BUSINESS TRENDS
United States, up 16 percent from mid-2018, and double the
number of craft breweries from 2014, the Brewers Association
states.
The same group reveals that craft breweries had a $3 billion impact
on the Florida economy in 2018, although when measured
per capita, the state ranked 44th in both craft brewery economic
impact and number of breweries.
That means there is still plenty of room to grow not only on the
Treasure Coast but throughout Florida, Nordquist says.
While representatives of all Treasure Coast brewers say they are
growing, long-term success is not guaranteed. The Brewers Association
shows that 77 brew pubs and 118 small breweries closed
in 2017.
EVENTS
Most of the breweries are happy to host wedding receptions,
company events and just about any kind of gathering.
There are trivia nights, charity events, live music and annual
events like Oktoberfest. Brooke Malone, creative director at Walking
Tree, says a sales rep holds beer tastings as customers play the
video game Guitar Hero.
She says the events held in association with sales of craft brews
are limited only by one’s imagination.
And then there are the beer pairing events — beer with doughnuts,
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beer with chocolate, beer with cheese.
“It’s starting to get to the point where wine is and has been
for a long time,” says Mike Malone of Walking Tree. “People think
of beer as this low-end product that you can’t pair with things.
You can have a five-star meal and pair each course with a different
beer. Restaurants are figuring that out that they can get 60
BERNIE WOODALL
Alexis Ariail of Okeechobee, who bartends at the tap room at Hop Life in Port
St. Lucie, holds a beer glass awarded to those who buy a beer, wine or cider at
each of the dozen spots on the Treasure Coast Wine & Ale Trail.
people to come to a beer dinner and pay 60 or 70 dollars a head
to have a fantastic dinner.”
And don’t forget the annual Wiener Dog Races at Pareidolia for
dachshunds.
Every craft brewery on the Treasure Coast, along with Pierced
Ciderworks in Fort Pierce and Summer Crush Vineyard & Winery in
northern St. Lucie County, has a wide selection of games to play.
Craft brew pubs have these games because they are an alternative
to the wide-screen TVs that dominate sports bars. “We want
people talking with each other,” says Nordquist.
The games include Jenga Giant, shuffleboard, board games,
Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots and Cornhole, the bean bag toss game.
Summer Crush has a variety of outdoor games, including giant
checkers and frisbee disc golf.
“All of our games can be played one-handed,” says Malone,
meaning to keep one hand open for holding a pint.
Some Treasure Coast craft brew pubs, including American Icon
in Vero Beach and Hop Life in Port St. Lucie, do have multiple TVs,
often tuned to sports.
The craft brewers of the Treasure Coast, along with Summer
Crush and Pierced Ciderworks, participate in the Treasure Coast
Wine & Ale Trail. An annual fundraiser for the Trail will be held at
Summer Crush on Nov. 16 to help local tourism offices promote
the Trail, which, in turn, helps the dozen members.
The Wine & Ale Trail produces maps that show the locations of
each of the participating businesses.
Also promoting local breweries is the Hop Passport, which lists
49 Florida breweries, including seven on the Treasure Coast, and
stamps passports while offering discounts to its holders.
https://www.hoppassport.com/florida v
SUMMER CRUSH
Among the most popular events scheduled at Summer Crush Winery are its
art shows and its surfboard and classic car shows.
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