Men In The Making is a Pinellas County-based program that pairs minority boys in and around St. Petersburg with community leaders and mentors. Their purpose is to provide the strong role models needed to shape the future and life choices of their mentees "from cradle to college." They recently premiered their own drink--a fruit punch-flavored spark…

2014 saw the reintroduction of distilling in north Florida with the opening of St. Augustine Distillery. Housed in a previously unused ice plant set a stone's throw away from the San Sebastian River, St. Augustine Distillery's lineup of gin, vodka, rum, bourbon, and more are available across the state and to their satisfied throngs of visitors from…

This is Part 2 of our interview at MIA Bruhaus! If you haven't, I'd recommend you go back and listen to episode 172, first. MIA Bruhaus has been around almost as long as Florida Beer Blog. Starting life as MIA Beer Co., they've been releasing a wide variety of delicious beers from their Doral home since 2014. I sat down with Founder, Eddie Leon, to…

MIA Bruhaus has been around almost as long as Florida Beer Blog. Starting life as MIA Beer Co., they've been releasing a wide variety of delicious beers from their Doral home since 2014. I sat down with founder, Eddie Leon, to talk about getting into the craft beer industry in south Florida, getting into (and out of... and, finally back into) distr…

Hot off the heels of Irie Jungle last week, we are featuring the rest of our recent interview with Tripping Animals Co-Founder, Ignacio Montenegro, and Sales Manager, Alejandro Masferrer. We spoke about the formation of Tripping Animals, finding a home in Florida and Doral, their wide selection of beers, the collaborations they engage in, and so mu…

This Saturday, April 20th, 2024 (and yes, the date is intentional), Tripping Animals is holding their much-loved Irie Jungle Craft Beer Festival. As a sneak preview of the event and our interview at Tripping Animals, we spoke to Co-Founder Ignacio Montenegro and Sales Manager Alejandro Masferrer to get more details! Listen in to this bonus sneak pe…

Brewsaki is a south Florida-based rice lager starting to gain significant traction in both the restaurant scene and package sales around the state. It is the brainchild of Dr. Rob Streisfeld--part of a larger vision to bring the fun of the sake bomb out of sushi bars and to the masses. I spoke to Rob about his sake bomb invention, the recipe for Br…

We are back for Part 2 of our interview with St. Augustine's Ancient City Brewing. We are sitting down with Founder, Greg Tuttle, and VP/General Manager, Britta Messler, in their downtown tap room--located in what used to be the lobby for the Matanzas Theatre. We talk about business post-COVID, the rising cost of business, and what is coming next f…

Ancient City Brewing is the only dual-location brewery in the Nation's Oldest City, St. Augustine. With a production facility by Interstate 95 and a satellite tap room downtown, Ancient City also brings their unique style of beers throughout the north Florida region. I sat down with the founder of Ancient City Brewing, Greg Tuttle, along with VP an…

For this week's episode, we are in the nation's oldest city, St Augustine. It has no shortage of tours to take, from the near ubiquitous trams to an overwhelming plethora of ghost tours each evening. Very few take a look at both the history of the city and the amazing things that are going on right now. St. Augustine Experiences is different. Their…

In part two of our episode with Dunes Brewing, we are back with Michael Benedict and Sasha Staton to talk about their growth, the Volusia County brewing community at large, and that Luchador wrestling event that they have become very well known for. Listen in.... (And, if you haven't, make sure to listen to part one of our interview to get the full…

While the city of Port Orange is not Daytona Beach, they are close enough to where the uninitiated could easily be confused by the two. Even though Dunes Brewing is in Port Orange, it is just over the Dunlawton Bridge in a tiny little portion of Port Orange that sits on the barrier island completely surrounded by Daytona Beach Shores. Since opening…

Founded in 2011, Four Hands Brewing has become one of the largest craft breweries in all of eastern Missouri. Their flagship beer, City Wide, is just that--available pretty much everywhere in St. Louis proper and beyond. They've been the inspiration and collaborator to a number of breweries around the country--especially Tripping Animals in Doral. …

In Part Two of our interview with Halpatter Brewing co-founders, Chris Candler and Jeremy Gable, we will go into the future of Halpatter Brewing, and also a nod to the past--especially the importance of the name "Halpatter" to both of them and to Lake City itself. Listen in... Executive Producer: Jaime (“Jemmy”) Legagneur, Chief Enthusiasm Officer …

Situated in north Florida, just south of the intersection between Interstates 10 and 75, is the town of Lake City. Formerly known as Alligator Village by the Seminoles, it became a major railroad hub in the early 20th century. Its influence is starting to rise again with Halpatter Brewing--Lake City's only brewery and a significant player in the no…

We are back at Stormhouse Brewing with another beerfest and another episode! This time, Stormhouse Brewing was celebrating their 2023 Holiday Cheers and Beers Brewfest--a celebration of beer, spirits, and shopping to get everybody in the holiday spirit. There's a lot of fantastic beers to be had; and, while the Brewfest was definitely well-attended…

A couple weeks ago was the latest iteration of the North Miami Brewfest, put on by and benefiting the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. This year, the popular festival was at NoMI Village--a wonderfully designed, relaxed event space in the heart of North Miami Beach, just off Interstate 95. As…

Since being founded in 2008, Swamphead Brewery has grown well beyond its Gainesville home to become a major beacon of craft beer in Central and North Florida. With a combination of craft beer, environmental care and consideration, and a killer taproom, Swamphead shows no signs of slowing down. To learn a bit more, Producer Steve and I visited The W…

I can hardly think of a building in Florida more apt to house a brewery than a 100+ year old ice plant with its own aquifer well on a tree-lined street in a college town. This is Cypress and Grove, named for the old intersection on which the brewery sits (now known by the decidedly less colorful 10th Ave. and 4th St.). We sat down with founder and …

It's time once again for the Treasure Coast Wine and Ale Trail Festival! This annual festival celebrates everything about the growing craft beer, wine, and now distilleries in Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. Last year, we visited the festival and spoke to representatives from all three counties. This year we are back and speaking to t…

In Part Two of our time at High Springs Brewing in High Springs, FL., we speak to Head Brewer and Co-Founder Kiffin Ayers and brewer Evan Ekasala about some of the legal issues facing Florida's breweries and how they are hoping to help turn the tide. This includes recent visits to Washington, DC and visits from their local representatives, hoping t…

High Springs in Alachua County is known primarily for the nearby springs and for a good amount of antiquing stores. But since opening a few years ago, High Springs Brewing has become a central meeting point for the city. In Part One, we speak to Head Brewer and Co-Founder Kiffin Ayers and Brewer Evan Ekasala about creating a brewery in this North F…

Welcome to Ocala, home of the Ocala National Forest and Horse Capital of the World! While either of those would make an excellent theme for a local brewery, Hiatus Brewing instead decided to make their brewpub operation more of a tropical oasis in the middle of North Central Florida. On today's episode, we speak to Hiatus Brewing co-founder and bre…

Welcome to a busy episode of the Florida Beer Podcast! For the past 30 years, the Center For Great Apes in Wauchula, FL. has cared for orangutans and chimpanzees that were rescued or retired from medical research, private homes, the entertainment industry, and more. To celebrate and bring awareness to their mission, they are hosting a series of eve…

SFL Hops is a south Florida (obviously)-based beer organization disseminating information, organizing meetups, and doing so much more. One of their recent events was the SFL Hops Beer Fest, a beer festival and homebrew competition that was held this summer in June at Riverside Market South. They were gracious enough to invite us, and we were smart …

Heard any interesting news about Funky Buddha Brewing? For Episode 150, we are heading to Oakland Park for a super-sized episode with Funky Buddha Brewery owner (re-owner?), Ryan Sentz. Interestingly enough, we recorded this right after their 10th anniversary--also the day they signed the paperwork officially repurchasing the brand from Constellati…

For as long as I remember in Florida craft beer, Orange Blossom Pilsner has been there. OBP and the company that makes it, Orange Blossom Brewing, is the brainchild of brewer Tom Moench, brewed for and firmly rooted in the central Florida brewing community. On today's episode, we spoke to Tom about the creation of OBP and its sister brands OBP2 and…

Boca Raton's Barrel of Monks has been thrilling beer drinkers since 2015. If you haven't listened to Part 1, go back and listen! Their specialty is Belgian-style ales, and that focus comprises the vast majority of the styles and recipes coming out of their tap room and production facility. We spoke to two of the founders, Bill McFee and Kevin Abbot…

Boca Raton's Barrel of Monks has been thrilling beer drinkers since 2015. Their specialty is Belgian-style ales, and that focus comprises the vast majority of the styles and recipes coming out of their tap room and production facility. We spoke to two of the founders, Bill McFee and Kevin Abbott, about how they met, bringing Belgian-style ales to B…

There is nothing like a good Florida Rum... A quick stone's throw from Walking Tree Brewing (literally, if you play MLB) in Vero Beach is Indian River Distillery, Florida's newest distillery! Opened by Ray and Mandy Hooker earlier this year, Indian River Distillery has opened with an initial spread of rum, corn whiskey, vodka, and a lot more curren…

We are back in Sebastian, FL with Mash Monkeys Brewing! Situated on the anchor end of a strip mall in front of a car repair shop, Mash Monkeys has been serving up some of the most fantastic beers in the Treasure Coast since 2018. We spoke to brewmaster and co-founder, Derek Gerry, about the amazing beers they've been making, the love of craft beer …

Last year was the first Mezcal Lauderdale event, and it quickly became one of our favorites! This year, we decided to bring the recording equipment to give you a great feeling of the event for yourself. We spoke to representatives and owners from Mezcal Santo Gusano, Mezcal Amaras, Mezcal Rosaluna, Cuentacuentos, El Viaje Raicilla, Xicaru, and Gran…

We are back with Part 2 of our interview with Pete Anderson from Pareidolia Brewing. In this episode, we speak to Pete regarding his time with the Florida Brewers Guild working on helping to change some of Florida's laws to make things more equitable for Florida's craft brewers. Listen in... Executive Producer: Jaime (“Jemmy”) Legagneur, Chief Enth…

Finally, Pete is on the show! If you've been listening to the Florida Beer podcast, you will have heard about Pete Anderson, Owner and Brewer at Pareidolia Brewing. We finally visited the brewery in Sebastian to hear from the man himself where all of his brewing magic happens. In Part 1, we spoke to Pete to learn more about the creation of Pareidol…

It's always an exciting time to scope out a new brewery! That's why, when taking a look at breweries in Miami to go interview on a recent trip, I was amazed and intrigued to see the brand new Magic 13 show up on my radar. The brainchild of Co-Founders Richard Fayad, Ricardo Romano, and head brewer Jean Taboada, Magic 13 is exactly the swanky, cool …

Welcome to a special episode of the Florida Beer Podcast! North Palm Beach's Stormhouse Brewing recently held their 2nd Anniversary Brewfest, and we sent Florida Podcast Network Lead Content Producer, Amber, out to record some interviews with happy festival goers. We'll hear what she thought of the event and hear what attendees thought as well! Lis…

Mezcal Lauderdale is back! Last year this amazing festival launched to rave reviews. We were able to go, and it was an absolutely fantastic time: very well-organized, a lot of fantastic expressions to try, and a ton to learn! Since the event is back, we welcomed organizer Andrew Martineau to the show. He'll tell us about his personal mezcal journey…

From the shadow of the Abraxas craft beer bar on Miami Beach, a new civilization has risen ... Lost City Brewing Co. Daniel Morales is one part of the team that brought this North Miami brewery to life. Listen in as we interrupt his brew day to talk about the founding of Lost City, building a brewery in North Miami, and their love for Belgian beer …

It's been almost 2 years since Stormhouse Brewing opened in North Palm Beach, and how time has flown! To celebrate, they are throwing an anniversary brewfest on Sunday, May 21st, 2023. There will be beers from around the state, artisans, activities, and animals from this year's beneficiary, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter. We welcomed Stormhous…

While Florida is best known for rum, a lot of other spirits are finding a home in the Sunshine State. Two of those spirits are Victor George Vodka and the fantastic Fort Mosé Bourbon. Both are the brainchild of industry veteran, Victor Harvey. We recently sat down with Victor to understand his impetus in creating both brands and how advertising two…

We are back again with Mitch Steele, Co-Founder, brewmaster, and COO at New Realm Brewing in Atlanta. If you haven't listened to Part 1 of our interview, we strongly recommend starting there! In this episode, we continue the discussion around creating and developing New Realm Brewing along Atlanta's famed BeltLine, preferred beer styles in the Peac…

Today's guest wrote the book on IPAs. Literally, it's available now and pretty popular. That author is Mitch Steele, former brewmaster at Stone Brewing and currently the co-founder, brewmaster, and COO at New Realm Brewing in Atlanta. He is also a prodigious collaborator, even having traveled to Florida to brew with people like Doral's Prison Pals.…

Welcome to Georgia! From time to time to time I travel, and if I'm going to hit the road, you're coming with me. We are starting our adventure in Georgia in Decatur, home of the Brick Store Pub. They were highly recommended to me, and it's not difficult to see why. An absolute killer of a constantly rotating tap list, a 130+ year old location retai…

Remember when we spoke to Greg Berbusse -- Head Brewer at Bay 13 Brewery in Coral Gables? Well, that interview was amazingly gracious, since he was in the middle of getting ready for Woop Woop Beer Fest, Bay 13's first beer fest and celebration of Australia Day! What follows is a little smattering of what attendees got to see, from a small portion …

Bay 13 is a bit of an anomaly: an Australian brewpub in the heart of Coral Gables. It sounds like a lot on paper, but it works quite well. It has a fantastic location, great food, and, of course, great beer. That last part is the handiwork of Head Brewer, Greg Berbusse. Originally from Little Rock, Greg was scouted by Bay 13 and made the move to Mi…

If we didn't record this right before Tequesta Brewing's 12th anniversary party, I would have stuck around much, much longer. We are continuing our conversation with Fran Andrewlevich, the visionary behind Tequesta Brewing, Twisted Trunk Brewing, and Steam Horse Brewing. Here are some more stories, and the future of the brands. Listen in... Executi…

There are very few people on my 'wish list' of interviews, and Fran Andrewelevich was near the top of that list. Ask any Palm Beach County brewer, and you'll see why. After leaving his head brewer position at Brewzzi, Fran created three of Palm Beach County's biggest breweries: Tequesta Brewing, Twisted Trunk Brewing, and Steam Horse Brewing. We'll…

It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sort of location--but, hopefully, not for long! Situated in a former gas station, the Dixie Grill and Brewery opened as the Dixie Grill and Bar along U.S. 1 (Dixie Highway, hence the name) in 2004. The original owners were twins, Richard and Jay Preefer--themselves series restauranteurs. Richard has since passed the …

Pensacola’s Alga Beer Co. has been going gangbusters since its opening in 2020. Now it’s time to expand and create The Florida Room, described as an 80s-themed Cocktail Experience next door to the brewery itself. We spoke to Brett Reid, Alga Beer co-founder and brewer, to get details about what the Florida Room experience will be like, along with a…

We are back with Part 2 of our interview with Dave Lester, Head Brewer at Unseen Creatures Brewing and Blending in Miami. We're getting into a lot of great beer discussion now with talk about their massive foeders, experimenting, and that fantastic label art they are so widely regarded for. We are also going to chat about Florida Strong, the collab…