Orlando Brewing

Orlando Brewing is Florida's only certified organic brewery. In fact, it is one of only a handful in the entire country. Being organic means that all ingredients used in making their products are grown without the use of insecticides, bioengineering, or irradiation. President John Cheek believes "this is the right way to make beer. It keeps us honest." No fillers or adjuncts are used and all their beers are made in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516. This law, which is well known but no longer in force in Germany, specifies that beer can only be made with Barley, Hops, Water, and Yeast. The organic certification comes from the US Department of Agriculture and involves a multi step process to receive the right to display the certification on their labels. With more than a dozen taps always flowing in their Tap Room, Orlando Brewing serves some of the cleanest, freshest, and tastiest beers you'll ever try!



As a testimony to their brewing prowess, two of the first beers they ever made, Blonde Ale and Pale Ale, are still among their most popular. They have expanded to include a wide range of styles, including a red, porter, stout, brown ale, IPA and more. In addition, they usually have one or two seasonal beers available, such as a Maibock, Oktoberfest, or Doppelbock. This month they introduce their latest seasonal, Miami Wiess, a hefenwiezen style summer ale.

As surprising as it may seem, the water in Central Florida is ideal for beer making. It has been scientifically analyzed and found to be comparable to that of Burton-on-Trent in England, where many great English ales are brewed. The water comes from the Florida aquifer, an underground reservoir of fresh water that contains high levels of calcium. This "hard" water produces beers with a clean finish and little after taste. As anyone with a water softener can attest, "soft" water feels slick when washing, like you still have soap on you no matter how many times you rinse. Beer made with soft water does the same thing to your mouth and tongue.



The organic, or green, theme of John's company extends beyond the brewing process. The company utilizes reusable plastic six-pack holders instead of throwaway cardboard. They ship their bottles in returnable plastic milk crate type containers. They are also in the planning stages of putting in a solar array on the roof of the brewery to generate their own power. Orlando Brewing also produces organic coffee and BBQ sauce. The sauce is made with the brewery's own unfermented beer, which gives it a malty sweetness. Both coffee and BBQ sauce are available in the brewery's gift shop.



Orlando Brewing currently distributes their products in over 80 Central Florida establishments, including many restaurants and bars. The brewery and Tap Room are open daily, Mon-Thur 3-10 pm, Fri & Sat noon till late, and Sunday noon to 9 pm. They also have free live music on Friday and Saturday night as well as free Wi-Fi. The gift shop in the Tap Room has a variety of brewery shirts, glassware, labels and other breweriana for sale. You can also purchase 6 packs, growlers, and even kegs of their products on site. The brewery is located at 1301 Atlanta Ave., across the tracks from the historic Orlando railroad station. To learn more about Orlando Brewing, call them at 407-872-1117 or visit their web site at www.Orlandobrewing.com .