For a DIY beer-and-bites move, grab tacos from Coyo Taco and bring them along — Wynwood’s taprooms generally welcome outside food. If you’d rather have a whole afternoon planned for you, our Miami food tours guide lists operators who fold breweries into their routes.
Tours and Tastings
Most taprooms are happy to give an informal look behind the scenes if you ask, especially on quieter weekday afternoons. For something structured, several Miami tour companies run Wynwood brewery tours that combine murals, beer, and tapas — usually about three hours, three breweries, tastings included, at roughly $80–$120 per person.
When to Visit
Most breweries open around noon and run until 10pm or midnight. For a mellow experience, weekday afternoons are the sweet spot — quiet rooms, no wait at the bar, and owners often on-site. Friday and Saturday evenings bring the live music and food trucks but also the crowds, while Sunday afternoons skew family-and-dog-friendly, with markets at Casa La Rubia and Beat Culture. One tip: many taprooms close on Mondays, so save your crawl for later in the week. Because hours and special releases shift, it’s always worth a quick check of each brewery’s Instagram before heading out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are most of Miami’s breweries?
The densest, most walkable cluster is in Wynwood, home to Casa La Rubia, Cerveceria La Tropical, Concrete Beach, and Magic 13. Others are spread across Coral Gables, Doral, Little River, and South Beach.
What beer style is Miami known for?
Cuban-style amber lagers and tropical-fruit IPAs, thanks to the city’s strong Latin influence. Fruited Berliner Weisse and coffee stouts are local strengths too.
Can I walk between Wynwood breweries?
Yes — the Wynwood taprooms are within roughly a 10-minute walk of one another, which makes the neighborhood ideal for a self-guided crawl. Use a rideshare to get there and back.
Do Miami breweries serve food?
Most rely on rotating food trucks rather than full kitchens. La Tropical has a full Cuban restaurant, Lincoln’s Beard offers pub food, and many taprooms let you bring your own.
Breweries are just one slice of the city’s after-dark life. Round out your trip with our guides to Miami’s best bars, happy-hour deals, and live music venues. For the latest openings statewide, the Florida Brewers Guild directory is a good bookmark.
