Oh what a flight! Gluten free brewpub in the heart of Old Town was quite the find

The flight, the food and the atmosphere were all exceptional at the Southernmost Brewpub (Rochester Voice photo)

KEY WEST, Fla. - Key West is a mecca for food and drink connoisseurs, so it's always a challenge to decide where to eat, where you can enjoy a convivial, genuine atmosphere and experience something that is unique, delicious and yes, unforgettable.

Well, we found just that after about an hour of going in and out of multiple restaurants, reading menus, discussing gluten free options with waiters and waitresses, many of whom didn't like a pair of occasional tourists "wasting" their time.

But with due diligence and true grit we overcame, and exhausted and frustrated, stumbled upon an exceptional establishment, the Southernmost Brewpub at 522 Front St. not far from Mallory Square.

The first thing I noticed was a rack of some 20 drafts.

"Beside the drafts do you have any gluten free beers," I asked.

"All the beer and food here is gluten free," replied owner and brewmaster Tadd Maudlin. "I'm gluten intolerant."

"Well, we'll take a flight," I answered happily.

He then spent about 10 minutes with us going over all the offerings, from IPAs to malts to lagers to ales.

We tried a Save the Day American IPA, an approachable and balanced IPA with distinct malt character and citrus aroma; a McMutty Brown Ale, a full-flavored yet sessionable brown ale made from roasted, chocolate malts; an All Star American Light Lager, A light pilsner malt and rice lager with low bitterness and full flavor; and a morning Joint Coffee Stout, an oatmeal stout with hints of caramel, chocolate and coffee.

Speaking of joints, the Old Town section of the island is crawling with cannabis bars!

But I digress.

What made the Southernmost Brewpub so very memorable and extraordinary was their food.

We got the Cheesy Hearts of Palm & Scallion Dip, made with baked hearts of palm and scallions in a creamy blend of mozzarella and parmesan served with warm corn chips; and the Glazed Bacon Skewer made with two thick slices of hardwood smoked bacon with maple syrup glaze slow cooked in a Showtime rotisserie oven.
Words cannot do justice to the above food items, so leave it at this. When you get down here, and everyone should, at least once, check it out by clicking here.

Atmosphere ★★★★

Food ★★★★

Service ★★★★