Breweries keep booming

Tampa Bay's on tap to add at least seven in coming months. by Tom Scherberger

The Tampa Bay craft beer boom moves into an expansive new phase in coming months with the opening of at least seven breweries — four in downtown St. Petersburg alone, including a major new project by the co-owner of Bella Brava.

The next six months or so will further solidify Tampa Bay, already home to 16 breweries, as the craft beer center of Florida. How long this boom rolls on is hard to say, but new brewers and veterans see plenty of room for growth — if the quality remains high. In the end, it’s all about the beer. Here are some of the upcoming breweries and their slated opening dates.

Cycle Brewing (534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-328-2720) Doug Dozark, who gave the world Florida Weisse and Rare D.O.S. at Peg’s Cantina in Gulfport, opens downtown St. Pete’s first brewery with limited local draft distribution, flavorful session beers, and a 3.5-barrel brewhouse.

Expected opening:Opened August 15.

Green Bench Brewing (1124 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 727-214-4863, GreenBenchBrewing.com) A 15-barrel brewhouse, tasting room, and outdoor beer garden starts with local draft distribution initially. Head brewer Khris Johnson has been working with Tampa Bay’s top Brewers.

Expected opening: Mid-September.

Pair O’ Dice Brewing (400 118th Ave. N, Suite 208, Clearwater) A suburban warehouse near Carillon with a 15-barrel system, a tasting room and plenty of space to expand. Owners Ken and Julia Rosenthal, inspired by Austin’s craft beer scene, moved back home to join the craft beer revolution in Paradise.

Expected opening:Late September.

3 Daughters Brewing (222 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg) Bella Brava co-owner Mike Harting’s ambitious side project in the emerging Warehouse Arts District. A 30-barrel brewhouse, 2,000 sq.- ft. tasting room in an 18,000-sq.-ft. building. Head brewer Ty Weaver, Bella Brava’s chef, has been testing small-batch session ales at the restaurant.

Expected opening: Late November.

St. Petersburg Brewing Company (544 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 727-692-8809) Owners Tom and Michelle Williams have lined up financing and hired a head brewer after two years of contract brewing their St. Pete Orange Wheat and Pinellas Pale Ale in Maryland.

Expected opening: Fall.

Angry Chair Brewing (6401 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, 813- 892-1651) With their tasting room zoning secured, the 10-barrel Seminole Heights brewery with a tasting room in a long-vacant clock shop has built buzz at local beer fests with sours and dessert beers like German Chocolate Cake. Local draft distribution, then a canning line and a long-term goal to be “the Cascade of the South,” says head brewer Ben Romano.

Expected opening: Early January.

Coppertail Brewing

(2601 E. Second Ave., Tampa, coppertailbrewing.com) Ybor City’s second brewery has big plans: a 50-barrel brew-house in a 35,000-sq.-ft. former Hellman’s mayonnaise factory across Adamo Drive from Ikea, with a 2,000-sq.-ft. tasting room and plans for local bottle distribution. The goal: “Easy-drinking Florida beers with lots of character,” says head brewer Casey Hughes.

Expected Opening: March.

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