Best Underrated Brewery: Front Page Brewing Co.

The Best Breweries & Taprooms In Polk County, Florida

This is my favorite label on the whole list, because the numbers actually back it up.

Front Page would give Swan and Grove Roots a run for their money if it was located in either Lakeland or Winter Haven, but it is definitely a "worth the drive" spot for anyone that isn't in Bartow.

It is sitting at a 4.7-star rating, tied with Swan, but with less than a third of the reviews (230 compared to Swan's 800-plus). 

That gap between quality and awareness is the definition of underrated.

Tucked in the town's historic downtown, and it's built the kind of loyal following that shows up in the rating even without the review volume of the bigger hubs.

A handful of more recent reviews mention the vibe shifting toward more of a bar feel over the last several months, but Katie and I still love making the trip out and don't feel like it has lost any of what makes it great.

Worth a visit to see it for yourself, but the historic downtown Bartow setting alone makes it worth the drive if you haven't been.

Best Family Spot + Brewery: Port 27 Brewing Co.

The Best Breweries & Taprooms In Polk County, Florida

Port 27 isn't really a brewery you visit.

It's a destination that happens to have one.

Built as a lakeside marketplace on Lake Hamilton, Port 27 combines its own in-house brewery with a food park, live music, shops, and a playground overlooking the water. 

It's the most reviewed spot on this entire list by a wide margin, over 1,100 reviews, (even though its 4.3-star average is the lowest of the five), but that's because the brewery doesn't have it's own separate Google Business listing (shared with Port 27).

That combination makes sense once you understand what it actually is.

It's not competing with Swan or Grove Roots on beer alone.

It's competing on "where do we take the whole family for the evening," and on that front, nothing else in Polk really comes close.

If you're headed out toward Haines City or Lake Hamilton, this is a stop worth building an entire evening around, not just a drink.

Best Local Taproom: Union Taproom & Pizza Kitchen

The Best Breweries & Taprooms In Polk County, Florida

Not a brewery, this one doesn't produce its own beer, but Union Taproom earns its own category because nothing else in the county does what it does as well.

Self-pour format with more than 20 taps, an attached pizza kitchen, and a 4.6-star rating across over 450 reviews.

Grab a card at the door and every tap is yours to control.

Pour an ounce if you just want a taste.

Pour a full glass if you already know what you like.

You only pay for what's in your cup.

It's a rare setup for this part of Florida, and most self-pour spots don't bother with a real kitchen. Union does, full pizza menu included.

If you're already in downtown Winter Haven for Grove Roots and beer, Union Taproom is the natural second stop.

Same walkable downtown, completely different experience.

🏅 Honorable Mention: The Brass Tap

The Best Breweries & Taprooms In Polk County, Florida

The Brass Tap would rank well on merit alone.

A 4.5-star rating across more than 800 reviews and 70 taps pouring more than 150 craft beers from around the world make it a legitimate contender, plus another 100-plus bottles if you don't see what you want pouring.

It's less brewery and more true craft beer bar: open-air patio, live music on weekends, trivia on Tuesdays, and a food menu built to pair with whatever you're drinking rather than an afterthought.

Reviewers consistently call out the staff's actual beer knowledge, not just a big list but people behind the bar who can walk you through it.

The only reason it's landing as an honorable mention instead of a numbered slot is that it's a national chain, not a local or Polk-born operation.

Still worth knowing about, especially if you're in South Lakeland near Lakeside Village and want a big tap list without the drive downtown.

The Honorable Mentions

A list like this never tells the whole story in a county this big.

These aren't breweries or taprooms in the strict sense, but they're pouring enough good beer to earn a mention.

 The Joinery (Lakeland) — A modern food hall on the banks of Lake Mirror downtown, with 21 rotating taps and a full bar covering craft cocktails and organic wine on top of it. Built on the old Lakeland Brewing Company site, so there's some actual brewing history under the floor even though it's a food hall today.

 Food + Beer (Lakeland) — Scratch-kitchen sports bar on South Florida Ave with 16 beers on tap, leaning craft and local rather than macro domestics. Wall-to-wall TVs, but the kitchen is the real draw here.

 Molly McHugh's Irish Pub (Lakeland) — Downtown Lakeland's original Irish pub since 1996. Not the biggest tap list on this page, but a genuine Guinness-and-live-music institution that's been pouring pints on Kentucky Ave longer than almost anything else on this list.

 Duke's Brewhouse (Winter Haven) — The biggest craft beer selection in Winter Haven, paired with award-winning wings and a genuine sports-bar atmosphere. Wall-to-wall TVs, happy hour specials, and an all-you-can-eat wing night that's become a weekly draw on its own.

 Ford's Garage (Lakeland) — Over 100 rotating craft beers on tap, one of the largest tap lists of any casual dining chain in the country, with a strong lean toward Florida breweries like Cigar City and Funky Buddha. Vintage 1920s service-station theme, gourmet burgers, and a tap wall built from more than 15,000 pennies.

THANKS!

Know a spot in Winter Haven, Lakeland, Lake Wales, or anywhere else in the county that belongs here?

Reply and tell us, we'll add it.

- Mike Romaine