Craft Drinking Abounds in Downtown Sanford

When it comes to indulging in adult beverages in Historic Downtown Sanford, the sky—and the imagination—are the limit. Sanford is home to a local distillery, a cidery, a wine mixery, and three craft beer breweries—with a fourth about to open any day now. Nearly every month in Sanford finds some special bar crawl, new craft-beer unveiling, or a street party with an amazing array of alcoholic choices.

November 2020 began with a preview of the holiday season with the Loggerhead Distillery Cocktail Crawl. Just have a drink at each of 10 local establishments, each of which created a craft cocktail using Loggerhead spirits, get your card punched, turn in your card, and get a free t-shirt, plus a chance for fabulous prizes. What Sanfordite can pass up a free t-shirt, not to mention the imaginative drinks, from the Hemingway to your dessert—an Apple Pie Moonshine Old Fashioned—and many variations in between, all crafted with Loggerhead spirits. Yes, I got my t-shirt!

CRAFTY DRINKING ABOUNDS

in Downtown Sanford

BY LEON KONIECZNY

Celery City Craft's "Old Fashioned Loggerhead Warm Apple Pie".

December brings the now-annual Sanford Historic Trust’s Holiday Tour of Drinks. A fundraiser for the Trust, they’ve partnered with 8 local bars, each one featuring a unique, specially crafted holiday drink—buy one (or two or three) during December and $1 is donated back to the Trust for their charitable work.

Not to be outdone, local breweries craft some special holiday season beers as well. Wops’ Hops recently released their seasonal White Chocolate Amaretto beer, perfect for a holiday dessert! And what goes better during the

holidays than a cookie and beer pairing? Deviant Wolfe Brewery has you covered in this regard with their upcoming Holiday Cookie and Beer Pairing. It’s a great way to experiment and learn the ins and outs of pairing great local craft beer with some of your favorite treats. A few blocks over, Sanford Brewing Company is a sponsor of the Sanford Avenue Block Party’s “Jingle All the Way” event—wear your best PJ’s and win $100!

You do not need to be a brewer or maker of craft spirits to get in on the fun, either. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café features their holiday beers in this season—St. Nikolaus Beer for those who are nice and Krampus Beer for the naughty. Both are brewed by a nearby brewery in Sanford’s southern suburb, Sanford-South (aka Orlando). You can also try Buster’s Bistro’s holiday special, the Cran-Apple Mule, along with so many more choices to be had.

Sanford Bars, Breweries, and Restaurants all believe in safe drinking: know your limits, drink responsibly, have a designated driver, wear a facemask when not seated, and enjoy what the new year 2021 has to offer! Sanford has something for everyone. n

above: “Loggerhead Willow Tea” from Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café. below: “The Loggerhead Hemmingway” from The District.

Leon Konieczny is a local Central Florida foodie and food blogger who’s been writing about Sanford and Seminole County area “good eats” restaurants for the past seven years. He’s big into eating at local mom ‘n’ pop shops where high quality ingredients, love, and a dose of home cooking make all the difference. While he occasionally eats at the big chains, he claims it’s only to remind him where a real quality dining experience lurks — in the small restaurants which are the heart and soul of every neighborhood and community.

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