Cigar City Cider & Mead

There’s really not a ton to do in Dunedin, but if you are in town you must stop by here. I love cider and my best friend is celiac, so this was wonderful for the both of us.
They have many interesting ciders and meads to choose from, so many that no one in my party could choose… so each couple got a flight, easy fix! The ones that stood out for me were the ciders — watermelon, apple banana, and caramel apple. Ooh man. The meads were weird to me, but my friends loved them. I’d never really had them before, it was cool being able to try so many.
The space itself is inviting with ample space and many barrel tables to sit at. They also allow dogs inside and do tours.

We came here on the way home from thanksgiving dinner. Not a lot of places are open on that day so it was nice to find one. We did have the place to ourselves. They had a lot of different options of cider and mead. The bartender was very knowledgable about them both and was helpful in answering any questions we had. To pass the time, they had Cards Against Humanity. Got to love a bar that has games. They offer flights and glasses. The flights are nice to try a lot of different ciders and meads. They also have a few craft beers to pick from in case you don’t want to drink cider and mead all night long.

My husband and I were here last week when we were in Tampa and I really enjoyed this place. With a low key atmosphere we were able to grab a table and did two different flights of cider and Meade. One of our favorites was the banana but we tried everything from Gingerbread to key lime to mango. The staff was really friendly and was easily able to give us suggestions and let us know which cider and meades that people enjoyed. Would definitely recommend this place if you’re in the area!

5 stars for the selection, cleanliness, and service–
We visited this place right around Thanksgiving and luckily for us, we had the whole place to ourselves. The bartender was super friendly and the selection of ciders on tap was great! Not a lot of beer but then again, this is a place for cider. They offer flights which, is really the best way to sample several ciders and make your own ‘meal’. I say meal because at the time that we visited there was a Thanksgiving Flight available. We didn’t get it but apparently, in that flight there were ciders that tasted like parts of a typical Thanksgiving dinner. Crazy, right? Next time we’re getting that for sure.

If Unilocal allowed it, I’d give 3 ½ stars. This is a cute little brewery off of the main strip in Ybor so it was nice to get away from the crowd. They have a very wide selection of ciders and meads, something for everyone. They even offer a few bottled beers. My first selection was the Peaches and Cream cider. It was good but not great. We decided to try a flight and our choices were Dude Rugs (chai tea) Peach Habanero (amazing!) And CORNBREAD MEAD. Mead is served warm and when I say it tastes like you’re drinking a warm glass of cornbread, believe me. I’m super glad I tried it because I like funky flavors, but never again. All in all we would visit this place again, but wouldn’t make a special trip down to Ybor for it.

Banana Stand. If I could drink it forever, I would.
Great place, my favorite to visit. Staff is super chill. Will definitely keep recommending it to everyone.

Nice atmosphere and of course the Mead and Cider are excellent. Knowledgable staff too! The Blooze mead and Banana Stand/​Peach Habanero ciders were standouts to me! Stop in and have some fun!

I **rarely** give out the five stars, but this is a notable exception. Here’s why:
— Location is walkable but away from 7^th Ave!
— Selection of Ciders and Meads is outstanding, diverse, and rotates frequent. If I am in town, I go at least once on the weekends. Every time they have something I have never had.
— They are big fan fans of spicy, bold, and floral. Ciders and meads compliment them in ways that beer cannot.
— Staff knowledge and enthusiasm: Love Bea, Josh, Henry, and Nicki.
— USB chargers built into the bar.
— Atmosphere: with no TVs, just very relaxing!
Summary: This place is unique, not just in Tampa, not just in FL, but in the country. Take advantage of this gem!

Apples and honey
Coat the mouths of weary peeps
sweet days of summer
What an interesting and unique tasting bar place! For all those celiac and gluten intolerant: here is your drinking paradise. They have a TON of different types of ciders and meads, it’s crazy. I wish that they had smaller tastings of the mead, because the taster glasses with mead are basically a serving (or more) of mead. It’s $ 2 for a taster of cider or beer (there is beer here too), and $ 5.50 for mead. With mead, the flights can get pricy quick.
My other concern with this place is that there are so many crazy flavors, the ciders especially taste pretty artificial. It feels like they might be pumping out unique drinks too fast and at the cost of quality – very hit and miss.
As they work out the kinks, I’ll definitely be back to see what’s next on the menu. Super cool spot when you get tired of (or can’t drink) beer.

Cigar City Cider & Mead is a hidden gem in Ybor. I stopped in on a recent Brew Bus crawl of Seminole Heights and Ybor. I had been to the regular Cigar City location before but never to CC Cider and Mead. I am not a big cider or mead fan, but I went in with an open mind and really enjoyed it.
They have a small menu of ciders and meads and also a few other Cigar City craft beers. I went for a cider sampler and really really enjoyed the green apple cider. Others had meads and raved about how good they were. Our bartender was very nice and was very patient with our rowdy crowd. I probably won’t be a regular here as I’m not a cider drinker but I am glad I got a chance to try it!

Love this place so much! It had taught me so much about the process of how ciders and meads are created, brewed, and the many varieties that they come in. I have been here a few times, and my favorite was when I came in on a Saturday for the $ 10 cider and mead tour.
It was very informative and interesting. The guide told us everything from the history of ciders and meads to the timeline of the buildings history. My only wish was that the tour was not just limited to one small area. That part felt very confining. I wanted to see more of what the building had to offer, but they explained that the upstairs of the building didn’t feature much, and was off limits anyway.
Minor setback! The meads and ciders were delicious! I wish I could remember the names of them all, but after drinking the first pint and two other flights of ciders, I just wanted to sing Drake and get a burger!

I’m not really a fan of mead, but cider is my jam! I love the variety they have here and the quality is what I’ve come to expect in the Cigar City brand. The increasing ease of access to Cigar City’s products and expanding locations is definitely an asset to the Tampa Bay area.
If you are a fan of Cigar City, cider, mead, or just cool places you should absolutely check out this place out!

I like the concept, but not the prices.
La Chica, myself and some friends rolled up here for National Cider and Mead day. The place looked great upon walking in and Bea behind the bar was as friendly as could be. I jotted down samples for two flights. All in all, the ciders and meads we had were all pretty good. But at the end of the day, most people are going to drink a few and then get outta dodge because they’re just too sweet after a while.
My problem here was with the prices. I paid $ 44 for two flights. Whoa!
I honestly cannot see returning based on the sticker shock.

This is a really unique addition to Cigar City’s ever expanding enterprise! It is a really small brewery on a side street in Ybor City. Very mellow, dark and laid back drinking establishment with some amazing drinks! I’ve been here twice now and had no problem getting served. Staff is friendly and knowledgable. I appreciate a drinking establishment in which a bartender can give you real advice on the selection… and CC Cider & Mead has just that!
I ordered a flight of mixed mead/​ciders. I was NOT disappointed. This place offers pints, flights and even take home growlers. They also have guest taps that rotate regularly. This brewery is very clean and welcoming. I will definitely be visiting again very soon.
FYI — Park for free on the street if you can… if not, head down the street to the parking garage!

I am not a huge mead or cider person but this place is pretty cool. They have lots of different options and everything is explained really well by the bartenders and on the walls. You can get flights or sample whatever you want.
They do offer some regular Cigar City beers (non mead or cider options) in case you are not in the mood for mead but your friends are.
You can bring dogs in there too which is cool.
Fun new place!

Finally tried this place Sunday and it did not disappoint!
I had a flight with 2 meads and 2 ciders (you can pick whatever mix you want). The bartender made suggestions for hubby who isn’t an avid cider drinker, and they also have detailed descriptions behind the bar to help you make a choice.
I like almost any alcohol ranging from beer, wine to liquor. The most interesting thing about the offerings here is the range of flavors. Floral, fruit, carmel, pepper… The list goes on. Both cider and mead have the ability to transform to support the ingredients they are fermented with instead of just echoing them like beer — which to me will always be «beer with a hint of»… (And I love beer).
There is truly something for every taste! Can’t wait to come back for a tour!

I’d like to start by saying Josh and Henry are amazing bartenders! What a great idea this place is.
All around five stars because Cider and Mead are Gluten free and my wife can’t eat or drink gluten.
The Ciders are my favorites! My personal favorite is the peach but there a huge array of different kinds!
If you’d like to try one you’re more than welcome to sample one or two, This didn’t mean take advantage of the generosity of these fine folks which I have seen happen more then once.
The space the business is in is an amazing spot that’s as beautiful as any in Ybor, just classic, warm and comforting in a beautiful open space.
To the right when you walk in are the holding tanks where the cider and mead are made.
The whole staff is so fun, we have had such great times there. We have never once had a negative experience at this establishment and everyone is so attentive and courteous.
They also have USB ports at the bar for charging! I’ve never seen this before! Awesome!
You know how I am about bathrooms and the bathrooms here are super clean. And that makes me all giddy. True.
I highly recommend this place cause it is one of my favorites.
I just wish they would put a couple tables outside to sit under those beautiful trees.
See you there! Enjoy!

I was excited to check this place out on a Saturday afternoon. It’s easy to miss, so make sure you keep an eye out for it. The bar itself had quite a lot of seating and games which can always be a nice source of entertainment.
In terms of beverages, they had a very impressive selection of cider and mead (~15 taps). The bartenders were very knowledgeable about what they had on tap and helped guide me towards something that would fit well with my palate. I had a sampler that had the Little Texan, Wise Prick, and The Money’s in the Banana Stand ciders. The Wise Prick was my favorite, as it was a bit dryer and had a great floral flavor from the elderflower inside it. I was forewarned about the Banana Stand, as it’s one of their sweetest ciders, but I could not resist the name and the purported chocolate banana flavor. This was indeed super sweet but was exactly what was advertised. I didn’t think it was possible, but it was indeed a good chocolate banana cider. My least favorite was the Little Texan. It was hopped with Amarillo hops and also had toasted coconut in it. The mix of flavors wasn’t quite to my liking, as it had an odd bitter, earthy tang.
Overall, Cigar City Cider and Mead was awesome! I have many friends with gluten intolerance who would probably love to check this place out. I plan to come back some time soon to try their mead, as they do not do samplers of them.

Why 5 stars? Because it’s a genius idea!
— — —
You’ll definitely find me drinking beer over cider 99 times out of 100, but I definitely don’t hate cider, I just like beer much more :)
But with the craft beer scene absolutely exploding over the past couple of years in Tampa Bay, it’s really great to see cider getting some love too! It’s a great place for guys wanting to take their significant other out for drinks. You could call it a gateway brewery.
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I really even knew what mead was before my visit here. Apparently it’s fermented honey and water, which I had to look up on Wikipedia just now, to trigger my memory. I could pretend to be smart and look up what «fermented» means too, but instead I’ll just let it remain as a word I hear semi-​often, but have absolutely no clue of the exact definition.
But I did remember the honey part, and you can definitely taste that! And meads are much stronger than cider. Most range from 8−20% ABV (thanks again Wikipedia!) So two flights shared between me and the girlfriend, and um, yep. Buzzed through dinner.
During our visit, there were less than 10 customers in the building, which made it nice to chat all things Cigar City with the bartender and fellow patrons. I loved the relaxed atmosphere, and the fact that they chose Ybor for this business. I am still a huge proponent of Ybor and love it only second to my current neighborhood — Seminole Heights. But Ybor still has a special place in my heart, and I love seeing them getting something cool like this!
Oh, and just in case you can’t stand cider mead, yes they have a few beer taps as well :)

This new addition to the Cigar City Brewing and Ybor families is a great compliment to both. Just opened a few days ago!
Cider has been sweeping more and more taste buds in the US recently.
Although I have been drinking cider regularly for more than a decade, now that it’s been made so commercially available by all the big brewing companies and many taste like crap, it’s great to see locally made craft ciders and meads making their way into our territory.
All the ciders and meads here are made in house. They offer many different styles and flavors, some more traditional, many with sweet flavors, but all are made from real fruits and no syrups.
When you walk into the establishment, it is sleek and open. The small bar top tables are made with barrel bases and even have purse hooks! And the bar with the many taps behind is staffed with knowledgeable and friendly folks. You can taste them all until you find the one you like and order up a glass.
They are not your typical pint size glasses, they are 12 oz pours in snifter shaped glasses. For the price and for a craft/​in-​house made cider or mead, it’s at a very good price point.
So far, my favorite is the pineapple cider. Will definitely be going back and checking out other flavors.