OB Brand Story
When Orlando Brewing opened its doors in downtown Orlando in August of 2001, there were only about 600 craft brewers in the entire United States (Brewers Association) and none in Central Florida. Orlando Brewing owners had no idea the craft beer craze was about to hit, but they did know one thing: they wanted to make “the best darn beer you’ve ever tasted.”
“When we started, we simply wanted to make the kind of beer we wanted to drink — fresh,” said John Cheek, partner and president of Orlando Brewing. “We wanted to re-introduce the old world styles that had been lost over time in the U.S.”
In October of 2004, John Cheek gained ownership of the brewery and brought on Ed Canty, founder of the Florida Brewer’s Guild and professional brewer, as a partner. Additional partners, including Gene Lohri, joined shortly thereafter. The brewery had finally started to take off, but within three months the team was notified their location was to be sold to the Florida Department of Transportation.
More than a year passed before the partners were able to re-open the brewery’s doors, this time at its current location on Atlanta Avenue, just west of Orlando’s Amtrak and Sunrail Station. The gap gave the partners time to further define their beer making philosophy. In the quest for quality, they decided to strictly follow the German Purity Law of 1516 (Reinheitsgebot) which restricts beer to four simple ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast – no adjuncts and no additives.
The partners also decided they would use only organic ingredients. This means no insecticides, genetically engineered food, genetically modified organisms, or irradiation used to grow any of their ingredients. Their draft beer also remains fresh and unpasteurized. Orlando Brewing was the first to be declared by the Florida Department of Agriculture as “Fresh from Florida,” and in 2006 the USDA certified it as an organic brewery — the only one east of Colorado.
This hometown brewery is a true Florida original with beers that reflect its local roots like I-4 IPA, O-Town Brown and Orlando Weiss. Add in longtime favorites like Blonde Ale, Papa Midnight and Hopgasmic and you’ll find more than 30 organic Orlando Brewing beers that are always available at its downtown Orlando taproom. However, far more than memorable names and colorful labels, the clean, fresh and masterfully balanced taste of its beer has endeared Orlando Brewing to discerning locals and adventurous visitors for more than a decade.
“I love how the craft trend has reminded beer drinkers of the great variety of beer beyond the mass produced light lagers that dominated for years in the US,” said George Cain, Director of Orlando Brewing.
To fully grasp Cain’s meaning, you have to visit the brewery which has become a mainstay of the downtown community. Visitors receive a warm welcome worthy of the city that has become the world’s top travel destination. The local art and live, original music that fill its friendly confines have cultivated an honest camaraderie between locals and newcomers. While the brewers and servers on staff are passionate and extremely knowledgeable, being pretentious isn’t part of the package. They pride themselves on “educating the public one pint at a time” ™.
“Orlando Brewing’s taproom is the first place that many of our customers experience our product,” said our Taproom Manager. “I personally love introducing different styles of beer to our customers, especially newcomers who have never tried anything but light beer before. They are always surprised by how much they love our beer!”
Mike Willis, a local attorney, has been visiting the Tap Room for the past six years. “I’m a home brewer and love fresh beer. Orlando Brewing has crisp, fresh, live beer with an unbelievable selection,” said Willis. “The staff is so knowledgeable and helpful, too. I love the friendly atmosphere you get here — it’s one of a kind.”
The success of Orlando Brewing’s taproom has created a growing demand for its organic beer, leading Bill Droste, Director of Marketing & Sales, to expand its distribution. By leveraging his relationships and network in the local travel & tourism industry, he’s worked with — Cheek, Cain and Lohri – to expand distribution of Orlando Brewing’s beer to more than 500 world-class theme parks, resort hotels, restaurants, bars and retailers across Florida. The brewery also offers six packs of its bottled product at two major supermarkets.
Since Orlando Brewing first opened its doors in 2001, the number of craft brewers nationwide has exploded from 600 to more than 5,005 currently (Craftbeer.com). Orlando Brewing has certainly grown, too — it’s more popular and more widely available than ever before. It now experiments on a limited basis with brews outside the Reinheitsgebot (quarterly “Violator” series), but in the most important ways, it’s still the same. All of its ingredients are still organic. Its main line of beers is still made according to the German Purity Law of 1516. And, though seating capacity in its taproom has doubled, it’s still the place where local friends gather to reward themselves with the best darn beer they’ve ever tasted.
