The next Central Florida brewery we’d like to talk about is Persimmon Hollow Brewing in DeLand, Orlando, and—very newly as of this writing—Winter Garden. DeLand is the original location for the brewery, where it opened in 2014. It has since expanded to include another brewing facility and taproom at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, and a third brewery and taproom in the southernmost reaches of Winter Garden, just north of Animal Kingdom, in the new Flamingo Crossing development.
In addition to making tasty beer, Persimmon Hollow is an eco-conscious company striving to minimize waste, recycle as much as possible, and promote a clean environment and alternative energy. They also serve food that’s vegetarian friendly (and some vegan), but with options to add or swap out for meat or poultry.
If you’ve never checked them out, we encourage you to pay a visit to Persimmon Hollow Brewing in DeLand, Orlando, or Winter Garden—whichever location is most convenient for you.
The Beers
Persimmon Hollow has a core lineup of solid brews you can find at all the locations. These include tasty offerings like Beach Hippie American IPA, Gypsy Hiker NEIPA, Daytona Dirty Blonde blonde ale, and 3 Wise Guys coffee porter.
But unlike most other brewing companies, Persimmon Hollow doesn’t just open up extra taprooms when they expand; their additional locations are also brewing facilities. And they make some beers at each one that are exclusively available there. The Orlando location has by far the most exclusive offerings, with up to 10 or so.
Plus, there are beers that appear at two locations. For example, the Blood Orange Wheat is one of our favorites from Persimmon Hollow (even though we don’t gravitate strongly toward wheat beers), and right now it’s on tap at the Orlando and Winter Garden locations. Meanwhile, the refreshing Flocculator doppelbock is in DeLand and Winter Garden at the moment.
One caveat: We recently visited the Winter Garden location about 2 weeks after it opened. As of that time, some permits and paperwork hadn’t gone through yet to allow them to start brewing, according to our server. So, there aren’t any unique beers on the menu there yet. But there will be.
The Food
You can enjoy quality house-made food at the Orlando and Winter Garden locations; Persimmon Hollow Brewing in DeLand doesn’t serve food, but there are lots of great places all around to eat.
As mentioned above, the foundation of the food menu is vegetarian, with options to add meat or poultry to many of the dishes (as well as a Gardein Breast). Or, you can get burgers made with Beyond patties or beef patties. There are more burger options at the Orlando location than at the Winter Garden taproom, but otherwise, the menus are the same. There’s also a weekend brunch menu.
If you want to try something different, go for the jackfruit sliders or jackfruit birria tacos. If you’re an omnivore, you won’t even know you’re eating a vegetarian alternative. Delicious and satisfying.
The Environment
The three locations of Persimmon Hollow Brewing in DeLand, Orlando, and Winter Garden are all fun places to imbibe, though they’re all somewhat different.
The original brewery and taproom is located right in the heart of downtown DeLand. The space is a converted warehouse, and it retains the somewhat industrial vibe that’s so en vogue for breweries.
The second location at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando is undoubtedly the most pleasant environment, thanks to the ample covered outdoor seating with a view of Lake Eola Park across the street. The inside is nice too, but it’s hard to pass up the outdoors here. The taproom is at the northeast corner of Lake Eola, at the intersection of N. Eola Drive and E. Robinson Street, in the ground floor of the Eo Inn building.
The third Persimmon Hollow location is in the brand-new Flamingo Cross shopping and hotel development. Again, we went about 2 weeks after it opened, and most of the surrounding retail and restaurant spaces were still unoccupied. The taproom is expansive, with lots of tables and bar seating. There were uncovered tables out front in direct sunlight, too—we’re not sure if they’re planning to create some shade—but the inside seemed much more appealing.
Persimmon Hollow Brewing in DeLand
111 W. Georgia Ave.
DeLand, FL 32720
www.persimmonhollowbrewing.com/downtown-deland
(386) 873 – 7350
Monday to Sunday – Noon to midnight
Persimmon Hollow Brewing in Orlando
227 N. Eola Dr.
Orlando, FL 32801
www.persimmonhollowbrewing.com/lake-eola
(407) 337 – 6011
Monday to Thursday – 11 am to 9:30 pm
Friday and Saturday – 11 am to 11 pm
Sunday – 11 am to 9:30 pm
Persimmon Hollow Brewing in Winter Garden
Flamingo Crossings Bldg. 3
140 Sugar Belle Dr. A
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(As of this writing, the new location hasn’t been added to the Persimmon Hollow website)
Monday to Sunday – 11 am to midnight
