The Perfect Weekend at the Gulp Coast for Craft Beer Lovers
This post is sponsored by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater (@VSPC) — the official guide to "America's Best Beaches, a vibrant arts community, and amazing outdoor experiences."
Did you know: St. Pete/Clearwater made Travel + Leisure's list of best places to visit in the world in 2022! Not only is this part of the U.S. known for its stunning beaches and unlimited sunshine, but it has a thriving craft beer scene. Obviously, we had to check it out.
We spent a long weekend in St. Pete and Dunedin and outlined where you should stay, what you should drink, and how to best enjoy your time tackling the Gulp Coast Craft Beer Trail.
Oh, and we rocked this trip with the queen herself, Melis (AKA @thegirlwithbeer), so check out her YouTube channel for some more content.
WHERE TO STAY IN ST. PETE
Looking to stay in the heart of St. Pete? The Grand Central District has it all — trendy restaurants, local boutiques, craft breweries, and more!
We stayed at Tru by Hilton St. Pete, the newest developed hotel in Downtown St. Pete smack dab in the middle of the Grand Central District and the Edge District.
Outside of the hotel being shiny and new, it has a large lobby with a variety of games (pool, shuffleboard, arcade games, etc.), a solid complimentary breakfast (with coffee available 24/7), and a pool! The best part of this hotel, however, has to be the location. Being within walking distance to so many spots was highly convenient.
WHERE TO DRINK IN ST. PETE
If you're trying to conquer the Gulp Coast Craft Beer Trail, here's what you need to know:
Get the free digital passport
Head to a local brewery
Check in via your digital passport by asking your beertender for a 4-digit code (hint: there may also be discounts available for you to redeem when checking in)
There are 44 breweries involved — check in to 15 breweries and get a prize!
Below are a few of our favorite breweries we checked out while visiting St. Pete:
Green Bench Brewing Co. / Webb's City Cellar
Green Bench Brewing Co, a black-owned brewery in the heart of St. Pete, was our first stop, and boy, did they throw down. Not only do they offer clean and crushable brews, but they also have a neighboring taproom called Webb’s City Cellar that acts as their barrel-aging facility, offering a variety of mixed culture, sour, and wild ales. This was our first stop and it was the perfect place to kick-off our weekend!
Mastry's Brewing Co.
Mastry's Brewing Co. brought the heat — as the first craft brewery and tasting room on St. Pete Beach, this open-air bar brought all of the good vibes. With some funky brews on tap, as well as a solid lineup of staple styles, we highly recommend Mastry's as our brewery of choice near the beach. Grab a brew (or two) and lounge out in the sunshine before heading to catch a sunset at the beach.
3 Daughters Brewing
We were fortunate enough to visit 3 Daughters Brewing during their Backlot Beer Fest — a festival benefiting two organizations: Hero To A Child and Operation: Craft Beer Drop. While the festival itself was a blast (live music, unlimited beer samples, local vendors), we also popped into the brewery to grab a pint. With board games, a small arcade, and a huge warehouse to host events, 3 Daughters has something for everyone. They even have boozy slushies, hard cider, and hard seltzer available for those who aren't feeling beer.
Bayboro Brewing Co.
We showed up to Bayboro Brewing Co. during happy hour, which was a pleasant surprise! This veteran-owned brewery opened in the beginning of 2020 (hoorah for making it through covid!), and the staff was extremely welcoming! We tried a little bit of everything here, and each brew was well-balanced (and quite tasty!).
Grand Central Brewhouse
Looking for more traditional beer styles? Grand Central Brewhouse has a variety of light, malty, and dark beers on tap — all of which are extremely well-done. The space is bright and airy, and the location is in walking distance to a variety of other great spots in St. Pete. Definitely worth a stop while you're adventuring through the Grand Central district.
Bonus: Dirty Laundry (Coffee Shop & Speakeasy)
While you won't find Dirty Laundry as a part of the beer trail, this coffee shop/speakeasy was one of our favorite experiences in St. Pete. During the day, Dirty Laundry acts as a coffee shop while disguising itself as a laundromat. In the evening, hop on the pay phone located in the middle of Dirty Laundry and you'll be given a password to enter the speakeasy. Once you enter through a faux laundry machine, you'll be greeted with an intimate setting with a live DJ, cocktails being set on fire, and Instagrammable neon signs. Would 10/10 recommend stopping by here in the evening for a cocktail or two, as well as in the morning for a coffee. You won't regret this stop!
WHAT TO DO IN ST. PETE
St. Pete has no lack of activities to keep you occupied. Here at Work For Your Beer, we aim to get in some exercise before we brewery hop, so we've outlined a couple of options for you to hit up while in St. Pete.
E-Bike Around Town
What better way to explore St. Pete than via E-Bike? Bay E-Bikes offers a 3-hour tour around the waterfront parks, St. Pete Pier, and on Central Avenue. You'll see some of the amazing murals that cover the buildings of St. Pete, and you may even be able to watch some airplanes take off at Albert Whitted Park.
Beach Walks
Seriously, just hop on St. Pete Beach for a relaxing walk, splash in the ocean, or a soak in the sun.
Indoor Rock Climbing at Vertical Ventures
We had a rainy morning where we couldn't explore outdoors, so we visited Vertical Ventures to get in a quick climbing session. We were able to rent all of the gear we needed, and there was plenty of space to boulder, top rope, and even auto-belay.
The Dalí (Salvador Dalí Museum)
While this isn't a workout for your body (outside of the spiral set of stairs to get up to the exhibits...), this is more of a mental workout. We highly recommend checking out The Dalí — a museum that celebrates the life and art of Salvador Dalí. This museum also had a Picasso exhibit available when we visited, which was a great complement to all of Dalí's collections.
WHERE TO STAY IN DUNEDIN
Just a quick 45-minute drive from St. Pete, you'll find yourself in Dunedin (pronounced duh-knee-din), a quaint beach town. Dunedin has plenty of hotel options, but we are here to tell you that the Fenway Hotel is the place to stay.
This historic hotel was built back in 1924 and has kept the jazz vibes alive and well. Serving as the county’s first radio station (which lived n the third floor of the hotel), it then transitioned into a private club, and then into a college. Finally, it was restored into the stunning hotel it is today — still preserving one of the first speakeasies (blocked off to the public).
You'll be greeted with a welcome beverage, feel right at home in your hotel room, and have the option to eat at the on-premise restaurant (Hew Parlor and Chophouse).
WHERE TO DRINK IN DUNEDIN
The Gulp Coast Craft Beer Trail continues into Dunedin — here are a few of our favorites:
de Bine Brewing Co.
Outside of the downtown Dunedin bubble (but still along the Pinellas Trail in the heart of Palm Harbor), you'll find de Bine Brewing Co. This family-friendly brewery had a great collection of specialty brews — we sipped on a bourbon barrel-aged stout and a tart Berliner Weisse (two very different brews), and both were absolutely fantastic.
Woodwright Brewing Co.
One of the more unique breweries in Dunedin, Woodwright Brewing Co. was originally a woodshop back in 1947 that focused on building boats! Now, you can grab a craft beer at the bar, upstairs in the loft, or outside in the beautiful beer garden.
Caledonia Brewing
Caledonia Brewing, with an obscure, unicorn-themed taproom, is a small batch craft brewery in downtown Dunedin (a quick walk from Woodwright Brewing Co.). This brewery focuses on natural and organic ingredients, and they make a hell of an IPA. Definitely check them out for a brew or two!
WHAT TO DO IN DUNEDIN
Dunedin presented a more relaxed vibe than St. Pete — which was the perfect way for us to end our trip. This charming beach town has an extremely walkable downtown, easy access to stunning state parks, and a wonderful restaurant and bar scene.
Honeymoon Island State Park & Caladesi Island State Park
Florida’s most visited state park, Honeymoon Island State Park, has more than four miles of beach along with a short hiking trail through a pine forest, making this spot a must-see!
Just a short ferry ride from Honeymoon Island is Caladesi Island State Park — a small island where you can hang out at the beach or kayak through the bayside mangrove forest. The ferry ride itself was a fun experience, and hanging out at the beach to decompress for an hour or three is worth it.
Bike the Pinellas Trail
One of the better ways to get from brewery to brewery is by bike. You can rent a bike from the Fenway and hop onto the Pinellas Trail to hit up a few breweries right in downtown Dunedin. You'll also see some golf cars speeding around Downtown Dunedin, but biking is definitely the healthier option.
Sunset Drinks at Hi-Fi Rooftop (at the Fenway)
Nothing beats watching the sunset with a craft cocktail after a long day in the sun. Hi-Fi Rooftop is a popular spot to do just that. Not only does this spot boast amazing views and booze, but they also have small plates available if you'd like a lighter dinner option.
Dinner at Caracara
Possibly our favorite meal of the entire trip took place at Caracara — a tapas-style restaurant with exceptional cocktails, a casual yet modern ambiance, and just the most delightful staff. We devoured lump crab nachos, Thai fried chicken wings (some of the best wings we have ever had), Peruvian poutine, and Fattoush salad (because #healthy). We also tried a variety of their cocktails and even got a sneak peek at their event venue, The Nest.
Cheers to exploring St. Pete & Dunedin!
We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to explore St. Pete and Dunedin — and we couldn't have done it without the support of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
Let us know if you visit any of the above breweries, and remember to tag us in all of your beer-drinking adventures @workforyourbeer.