The Florida Keys are arguably some of the closest spots to paradise. Ocean breezes coming off the Atlantic, a laid-back atmosphere, and history dating back to the Spanish colonization of Florida welcome locals and tourists alike. Until the last few years though, there was a sparse collection of watering holes that served local craft beer.
The beer drought changed as Florida’s breweries in planning began their ascent and started looking at the Keys as one of Florida’s last craft beer frontiers. Statewide, brewers like Tampa’s Cigar City and Saint Augustine’s Mile Marker began sending their beers to the Keys. But until recently, with the exception of one small brewpub, none of the beer enjoyed in the Keys was brewed locally.
That essential problem was one that motivated veteran homebrewer Jim Brady to move forward with his grand idea: Bone Island Brewing.
Jim got his taste for great beer while living in Germany, but upon returning home to the Southernmost City he noticed a lack of tasty beer in his hometown. In 1993, like many other men of that time, Jim began homebrewing to slake his thirst.
Since 1993, Jim has kept busy. He has perfected his recipes, advocated for beer in the Keys, founded a homebrew club, became a Certified Cicerone® and gone through the Beer Judge Certified Program. Brady was even appointed by the Secretary General of the Conch Republic as Key West’s Ambassador to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of beer.
Last March, Jim’s beers won him the John Doble III Memorial Scholarship from the Florida Brewers’ Guild. He was able to attend the WBA Concise Course In Brewing Technology at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and learn the ins and outs of professional brewing.
What does all of that mean for Key West? It means that Bone Island Brewing Company has an experienced brewer at the helm. The beer flowing from the taps at Bone Island is anything but ordinary, it’s a true tribute to the Florida Keys themselves. What kind of beer will pour forth from the foamy imagination of Brady? All kinds.
Bone Island’s Five Core Beers:
- Black Hole (oatmeal stout)
- Benediction Belgian tripel
- Velvet Lace Belgian-style Witbier
- Hefe El Jefe (German-style hefeweizen)
- Richard’s Burton Ale (Burton-style ale/English-style pale ale)
There will be variations made from time to time, including a barrel-aged variant of Black Hole, an imperial version of Velvet Lace, and an American pale ale to rotate with Richard’s Burton (named as a pun for restaurant store owner Richard Tallmadge, not the famed actor).
With the many recipes and variants that Bone Island has thought up, it is easy to think that the brewery will be brewing on a tremendous scale. This is not the case. Currently, Bone Island is housed in a restaurant store where Brady brews all beers on a 1.7 barrel brew kettle and ferments in 525 liter vessels. Bone Island has expansion plans to go as far as 15 barrels in the future, but for now all beers will be available at the brewery and to-go in growlers.
What’s with the name? Bone Island is a reference to Cayo Hueso, the Spanish name for Key West.
Brady emphasizes one thing about his brewery: “Bone Island is an evolution. I have been totally blessed to date, and am happy to be where we are.”
Despite that evolution, Brady is humble and knows that brewing is an art form.
“Never being satisfied doesn’t mean always being frustrated,” said Brady, “it simply means there’s always room for improvement. One of my sayings is, ‘If you’re a golfer, you haven’t arrived unless you get a hole-in-one on every shot. Keep practicing, my friend…’”
Mark DeNote is a wandering beer writer who keeps a home in Florida and an eye on the road in search of fresh, local beer. Mark is a teacher at heart, and enjoys talking about beer and beer history almost as much as tasting beer. Mark is the author of The Great Florida Craft Beer Guide and he edits, reports, interviews and writes the story behind craft beer on the web at FloridaBeerNews.com.
CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.
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