Gerard Olson & Daniel Endicott - Founders of Forest & Main Brewing Company

Unique.  Unapologetic.  Creative.  Magic.

Forest and Main is a wonderfully complex brewery.  This complexity is not only found in the beautiful liquid that has garnered Gerard and Dan, the founders, critical acclaim and fandom across the world.  You can find it in the labels that Dan paints himself and which tell a story that evolves as time moves forward.  You can find it in the beautiful Victorian house Forest and Main calls home.  You can find it in the two owners and their band, their love for Belgian and English beers, their desire to fully immerse themselves into any and all endeavors, and finally in their execution of the "split house" which is Forest and Main.  

Things like creating vintages of beer through the use of locally foraged yeast, captured every year, act as a snapshot of their community.  Forest and Main relies upon the community which surrounds its taproom to survive.  They're in love with the romantic idea that they can supply their neighbors, family, and friends with this piece of the puzzle of their lives.  As Dan put it during our chat, as much as the brewery was theirs as they planned, brewed, and built it, it has since become their community's.  That's one lucky community. 

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Peter Bissell - Bissell Brothers Brewing

Bissell Brothers is quickly making a name for itself by producing some of the best hop forward ales around.  Hazy, juicy, fruity, a soft mouthfeel, and incredibly aromatic, the beers are just beautiful.  They're also as "to the point" as Peter is - they are what they are and there's no excuses being made.  It's incredibly refreshing both literally and figuratively.  

With no commercial brewing experience in either brother's resume the move into Bissell Brothers Brewing was gutsy.  There would be no easy fix when things went wrong, there would be no pedigree to draw upon when seeking capital, and everything would a first time thing.  Huge hurdles by any account; yet, after chatting with Peter, these things seem like positives to a certain degree for the brothers.  It gave them a blank slate to work from and zero pre-conceived notions of how things had traditionally been done.  In other words, it set the stage for creativity and a hunger to succeed which has propelled Bissell Brothers into an expansion and incredible growth just two years in.  It's just the beginning for Bissell Brothers and we can't wait to see where they end up!

Cheers,

Craft Commander

Casey Hughes - Brewmaster Coppertail Brewing Co.

Coppertail Brewing is one of the most exciting new breweries in Florida.  With Casey Hughes, the awarded and highly regarded brewer at the helm, they're producing some of the highest quality beers around.  The brewery is a beautiful venue to enjoy your drink and pays homage to the rich industrial history of the Tampa Bay area.  Formerly, part Helman's mayonnaise factory part seville olive factory, the building represents the past and the now future of Tampa Bay.  The industry rich area has now become Florida's premiere location for craft beer.  

Casey has accomplished many things in the industry like winning gold medals at GABF and having his trippel named "best Belgian beer in America" by Men's Journal, but his humility keeps him focused on one thing - the beer.  No egos, just beer.  He's one of the nicest guys you could meet and one of the best brewers in our State.  He's  been in the industry since he was 18 years old and became the head brewer at Flying Fish at the age of 21.  It's in his blood and it shows in the beer hes been producing since Coppertail opened in 2014.  

Watch our conversation to learn more about Casey, Coppertail, and the growing craft beer scene in the Tampa Bay area.  It's even better with a Free Dive IPA in your hand!

Cheers,

Craft Commander