The 11th annual Orlando Beer Fest is just around the corner, just in time for attendees to enjoy the outdoor affair without melting. The ticketed beer festival, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, will be held this year at Lake Eola Park.
The festival is dog-friendly, with tickets available for adults 21 and older. According to event organizers, it’s the largest beer festival in Orlando, where attendees can expect to sample hundreds of different beers, ciders, seltzers, as well as select spirits and THC-infused drinks.
Orlando Weekly got a sneak peek this year of some of the pours that will be on tap this year — so to speak — including repeat favorites and novel suds from brewers local to Orlando and from afar. At least 27 brewers have been confirmed as of press time; however, new breweries are joining the list of vendors daily.
Local breweries that we know of so far that will take the stage at this year’s Orlando Beer Fest include: Crooked Can, Tactical Brewing, Hyperbolic Brewing — which is preparing to open its first brick-and-mortar in the old Hammered Lamb space — Persimmon Hollow, Three Odd Guys Brewing, Wop’s Hops and Enchanted Brewing.
A full beer list for Orlando Beer Fest is typically not made available to the public until mid-October, but we got a few teasers from select breweries that were happy to share some of their planned pours in advance.
Teaser pours include:
- Meloncholy: a staple gluten-free watermelon sour from Tactical that is sweet enough to avoid an involuntary pucker
- Brewed by: Tactical Brewing
- ABV: 5%
- Tea Ceremony: a spiced lager incorporating traditional Chinese ingredients, spiced with sun-dried green tea, cinnamon, ginger, Sichuan pepper and honey
- Brewed by: Brewlando
- ABV: 5.8%
- PICO Red: a red cold IPA with a malty base and a hop profile that includes Eclipse, Cascade, Chinook, Vic Secret, and Simcoe hops
- Brewed by: Brewlando
- ABV: 6.8%
- Let It Glow: a blueberry lemonade sour with a touch of blackberry
- Brewed by: Enchanted Brewing
- ABV: 5%
- Gourds Gone Wild: a malty, yet lightly creamy pumpkin ale with fall spices and a spot of vanilla that’s been around for a hot minute, but is seasonally enjoyed
- Brewed by: Tampa Bay Brewing Co.
- ABV: 6%
- Jernigan’s Hazy: a flagship hazy IPA from Brewlando that offers a tropical aroma and “adventurous hop character” with hints of citrus and coconut
- Brewed by: Brewlando
- ABV: 6.8%
Not just beer
In addition to alcoholic beverages, the festival will also feature pours of THC-infused seltzers onsite.
Hemp-derived THC-infused drinks, of course, could be effectively banned in the United States come December, due to new federal restrictions that are set to take effect Dec. 11, 2026 — that’s if Congress isn’t persuaded to scrap that plan prior to that date.
For now, THC drinks remain an available alternative to alcohol — if more loosely regulated — at a time when drinking levels among Americans are reportedly at a record low. The federal rule approved by Congress, if it does take effect, would ban any THC product containing more than 0.04 milligrams of THC, essentially wiping out the existing market.
The Orlando-based Oracle Organix, however, will be offering several variations of its cocktail-inspired THC seltzers (each containing 10mg THC) at Orlando Beer Fest, including flavors such as Margarita, El Diablo, Hurricane, Piña Colada, Mango Mai Tai and Raspberry Spritz.
A ticket into the festival will also give attendees access to beer-friendly eats from local food vendors, in addition to a “giant beer pong” area, a game zone and other local vendors whose wares attendees can peruse and shop. Cheers!
