Brew Hub: Where Craft Brewers Go to Grow
Written by Heidi Osmundsen with John Hueseman (toured by John)
Lakeland, FL – We are living in a unique time for beer enthusiasts and craft brewers alike. In recent history the “big box” brewers owned the market, but home brewers and smaller craft brewing operations are slowly winning over the palettes of America’s beer-drinking masses. In order to help these craft brewers stay competitive while growing their business, the owners of Brew Hub came up with a novel concept for partner brewing. I had the opportunity to visit their flagship location in Lakeland, Florida in January 2015 to learn about partner brewing and how Brew Hub is paving the way for craft brewers around the country.
Partner brewing is a process that allows craft breweries not only to brew their beer to exact specifications under the supervision of their own brewmaster, but also to package and distribute directly from the Brew Hubbrewery. Brew Hub also makes their beer available for export to international markets. Therefore, the services that Brew Hub provides are incredibly helpful to craft brewers, ranging from: full brewing, packaging, distribution and selling services for craft breweries that are capacity-, geographically-, or financially-constrained. Brew Hub plans to open five breweries throughout the country that will cater to up-and-coming craft breweries. The next location scheduled to open is in the St. Louis, Missouri suburb of Chesterfield. Brew Hub also is looking at the north East Coast and two other sites.
In addition to offering partner brewing services to craft brewers, Brew Hub also caters to beer enthusiasts by offering free tours and complimentary samples in their Tasting Room. Their Lakeland location opened in the fall of 2014. Located between Orlando and Tampa, it’s an excellent spot to take a side trip if you’re in the area or want to grab a bite to eat outside of the mega theme parks and other attractions.
Brew Hub’s Lakeland facility is able to brew 40,000 gallons of beer per day, which translates to 75,000 barrels or one million cases annually. All of Brew Hub’s future breweries will be similar in size, initially. However, they will be able to expand brewing capacity as demand increases.
An onsite brew master maintains all of the craft brewing operations and can remotely access the process through state-of-the-art, numerically controlled computer programs. In addition, the operation has a centrifuge machine, which is not common at most craft brewing facilities but allows for more refined filtering and the removal of sediments in certain brews.
Brew Hub’s Lakeland location has a 7,000 square foot cooler in which to store the finished products. Currently they are able to package onsite into cans and kegs, and they will offer bottling onsite in the near future.
The Tasting Room offers a full menu and samples of the different beers they are currently brewing, including partner brews as well as their own brands. While in Florida, I had the opportunity to sample five of their current selection: Diver Down IPA, Key Billy Island Ale, Keegan Bradley New England style lager, Freddie’s Scandinavian style blonde ale, and g-Mac’s Celtic style pale ale. Diver Down and Key Billy Island are two of Brew Hub’s proprietary offerings, and the latter three beers are part of Brew Hub’s licensing collaboration with the Golf Beer Brewing Co. The Golf Beer Brewing Co licenses brews with professional golfers Keegan Bradley, Freddie Jacobson and Graham McDowell, which are then produced onsite at Brew Hub. I also really enjoyed the Green Man Porter from Green Man Brewery.
With its entrepreneurial roots in partner brewing fine craft beers, the Brew Hub offers house-made beverages, a laid-back atmosphere and good food for your next gathering. Make sure to stop by, take a tour, and grab a beer and a bite the next time you’re out and about in central Florida. In addition, Brew Hub has a gift shop with different merchandise for sale like this hat! The restaurant area is a fun, enjoyable, casual place to eat and enjoy the large variety of craft beers that are brewed there. They have overflow to an outside patio, too. There is a lot “hopping” at Brew Hub besides the hops in their great brews!
Vitals
- Cost: Free
- Reservations: Call or e-mail in advance to schedule a
tour: http://brewhub.com/contact/
- Free Beer: Samples of their 12 beers on tap are are
available in the Tasting Room.
- Food: Brew Hub offers a full menu of snacks, salads, sandwiches and other items in their Tasting Room restaurant.
- Official Website: Visit for hours and contact info: http://brewhub.com/tasting-room
- Merchandise: Brew Hub souvenirs, including hats and
pint glasses are available in their Tasting Room shop.
- Tip: Parking is free in the parking lot in front of
the building.