Craft Beer Movement Brewing Along the Gulf Coast
By Joni Williams, Condo Owner Magazine, February 1, 2014
Although it may have taken a while to catch on, the craft beer movement is brewing along the gulf coast. Chances are good that if you step into any local grocer, eatery or even discount store, you’re going to find an interesting variety of microbrews alongside the dependable big names of brewing giants Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors.
According to K.C. Harrison of KC’s Sandbar and Tap Works in Ft. Walton Beach, many trends take hold along the gulf coast because of the transitional population that includes visitors, military and retirees. “You have people coming from all different areas, so they enjoy having different experiences,” Harrison said. It was Harrison’s observation of one particular trend, the craft beer movement, that led to the inception of Tap Works, an offshoot and next-door-neighbor of the popular family-run KC’s Sandbar, which is owned by Harrison’s parents, Michael and Beverly Parker.
“I was observing the beer trends in other cities even though it hadn’t really caught on in Ft. Walton,” she said. Yet, the trend elsewhere was so prevalent, she was sure it would catch on locally, too. After much research, Harrison and her family decided to venture into the craft beer business, and Tap Works, which now offers some 60 taps, was born.
In addition to Tap Works, other craft beer establishments have opened in Ft. Walton Beach: Salty Duck, Fokker’s, Props, The Boardroom, and Helenback Café, a local hangout now boasting several panhandle locations. The café serves up its own customized brew, “the Special hOps” along with adding a selection of crafted beers to their longstanding repertoire of traditional Anheuser Busch, Miller Coors and Guinness products.
In nearby Destin, are Dockside, a tiny harbor front establishment that offers an assortment of craft beers and the new Island Wing Company Grill and Bar in the 98 Palms Shopping Center.
In Pensacola the trend has also caught on. There are a number of breweries including Pensacola Bay Brewery on Zaragoza that offers a tap room in addition to supplying many of the local bars and eateries with their hometown suds. Also located downtown are World of Beer on Palafox and Hopjacks.
With two locations going strong, Hopjacks’ Beer Director Tim Dohms said the hot spot’s conception was owed, in part, to a previous co-owner. “He was from Philadelphia and the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania,” Dohms said, adding that this area is “beer country,” known for both quality beer production and consumption. Based on his experience, he was confident that, if offered good beer at a good price, the public would embrace an establishment specializing in quality crafted brews. And he was right. “By the time we opened in 2008, people were just waiting for it,” Dohms said of the local response to Hopjacks’ selection of 36 beers on tap, which initially seemed more than ample compared to other area establishments.
However, the response was so great, Dohms said, “we realized we were just scratching the surface,” and taps continued to be added over the years. Presently, Hopjacks’ downtown location offers more than 112 brews on tap, and the Nine Mile Road location over 80, in addition to bottled and canned selections.
If Florida was late to embrace the craft beer trend, Alabama was even more so — but for reasons other than a simple reluctance to catch on socially. State laws limiting the amount allowed per individual container and ABV (alcohol by volume) content of beers, as well as those impeding breweries, proved to be a major speed bump, one that the politically active organization, “Free the Hops,” diligently—and successfully—worked to reform.
Craft beers of varying sizes and ABV content began to be legally sold throughout the state after changes to the law took place in 2009. Brewpubs, such as Birmingham’s Good People, now a familiar brand throughout the gulf coast, began springing up after the passage of the Brewery Modernization Act in 2011.
The changes were said to be almost immediate, with varied selections of microbrews debuting at grocers and other retailers next to the longstanding big names, Bud, Busch, Miller and Coors. Likewise, restaurants such as Loda’s Bier Garten in Mobile, known for its offerings of German bier, were able to offer a selection of American-crafted brews as well.
Ginny Lane Bar & Grill, which manager Jennifer Brownlee said was the first restaurant opened at The Wharf in Orange Beach, added a line-up of custom-crafted beers about three years ago. The addition, Brownlee said, was immediately embraced by their patrons. “I think it’s something people were waiting for,” she said.
In light of the industry’s hard-won legislative battles in Alabama, Ginny Lane’s Chef Jim Freeman encouraged area beer drinkers to keep it local. “People need to support their local breweries,” he said, “There is just no reason for people who like beer not to drink the local beer.”
While Freeman said he’s a fan of the Good People brews, calling them “excellent,” he also likes the suds produced by the nearby Fairhope Brewing Company, that in addition to distributing its products, features its own in-house taproom with a “BYOF”—Bring Your Own Food—policy.
Plans are also in the works to feature some of their selections, handpicked by Chef Freeman, in an upcoming pairing dinner at Ginny Lane. “We have beer dinners a few times a year with four courses and four beers,” explained Brownlee, citing a typical cost of $30 per meal that includes both food and brews.
And Ginny Lane isn’t alone in introducing pairings to the area. Although traditionally associated with wine, beer pairings are becoming more and more commonplace locally. Hopjacks, for example, offers the occasional multi-course pairing meals and Harrison said Tapworks will, too, in the very near future.
Proprietors say they’re not just following a national trend but are bowing to logic. “People love craft beer and they love food,” Harrison said simply, summing up the concept’s potential for success.
Pairings aside, most establishments already offer food on a regular basis. While many offer typical fare such as wings and pizza, the tradition is beginning to evolve.
Hopjacks offers its own gourmet fries that are crisped in duck fat and served with a special dipping sauce, or sweetened and spiced as dessert. Island Wing Company Bar and Grill proudly proclaims itself as “fryer free,” offering what is deemed more healthful baked options along with a bevy of salads and other lighter fare, including vegetarian options.
And although some of the beer pubs are as renowned as much for their food as their beer—Helenback’s pizza was mentioned in an Esquire magazine blog—it’s still all about the beer. Harrison said that she witnessed firsthand just how strong the craft beer movement snowballed. She said that the craft beer far outsells other types of alcoholic beverages. “We found that liquor accounted for less than 10 percent of our sales.”
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