It may not have hit summer on the calendar just yet, but we’re already feeling that seasonal vibe and no one wants to be stuck inside.
The Pensacola area has plenty of outdoor bars, breweries and beer gardens where you can enjoy a brew and the breeze at the same time. Here are 10 places to try.
Alga Beer Co.
2435 N. 12 Ave.
If you’re looking for that indoor-outdoor feel, Alga offers plenty of spaces to enjoy outside of the main taproom. For starters, their back patio, which hosts the Brown Bagger food truck, is the perfect spot for grabbing a picnic table and chowing down on a snack paired with one of Alga’s signature brews, such as their East Hillsner German Pilsner or Wheatwave Floridian wheat beer. Then, you have The Florida Room right next door, an old-Florida-inspired cocktail bar serving thirst-quenching beverages, including frozen sangria, mai tais, and margaritas.
Bavaria
10 S. Palafox St.
Bavaria not only exudes German culture on the inside, with communal beer hall tables and traditional sausages and sauerkraut on the menu, but also on the outside in the restaurant’s German biergarten. The outdoor area comes shaded with umbrellas to soak up shade in the little corner off Palafox Street. The beers you can sip are the real-deal also imported from Germany and served crisp and cold in a giant stein. Guests can order food outdoors if their beer is begging for a giant Bavarian pretzel to keep it company, but it’s also OK for restaurant guests to pop into the biergarten for a quick pour and chat it up with a stranger-turned-friend.
Coastal County Brewing Company
3041 E. Olive Road
While all the beer-making magic happens inside Coastal County Brewing Co., where owner Fred Thibodeaux concocts all kinds of creations, a lot of the fun happens in the brewery’s big backyard for guests. The “neighborhood brewpub” is always hosting an event, whether it’s an annual Weird Beer Fest, cook-out, or the weekly sand volleyball league. The facility boasts 2.5 acres of land, which they refer to as their beer garden, often used for games such as cornhole, yard pong, giant Jenga and more. There is still plenty of shade to claim, thanks to the umbrella-topped picnic tables on the paved patio.
Emerald Republic Brewing
1414 W. Government St.
While Emerald Republic is known for its dark and moody interior, the gravel-lined outdoor beer garden provides plenty of sunshine to enjoy your pint at picnic tables. Dogs are also welcome out in the beer garden, “where your four-legged companion might make more friends than you,” according to Emerald Republic’s website. On tap, you’ll find everything from sour ales, lagers and IPAs to wine and ciders, including their fan-favorite Gozen cherry sour ale. Emerald Republic also has a variety of food to try while you’re there, including sandwiches, pizzas and desserts.
Gary’s Brewery & Biergarten
208 Newman Ave.
Gary’s is one of the purest examples of a true biergarten experience. The small taproom has 18 beers and ciders on tap, and sits on a 2.5-acre property filled with plants and green space. There are cornhole, board games, and giant Jenga available on-site to keep you entertained, as well as a slew of recurring events such as trivia nights, outdoor markets and live music. You can also find a rotating selection of food trucks to enjoy on the grounds, which are posted on Gary’s event calendar on the biergarten website.
Gulf Coast Garage Patio Bar
6820 Caroline St.
The Gulf Coast Garage Patio Bar is exactly as it sounds, a hometown hangout that offers Milton an open-air environment to graze, set up under a shaded umbrella and sip on local brews. There, you can find a variety of local brews and ciders, paired with opportunities for community events and leagues, such as their bi-weekly cornhole league. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Brown Bagger Food Truck’s second location is always on-site.
Perfect Plain Brewing Co. / Garden & Grain
50 E. Garden St.
If you venture through Perfect Plain Brewing Co., you’ll find a hidden oasis just out the back door in the form of sister “cocktail garden,” Garden & Grain. There, you can still enjoy Perfect Plain beers on tap, but you’re out in the open air with mounted fans, murals, hanging string lights and potted plants that just scream summer. Not to mention, you can find refreshing mojitos, seasonal margaritas and more offered out in the courtyard. You can also grab a crunchwrap or taco from El Camino Tacos, led by Chef Rusty Strain.
The Burrow
1010 N. 12 Ave.
The Burrow, nestled in the old Sacred Heart Hospital, offers the best brews from Odd Colony Brewing Co. in addition to fresh food and craft cocktails. While the inside is full of ethereal charm with stained-glass windows and earth-tone décor, the neighborhood biergarten provides a slice of heaven outdoors, equipped with shaded picnic tables perfect for sharing plates and pints, as well as an entertainment stage to host live music. All beers on tap are made in Odd Colony’s “farmhouse-inspired brewery with a heavy focus on seasonality,” specializing in lagerbier, saison and IPA, according to Odd Colony’s website.
Warrior Beer Company
10605 Sorrento Road
Warrior Beer Company joined Pensacola’s craft brewery scene in 2024, led by owner and brewer Gary Hefner. In addition to the indoor taproom, where guests can try some of Hefner’s creations, there is also an expansive outdoor area filled with picnic tables and a stage that hosts live music performers. The line-up of original recipes ranges from a light, Key-lime-like Sasso’s Summer Shandy to a rich Perdido ‘Nilla Porter that are all brewed in house. The brewery, which neighbors the back gate of Naval Air Station Pensacola, was intended to be part of a bigger mission to help combat mental health struggles of those in the military by giving them a safe space to talk and find common ground. Now, children play football in the acres of land that once sat idle, and laughter echoes over the live music. While the brewery was created with the military in mind, it is designed to serve everyday “warriors” who are all going through their own battles.
Wisteria Tavern
3808 N. 12 Ave.
While Wisteria Tavern, known as Pensacola’s “neighborhood beer pub,” has limited space inside, the outside has been converted into a major hang-out spot with covered tents, comfortable patio furniture and even its own food truck called Wisteria Sandwich Shop. The tavern is certainly storied; it was issued a “beer only” liquor license by the state of Florida in 1935 and has been operating ever since under only four different owners. Since the zoning surrounding The Wis has since changed to residential, Wisteria was grandfathered in and allowed to remain open with the condition that it maintains its current size. Even with the size constraints, the Wis still offers over 100 varieties of beers bottled and on draft. You’ll even spot some local favorites on the menu, including Perfect Plain’s Citra Spin IPA and Pensacola Bay Brewery’s Riptide Red Ale. There’s always plenty happening at The Wis, so check back on their website and social media pages for happenings.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 10 Pensacola area outdoor breweries, bars and beer gardens
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
