Like Miami, Key West has a bad reputation when it comes to beer.  However, we found it to be quite good in variety, selection, pricing, and overall enthusiasm.

It must first be said that there is no shortage of interesting, fun bars in Key West, but they do vary widely in terms of their beer esteem.  Traditaional on-Duval spots like Fat Tuesday and Cheeseburger in Paradise don’t offer much at all in the way of beer, but are  nonetheless worth checking out (it is Key West, after all). 

Other, more dive-y bars (generally a block or two off the main strip) offer a bit more beer selection and a more unique, laid-back atmosphere.   The haunted pool room at Captain Tony’s Saloon is definitely worth checking out, as is Tatoos and Scars.

Kew West does have two definite winners, though, when it comes to beerdom.  First up is Joe’s Taproom, basically the “side door” entrance to Sloppy Joe‘s, home of the eponymous sandwich.  The bar is small but generally has seats available.  Sports-laden HD screens clash with lots of noise / live music / drunken people spilling over from the main Joe’s

room; this bar doesn’t quite know what it’s trying to be.   But it offers the full Joe’s menu, and, with the availability of seats and the slightly lower noise / drunken douchebag quotient, it’s an attractive alternative to waiting for a table in the main room.

They have about a half-dozen taps and about a dozen bottles, featuring some of the more widely distributed craft breweries (Sam Adams, Blue Point, Sothern Tier, Rogue, Abita) as well as some more local selections.  It’s a good place to stop and eat if you’re on Duval Stret.

At the top of the heap is World of Beer.  Just off the main drag of Duval street, it has dozens of taps and hundreds of bottles.  The staff’s level of beer knoledge varies widely, but the beer menu is thoroughly descriptive.  The mood is always laid back, there’s live music at most times, and hockey (!) is on the television during game times.    This is the must-stop beer spot on the island, and it’s only a block off Duval.

When one is in Rome, one should definietely stop to try the Roman drinks, in this case the margaritas and frozen drinks that are the standard Key West fare.  But once you tire of high school cheerleader drinks, you don’t have to look far, to find a great beer in this party destination.