Abbey Brewing Co.

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

GJ40

North Carolina

4.16/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

I stopped in a quick visit at The Abbey while visiting South Beach with my family. It's well off the main strip in a more residential part of Miami Beach. The exterior is simple with a small logo on the window and a large neon sign that says "BAR". The interior is narrow but deep with a high ceiling and lots of dark woods. There's a bar on one side and wooden booths on the other.

After consulting the beer list, I went with their own IPA. I really enjoyed it. It was very close to the west coast style with lots of hop flavor and a nice graprefruit bitterness.

They offer two other beers that they brew; a Trappist style and an Imperial Stout. They also have 10+ others on tap (including DFH 90, Rogue Dead Guy, Delerium Tremens, Pilsner Urquell and Old Thumper on cask) and 20+ bottles (with Chimays and lots of other Belgians).

The beer was a bit pricey ($5.50 for their own IPA) but I suppose it's reasonable for Miami Beach.

I've adjusted my scoring a bit based on the commitment this place shows in such a craft beer starved area. This place is as good as you'll find in Florida and could hold its own in many other parts of the country. Miami could use more bars like this!

12-28-2008 21:24:55 | More by GJ40

jim102864

Connecticut

4.14/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited April 10th while on business in Miami (what a great town). A simple neon "bar" sign over the entrance and a small sign with the pub's name on the front door were the only evidence a bar was within. Looked like a run down professional building of some kind. Narrow with only a few wooden bench style booths. Dark, creamy brown wood all about giving it a British pub feel. I bellied up to the bar and observed the suprisngly solid tap list (this is, after all, Florida). Kriek on tap was a pleasant suprise, particularly served in a goblet. I'm estimating there were about a dozen taps. Something in the order of 40 bottles plus three or four of Abbey's own brews on tap. Unibroue's Maudite also on tap. The business aquaintance I was with ordered the bar's own brew, an ipa, which was also served in proper glassware, ie imperial pint glass. Nice and efficient gent behind the bar. One of the locals was sipping from a nonic. He said he was a professional who worked nearby and said Abbey was the best around. After this experience, I couldn't agree more. A great find in an area not known for quality beer. Definitely worth the visit if you're looking for good brew. No food, so make this your pre and post-dinner stop.

05-02-2008 14:05:36 | More by jim102864

sloejams

California

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 2 | $$

As luck would have it the place I was staying at was just a block away from Abbey Brewing when I was down for Winter Music Conference a few weeks back. Being basically on vacation (is DJing really work?) I got out of the beautiful Miami sun and popped in to this dark, cavernous hole-in-the-wall for an afternoon beer.

They were just opening and Ray, owner and brewmaster, was in and very welcoming. He let me try samples of his house brews before I made my choice. They had 4 offerings of their own flowing as well a great selection of crafts and Belgians. I went with their IPA, but truth be told their RIS was the best of the bunch - I just wasn't ready for something that bold.

Ray told me about his brewing - done off sight in Melbourne. We chatted about beer. I always appreciate good, personable service and Abbey seemed to really push that.

The one drawback would be the food. No doubt about it this is a beer bar and not a place for dining. I ordered the pretzel which was ballpark priced and actually oversalted to the point where I was scraping the salt off. In the end I just gave up - it was not very good. The other food ran from microwaved White Castles to Bugles.

In all - I thoroughly recommend swinging by for a tasty beer when in South Beach.

04-07-2008 19:05:02 | More by sloejams

BeerBelcher

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 2 | $$

Abbey Brewing is a surprising place due to its rather notoriously non-beery locale. And Abbey offers a friendly environment that feels like a traditional bar. Beer-wise there is plenty to choose from including a couple of very good house-brewed beers.

I visited Abbey twice during a recent Miami visit, on a weekday afternoon and a weekend night. During both visits I was impressed by the efficiency and friendliness of the bartender (Dave-from-Philly). Service was very good, and Dave was full of info about the place, having worked there as the bar manager since opening in 1995.

Beer list is a nice mix of crafts and imports, and includes one selection from the beer engine and three house-brewed beers (shipped in from Melbourne, FL). I had all three house-brewed beers and thought the quad to be excellent and the imperial stout to be quite good. The IPA could've been better.

Ambiance is a cool friendly vibe. Definitely not your typical South Beach clientele. In fact, drinkers at this bar might be the counter-culture to South Beach culture. Lots of wood provide an old-world feel. Like most bars, this place is not ultra-modern.

Food is a bit of a miss. Eat before you go. I ate a few soft pretzels, which made fine snacks, but do not expect anything approximating a meal here.

Still, I was quite happy with my visits here. If I have the good fortune to return to South Beach, I'll be back.

02-26-2008 16:41:25 | More by BeerBelcher

Patrick999

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$

Ah, the Abbey. The other reviewers are right. It's a tiny dive. That's cool...I just wish it wasn't so smoky. It's the smoke that stops me from coming here more often. Without the copious smoking going on, I'd rate the atmosphere much higher. Seriously, all these great beers available, why in the hell are these people smoking so much??? How can you fully enjoy your beer? I don't get it....sucks. That's really the only problem with this otherwise kick-ass bar.

Quality, service - Very good. Proper glassware is used, though they don't make quite as much a show about it as they do at The Room down at the other end of South Beach. Service is attentive and cool, after I downed a glass of Abt 12, the bartender gave me a sample of Brother Aaron's Quadrupel without my even asking for it. Little gestures and things like that go a long way in my book.

Selection is great for such a tiny place. The Abbey's own house beers are great in their own right, but you'll also find plenty of others on tap and in bottles. A beer engine is present.

Food - didn't sample any, but it doesn't look all that appealing. It's a beer bar first, no question, but if you have the munchies, by all means go for it rather than lose your seat at the bar.

Value - Reasonably priced, no complaints.

The only real problem with this bar is the smoking. Tough to enjoy the aroma of an Abt 12 when you're getting blasted with nasty Marlboro smoke.

02-18-2008 04:35:00 | More by Patrick999

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 2.5 | $$

Seating for 8 along the bar, 4 tables (each seating 4), and a couple tall stools. Lots of woodwork, a large freezer takes up a lot of the space. The bartender liked jazz, but not too loud so that was cool. There were 14 beers on tap, 3 of which were contract brewed for the Abbey Brewing Co. (Indian River Brewing Co.). 22 bottle selections. The house beers were very good, each well done. The other beers offered were all winners, I saw ABT12, Kostritzer, Dead Guy, Pranqster, Pilsner Urquell, Spaten Oktoberfest, Maudite, Tucher, Wittekerke (all on draft), and Chimary blue and white, Rochefort 10, Delirium Tremens & Nocturnum, some Sam Smith offerings, Thomas Hardy's, more from Unibroue and so on in bottles.

Not a lot of food offered, just typical small bar fare (soft pretzels, chicken tenders, but also white castle cheeseburgers [microwave] and homemade empanadas. Prices were reasonable, the priciest draft was ABT 12 ($7.50) and the priciest bottle was Rochefort ($12). Otherwise average $6.00 for a top-shelf draft (unless ordered during happy hour 4pm-7pm, with $1.00 off)

12-22-2007 16:34:28 | More by TurdFurgison

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

Flyer

Wisconsin

4.16/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

I love Miami Beach, if only because there's no place else quite like it in the world. But after a few days the novelty does wear off, and the general shallowness and the lack of any kind of beer culture do start to wear on you. An avergae beer bar would seem like an oasis here -- but the presence of Abbey Brewing Company makes me want to drop to my knees and weep with joy. Small (though far from the smallest) and dark, the first thing that greets you at the door is the cooler. That sets the tone, because the place is casual to grungey, and friendly. The back bar is a mass of dark polished wood featuring a stained glass image of a monk, with lots of steins, glassware, and other good stuff. There's a solid line-up of Belgians, top quality U.S. micros, and others. The place pays attention to proper glassware, although I have to give them a major demerit for trying to serve me Stoudt's very good Doube IPA in a frosted glass -- two different bartenders on consecutive nights! The house brewed stout was excellent. While the overall expertise may not be in the first rank, this is still a great place, and worth going out of your way for.

11-13-2007 03:45:46 | More by Flyer

Jredner

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited at 1PM the day after the 2006-7 Super Bowl to pick up a keg of the Imperial Stout for a fest. I didn’t drink (though I’d had their beer before) but I did get a great look at the keg system as I jostled them around to get at the one I needed.

The place is so small. As evidence of that fact the cooler I was wrestling the keg in was right inside to your right...you can touch it as you walk past it to the bar. The bar....dingy, dusty...the bottle collection that adorns the sometimes Abbey-themed decor, sometimes British-pub looking decor is old and dusty. It’s a dive in short....but my kind of dive. The beers they have contract brewed for them are decent to pretty damn good and they have a solid selection of guest taps. Old Chub was on along with a few others when I was there. Definitely the place to go for beer on South Beach. They are also the only place in Florida that sells growlers so bring your growler if you go or buy one from them for $7. I got a growler of the Quad and that set me back $35, but the other offerings are cheaper.

02-07-2007 17:19:35 | More by Jredner