Abbey Brewing Co.

Blaise68

Maine

4.94/5  rDev +17.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I recently tagged along on conference my wife was attending in South Beach. I planed a little fishing and relaxing but soon found myself desperate for a good beer. This is no easy task in South Beach. So I jumped on the Advocate and hunted up the local watering holes. It steered me right to the Abbey.

The Abbey is a truly great bar with one of the finest selections I've had the pleasure to sample. On top a fantastic quad of their own design they have a great selection craft brews from around the world which I worked thru on 4 separate visits while in town! Ray, Dave and Carlos all were excellent tenders and guided me thru the choices. If you're in SOBE this is a must visit.

Heads up though, its hidden in the middle of a few unoccupied storefronts and can be hard to notice. It makes it all the better when you go in. Enjoy!

06-21-2010 22:16:44 | More by Blaise68

jayme

New Jersey

4.88/5  rDev +16.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

sitting at the bar as I write this. if you are in Miami beach - this is a must. currently have 3 house brews on tap (drinking immaculate ipa now) which have been of very good quality. all the patrons and service are extremely friendly, which is a change from nj. must be the weather.

I gave this a 4 for atmosphere since it is small and dark. so some may not appreciate, but those are my favorite types :)

bottom line, if you are on south beach and crave actual beer, go here. it's close to the Lincoln mall as well which is a plus

01-09-2009 18:42:17 | More by jayme

avenuepub

Louisiana

4.8/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I loved this place. Its a little hole in the wall location in a strip mall in Miami Beach. It's a gem in the beer wasteland that is Miami but it also stands up to some of the best places I've been anywhere.

I love the personality...it's obviously non corporate and run by people that love beer. They have only 12 taps(no macros) but all are high quality. The printed and lamenated menu give the impression that they don't change their taps all that often but if you ask the bartender what they have you will get a list of special offerings that are not on the menu. The beer is fresh and you can tell they maintain their lines, it's a short draw system which I really think helps improve the quality of the beer they serve. They have 4 house made beers all of which are very good. The cask of Goudens Carolus was outstanding.

I was there during the day and really got to know the 65 yr old bartender that has been working there since the place opened in 1995. Its refreshing to see an owner that values knowledge and experience over youth and a short skirt! As an aside David, the bartender drives 45 minutes to get to work every day...how much must he love his job!

01-01-2010 15:37:26 | More by avenuepub

SevaTse

New Hampshire

4.74/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

Awesome place, especially given lack of similar establishments around. Went there on a Friday night, they had house Belgian-styles, some high-end Belgians, and couple domestic micros. Prices and abv were clearly marked, the staff was friendly and the service was quick. Also had a cask engine, that had Smuttynose Robust Porter, but according to the menu the cask selection rotates. One negative thing I noticed was that on the menu it said that their selection changes somewhat rarely. I guess if it's mostly for tourists that should be ok, not sure if I were a local regular, that I could keep coming back for the same, no matter how great, selections on a weekly basis.
Walking distance from Hoffbrau, if you're in a mood for some Germans afterward.

12-06-2009 19:35:15 | More by SevaTse

Imbiber

New York

4.72/5  rDev +12.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4

The Abbey is a small, dark, friendly bar a bit away from the beach (and therefore also the South Beach posers). Beers are not brewed on the premises - however the house beers are brewed at Tampa to the specific recipes of the Abbey's owner, so it is as good as being a brewpub.

The bar is on the right as you walk in, just past an enclosed cold room where the beers are kept. The taps, and one cask beer engine, are at the side of the bar and go directly into the cold room without any exposed piping where the beer could warm up. At the front, and on the other side of the cold room, is a small area with a dart board. Seating bays are on the left.

The Abbey beers on my visit were IPA (6.2%), 12 (Trappist Double style) (10.5%), Imperial Stout (9.2%), and Bock (10.0%). Also on was Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, St. Bernardus Wit, Dunedin Razzberry Wheat, Anchor Steam, Tucher Hefeweizen, among others. The bottle selection included beers from Ommegang, Moortgat, Lindemans, Samuel Smith, Rochefort, Chimay, Anchor, and Unibroue.

Cask-conditioned Shipyard Old Thumper was tried (several times while we were in town!) and enjoyed very much.

Excellent, knowledgeable staff. Opening hours are 1pm to 5am daily. Basic, instant, but very satisfactory food menu served by the bartender.

An excellent oasis in the sandy Miami Beach beer desert, long may it thrive.

02-16-2004 15:42:05 | More by Imbiber

claytri

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

What a great bar. I found them on VZNavigator, and headed over. The streets to the right of 15th have different names than the roadsigns on 15th have for them. So if using GPS be prepared.

I walked in and found a very inviting place where their was good beer, good music, and you can still smoke at the bar. The bar was playing good stuff over the sound system, but then an excellent slide guitar player showed up and we got a live show. This really is my kind of place, and I wish I had had more time to enjoy.

The beers were top notch. Their own were excellent, and the visitors were a great selection of top notch beers.

The service was very good, the owner was attentive and welcoming as well.

If you're in the Miami area, and can make it to the Abbey, do so it will be well worth the trip.

02-25-2010 15:32:09 | More by claytri

jimbomill

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

We're visiting South Florida and this was our last night. My older sister was insistent about finding The Abbey, but as we circled 16th St at night time, we couldn't find the place. Finally, we younger sister insisted we try the place that only had the sign "BAR" lit.

BINGO.
Their Double IPA / Barley Wine Cask offering was Green Flash Brewing's Imperial IPA, which my wife and son enjoyed immensely.

The House brews Brother Aaron's Quad and Russian Imperial Stout were enjoyed by my older sister, while I had Brother Don's Double and the Quad. All tastings were true to style and delicious. The Double was my personal favorite.


The place is relaxed, not overly large, the staff is friendly and outgoing. The boss-man, Ray, stopped by to chat with us, discussing his brews and some of the drivers behind his recipes. Hey Ray, we'll be getting back to you about that t-shirt for my sis!

I wish I got there for Happy Hour as the House beers drop to $4.50 and they are well worth it. If I'm ever back in this area, I am returning, happily.

11-27-2012 02:56:53 | More by jimbomill

DaggerEyes

New York

4.44/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

on business in Miami I took the good BeerFly and Forum advice and went to check this place out

First off I was a little put off by the smoke in the joint, it just caught me off gaurd being from NY, and I never realized how much it effects what you are smelling of tasting just because I've been away from it for so long. They have great ventilation so the smoke is not horrible but it hit me right away.

If you go and are from out of town don't beat around the bush and try something you can get somewhere else go straight for The Abbey Brewing Co's own beers. It's great stuff. Nice dark wood bar, old school vibe. Good times.

Raymond (the owner / brewmaster) is a super nice guy.

I highly recommend this place, has to be one of the best in Miami

12-01-2007 05:16:25 | More by DaggerEyes

bucksatan

New York

4.44/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

An amazing oasis in a desert of horrible strip malls, theme restaurants and bland big chain breweries. Three house brews and several other hard to find imports and micros were all fantastic. Owner Raymond was very helpful and a great guy.

NOTICE: do not judge this place by the exterior as it looks like a shit-hole from the outside. As you are trying to find a parking spot around all the downtown assholes and trendy people you will be thinking that the place looks like it's closed so just pass on by. Don't. Worth seeking out that parking spot on the other side of town and walking.

Eat before you arrive or bring something to eat as the ONLY thing on the menu is White Castle burgers.

01-04-2009 23:24:47 | More by bucksatan

Hbat68

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$

I was introduced to the world of microbrews by this place in 1996, since then I've never gone back to mass produced beers. The Abbey is a local's pub, unadulterated by South Beach's hype, it has all the local charm and ambiance that you can expect from a hole-on-the-wall pub but an amazing selection of brews. Owner Ray and bartender Dave at the bar have been the team to make this place the kind where everyone knows your name and once you visit you will find their beer selection to be equally unforgettable. No hype, no shiny lights, no hot servers, just great people and beer. Try Brother Aaron's Quadrupel, extremely flavourish belgian-style quad.

09-09-2012 14:55:34 | More by Hbat68