Webb's City Cellar, the taproom of Green Bench Brewing Co. in St. Pete, has won the top honor at the Best Florida Beer Professional Championship 2026. Its beer Wilbur, a Dark Ale fermented in wood barrels and aged in wine barrels, was named "Best Florida Beer," beating out competitors from across the state.
The win highlights the craft beer scene of St. Pete-Clearwater, known as the Gulp Coast, home to nearly 50 independent breweries along Florida's Gulf coast. Visitors can explore the region via the official Gulp Coast Craft Beer Trail, which links breweries ranging from street-art-covered taprooms to traditional microbreweries, many offering tours and tastings.
Well-known stops include 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Pete, housed in a former warehouse in the arts district and pouring more than 40 beers, and Dunedin Brewery, the state's oldest microbrewery, operating since 1996 in the town of Dunedin. Webb's City Cellar itself stands out for barrel-aged specialties that spend months maturing in wine or spirit casks, developing flavors closer to wine or Belgian sour beer than typical American craft styles — an approach now recognized with the "Best Florida Beer 2026" title.
