USA, FL: First Craft Brewery in Miami, Wynwood Brewing Co. opened on October 11

Wynwood Brewing Co officially opened on October 11 even though its logo says “Established 2011.” This year, its father-son owners received a $420,000 government loan to help build their 15-barrel brewery. The seven-year, interest-free loan, which requires no payments for the first two years, comes from funds from the federal government’s Community Development Block Grants but is administered by the city.

The brewery is situated just east of Interstate 95 on a street lined with single-level warehouses, many tagged with graffiti art. It is a few blocks over from the busier Northwest Second Avenue, home to several of the Wynwood Arts District’s galleries and restaurants.

Wynwood’s current lineup of beers, which have been available at a few local bars and restaurants for the past month, includes Lupulado, a pale ale brewed with citrusy Cascade hops, and Oscura, a stout brewed with coffee from Wynwood roaster Panther Coffee.

The brewery is set up to crank out about 1,200 barrels of beer in the next year. Wynwood doesn’t have a bottling line in place, but Brown Distributing will send kegs of Wynwood brews around South Florida.

Although Wynwood is the first production craft brewery to open in the city of Miami, several other South Florida breweries have recently opened or are in the planning stages. Funky Buddha Brewery this summer opened a new brewing facility and tap room in Oakland Park. Homebrew-based operation Gravity Brewlab is aiming to open a bricks-and-mortar location in the next year, reported Miami Herald.

16 October, 2013