1/31/2017: For Jon Boisclair and Matt Hooker, the past three-plus years of planning, building and crafting their local, community-inspired brewery are about to give way to the reality of opening their doors to the public. On January 30, Old Coast Ales, 300 Anastasia Blvd., held a "soft opening" preview night and will make it official on Wednesday, February 1, when the long-awaited Opening Day finally arrives.
Last November, I visited the still-under-construction brewery and tap room and found Jon framing out the bar. Take a look at the first preview story published about Old Coast Ales, along with background about the building and the co-owners.
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| Old Coast Ales opens for business, February 1 300 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine |
Last night's soft opening probably drew more of a crowd than may have been anticipated, and there were still some things being worked out, as expected. But, the bar is now completed, and Old Coast Ales house beers are flowing from the taps.
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| The new bar, all ready for beer, in the Old Coast Ales tap room. |
Much to the delight of craft beer enthusiasts, Old Coast Ales is serving up its own house beers right from the start. Beers on draft include: Burt's Summer Ale (5.4 ABV), Signal Pale Ale (5.4 ABV), Session IPA, Empirical IPA (6.5 ABV), Boulevard Brown (5.0 ABV), and Port of Call Porter (6.4 ABV). Two Kombuchas -- Ginger and Lavender Elderberry -- are also on tap. Wines are also served. Flights of Old Coast Ales beers will be available, and the tap room will also fill growlers in the near future. Logo shirts and glassware are available for purchase. The tap room offers different sizes of beers on draft, which allows for more beer sampling! Old Coast Ales has around 16+ beers already in its recipe bank. On Saturday, February 4, expect the tap room to release and add several new beers in timed tappings throughout the afternoon, including Coffee Brown Ale, Gose, and Imperial Vanilla Porter.
The tap room is open and bright, with the brewhouse visible through a window behind the bar.
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| Signal Pale Ale and a view of the brewhouse from the bar. Malty, with a noticeable hoppiness on the backend. Good, all-around brew for everyone. |
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| Burt's Summer Ale, named for the yeast. Flavors of fruits, pleasant & refreshing. |
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| Empirical IPA (named for the bike shop). Hopheads rejoice! Smooth, balanced, citrus, earthy, with a hop bite. |
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| Boulevard Brown Ale. A bit nutty with a medium-to-full mouthfeel |
Overall, locals and tourists alike will find beer they will thoroughly enjoy here at Old Coast Ales. And, sitting out on that patio sounds inviting, too.
And, if you didn't know, the logo bike actually does exist (see the earlier preview story for the background). The "Alcohauler" is a fully functional bike and will be on display at the brewery soon.
It's been a long road for the guys at Old Coast Ales, and it was a bit difficult to tell last night if they were going to be exhausted or ecstatic by night's end! I think both. After taking a day to prepare for the official opening day and the next stage of their ride, Old Coast Ales will open at 1pm on Wednesday, February 1. As of now, the brewery plans to open the tap room at 1pm each day, except Tuesdays (subject to change). Be sure to join them as they share their beer with you!
I've known Jon and Matt almost since they started this journey .... Congratulations on your road, your ride, and getting here!
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| They actually looked pretty relaxed last night. With Matt (l) and Jon (r). Gotta love the boots! |
Old Coast Ales will be another great addition to the local and Florida craft brewery scene! And, it's been a highly anticipated opening for some time. I'm looking forward to stopping in again for the official opening and what's sure to be many more times after that!
See you around a beer .... in Florida Somewhere!
Til next time,
Cheers,
Linda
Linda Johnson, Certified Cicerone®
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