Alchemy & Science is taking its talents to South Beach.
The craft brew incubation project and wholly-owned subsidiary of Boston Beer Company yesterday announced the launch of Concrete Beach Brewery, scheduled to open in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami before the end of the year.
Alchemy & Science’s president, Alan Newman, shared additional details with Brewbound on the company’s fifth craft beer project.
“Miami is one of the most underdeveloped craft markets,” he said. “That spells opportunity to me. Breweries that become part of the community and turn the neighbors on to beer with flavor create customers for the entire craft category.”
Alchemy & Science is currently building a 20-barrel brewery in Miami that will be capable of producing more than 20,000 barrels annually, as well as a taproom. It is scheduled to open for business in late December. Newman had hoped he could open the doors sooner but said the government shutdown has delayed the timing.
“We are moving forward aggressively trying to finish up construction but I am not convinced that our original projection of a November opening will hold,” he said. “I’m guessing the brewery will be functional long before we have a brewers’ notice from the [Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau].”
The company will initially focus on driving trial with local, on-premise retailers and will introduce packaged products 90 to 120 days after launching on draft. Newman said the company is currently evaluating packaging options for the new brand.
“We will have some sort of packaging in Miami,” he said. “We’ve discussed canning and bottling lines and left space to put a small unit in.
In earlier interviews about the project, Newman had indicated that the brand might be “Latin-themed,” but the company has since abandoned that idea.
“We are going to stick with what we know and hope that we can embrace all ethnicities and open up more drinkers to flavorful beer,” he said. “Wynwood has some of the most spectacular wall art you have ever seen in your life. We will embrace the Wynwood community, use art and promote the local arts community. We don’t see that as ethnic.”
As for how the local environment might influence Concrete Beach’s style selection, Newman said the brewery will look to use local tropical fruits and will “definitely be playing with wheat and hops.” Additionally, Concrete Beach will experiment with a lager brand, “given the temperature of the market,” Newman said.
“We are already working on test products at other breweries,” he said.