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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2/23/17   4:35 PM