Destin Brewery

Kelly and Chelsea Taylor started Destin Brewery as backyard brewers, with Kelly quietly teaching himself homebrewing before Chelsea ever challenged him to prove he could actually make good beer. That informal start turned serious in August 2014 when the couple secured a brewery location, and by May 2015 they had produced their first commercial batch. The operation ran as a distribution only brewery for its first year before opening a taproom in 2016, the small batch, locally focused brewery that Destin visitors can now walk into.

Growth followed quickly. The Taylors upgraded from an original four barrel brewing system to a twenty barrel setup, but they kept one of the original small tanks around anyway, nicknamed Tinkerbell, as a physical reminder of how the business started. Destin Brewery now distributes its flagship beers and a seltzer throughout Northwest Florida and into Alabama. In 2021, the brewery was named Florida Brewery of the Year at the New York International Beer Competition, and it has also medaled at the Best Florida Beer competition, taking silver for its Destin Ale and bronze for Red Sky Rye.

As the brand grew, the Taylors opened a second, food focused location across the street from the original brewhouse, working with Chelsea’s sister Kristina and brother-in-law Kirk Laszewski to convert a 1950s house into a full service restaurant and taproom known as The Deck at Destin Brewery. That address, 110 Melvin St in Destin, is the taproom most visitors mean when they talk about drinking at Destin Brewery, distinct from the production brewhouse a short distance away.

The beer list mixes year round staples with rotating seasonal releases, and several recipes lean on ingredients sourced close to home, including Destin honey and Florida citrus. Year round names on tap include Destin Ale, East Pass IPA, Bridge Rubble Double, Emerald Coast Ultra Lager, Beeliner, and Bote Beer, backed up by hard seltzers and, under the brewery’s Coastal Cellars label, sangrias, ciders, and wine for anyone in the group who skips beer entirely.

The taproom itself runs on a come as you are attitude, summed up by its own tagline: if you’re here, you’re local. Kids and leashed pets are both welcome on the patio, food trucks show up on a rotating basis to cover meals beyond the taproom’s own kitchen, and the space hosts trivia nights and a mug club program for regulars who want a reason to keep coming back. It is a straightforward, unpretentious stop for a flight of local beer after a beach day, without the tourist markup or velvet rope feel of some coastal breweries.

The Destin Brewery taproom is located at 110 Melvin St in Destin, near Destin Harbor, and can be reached at 850-353-2185. It is open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on Mondays. Menu and beer details are posted at destinbrewery.com, and checking that page before a visit is worth it since seasonal beers rotate through the taps regularly.