It is no secret that the craft beer boom has hit Tampa Bay, and it has hard. Local breweries like Green Bench Brewing, 3 Daughters, Cycle Brewing and Cigar City Brewing have gained massive popularity over the past several years. However, many do not know of the smaller breweries and tasting rooms that sit outside of the more densely-populated urban areas of Tampa Bay.
Rapp Brewing Company sits nestled in an industrial-looking area. After decades of successful wine, mead and sake making, owner and brewmaster Greg Rapp decided to try his hand at brewing beer.
Rapp Brewing Co. is a nano-sized two barrel operation brewery, with 20 in-house brewed beers on tap at all times. The 650 square foot tasting room is spacious enough for the brewery’s smaller customer base, and offers ample seating. A large chalk board wall above the bar lists the 20 beers available at any given time, which are $5 each. Although several beers appear to be fairly regular options, the board tends to change quite frequently. For those interested in trying several different beers, flights of four, six or nine beers may be ordered as well.
“Their Gose is amazing in particular, but they have a great variety of beers, all of which are delicious,” said Zach Mills, a senior at USF St. Petersburg. “It’s a great place to socialize with friends and have a good time without dealing with the downtown bar atmosphere.”
Like most other breweries, Rapp also sells growlers, which are essentially large refillable take-out bottles for those that enjoy their beer enough to take some home. They are one of the smallest breweries in the area, so chances are that a growler will be your only shot at taking any beer home, since you won’t be finding their beers at your local grocery or liquor store.
Overall, Rapp Brewing Co. is a small, quieter alternative to the crazy atmosphere of downtown St. Petersburg bars with a friendly staff and delicious beers. Only a 15 minute drive from campus, Rapp is a must-visit location for all that enjoy beer in the Bay Area.
Although Rapp specializes in artisanal ales and lagers, they have a quite impressive variety of beers on tap. Most notable would be the Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout, OMG Strong Ale, and the Gose.
IF YOU GO: Rapp Brewing Co. is located at 10930 Endeavour Way in Seminole. Visit www.rappbrewing.com or the brewery’s Facebook page for more details.
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Beers to try:
Rapp’s Chocolate Peanut Butter stout is a thick, rich beer with an alcohol content of about 10 percent. The strong chocolate and peanut butter undertones and overall sweetness make it a dessert-like beer best saved for the last round.
The OMG Strong Ale is quite tough to get your hands on. This is a limited semiannual offering from Rapp, with an alcohol content of at least 20 percent. It drinks more like a port wine than a beer, with strong hints of fig, molasses and fruit.
The Gose (pronounced “go-zuh”) is a traditional German sour brewed with salted water. It is much lighter and lower in alcohol content than their other beers, weighing in at a bit over 5 percent, with a slight salty bitterness, making it highly drinkable any time of day. Rapp’s Gose is ranked fourth worldwide by RateBeer and first in the state at the 2014 Best Beer Competition in Florida.
