Drink Your Way Through JAX With Our #FrayLife Guide to the JAX Ale Trail
Jacksonville is known for many things – its beaches, the river, its size, and more recently, craft beer.
Jacksonville’s craft beer scene, which started over 10 years ago, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years as more breweries open around the city offering a wide selection of brews for every palette, and you can see them all by following the Jax Ale Trail and getting your passport stamped at each stop along the way! The number of stops on the trail has doubled since it was started by Visit Jacksonville in 2014, growing from the original seven breweries to the current 15 stops for all the more fun!
Bold City, Jacksonville’s first production brewery, was one of the original stops on the trail. With two locations, in Riverside and downtown, the brewery offers local favorites like Duke’s Brown Ale and Killer Whale, as well as free tours at their Riverside location.
Intuition Ale Works, the first brewery in Florida to can its own beer, can also be found downtown. It has a rooftop deck with great views of TIAA Bank Field and the river.
In Orange Park, Pinglehead Brewing pairs craft beer with pizza and offers a large selection of rotating house favorites as well as guest taps.
Aardwolf, located in San Marco, serves beer in a comfortable setting with private spaces great for groups and parties. From its sour to its signature Nonchalant IPA, its selection is sure to have something for everyone.
#FrayLifeTip: Get a lift on the Jax Brew Bus to visit three breweries and sample 10 beers. Visit jaxbrewbus.com to catch a ride.
Like the Jax Ale Trail, Engine 15 has also expanded from its original location at the beach to a second location downtown with a biergarten, and it’s also one of the few local spots that makes its own ciders and meads.
Green Room in Jacksonville Beach has a small space but offers big flavor ranging from the popular Head High IPA to the heavy Count Shakula chocolate stout.
Veterans United Craft Brewery, founded and run by veterans, is located on the Southside. With a tap room full of board games and at least one food truck always parked outside, it’s a fun place to hang for the evening.
Open since 2016, Wicked Barley is a relative newcomer in the Mandarin area with an awesome location right on Goodby’s Creek. This brewery boasts an extensive outdoor area with plenty of lawn games, access by boat and a full menu that pairs well with its beers. Wednesday is happy hour all day and all night, and Thursday is ladies night.
Southern Swells opened in 2017 with a focus on New England-style IPAs. Stop by the taproom at the beach where you’ll experience anything from live music, indoor cornhole and lots of dogs keeping their owners company while they enjoy their pints.
#FrayLifeTip: Craving craft beer at home? Fill up a growler of your favorite beer and take it to go for your next party, holiday or Friday night. Growlers are available in 32, 64 and 128 oz sizes.
Main & Six in Springfield is another newer spot that has weekly events to keep its guests having fun! From coloring to Bingo, there’s never a dull moment in the taproom featuring ales, IPAs and stouts.
Once you’ve gotten some stamps on your passport, Visit Jacksonville will hook you up with some swag. Score four stamps and you’ll get a free koozie; eight stamps will get you a tee-shirt; fill up the whole thing for the grand prize!
When you’re done the Jax Ale Trail journey, take on another adventure and get in your exercise by taking on the #FrayLife mural walk! Keep us up to date on both your adventures using #JAXFray and #FrayLife.