We are Mid Summer and there is a lot going on with the local breweries on the First Coast. Summer and Beer just get along well!
First to report, Ruby Beach Brewing, formerly Zeta Brewing, opened their doors a few weeks ago. They are celebrating with a Grand Opening on Sunday July 1. So before or after your trip to the beach side, stop by and see the rebranding. They have kept some of their Zeta brews, but have added some new ones as well. They have revamped the kitchen as well, with an emphasis on beer food.
A few weeks ago, the Adeeb boys at Strings Sports Brewery, closed on the building at 9th Street and Main Street in Springfield, formerly called 9th and Main. They have begun the clean up and remodeling of the space. They are hoping for an opening date this year.
Speaking of which, did you know that First Coast Brews is on social media? Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, pick your favorite and follow along. I post daily calendars of events, breaking brew news and various events as they happen. You can find out when all of our pending breweries will open by following along. Speaking of which, on the Facebook page, I created a list of current and pending breweries with links to their pages in the greater First Coast area.
Legacy Ale Works, is happy to report that their rezoning of the property in the strip mall at US 1 and St Augustine Road has cleared the city this week and they are full steam ahead on creating the brewery. The brewery equipment has arrived and the inside is being outfitted. The location is near both Nocatee and Bartram Park.
"Selecting this location was very important to us," says owner Matthew Jacobs. "We wanted to serve an area of Jacksonville that does not currently have many craft beer options."
They will be very near the new Brewz Bartram Park location, in fact, Saturday June 30 at 2 o'clock Brewz will be holding a tasting event for Legacy Ale Works. This will be a great time to sample Legacy's beer, meet Matt and Liz Jacobs, plus hear about their plans first hand.
Did you know Yulee is the location of a new brewery in Nassau County? SJ Brewing is remodeling space on SR 200 east of US 17. They are outfitting the bar area and outdoor deck right now. There is no estimate on the opening date. SJ Brewing will join Amelia Island Brewing Company in Nassau County.
Up in Brunswick, Hop Soul Brewing is remodeling a former Shoney's on Highway 341 and Interstate 95. Construction is underway and the hope is for a Late Summer opening. Meanwhile, the menu's are being perfected and following them on Facebook is a drool-worthy endeavor!
Just announced is the very early plans to open another brewery in Brunswick, downtown. This brewery is going to be called Silver Bluff Brewing. As of today they do not have a social media presence. I'll update when they do.
The Railyard district of Jacksonville should be the home of two new breweries this year. Tabula Rasa Brewing is on the banks of the McCoy's Creek and they are planning on an August opening. They are creating a beautiful outdoor green space along the creek.
A few blocks away on Dennis Street, Keen Brewing Company is remodeling a 20,000 square foot building, planning on half for the brewing operation. The rest will likely include a large game room and taproom.
If you are heading to Wicked Barley Brewing this summer you will see some new juice forward beers. Wicked Barley has teamed up with Natalie's Orchard Island Juice Company out of Fort Pierce to create some new brews.
Natalie's Blood Orange IPA will combine Natalie's Blood Orange Juice with citrus zest. It will be available all summer long at both Wicked Barley and for those of you on the other side of the river, Keg and Coin on King Street.
School in the Summertime, will be a wheat brewed with lemon drop hops and combined with Natalie's Natural Lemonade at the pour.
July 28 will be Wicked Barley's 2 year anniversary party and they plan on having a Shandy bar, featuring more of Natalie's juices. They are also offering the VIP experience, so click on the link and grab tickets now. The event is free (outside of the VIP area)
Speaking of Anniversaries, Engine 15 is celebrating theirs on July 7 with the annual Chupacabra bottle release. There will be a lot of Engine 15 brews on tap and timed releases of special guest and E15 brews. While I missed the Vertical tasting this year, I'm told the new release is awesome!
Remember to check out our social media for daily events and news, until then Cheers y'all!
