USA, FL: Emerald Republic Brewing Co. in the works in downtown Pensacola
There's a new brewery in the works on the west side of downtown Pensacola that intends to serve you world-class craft beer and teach you exactly how they brewed it, the Pensacola News Journal reported on November 8.
The Emerald Republic Brewing Co. at 1414 W. Government St. is targeting an opening date in the fall of 2019. The brewery won't serve liquor, food or have televisions, but what it will do is take on the personality of its owner, founder and head brewer, Phillip Zayas, a certified cicerone with a decade of experience in the craft beer industry.
A Pensacola resident since 2014, Zayas traveled to California in 2017 to attend the University of California, Davis, where he received his Professional and Master Brewers Certificate.
Zayas said he probably could have gone from homebrewer straight into business, but he wanted to take the time to train properly so he could bring something special to Pensacola.
"This has been a goal of mine for quite a long time, to create something in my own vision," he said. "The No. 1 priority is always going to be on the beer. I, as a brewer, feel the focus needs to be making the best possible quality of beer, day in and day out. For me, it's an art form. It's not just taking a bunch of raw materials and just throwing it in there. There's a definite science and art behind it."
Art and live music will certainly be staples of the new brewery, which is replacing a former auto parts store near Joe Patti's Seafood. But Zayas says the identity of his first business venture will be a little "darker" than some of the other breweries in town.
"We're not gonna be focused on being a TV place, we feel that's gonna distract from the overall objective, which is to create a craft beer culture in Pensacola," Zayas said. "When you start getting into those aspects, I think you start to tend to lose focus a little bit, so we want to be a place strictly and solely dedicated to beer."
In lieu of college football Saturdays and bar games like shuffleboard and corn hole, Emerald Republic will host beer educational classes and collaborate with the community on different art events. Zayas said one of his philosophies is to teach the community and the consumer what craft beer is all about.
"We want to make sure people understand the processes that go into making craft beer, so the educational piece is something that's gonna be important for us," he said. "Teaching you what beer should taste like, how to make it and what the process is about. Beer is in my blood."
Expect stylistically true beers from Emerald Republic, as well as more eclectic-style beers. They'll have a souring program, a barrel-aged program and for craft beer newbies, Zayas said, they'll offer session beers, which have a low alcohol content but are flavorful enough to serve as a bridge for beer drinkers keen on developing their palates beyond domestic and imported tastes.
"When people who bring in their friends, who, maybe aren't necessarily into craft beer, we have options for them so they feel welcomed in," Zayas said. "That way they can be welcomed in and we can actually explain to them what the beer's about, and help grow the craft community that way."
In addition to bar and indoor table seating, there will be front and back outdoor patio seating at Emerald Republic. Zayas also owns the large parking lot across the street and plans to extend events onto it from time to time.
Zayas is opening the brewery with his wife and co-founder, Veronique, who is also in charge of marketing and design. The building on West Government Street, which Zayas closed on in June, is still in the demolition and construction phase.
With the building, Zayas is exuding patience like he's always done. From the time it took to go to school, to the process of brewing the perfect craft beer, Zayas is taking his time to get the property just right.
"We're doing this as a labor of love. We're doing so much of this ourselves and it's been a lot of fun," he said. "Part of this for me is, you're making craft beer from scratch, by hand, why not build the building the way you want it with your own hands, too."
10 November, 2018
