Things to Watch in the Jax Brewery Scene
The Jacksonville craft beer scene is growing, and it’s no secret. With an ever-growing list of breweries in town, and even more restaurants and bars focusing on carrying craft brews, here’s a look into what Jax has to look forward to.
Hyperion Brewing Company
Soon-to-be Jacksonville’s first female-owned brewery, Hyperion intends to spotlight not only classic styles, but also those that are forgotten and rarely brewed.
The two-person team is on the hunt for a location at the moment. In the meantime, stay on the lookout for their brews at various special events at places like Beer:30 and in the urban core.
E-15 Second Location
Engine-15 Brewing Company is no stranger to the craft beer scene, brewing in Jacksonville Beach since 2010. The E-15 team has been looking to open a second location in the downtown area for some time, but ran into some speed bumps.
The last bump in the road was cleared at the end of June, when Jacksonville City Council approved the rezoning of E-15’s downtown site on Myrtle Avenue. This means the brewery is cleared to finish renovations and finally open the new site.
The downtown location will feature a spacious taproom, increased space for brewing, a biergarten and space for special events. A grand-opening date has yet to be set, but rest assured it’ll be sooner rather than later.
Intuition Moves Downtown
Intuition Ale Works is another veteran of the Jax craft community, also opening in 2010. In 2012, Intuition became the first craft brewery in the state to can their products. After a strong run in the King Street District of Riverside, the brewery has been looking to expand its operation to a larger facility downtown.
After several years of searching, and a few setbacks, Intuition has found a new home on E. Bay Street, steps away from the Veterans Memorial Arena and Baseball Grounds. The brewery has leased about 21,000 square feet of the building, most of which will be used for brewing and canning. The building will also house a rooftop biergarten.
An official open date has not been announced, but expect to see the move happen around September.
Wicked Barley
Jacksonville craft newcomer Wicked Barley Brewing Company is looking to mesh their beer with gastropub-style cuisine. The brewing company was founded in 2014, but faced several setbacks in securing and opening a location – an unfortunately, common trend among Florida brewers, oftentimes far out of their control.
Wicked Barley’s location on Baymeadows Road, near the St. Johns River, will feature a 2,200 square foot taproom, a patio area with seating and a dock to allow patrons to commute via boat.
An open date has been set for the end of June and will feature a lineup of guest taps for the time being. Wicked Barley was recently approved to sell their own brews on-site, so expect to see them flowing at the brewery by the end of September.
Southern Swells
Another rookie to the Jax craft community, Southern Swells Brewing Company is no rookie to brewing. The team behind the upcoming Jacksonville Beach brewery has been homebrewing for several years and decided to move their operation to a brick-and-mortar location a couple years back.
Their location on Beach Boulevard will feature the Beaches largest taproom at roughly 5,000 square feet and another 2,500 dedicated to brewing. The brewery will also house a patio and intends to accommodate special events.
Southern Swells hasn’t announced an official open date, but is eyeing the end of 2016. Initially, the team plans to focus on in-house sales and light distribution, but intends to expand to canning as they build a base.
Bold City Takes Downtown
The founder of Jacksonville craft beer, Bold City Brewery has been making beer in the King Street District since 2008. Now, the company is looking to expand to the urban core by opening a location on E. Bay Street, next to the upcoming Cowford Chophouse.
Due to Bold City’s massive distribution demands, the Riverside location has limited ability to experiment with small batches and new recipes. The downtown location will allow the brewing team to do just that, expanding on their creativity.
Standing at just over 1,500 square feet, the second location will be small to say the least. However, plans still call for a cozy taproom and low-capacity brewing equipment, so expect plenty of single-batch recipes. The new location is set to open in the fall.
*All photos and graphics are from the respective brewery’s Facebook.*
Published by Void.
