Brewery Review - Sideward Brewing

Sideward Brewing Co.

As I looked past the bar into the brewhouse I just kept thinking, “That’s a lot of metal!” Sideward Brewing Co. in the Milk District was a brewery that for some reason I had slept on. But as I saw the investment they had made in stainless steel, like two brite tanks (I’ve seen some breweries make the mistake of not adding this finishing tank)...I was left impressed. I was shocked at all that metal in an unexpecting building. And now I know we can find Sideward cans all over the Orlando area. This means this is a brewery that could be a default beer choice for me at several central Florida locations.

Sideward Brewing Co. is situated in the beer-rich section of Orlando. One could travel between Tactical, GB’s Bottleshop, and several other craft breweries to make a fun day. Just make sure that someone is the designated driver because, within a few minutes, there are a lot of choices. 

All That Steel!

Parking is plentiful at this taproom, which I fully appreciate when visiting a new-to-me location. The venue honestly to me looks a little bigger on the outside. The sign says there is only room for around 90 inside. There is a bar and a few long tables. But there’s not really a lot of inside seating. Alongside the building is a covered patio with even more seating, where honestly most guests sat on the day of my visit. The reason it looks bigger on the outside is the brewhouse has a lot of stainless taking up the floor plan. There is also a full kitchen. The building has a lot going on.

Hey…let’s get past blueprints and get to the beer. Sorry, I skipped a flight. Flights were not an option, but I could order 5-ounce pours. Now with a flight, I may try to jump around styles. But this brewery had for me what I love…Imperial Stouts!

"Morningstar"

• “Morningstar”: Is a 10% ABV Boston Cream Pie Imperial Stout. Now, I’ve never had a Boston Cream Pie in a glass. But I did find that it may not have exactly matched the taste but definitely the vibe and reminded me of the donut I had that morning. It had a really nice sweetness, with much of that coming from the lactose in the liquid.

• “Is This Batter?”: This pour was another 10% lactose-backed Imperial Stout. It was brewed with adjuncts of pistachios, cacao nibs, vanilla, and cookie dough. Like “Morningstar” I also got the sweetness from the lactose combined with the vanilla and cookies. But I got more nuttiness than defined tones of vanilla and sweet dough.

Overall, I did think flavor wise they were very similar and on the sweet end of things due to the lactose. They were not must haves, but they scratched a sweet stout itch. I also grabbed sips and a pour from two other brews.

"Is This Batter" and "Moon Boots"

• “High Volume: Peach and & Mango”: This is a 4.6% ABV fruit bomb. It is really sweet and creamy, almost a smoothie sour. It reminded me of something that Drekker Brewing in the Midwest could produce. But the wild thing to me is this fruit snack is lactose-free, so that sweetness is all from the mangoes and peaches. It is yummy, and my companion loved it.

• “Moon Boots”: Every brewery needs a flagship IPA. “Moon Boots” is even listed on the menu as that flagship, so I didn’t need to overthink. Okay, Sideward, I see you. I’d love to know the IBUs, because I was caught off guard by the bitterness. The first sip slapped me in the mouth with the piney punch. I mean a flagship IPA typically has some bitterness, but approachable. As I sipped it grew and grew on me as it’s filled with flavor from that hop bite. It reminds me of a Double IPA, not most brewery's everyday drinker. I kept thinking, this isn’t a special release! And yes, If I can find this on tap at a restaurant…yeah, this is the IPA I would pick today from a list of flags.

Along with the beer, there were seltzers, wines, cocktails, and NA drinks. There’s also a full kitchen with apps and sandwiches that we did not sample. Based on the weekend afternoon crowd around me, there was a fairly diverse Sideward community. And everyone had something to drink.

Who Drinks Here? Well, me. I plan to drink here again. I will keep my eye out for Imperial bottles to grab and go, along with the changing tap list of 20. It is a location that could easily serve as a cornerstone of a non-park day brewery tour, where everyone can stop by. I love the Sideward graphics with demons, which while I hate scary things…for some reason I like scary beer images. I’d also say if you stop into a central Florida liquor store or bottleshop that has Sideward cans for sale, they are good options for filling up your resort hotel fridge.

Just remember, don’t sleep on Sideward Brewing Co. There’s some serious intention going on over there!