Brewery Review - Brewlando

Brewlando

I love me an industrial brewery! One of my favorite breweries in the world is in a very industrial strip mall. One of my other favorite breweries was started in an abrasives factory. I love me some industrial beer! As I rolled up to the industrial-looking boxy strip mall that houses Orlando’s Brewlando, I was Han Solo walking back onto the Millennium Falcon, Chewy, we’re home!

All That Shiny Metal

I really like this space. It is super roomy with tall ceilings, with the bar side having a great view into the brewhouse. There are numerous seating types that can accommodate different types of parties, from long tables, bar-type seats, comfy seating areas, and even what appears to be private conference rooms. There are just so many party types I can imagine, and as someone who has run meetings at a brewery, I see so many options for formal and informal meetings. If this is industry, we can get some stuff done at this location! 


But hey, they have beer. Of course, for a new-to-me brewery, I grabbed a flight consisting of:

• “Jernigan’s Hazy IPA” a 6/8% ABV, 30 IBU golden but nearly see-through Hazy IPA. I found this IPA to be more bitter than juicy, and it reminded me more of a West Coast IPA than a hazy. It easily could be a flagship IPA that every brewery needs, nicely in the middle of the road and doing the job of being a foundational IPA.

• “Fuji Apple IPA” is another 6.8% ABV IPA with 65 IBUs. I liked this a little more than the hazy, finding it to have a nice combination of apple, fall spices, and some hop bite. This is the second fruity IPA I’ve had recently, and I liked the effort and interesting take on the style. 

• “Golden Night“ was a must-add to the flight since Celebration’s “Storm Strong” is becoming a go-to pour for me. I’ve clearly been in a Belgian Strong mood. The Night is a 8.5% ABV, 0 IBUs Belgian Strong. It’s a little funk, a little sweet, and should be named Golden Knight due to the connection to the University of Central Florida. Brewlando is the Official Craft Beer of UCF.

• “Magic City Milk Stout” has 5.2% ABV and 27 IBUs, which I got as a nitro version. It had nice dark bread flavors that were very strong and distinct. And the nitro made it smooth and creamy.

The Flight

I will admit, the beer was all pretty much professionally made. But none of it knocked me off my socks, with tones of apple at least making me curious. And when looking at Brewlando, it makes sense why the beer was finished, but maybe not edgy and groundbreaking. Brewlando makes a lot of beer.

Food, there was a food truck out back. I’m sure there were some miscellaneous snacks at the bar. But it was what I am used to, the Midwest, not Central Florida, a brewery with no food (because often their laws don’t allow food and drink to mix).

Brewlando does have an important history and footprint for the Central Florida beer scene. The brewery is woman-founded and owned, in let’s face it, an industry of dudes. Shara Pahtak, who is not a brewer but a businesswoman, has created an impressive record with a brewery with multiple tap rooms in the area, a relationship with UCF, and the foundation of the largest brewery in the area in just a few years.


Who Drinks Here? Golden Knights fans drink here. Those who can’t decide on what seating types they want drink here. Maybe those who want a meeting space near but not at the airport could shuffle in. Those who want to visit the largest craft brewer in Central Florida need to check off this tap room location.

Brewery Review - Rockpit Brewing and Distilling

Rockpit Brewing and Distilling

A free birthday flight! Yes Please!

Rockpit Brewing & Distilling has been on my radar for a bit. Their online menus, which I find in Central Florida, are not always as accurate as I desire; consistently had a stout that I wanted to enjoy. And with them having a cocktail menu, suggested some choices that the non-beer drinkers in my path would enjoy. 

The Brewhouse

Located within a nice, reachable distance from Downtown Orlando, this is a spot that is also a comfortable commute from Universal. The building is metal-sided and garage-like, with a parking lot that has limited spots. On the day I was there, some spots were also occupied by a food truck. Inside, there’s a lot of space, tables, and a bar. The space can fit many different-sized parties with room to spread out. The best part of the space for me is the metal. With Rockpit having both brewing and distilling under one roof, it’s a lot of metal for brewing fans to stare at while sipping their pints. 

The Flight

I got a birthday flight. Rockpit has this offer on its website. The beers I mined were:

• “Stupider” is a traditional IPA with a big 7.5% ABV and 100 IBU. This is really Rockpit’s flagship IPA for me. But that 100 IBUs was a big hoppy bite that I was not expecting.

• “Yankee Savage” was the other style of IPA I grabbed, a New England Hazy IPA with a slightly smaller 6.2% ABV and 34 IBUs. This is a nice traditional hazy that does give off some beer funk.

• “Never Go Full Tropic” is the Wheat style beer you expect from a Florida brewery. The Wheat style does pop for me, with this reminding me of a banana-led version of Funky Buddha’s “Tropical Floridan.” This Wheater comes in with 5.4% AVB and no IBUs.

• “Blackstrap Con Leche” is the 6% ABV and 30 IBU Milk Stout that I was craving. You really do get the nice dark malts popping flavor with some sweetness from the lactose. Florida loves lactose in their stouts. But this is a version of a lactose-adjoined stout that really works well, as the brewery is trying to imitate a sweet coffee, and they make it work.

"Blackstrap Con Leche"

The non-beer fans in my party grabbed cocktails. And I do have to say that these moonshine-based drinks are really affordable, especially when you compare cocktail prices to theme park property. The two snagged cocktails in my group were the “Blueberry Lemon Thyme Gin Smash” with gin, lemon juice, blueberry juice, and some thyme by our gin fan. And the sweet Pina Colada fan grabbed “Toes in the Sand” with Flordia Cracker Sugarcane Moonshine serving as their local pina. The iconic scene to watch was the two drinkers swapping their cocktails, preferring each other's original choice instead of the cocktail that typically suits them.
 

"Toes in the Sand"

There are two vibes here for me. The first is local. This taproom feels like a local hangout spot. Mugs hang on the wall for regulars. Rockpit feels like everyone knows your name taproom if you visit on the regular. The second is manly. Diving deep into my mind, I used to be part of a group that was determining how to bring male customers through our doors. One recommended strategy was to decorate our location with heavily male-influenced images, like hunting. Rockpit has a miner's theme with dark woods and used metals. It’s a spot where it feels like a dude would feel super comfortable. It’s like a man cave with beer. 

"Blueberry Lemon Thyme Gin Smash"

We were there on a Saturday, and there was a Smashburger truck on site. But there is also BBQ provided by their neighbor Cecil’s BBQ., so one can grab and drink and meal. Being Midwestern, we grabbed some cheese curds, which, without seeing a kitchen on-site, I did see staff walking out a side door to grab our yummy cheeses.

Who Drinks Here? I feel like locals definitely drink here. Also, I think this is a spot where dudes can feel super comfortable. I also think if you are looking for affordable cocktails, Rockpit Brewing and Distilling is likely for you.

Venue Review - The Beak and the Barrel

Everyone loves The Beak and Barrel. But me I just like it!

I love a themed bar. I love “Pirates of the Caribbean” as a classic attraction! I should love the Beak! Sadly, spoilers, the newest themed bar in the Magic Kingdom is just okay to me.

Rummy Commands the Room! 

Let’s start with the great, theming. The Beak and Barrel is one large room broken into different sections with pirate lore. The room is divided however, with walls and windows. It is beautifully decorated with cast members who are, in general, leaning into the kitsch. Like Oga’s (yeah, we will get back to that) it also has a key audio-animatronic figure in the bird Rummy who yells out at guests and creates some fun. For history nerds, like me, it also reminds us of the Barker Bird, which I never saw. Sadly, seeing Rummy won’t be easy for everyone. At least at Oga’s I can pretty much see DJ-Rex everywhere. But yeah, the theming is great!

Butttttt

Yeah, sadly there is a lot of that here.

First, this is a setting with Oga’s rules. That means you have no control over where you are sitting. The first time I journeyed to the Beak, we started with a family on their way out who also clearly chugged their second whiskey cocktails and definitely had a pirate edge to them. They were replaced by a super chatty set of Midwesterners, who knew many of the same places that we did…but also were a little distracting to my private time in the Captain’s Cabin. The second time, we stood behind a window. Now I know what you are thinking, it’s a window! You can see everything. Nope, while the earlier table may have been far from Rummy and the action at the bar, this spot literally blocked all the action. It was opaque and gave you a view of nothing but a blur. My companion kept jumping into a walkway to see Rummy’s latest bits. It was a real mood killer despite the theme and made me keep growling. I’d rip those windows out; they are useless and give you the obscured view of a stadium event.

"Plunder's Punch"

Oga’s rules also mean you have 45 minutes and a limit of two drinks. And again, that chugged drink makes me think some folks are rushing through cocktails. Oddly enough to me, there are small pours of reserve rum, and these also count as one drink. So you can’t grab a sample of all three unless you are sharing these mighty two-ounce pours.

"Barrels Ablaze"

Second, the pre-mixed signature cocktails are good but limited. For our first voyage, my companion got the “Plunder’s Punch” a Kraken Black Spiced Rum, Blackberry, Lime, and Vanilla cocktail in a pirate skull mug for $46.  And they got it so I could have the mug, which I really do like. It was a great sweet rum cocktail, which I hope you can purchase without the souvenir. That first trip, I got the “Barrels Ablaze” which has Jack Daniel’s Bonded Bourbon, Honey, Lemon, and Chile. This is a great spicy Old-Fashioned. While it has a mix of sweetness from the honey and the bourbon, it also has a true spice, not just a Disney spice. My throat and tongue felt the burn, which made me worry for those I saw chug them. The cocktail list, to me, is a bit limited, as honestly, many of the options were not to our tastes.

"Berried Treasure"

But the beers are a dud for me. This is a place that needs a signature beer, which is tropical or rum-inspired. And instead we got, meh. I think the most inspired beer for them is like “Red Stripe Lager,” a beer that makes me think of tropical islands. But I’m not going to complain about anyone ordering a Modela “Especial Lager” as a favorite or IPA in Bell’s “Two Hearted” IPA. At least the IPA mixes up the flavor. Because the main themed beer is Victory Brewing Co.'s “Pirate’s Paradise Blonde Ale” which I anticipate as being a bland beer that tastes lightly of beer. On my second voyage, I did grab the second themed beer, Wicked Weed Brewing’s “Berried Treasure Session Sour” which tastes of a light ale mixed with raspberry, because when I think tropical, I think raspberries. Why isn’t this pineapple, or mango, or coconut flavored? I just visited Melbourne’s Hell’ n Blazes brewing and tasted their “Hurricane Repellent” Berliner Weisse, which very much tastes of a pina colada. Why isn’t this on tap? Or even a Drekker Brewing from North Dakota, which as many many great tropical sours. We need better beer.


And while I’m ranting, like Goose Island Brewing, Wicked Weed from Asheville, North Carolina, used to be a craft brewing legend. Yes, I love craft beer. But like Goose, Wicked Weed is also now an Anheuser-Busch brand. Seriously, raspberries and macrobeers!

Cook’s Corn Griddle Cakes with Chipotle-braised Chicken

Finally, or third or fourth, there are a small number of small plates. I’ve heard the charcuterie board Island Provisions can help feed a mid-sized party. We had the Cook’s Corn Griddle Cakes with Chipotle-braised Chicken. It was a warm corn tortilla that was fluffy and delicious, with the corn chicken and cotija cheese all playing nicely. It was nice to get tasty food in the Magic Kingdom. But like many of the more tasty items in this park, it was a snack.

But sadly, arrrrr, The Beak and Barrel for me is likely an infrequent visit.

Other Journeys! I recently grabbed a family member a reservation, as I’ve gotten pretty good at getting spots for parties of two! This party of two was sitting in the Map Room, where they were never able to see Rummy. They also very much disliked their drinks. And they found the “Pirate’s Paradise Blonde Ale” to be a better choice than the four cocktails they sampled. And they had a very odd interaction with the “Mermaid’s Tears” cocktail, which involves a bit of show by adding a solution to the drink, an interaction where it was essentially hinted that the cast member was roofieing them, which was not cool to the young ladies in the group. It seems very off-brand for cast members.

Who Drinks Here? Pirates and pirate fans who need to see the theming. Or if you can get a reservation and think you would like a cocktail, this is a good spot. The Beak and the Barrel is likely a must-do at least once, but your enjoyment may vary by seating. But if you are beer fan, I’m likely heading to the Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper’s Canteen to grab a “Kungaloosh.” Hey, you might even be able to walk in there! I’d also argue that the seasonal Halloween menu at Jock Lindsey’s Hanger bar has a better themed cocktail to this experience than many offered in “The Spike Trap,” a run and vanilla vodka take on a pina. I know you got to go! But you may not visit more than once.