This FL Brewery Is Among 30 Best In U.S., Beer Pros Say

FLORIDA — One brewery in St. Pete is among the 30 best breweries in the country, according to a new survey of beer writers and others who know a good beer when they drink it and the value having a craft brewery brings to a community.

VinePair, an online media company covering wine, spirits and beer culture, asked 30 beer pros — writers, educators, historians, community leaders, authors and a cartoonist — to name the best breweries in the country.

The panel’s choices, released Tuesday, range from long-time favorites to hot new arrivals, and from high-volume producers and neighborhood taprooms, VinePair said.

This St. Pete brewery made the list of honorees. Here's what the judging panel wrote about it:

Green Bench Brewing in St. Petersburg, FL: "Green Bench quietly fires on all cylinders. Lagers are on point — it’s Florida, they need to be. Ciders are no afterthought, and the mixed-culture beer program at next-door Webb’s City Cellar is impressive. And that’s to say nothing of the people: The hospitality that co-owner and head brewer Khris Johnson exudes is matched by every employee I’ve met there. Put it all together, and spending a day on the taproom’s sunny patio feels effortless. It’s a brewery that not only reflects its community, but actively works to serve it.” —Written by Kate Bernot, lead analyst, Sightlines, Missoula, Mont.

Currently, there are 9,736 small and independent breweries in operation nationwide, according to the Brewers Association’s 2024 Year In Beer report. About 400 closed this year as the craft beer industry hits “a plateau at best,” Rail wrote, adding, “The days of comparing craft brewers to rock stars and constant double-digit craft brewery growth are clearly behind us.”

The craft beer industry is tightening, Bart Watson, vice president of strategy and membership for the Brewers Association, said in the group’s Dec. 10 report.

“Craft has been going through a painful period of rationalization as demand growth has slowed and retailers and distributors look to simplify their offerings or add options for flavor and variety outside of the craft category,” he said, adding:

“That said, breweries have reacted to these changes by focusing on distribution, continuing to innovate in their taprooms and brewpubs, creating groups and partnerships, and offering a wider range of beverages in their portfolios.”

It’s not “all gloom and doom,” Rail wrote, adding the list shows “there are inspired — and inspiring — beer makers all around the country, in all sizes, serving their communities with one great beer after another.”