Field Trip: Wynwood Brewing Company - Miami, FL

Whenever I visit a new city, I'm always interested in the local craft beer scene. Some cities have barely any breweries, and some are oversaturated with purveyors of the fine fermented nectar. Each city or region has its own culture, speed, and approach, and so I of course had to see what kind of scene Miami had. The two most recommended breweries, Wynwood Brewing Co. and Concrete Beach Brewing Co, are both located within blocks of each other in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.

Wynwood, Miami

Wynwood, also known as the Wynwood Arts District, is a neighborhood north of downtown and sometimes called "Little San Juan" by the puertorriqueños who moved there. Traditionally a garment district, Wynwood has seen a steady increase in breweries, art galleries, restaurants, and social spaces. One really cool aspect of Wynwood is all the street art - almost all the walls are blanketed in graffiti and some of the finest street art you'll see anywhere. Wynwood Brewing Co., the subject of today's review, embraces that culture - for example, check out some of the art on their building:

The brewery itself has an unassuming, roadhouse-style frontage. The cool art notwithstanding, one might mistake it for a warehouse.

A very young brewery, Wynwood opened just a few short years ago and has been growing ever since. According to our capable hosts, Alonda and Mike, the brewery started as a homebrew set-up. The founder, Luis, was charged by his father to make a beer he could drink all year round. Thus, the "Pop's Porter" was born, and the brewery took off.

The inside is rather cozy - some small tables, a few bench-seating places, and a bar area that can fit about 10 patrons. They have some local art for sale on the walls, and a retractable screen can project whatever patrons want. At the bar, they have mostly their own stuff, with a few other local options. All their tap handles (aside from the other options) are locally-turned wood made to resemble spray paint cans - another nod to the neighborhood.

Let's get to the beer. They have an interesting tap list, so it was hard to choose where to start!

I wanted to start with something light, since I knew I had 6 - 8 beers ahead of me (since we were also going to try a neighboring brewery, Concrete Beach). I settled on the "627" saison, which is a 5.0% ABV saison with coriander and key lime. Key lime seems to be a popular ingredient in South Florida, as numerous beers I have had use it as an ingredient.

I liked it - it was darker than I was expecting, with a fresh nose and a light (but slightly sour) taste profile. It's hazy and flavorful with the key lime not terrible evident. It did remind me, however, of some of the goses that I have had. It's a nice beer I wouldn't mind drinking often.

Next up is a rather interesting concoction - it's their "Sushi Roll", a 5.0% pilsner made with wasabi, ginger, and cucumber. Served in a snifter glass, it's one of their most asked-for beers. Two other patrons asked for it in the time I took to drink it. More than any other beer!

I was very pleased with it - there's a noticeable nose of ginger and cucumber with a very strong and pleasing cucumber flavor. There's a soft finish of subtle wasabi, definitely present, but not overdone. Overall, very delicious and fun. I'd drink this all summer if I could.

OK, just one more...it's their "Flagler", a 6.6% saison. It was fruitier than I expected, a little darker than I expected too, with good full flavor but nothing unique about it. However, as such, this is the kind of beer I could drink all day.

We also got to go in the back and check out their setup. They are running at capacity, with two 15-barrel fermenters and eight 30-barrel fermenters. They've got a rather expansive set-up in the back, with all the tanks, storage, and a cold-storage full of kegs of beer. They also have a barrel-aging setup, where they've got some of their beer aging in wooden barrels for later.

In the end, I really liked Wynwood Brewing. The atmosphere was friendly and laid-back, the staff were kind and welcoming, and they make great beer to boot. The people know their craft and are in tune with the neighborhood. I highly recommend anyone in the Miami area to stop by this beer cave and check out the tasty stuff within.

Awesome Jawa Sandcrawler art across from the brewery.