The RedFrog Pub Brewery on the Carnival Vista

Whenever I cruise with Carnival Cruise Line, I make a point to head to the RedFrog Pub...because that's where I get my favorite cruise ship drink, the Ting Mojito! Well, now there's even MORE reason to spend my time at the RedFrog pub....the RedFrog Pub and Brewery on the Carnival Vista!! This is literally the very first brewery on board a North American cruise ship, and after spending 10 days on the Carnival Vista in May, I did not walk away disappointed...in fact, I find myself wishing I had access to their tasty Java Stout now that I am back home. I'll tell you more about that later...

Now, when you walk into the RedFrog Pub on the Carnival Vista, you can actually see the Brewery, it's worked into the pub in a way that the entire thing is visible, which is pretty cool! The super fun part of this is that you can actually sign up for Brewery Tours on the RedFrog Pub Brewery on the Carnival Vista too!

For $12.95 a person, you can hang out with the Brewmaster, Colin (follow @TheRealPresby on Insta for fun pics from the ship), and he will walk you through a super fun tasting of the four different craft beers brewed right onboard the Carnival Vista. Make sure you sign up for the RedFrog Pub Brewery Tour early on in your cruise, as the spots are limited and they fill up quickly!

On the brewery tour, you'll follow the Brewmaster Colin through the RedFrog Pub, where he will explain step-by-step the entire process of brewing their beers. This is a man who loves his beer, and his passion for the craft shines through in his presentation.

Now, I have done a few brewery and distillery tours in the past, but this was an entirely different experience because not only is it limited to very small groups of people, but YOU ARE ON A CRUISE SHIP. Everything about this brewery is different! We are talking very small batches - because space is obviously limited - and we have ONE man manning the ship. Corny pun, I know. What can I say, I like cruise ship humor...but I never go overboard!

During your RedFrog Pub Brewery tour, you'll even get to taste a sample right out of the tap - and not the one behind the bar! Little touches like this make the experience that much more fun!

Of course, my favorite part of the tour was the tasting. Yep, that $12.95 RedFrog Pub Brewery Tour ticket includes a tasting of the beers crafted in the RedFrog Pub Brewery as well as the Thirsty Frog Red.

The Brewmaster will walk you through each of the beers and explain what makes them unique, as well as tell you what to look for in each kind of beer. 

The beers served are ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA, ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, FriskyFrog Java Stout.

As I mentioned, I have been craving the RedFrog Pub's FriskyFrog Java Stout. It's a delicious concoction of cold brewed coffee and beer. YUM! It's the perfect combination of two of my favorite beverages!

I also really liked the ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin IPA, which caught me by surprise because I am not a huge fan of IPAs...what can I say? Carnival has great taste in beer!

Of course, the RedFrog Pub doesn't just serve amazing beers and cocktails. You can find tasty bites on the menu to eat while you're hanging out, like these delicious little sliders!

Mmmm....tasty! What goes better than a burger and a beer? Not much. 

If you've never been on a Carnival ship, you may not realize that some have self-serve beer stations - yep, you can pour your own beers when you don't want to wait for a server, or when you are feeling a little too lazy on your sea day to walk over to one of the many bars scattered across the ship.

By the way, the Carnival Vista has 25 bars. TWENTY FIVE. They're all themed differently, serve different types of cocktails, and offer different atmospheres for your enjoyment. No matter what your mood when you're ready for a drink, they have a space that's just perfect for you!

Whenever my friend and I wanted to hang out away from the hustle and bustle of the Lido Deck, we'd head over to the RedFrog Pub and pour our own beer - which is just about $4.00 for a glass, and charged to your stateroom card. My first attempt was a horrible nightmare because I DO NOT KNOW how to pour a beer. However, by the end of the cruise? I was a seasoned pro!

The RedFrog Pub is a pub in every sense of the word - there are booths, a bar to sit at, even an outdoor seating area with games!

Don't worry, if outdoors isn't your thing, they have plenty of fun games to play inside too. Some afternoons there are even trivia games organized by the RedFrog Pub and led by Carnival employees, so if you're missing your trivia night at your local pub? Just get a taste of home at the RedFrog Pub!

So how did the RedFrog Pub Brewery come about?

Carnival worked with Concrete Beach Brewery to create these draft beers. For my Miami readers, you'll recognized this as the brewery in the Wynwood Arts District...so you know those beers are extra awesome!

To learn more about the all new Carnival Vista, check out Carnival.com! You can also search the hashtags #CarnivalVista and #HelloVista on social media to check out all of the fun photos cruisers have posted!