August Brewery of the Month- Florida Beer Company

In 2003, Jim Massoni and partner Ed Scott, invested in a Melbourne-based craft brewery called the Indian River Beverage Corporation. Indian River Beverage Corp. began its roots in 1996 and produced several award-winning beers, including Indian River Shoal Draft and Indian River Amberjack. They also produced hard ciders winning gold medals in brewing competitions.

In 2005, Massoni and Scott added to Indian River Beverage and acquired Ybor City Brewing and its entities, rebranding them into Florida Beer Company. For 14 years, Florida Beer Co. (FBC) brewed craft beer in the Melbourne location. However, the brewery reached its capacity and Massoni and Scott opened a new 60,000 square foot facility in 2013 in Cape Canaveral, Florida at an old Chrysler Space Operations plant. Presently, Florida Beer Company is Florida’s leading craft brewery.

The brewery houses a Visitor Center and a Tap Room providing opportunities to see the brewery in operation. It is minutes away from all cruise terminals at Port Canaveral and easily accessible by a short bus or taxi ride. The Visitor Center features over 100 feet of plate glass windows and the brewery features modern craft brewing equipment and technologies openly on display. The brewery produces 28 different styles of Ales, Lagers and Ciders. The company’s strategy to producing award winning flavors is to use citrus fruits that Florida is famous for, such as oranges and limes.

Half Wall Beer House offers several beers from Florida Beer Company. They include Florida Lager, Key West Sunset Ale, and Swamp Ape. Don’t miss out on our Tuesday night Beer of the Month special: 25% off Beer of the Month from 8pm to close.

For more information on Florida Beer Company, visit: www.floridabeer.com

(excerpts taken from: www.floridabeer.com; www.facebook.com/FloridaBeerCompany; and http://www.floridatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/04/05/brevard-craft-brewer-expands-reach/7302133/)