Big Beach Brewing Company is the only brewery in the area and the folks in Gulf Shores love their craft beer!
It’s The Neighborhood Bar: The instant we walked in we had the feeling that Big Beach Brewing was the Cheers of its era, and we were not far off from this assumption. We went in not knowing anyone but after waiting out a storm, we had so many new friends when we left. Big Beach has a great deal of locals, and it was fun to hear the bartender greet everyone by their first name before asking if they were having their usual.
The Staff: Knowledgeable, friendly, and always ready to assist are just a few of the ways we would describe this great staff. Armando is the taproom manager and served as our guide to the brewery during our time there. We could not have asked for a better one and our tour gave us a better understanding of their 10-barrel brewing system and the six fermenters that produce enough beer for up to 12 on tap. The entire brewing process is quite interesting!
Great Beer: Let me just tell you how amazing their beer was! When we were there, 12 beers were on the tap list and there was something for everyone. You see on the picture below how unique some of the beers were like the Coconautilus which was a Coconut Brown style. Our favorites were the sours, but you cannot go wrong by choosing any of these. However, if they have the Surrender Cobra German-style Schwarzbier, that is a must try regardless of your preferences because it recently won the Gold Medal in the prestigious 2022 World Beer Cup. Brewers Rod Murray and Ryan Bingham workday in and day out to produce the best beers anyone has ever tasted, and they have done that their entire career. There is simply not one bad beer at Big Beach because their guys pride themselves on only releasing the best.
They Have Wine: There are not many breweries that serve good wine but that is exactly what you will find here. They have a Cabernet Sauvignon and is described as medium to full-bodied and is packed full of flavors. Additionally, they offer their Big Beach House Blend which is a white that comes from a hybrid grape known as Symphony Grapes. It is described as light-bodied with notes of sweet honey and passionfruit. Their classic chardonnay has woody and oaky characteristics that highlight pear and apple notes. Finally, their Syrah is a light, full-bodied red with aromas of blackberry and dark cherry.
Live Music: If you like having a drink while listening to some good music, then you need to go ahead and claim your seat at Big Beach Brewing. While we were there, we got the chance to listen to music and make connections with some amazing people from Mississippi, more specifically Starkville. Check their website for the live music schedule but you can count on live music at least once a week!
Amazing Food: Even though they do not serve food themselves, food trucks flock to the brewery most weekends and during special events. The Gnarwhal food truck is at Big Beach on a nearly weekly basis and delivers some of the best food you will ever find from a food truck. For instance, the menu for this week is tomato hand pie, Philly “cheek” steak, charred shishito peppers, flounder ceviche with chips, and summer tomato and watermelon salad. As you can see, this incredible menu matches the beer at Big Beach Perfectly!
Special Events: In addition to having musical acts playing, many times when there is a new beer being premiered, Big Beach will host a special event for it. For instance, the World Beer Cup Medal Winner Release Party for the Surrender Cobra Schwarzbier will be June 24. This event will give fans of Big Beach a chance to finally drink the award-winner on tap!
Outdoor Space: Big Beach has some beautiful outdoor space! Their front yard is very roomy and has a great deal of shade thanks to a huge oak tree. Additionally, there are tables and chairs so you can eat and drink outside or sit back and relax in on one the wooden beach chairs. There is also some beautiful and roomy outdoor seating to enjoy!
Kid and Pet Friendly: There are not many breweries these days that truly consider themselves family friendly but Big Beach is! Whether you want to bring your kids or your furry children in while you are having a drink, that is perfectly acceptable, and we saw both during the short time we were visiting! Big Beach Brewing loves kids and fur babies so bring them on in for the fun!
The Coolest Gear: We adore collecting shirts and koozies from everywhere we visit but the store at Big Beach Brewing had more than we expected! The t-shirts are comfort colors and contain one of the coolest designs. They do have koozies, gift cards, and dog collars and leashes, plus songs, hats, sunglasses, and stickers!
