A new taproom and bottle shop is opening in the Mandarin area Saturday, filling the craft beer void for many living in the area.
Don't get us wrong, Jacksonville is fortunate enough to have a thriving craft beer industry with breweries and craft beer stores nearly everywhere.
For folks in Mandarin however, the choices are quite slim.
Sure there's Wicked Barley Brewing on Baymeadows Road and Legacy Ale Works in Bartram Park for a brewery experience, but if you want to buy craft beer, for the most part, folks in Mandarin have very few choices.
Thankfully, all that is going to change with the opening of Jax Craft Beer on San Jose Boulevard.
Husband and wife team, Mag and Joe Byrns decided to open a craft beer specific package and taproom after being fixtures in the craft beer community for years. You can count on a solid craft beer menu with these two at the helm.
Together they have done a good portion of the remodel themselves, transforming their business into a light and airy taproom.
They've just passed their final health inspection and have their temporary alcohol permit to get their beer. Their 'Grand Opening' is Saturday, Oct 19 at noon.
I stopped by to check out the space and was amazed at both the size and attention to detail the Byrns have put into it.
There is plenty of seating in the form of high tops and dining tables. There's a large lounge area up front, complete with a sofa and chairs.
Large party? No problem. Jax Craft Beer also has seating for 59 people.
The taps are along the back wall, surrounded by a long bar top. There will be 32 beers on tap, plus a cooler filled with singles and six-packs. If you just need to grab some beer for tailgating or a party, there will be plenty available to go.
The draft beer will be available in a variety of pours, five-ounce, 10-ounce, 16-ounce, plus 32-ounce crowlers or 64-ounce growlers.
For sports, they have three big screen TV's, plus a projection TV. There is also an assortment of board games, for kids and adults.
At this time there's no food in the taproom, however, there are plenty of restaurants in the plaza and in the area.
According to Joe Byrns, the parking lot always has space in the back near them, so parking isn't a problem.
Additionally, the shopping center has a traffic light, so coming north or south, you can safely get in.
Their hours will be:
- Monday - Thursday 3 p.m. until 10 p.m.
- Friday - 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.
- Saturday - Noon until 10 p.m.
- Sunday - Noon until 7 p.m.
The Grand Opening is Saturday Oct 19 at Noon. Jax Craft Beer is located at 9825 San Jose Boulevard, Suite 18. It's in the shopping plaza behind Outback Restaurant, between Crown Point Road and Old St. Augustine Road!
Congratulations Mag and Joe, we are looking forward to you opening!
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