From waterfront taprooms and barrel-aged stouts to small-batch rum and fruit brandy, here's where to sip local between Jupiter and Dania Beach.
If you're hunting for the best breweries in South Florida, you're in the right place. Palm Beach and Broward Counties have a craft beer scene that's grown up fast, with taprooms tucked into warehouse districts, Intracoastal patios, and old downtown buildings, plus a small but fun group of distilleries making rum, gin, and brandy. This guide covers the breweries and distilleries worth a visit, what each one is known for, and how to string a few together into an easy afternoon.
One honest note up front: taprooms open, move, and close more often than most businesses, and a few well-known names have shut down in recent years. Everything below is a good starting point, but hours, tours, and menus change, so check a venue's website or social pages before you go.
The Quick Answer
Best waterfront taproom: Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach, with an Intracoastal patio and rotating food trucks.
Best for a full brewery day: Funky Buddha in Oakland Park, with one of South Florida's largest taprooms and brewhouse tours.
Best for beer and a full meal: 3 Sons Brewing in Dania Beach, for barrel-aged stouts and a scratch kitchen, or Crazy Uncle Mike's in Boca Raton, for house beer, a full menu, and live music.
Best for Belgian-style beer: Barrel of Monks in Boca Raton.
Best distillery experience: South Florida Distillers in Fort Lauderdale, where you can even make your own gin, or ChainBridge Distillery in Oakland Park for small-batch brandy and rum.
Best easy day trip: Boca Raton, where three breweries sit within a short drive of each other.
Best Breweries in Palm Beach County
Saltwater Brewery (Delray Beach)
Saltwater is one of the county's most recognizable names, with an ocean theme that runs from the beer names to the taproom decor. The Intracoastal patio is the main draw: sit outside and watch paddleboarders and kayakers float past while you work through a flight. Rotating food trucks handle the eating, and the beer list tends to lean toward easy-drinking Florida styles, including a golden ale and a milk stout. The brewery also made headlines years ago for edible six-pack rings designed to be safe for sea life, which fits its coastal personality.
If you're pairing this stop with a day in Delray, our Delray Beach neighborhood guide shows what living near the Avenue is like.
Copperpoint Brewing Company (Boynton Beach)
Copperpoint is independently owned, has been brewing since 2014, and has earned a loyal local following. The large taproom has indoor and outdoor seating, rotating food trucks, and a lineup that includes a Blood Orange Wit brewed with Florida orange peel, a crisp pilsner, and an espresso cream stout. The brewery has offered free Saturday tours in the past, so ask when you visit. It's also an easy pairing with Delray, since the two are a short drive apart. See our Boynton Beach neighborhood guide for more on the area.
Barrel of Monks Brewing (Boca Raton)
Barrel of Monks specializes in Belgian-inspired ales, plus stouts and sours, in a dark, moody taproom with an abbey feel. The beer list is more adventurous than most, with a mix of year-round pours and seasonal releases, and tours are available. It's a good pick for anyone who likes their beer complex rather than hoppy.
Crazy Uncle Mike's (Boca Raton)
Part brewery, part restaurant, part music venue. Crazy Uncle Mike's pours more than a dozen house styles, serves a full menu of burgers, tacos, and entrees, and runs a stage built for live music. A big patio and regular events like game nights and brunch bingo make it a solid choice for groups where not everyone is a beer person.
Prosperity Brewers (Boca Raton)
Tucked into a Boca warehouse district minutes from the beach, Prosperity Brewers is casual and industrial in the best way. The beers have a tropical, South Florida twist, food trucks rotate through, and live music and trivia keep the taproom lively. Happy hour pints make it a budget-friendly stop.
Civil Society Brewing (Jupiter)
Civil Society is an industrial-style taproom where you can see the brewhouse from your seat. It sits between the beach and the Roger Dean Stadium area, so it works well after a beach morning or a spring training game. Pair it with our Local's Guide to Jupiter's Beaches and the Jupiter Lighthouse Loop Trail for a full day out.
Tequesta Brewing Co. (Tequesta)
One of the county's longest-running craft breweries, Tequesta has been pouring since 2011. It's a cozy, unfussy taproom known for a house beer called Der Chancellor, live music on Fridays, and wine on the menu for friends who don't drink beer. Food comes from the café next door.
Stormhouse Brewing (North Palm Beach)
Stormhouse has a nautical theme, around 15 taps, and a gastropub-style menu that gets as much attention as the beer. It opened in 2019 and is a good option on the north end of the county when you want a real meal alongside your pint.
Coastal Karma Brewing (North Palm Beach / Lake Park area)
A comfortable, spacious, pet-friendly taproom (it even has a resident cat), Coastal Karma is known for fun sours, trivia nights, and happy hours. Its motto, "Good beers, good times, good karma," pretty much sums up the atmosphere.
Royal Palm Brewing Company (Royal Palm Beach)
This was the first microbrewery in Royal Palm Beach, and it's a handy stop if you're out west. Expect a wide range of IPAs, lagers, wheat beers, and sours, a dark Czech-style lager, and a full kitchen serving pretzels, wraps, and Cuban sandwiches. A board game library and weekly bingo make it good for hanging out. If you're in town for polo season, see our guide to Wellington's equestrian season and our Wellington neighborhood guide.
Best Breweries in Broward County
Funky Buddha Brewery (Oakland Park)
Funky Buddha is the name most people know. It's one of Florida's best-known craft breweries, with one of the largest taprooms in South Florida, more than 20 beers on draft, and a brewhouse tour with samples along the way. Beers are famous for unusual flavor combinations, and the kitchen means you can settle in for a while. It's the easiest anchor for a Broward brewery day.
3 Sons Brewing Co. (Dania Beach)
3 Sons is known for award-winning barrel-aged stouts, including an annual series aged in bourbon and brandy barrels, and for a scratch-kitchen menu with wings, pizza, and more. The taproom is open every day, with the kitchen closing an hour before the bar. It's a favorite for people who want beer that pairs with a proper meal.
Tarpon River Brewing (Fort Lauderdale)
Set in a converted historic building with rustic wood details and patio seating, Tarpon River pours roughly 18 beers on tap, from hoppy IPAs to big stouts and golden ales. Its Honey Love Cream Ale is a local favorite. It's close enough to downtown that it combines well with dinner out or a stroll through the city's central neighborhoods. If you're curious what living nearby is like, see our guide to moving to Fort Lauderdale.
LauderAle (Fort Lauderdale)
LauderAle is Southeast Florida's first nanobrewery. The building is built from recycled pallets, railroad ties, and shipping containers, and around 30 rotating taps keep the lineup fresh. It's small, independent, and very local.
Best Distilleries in Palm Beach and Broward Counties
Distilleries in South Florida tend to be small, and many specialize in rum made from Florida molasses. Tasting rooms, tours, and classes vary, so it's smart to book ahead or confirm before visiting.
South Florida Distillers (Fort Lauderdale)
Founded in 2014, South Florida Distillers makes rum, gin, vodka, and whiskey, and its tasting room is a casual place to sample neat pours or mixed drinks. The standout experience is a hands-on gin-making class, where guests pick their own botanicals and take home a custom bottle. The space can also be rented for private events like birthdays and bachelorette parties.
Shady Distillery (Fort Lauderdale, Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery)
Shady Distillery makes bourbon, rum, and vodka, and it sits inside Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery, so you can pair spirits and beer in the same visit. Tastings and cocktails are served at the center bar, and the Lost & Found rum lounge is the cocktail spot.
ChainBridge Distillery (Oakland Park)
ChainBridge specializes in European-style fruit brandy, along with vodka and rum, and it has earned national craft spirits awards. The tasting room and distillery tours can be booked ahead, and the space hosts events like comedy nights and yoga classes. It's a few blocks from Funky Buddha, so you can walk or ride between the two.
Revenge Rum and Steel Tie Spirits (West Palm Beach)
West Palm Beach has a couple of small rum makers worth looking up. Revenge Rum focuses on rum made from molasses, and Steel Tie Spirits makes Florida-molasses rum from the District South area near Grandview Public Market. Both have offered tasting-room visits in the past, but their schedules change, so check ahead before you make the drive.
How to Plan a Brewery Day
The Boca Raton trio. Barrel of Monks, Crazy Uncle Mike's, and Prosperity Brewers are all in Boca Raton, which makes it the easiest place in Palm Beach County to do a few stops in one afternoon.
The Oakland Park combo. Funky Buddha and ChainBridge Distillery are a short distance apart, so you can pair beer and brandy without a long drive.
The Delray and Boynton pairing. Saltwater and Copperpoint are a short drive apart, with the Intracoastal patio at one and a big, relaxed taproom at the other.
Tips for any brewery day:
- Use a rideshare or designated driver. Taprooms are casual, but flights add up.
- Eat first or go where there's food. Many taprooms rely on rotating food trucks, so check the schedule.
- Go on a weekday afternoon if you want a quieter taproom and a chance to chat with staff.
- Ask about tours. Several breweries and distilleries offer them, sometimes only on certain days or by reservation.
- Check dog and kid policies. They vary widely.
- Look at event calendars. Trivia, live music, and food truck nights can change the vibe.
Make It a Full Day
Pair a taproom stop with something else on your list:
- Add a view with our guide to the best rooftop bars with ocean views between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
- End the day with something sweet from our best ice cream and dessert spots in Delray Beach and Lake Worth Beach.
- If a storm rolls in, our rainy day guide to South Florida has indoor backup plans.
- Hosting visitors? Our locals' cheat sheet for out-of-town guests helps you plan the whole trip.
- Bringing a dog along on your travels? See our guide to pet-friendly spots in Palm Beach and Broward.
Living Near the Craft Beer Scene
If you've spent a weekend hopping between taprooms and thinking "I could get used to this," you're not alone. A walkable, local-flavored neighborhood is a big part of why many people move to South Florida. Our Ultimate Guide to Moving to Palm Beach County and our guide to moving to Fort Lauderdale cover what daily life looks like, and our post on the best neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale can help you find a fit close to the action.
FAQ: Breweries and Distilleries in Palm Beach and Broward
What are the best breweries in South Florida? Popular picks include Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach, Copperpoint in Boynton Beach, Barrel of Monks in Boca Raton, Funky Buddha in Oakland Park, and 3 Sons in Dania Beach.
Which breweries in Palm Beach County are worth visiting? Saltwater, Copperpoint, Barrel of Monks, Crazy Uncle Mike's, Prosperity Brewers, Civil Society, Tequesta, and Royal Palm Brewing are all solid starting points.
Which breweries in Broward County are worth visiting? Funky Buddha in Oakland Park, 3 Sons in Dania Beach, and Tarpon River and LauderAle in Fort Lauderdale.
Are there distilleries in Palm Beach and Broward? Yes, though they're small. South Florida Distillers, Shady Distillery, and ChainBridge are in Broward County, and a few small rum makers operate in West Palm Beach.
Can you tour a brewery or distillery in South Florida? Some offer tours, including Funky Buddha, Barrel of Monks, and ChainBridge. Many require a reservation or limit tours to certain days, so check first.
Are South Florida breweries dog-friendly? Policies vary. Coastal Karma is known to be pet-friendly, but you should confirm with any taproom before bringing a dog.
Do these breweries serve food? Many do. Funky Buddha, 3 Sons, Crazy Uncle Mike's, Royal Palm Brewing, and Stormhouse have kitchens or full menus, while others, such as Saltwater, Copperpoint, and Prosperity, rely on rotating food trucks.
Which area is best for a brewery crawl? Boca Raton is the easiest in Palm Beach County. In Broward, pair Funky Buddha with ChainBridge Distillery in Oakland Park.
What's the best time to visit? Weekday afternoons are usually quieter, while weekends bring live music, events, and bigger crowds. Winter season is busier across South Florida.
Let SoFlo Coastal Group Help You Make the Move
Whether you're visiting for the beer or looking for a neighborhood where a great taproom is your local, our team can help you find the right fit in Palm Beach or Broward County.
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Melissa Naman, REALTOR® Founder, SoFlo Coastal Group Helping you buy, sell, and invest across Palm Beach and Broward County.
