The most interesting drinks stops rarely exist in isolation. They belong to a neighbourhood, a local history and a particular way of welcoming people.
Drawing on six first-hand HERR LUTZ visits, this USA drinks travel guide compares three very different city experiences: cocktail heritage and craft spirits in New Orleans, cigars and beer in Tampa, and Cuban brewing history in Miami.
One important distinction: these are separate city stops, not a ranking and not a record of one continuous road trip. Visit them individually or combine the cities in whichever order suits your wider travel plans.
Why these cities belong on a drinks lover’s USA itinerary
New Orleans, Tampa and Miami show three different ways in which drinks become part of a city’s identity. New Orleans preserves cocktail history while continuing to make spirits locally. Tampa’s beer culture makes more sense once you understand the cigar industry and immigrant communities that shaped Ybor City. Miami adds a Cuban beer brand with nineteenth-century roots, revived in Wynwood.
This is not a “best of” list. It is intended for travellers who want context as well as a drink. My memories range from a cocktail masterclass and bourbon drawn directly from a cask to Ybor’s protected chickens, a cigar lounge inside a former church and a tropical Miami beer garden.
New Orleans – cocktail heritage and craft spirits
New Orleans gives travellers an opportunity to explore how American cocktails, spirits and local storytelling developed together.
The Sazerac House
The Sazerac House suits visitors who enjoy museums, cocktails and polished interpretation. Its exhibits place the Sazerac and its associated spirits inside a broader New Orleans story. Before travelling, check the current visits and available dates.
What stayed with me most was Andrew’s masterclass. Watching the drink being prepared while every component was explained made its history more tangible than a display alone could.
Seven Three Distilling
Seven Three Distilling provides the contemporary counterpoint: spirits made in New Orleans today. Its name refers to the city’s 73 neighbourhoods, giving the brand an immediate connection to place.
My tour with head distiller and master blender Luka moved from production to tasting and the bar. Sampling bourbon directly from the cask made the visit especially memorable. This stop suits travellers who want to see the equipment and meet the people behind the liquid.
Check the official tours and tastings page before planning your visit.
Discover the complete Seven Three Distilling experience
Tampa – cigars, craft beer and Ybor City culture
Tampa combines beer, cigars and neighbourhood history. Begin with Ybor City for context, then treat Grand Cathedral Cigars and Cigar City Brewing as separate venue visits.
Ybor City
Ybor City is for travellers who prefer exploring a district to ticking off one attraction. Former cigar factories, cigar rollers, brick streets, food and nightlife all contribute to its identity. Even the free-roaming chickens belong to the local story; Visit Tampa Bay includes them in its current Ybor City overview.
My lasting impression was how naturally cigar history still frames the neighbourhood. Individual businesses can change, so use the article for cultural context and verify specific venues before setting out.
Grand Cathedral Cigars
Grand Cathedral Cigars turns a former church into a cigar destination with stained glass, a large walk-in humidor and an extensive whiskey bar. Its architecture alone makes it an unusual place, although visitors should understand that this remains an adult tobacco environment.
We arrived around midday, and the quieter atmosphere gave us time to absorb the building and settle in at the bar. Check the venue’s official reservation information for its current policies.
Read the Grand Cathedral Cigars feature
Cigar City Brewing
Cigar City Brewing suits travellers who want more than a tap list. During our hosted visit, Victoria, Sean and Reade took us through production, barrel storage and distillation before we returned to the taproom. The scale surprised me; the warmth of the team mattered just as much as the equipment.
Ybor explains the roots of Tampa’s “Cigar City” identity, while the brewery demonstrates a modern beer interpretation. The Spruce Street taproom remains listed by Cigar City Brewing.
Miami – Cuban brewing heritage in Wynwood
Cervecería La Tropical
Cervecería La Tropical connects Cuban brewing history with contemporary Miami. Established in Havana in 1888 and later revived in Wynwood, its present-day venue combines a brewery, restaurant, events space and tropical garden.
For me, the greenery, wooden entrance and Wynwood surroundings mattered as much as the beer. This stop suits travellers seeking a social brewery visit with food and atmosphere.
For accuracy, “craft” describes the beer and visitor experience here, not independent ownership. La Tropical’s own history records a majority sale to Heineken in 2017. Check the official Cervecería La Tropical website for current visitor information.
Read the full Cervecería La Tropical story
Planning your own drinks-focused city trip
A good drinks itinerary needs breathing room.
- Choose by interest. New Orleans leads with cocktails and distillation, Tampa with cigars and beer, and Miami with Cuban brewing heritage.
- Use one main stop per part of the day. Give a timed tour its own slot and leave enough room for the surrounding neighbourhood.
- Recheck official details. Tour formats, opening days, menus and venue rules can change. The venue itself is always the final authority.
- Plan your transport before tasting. Use a designated driver, taxi or ride service. International visitors should also confirm local age and identification requirements.
Tampa and Miami can fit naturally into a wider Florida itinerary, while New Orleans works equally well as a separate city break. These recommendations are travel inspiration rather than a fixed route.
Choose the guide that fits your trip
There is no single winner because the six stops answer different questions. Choose the city and theme that interest you most, then open the corresponding HERR LUTZ report for the history, observations and practical context behind that visit.
- The complete Sazerac House guide
- The Seven Three Distilling experience
- The full guide to Ybor City
- The Grand Cathedral Cigars feature
- The complete Cigar City Brewing visit
- The full Cervecería La Tropical story
If you are planning a drinks-focused trip to the United States, these six visits offer three very different starting points: New Orleans for cocktail and distilling heritage, Tampa for cigars and beer, and Miami for Cuban brewing culture in Wynwood.
For further destination-led drinks stories, browse the HERR LUTZ Travel archive.
Please drink responsibly. Tobacco use carries health risks. Check current age, identification and venue rules before visiting, and never drink and drive.
