story by
Courtney Murray
P
icture spending the day basking
on the sugar white sandy beach,
soaking in the hot summer rays,
and swimming in the crystal-clear
water of the Emerald Coast. What is more
refreshing after a day of fun in the sun than
an ice-cold beer? Nothing. With Blondes,
IPA, Amber, and Stouts, you can get a wide
variety of beers to suit your taste along our
shores. The Emerald Coast is offi cially
riding the craft brewery wave which is
growing in popularity with tourists and
locals alike. McGuire’s Irish Pub has been
serving up their locally brewed beer for over
25 years and others have been following in
their footsteps, attempting to fi ll their “large
shoes” with “custom brews”. There are now
several breweries producing delicious micro-
brews and serving up a lot of fun throughout
South Walton, Destin and Ft. Walton Beach.
Just a few fl ip-fl op steps away from the
famous HarborWalk Village nestled in
the heart of Destin is the new kid on the
block, Destin Brewery. Founded in June,
2015, Kelly Taylor is currently brewing
four fl agship beers: Destin Ale, East Pass
IPA, Red Sky Rye, and the Bridge Rubble
Double. Always expanding with creativity,
they’ve just introduced a rice lager perfect
for pairing with sushi and available on
draught at local restaurants including
Bamboo Sushi Bar and Hibachi Express.
Taylor is always looking for feedback on
what to brew up next, so stop on by for a
cold one and share your thoughts.
You can spot more than dolphins as you
head over the Brooks Bridge into Fort
Walton Beach; you can spy Props Brewery
& Grill beckoning you in the distance.
Founded in 2011, Props Brewery was one
of the fi rst to break out in the brewery scene
on the Emerald Coast and has been rapidly
picking up speed. When founders Nathan
Vannatter and Mike Kee were transferred
to the 6th Special Operations Squadron at
Hulburt Field they decided that the area
needed a brewpub. Perfectly pairing with
mouthwatering food, their signature beers
Breweries on the Beach
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