The Thirsty Topher

No Miller or Budweiser here, thankfully. Just good craft beers, ciders, and mead with intimidating Viking names.

Probably a cool place of you know the bartenders. I stood there for 5 minutes and watched 3 people who came in after me get served, and another couple minutes before I decided to go somewhere else. I won’t be back.

The tap and grind of Mills 50! (That is very much so a compliment) This is a legitimately awesome craft beer bar. Any out of towers I’ve brought by who enjoy the current craft beer scene walk away appreciating this bar. Great curated selection on hand, and the staff/​management are true beer aficionados. Lots to choose from but not one of those with a million choices, because they’ve already skipped the basic stuff and they make it all it easy to digest when deciding, as the taps are coded with numbers. No rush, no judgment. Just suggestions and smiles.
The place is anchored by a comfortable and beautiful bar, nice lighting and seating nooks, and just an overall good vibe. I appreciate when a place can make you forget what’s right outside, especially if cars are whizzing by 10 feet away. This is your spot to meet friends away from downtown. And surprise… there’s seating and parking in the rear. The new location is somewhat non-​descript from the outside, but just look for the beer signs from Virginia. A+, 5 stars, gold sticker.

Stopped by the new digs on their grand opening night last week and was not disappointed — they did a great job with the new space. While I love the seclusion and outdoor space of their original home, I think they did a great job with what they had to work with here. Love that they brought that beautiful wood bar with them. Service is usually middle of the road, not spectacular, but not disappointing. Definitely better on nights with smaller crowds.
As always, great selection of beer, cool people and good vibes. Love Daydream pizza food truck but would love to see some others in the rotation as well.

Love at first sight? Their new location is super nice and the aesthetics are top notch. The bar top is amazing. It does require a bit of reaching, but it’s totally worth it.
The draft list when I visited was absolutely top notch. Several hard to find beers, and hardly anything I wouldn’t gladly drink.
Service was friendly and quick. Atmosphere was very relaxed and casual.
They are cash only, but have an ATM so if you forget, no big deal.
I’m really looking forward to spending more time here.

Great selection of beers, something for even the biggest beer snobs. The staff is friendly, funny, and knowledgeable about brew. One of my favorite chill spots. They have food trucks that differ depending on the day of the week that provide superb satisfaction for your hunger pains. The Sushi Seoul food truck is my favorite one, especially their Asian fusion nachos and tempura avocado slices. I would highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a relaxed atmosphere and awesome craft beers.

Where to even begin. This is by far my favorite beer bar in town. The new location is intimate with dim lights but the same signature rustic feel of the original location. Aside from having the best selection of craft beers in town they easily have the most awesome bartenders. They are quick with a recommendation or tasting. It’s a beer nerds paradise.

I’ve been a Topher customer since they first opened in the old location, and much as I liked the old bar, the new ones even better. I don’t know how they squeezed that giant pecky cypress bar through the door, but it fits the space perfectly. It may have lost some of its edgy industrial vibe, but the Thirsty Topher has reinvented itself as the Ivanhood’s newest and woodgrainiest neighborhood bar.

So the topher is literally my favorite bar in Orlando. Hell, it’s half the reason I was willing to move to Central Florida in the first place! The first time I came in here, I threatened never to leave and asked if they had a cot I could sleep on. The gorgeous wooden bar top and the glamping vibe with the canvas roof, plants on the wall, and majestic egret painting, pretty much made me want to marry this place. They’ve now closed this location but I am sure the new one will be just as delightful!
Oh, and, they have a lovely and extensive fancy beer selection, and fun tap takeover nights. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ I really don’t want to drink anywhere else, ever.

What a great little hidden gem!
After hearing many praises for The Thirsty Topher a friend and I decided to check it out for ourselves and I’m so mad at myself for waiting as long as I did! The atmosphere is almost like walking in to a secret backyard oasis– that’s filled with beer. The bar is perfection as is the selection.
Bonus points for having my most favorite, and coveted, Good Gourd on tap. TP won over my heart the second I saw this– and I don’t for see my heart changing any time soon!

This place is awesome — although unfortunately they are currently moving locations.
The original location was literally a garage with a (kickass) bar inside. A very nice U-​shaped lacquered wood bar that ran about 30′ long. The beer selection was always on-​point, and the bartenders super friendly. The doorway opened up to a small patio outside.
The bar was dog friendly, and a great place for a hidden happy hour.
They are currently moving locations to be directly on Virginia. I will update once I’ve been there!

Beer; and lots of it. Run by people who know their stuff when it comes to craft beer. No Bud or Coors here. Their selection is curated by guys that know what is good and they often partner with breweries to get special editions. The atmosphere is homey. They’re dog friendly. It’s semi-​open air, meaning the patio is open via a huge garage door to the inside. Unfortunately that means that hot air and cigarette smoke occasionally makes its way in, so it’s not always as comfy inside as you’d like.
Staff is friends and knowledgable. I’d def recommend this place… It has character.

Love this place! Tucked away near down town — has the ambiance of a cool downtown bar with free parking! Best beer selection and the décor super cool! Loved the Pear Cider and my daughter had the yummy Breakfast Stout.

I often have meetings next door to the Thirsty Topher. A great place to get a beer or a glass of wine. The guys who owned it put a lot of love in the the décor which is a whole lot of gorgeous. When it’s cooler outside, try sitting outside in the patio.

This is a sort of upscale Hideaway (which is within walking distance) with fancier beers, laid back vibe, awesome service, and cool décor. There is inside and outside seating and although dark, the décor is nice. The beer selection had a little something for everyone.

I was looking for a specific beer and The Thirsty Topher was the only one that I could find carrying it on draft. Exploring we went. It’s tucked back on a warehouse type street right near Florida Hospital’s South campus.
Two of us were easily able to find seats at the bar and were immediately greeted by both bartenders. After reviewing their selection of beers on tap, we both placed our orders. I received my drink right away, but then «friends» of one of the bartenders came up to get a drink and another and another… then finally after they were served, she poured my husband’s drink. I’m all for treating your regulars and friends well, but when you have a new customer (or any customer) that placed their order first and you proceed to serve someone else first… meh…that is bad customer service to me. If I’m the regular, I understand waiting my turn and wouldn’t expect it any other way.
The inside was a bit hot, but they had their big door (garage?) open to the outside, so that would be why. Also, that means all of the smokers outside were filling up the inside with their smoke. I am not a smoker and don’t like smelling like it or getting sick because of it (allergies), so I prefer non-​smoking areas.
Outside was a food cart selling empanadas. We didn’t have any but a couple at the bar next to us did and they smelled really good, it was hard to resist
I’d give this bar another try, hoping for on point customer service and less smoke smell inside.

I just realized I still haven’t written a review for this place, even though I’ve been here a bunch of times, especially recently.
I would say the Topher is a place that you’ll probably find either by word of mouth, or by doing a search for a good craft beer bar. It’s not a place that necessarily stands out from the road, and that’s what makes it great.
I actually first went there on a first date, and as awkward as first dates can be, the Topher helped lessen the blow with its super chill atmosphere and great craft beer. I may not have seen the guy again, but my relationship with the Topher remained.
If you’re a craft beer drinker, then this is the right spot for you. They have a rotating number of beers on draft, and also some in bottle I believe, along with wine and mead, though personally I only stick to draft beer/​cider.
The staff is great, and more often than not you’ll see one (or both) of the owners working behind the bar. Go ahead and ask them what «Topher» means, they’ll give you the actual definition :)
In all, this is a great neighborhood bar, with a very chill atmosphere, the kind of place where I feel comfortable going for a beer by myself without feeling judged or having anyone bug me.

Located on Alden Road, near Lake Ivanhoe in the Mills 50 district, back by the antique warehouses. This tidy space was pouring a massive volume of craft beers on my stop in later on Friday night.
Even with a packed house there was plenty of seating inside and out, helpful staff that will let you know when kegs are running low and what is coming up next on the taps. Pretty cool selection of bottled craft beers, if you don’t see something on the taps.
If Daydream Pizza is there, order a pizza!

I think I’ll be echoing popular option by saying how awesome this little hole-​in-​the-​wall is. The first thing you notice is the beautiful wooden bar and the little wooden tables against the walls. The draft list is ever-​changing and it’s like a beer nerd hand-​picked the best offerings from all the styles (which is exactly what happened since Ron, one of the owners, picks all the beer).
This is basically the Cheers of Orlando, the regulars are known by name, not many non-​Orlandoans know about it, and with the stellar beer and great food trucks that are usually parked outside– you can’t ask for a better bar!

Perhaps it’s an odd word to describe a bar, but the adjective I would use over and over to describe The Thirsty Topher is «beautiful»…think Imperial vibes with plants and Christmas lights.
It’s a cool, low-​key place with a great craft beer/​wine selection, friendly/​down to earth staff, perfect lighting and decór, and a pizza food truck on Wednesday nights. :)
Last night I had Two Henry’s blueberry wheat and Swamp Head’s pumpkin spice latte which I’m not at all ashamed to admit because they were DERICIOUS.