Minneola has a new gathering place for craft beer, food and entertainment, and it is hard to miss. Crooked Can Brewing Company has officially opened its newest location at Hills City Center, bringing nearly 43,000 square feet of beer, dining, and outdoor space to one of Lake County’s fastest-growing areas.
Located at 1600 Crooked Can Loop, the new Crooked Can opened to the public on July 15 and is about four times the size of the brewery’s original location at Plant Street Market in Winter Garden, which remains open. The Minneola location is designed to be more than a brewery, with a food hall, beer garden, live entertainment, family-friendly outdoor spaces and a large taproom all under one roof.
At the center of the new destination is a 2,000-square-foot taproom, where guests can find Crooked Can’s craft beers alongside seasonal and specialty selections. The beverage lineup also includes wine, sake and ciders, giving groups plenty of options even when everyone isn’t reaching for the same beer. The space features indoor seating across two levels, outdoor gathering areas and a beer garden designed for spending more than just a quick hour at the brewery.
What to Expect
Then there is the food. The Minneola location’s food hall brings together 11 local concepts, creating a lineup that makes it easy for a group to turn one visit into a sampling tour. Guests can choose from pizza, Brazilian food, cheesesteaks, barbecue, dumplings, sushi, pita dishes, donuts, empanadas and more. The current vendor lineup includes:
- AJ’s Pizza Joint
- Braza Orlando
- Daniel’s Cheesesteak House
- Empanada & Co.
- Kai Kai BBQ & Dumplings
- Norigami
- Pita Street Food
- Sir Benji’s Donuts
- The Local Butcher & Kitchen
- This Little Piggy
- Three Birds Cafe Express
The food hall concept also continues one of Crooked Can’s strengths: bringing independent food businesses together with its brewery. Several of the vendors have connections to other Central Florida food destinations, while others bring their own concepts to the Minneola market. The result is a place where one person can grab a cheesesteak, another can order sushi, and someone else can head for pizza or barbecue before everyone meets back up with a Crooked Can brew.
Outside, the experience continues with a beer garden, green space, a live entertainment stage, and a splash pad and playground area for families. Live music is scheduled throughout the week, making the new location feel more like a community destination than a traditional taproom. The venue can accommodate more than 1,000 guests indoors, with additional patio seating outdoors.
The timing of Crooked Can’s arrival is significant, too. The brewery sits within the 96-acre Hills City Center development, which is bringing new residential, retail, medical and community spaces to Minneola. As the surrounding area continues to grow, Crooked Can is positioned to become one of the development’s major gathering spots for both nearby residents and visitors coming from around Central Florida.
For anyone who has visited the original Crooked Can in Winter Garden, the Minneola location feels like the concept turned up several notches. It retains the brewery, local food and community atmosphere that made the original popular, but expands it into a much larger destination with enough space for families, friends, date nights, live music and weekend gatherings.
Crooked Can Minneola is currently open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. The splash pad is open daily from 9 a.m. until dusk.
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