Tomoka Brewery’s Tap Take Back

Just a stone’s throw away from the ocean, in one of Florida’s most naturally serene beach towns, you will find the Tomoka Brewery. Owned and operated by husband and wife team Peter Szungyogh and Jennifer Hawkins, Tomoka has actually been open since last summer, pouring some of the best locally brewed beers from breweries across the state, including some great collaborations – and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the top-notch gourmet pizzas and other fare that are worth a visit alone.

But on February 22, it was time to take their taps back with an official grand opening that was totally worth the wait! 

We sat down with Peter and Jenn when the dust settled to talk about the official grand opening.

ACB:  First of all, congrats on the successful grand opening. Many people know that you guys are a husband/wife team. Tell us a bit about yourselves and how you ended up in the brewing business?

We’re both passionate and creative people that spent our twenties searching together for a career that would be the perfect outlet. We both minored in film in college, and upon returning to Florida in 2008 after struggling a year in NYC, in our search we eventually stumbled upon the craft beer scene (prior to that we were “wine snobs” and loved import beers) and knew instantly it was the direction we were destined for. Over a few pints of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA in a craft beer bar one night, Jen exclaimed, “THIS is what I want to do!” It was a life-changing moment. We began homebrewing–immersed ourselves in it really. We shadowed Ron Raike when he was still at Shipyard, picked Ryan Sentz’ brain, shadowed at Swamp Head, joined the Hogtown Homebrew club in Gainesville, and basically tried to learn everything we could from every person and every book we could get our hands on. Our approach to brewing was always with the intention of going pro and never just a mere hobby. We brewed at least once a week for a few years and traveled across the state, making many good connections and friends with brewers, and we’re so thankful for all their advice. 

2. With any new brewery, there are obstacles to navigate, but you guys seem to have hit some unique bumps in the road. Can you tell us about some of those challenges?

We were told to expect a three to four month wait for our federal brewing license. What we didn’t take into account is the government shutdown, and then, once they decided to start actually doing their job again, the man that processed our application misspelled our e-mail address and didn’t make a follow-up phone call for a month after that. So yeah, four months turned into six. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. We learned a lot from our customers since opening July 2013. We got tons of feedback on our all-Florida-brews tap lineup, learned what sells best and why. It has shaped what we intend to brew ourselves.

3.  A lot of Florida breweries came to your aid while you guys struggled through licensing delays. You were invited to work with other Florida brewers during that period … right? Would you like to give a shout out to those brewers and talk about the collaboration beers you brewed with them? 

Oh yes, definitely! We’re friends with Dan Wade at Swamp Head Brewery in Gainesville, so our first collaboration was a 20-gallon, small-batch sour with them. It was so awesome to open our doors in July with that brew on tap, but it went so fast! Luckily, that opened the doors to a few more collabs in Jacksonville Beach with Green Room Brewing and Engine 15. Lastly, we did two more collabs: one with Mike at Due South Brewing Co. and one with Ron Raike at Cask & Larder, both of whom were brewers we already knew quite well. All five are such incredible brewers; we are appreciative of them opening their doors to us, and everywhere we have brewed, we have learned at least something. Every system is different and every brewer’s approach is unique. We are extremely fortunate to have these experiences, and the brews were delicious to boot!

4. Tell us a bit more about your approach to showcasing solely Florida beers.

Giving a platform for and educating the public about locally produced beer is extremely important to us. We’ve visited the majority of the breweries and brewpubs in the state and they’re all so good, how could we choose NOT to showcase them? That is the real question.

5. Do you ever see a time when you might venture outside the sunshine state with a guest tap?

One night, we did a Georgia invasion from our neighboring state and had all Terrapin on tap, including a firkin. It was a lot of fun, but we don’t have any plans to repeat it. Occasionally for our unmarked brewer’s tap we get interesting, often high-gravity brews from outside of the state. Our focus, however, will always remain on Florida and our own brews. 

6. There seemed to be a great turnout for the Tap Take Back. Are you out of beer? 

Almost! We were down to about 10 gallons out of the 100 we started with. And now we’re brewing again like crazy. We were in shock at how fast Elvis PB & Banana Sandwich sold out – 22 minutes! That’s crazy! And the fact that not everyone could get some was a real bummer for us. We plan to do a big Elvis event in April with plenty of Elvis on tap, including an imperial “the king” version and another version treated with chocolate and bacon. 

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Right out of the gate, Tomoka Brewing is making its mark on the Florida brewing scene and last weekend, Peter and Jenn were recognized for their craft at the Best Florida Beer Championship – taking home a gold medal for their Elvis Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich Brown Ale as well as a bronze for their Pumpernickel Porter. We couldn’t be happier to have another outstanding brewery in Florida’s growing roster and another reason to spend even more time at the beach!