New Proof brewery making progress

TLH Beer Society takes a tour of the new Proof building in progress.

Thanks to Proof Brewing Company Events and Sales Director Bryan Smith, the Tallahassee Beer Society got a sneak peek of all the happenings at the future 1320 South Monroe St. home of the brewery. 

In a few words: expansive, beautiful, thoughtful, efficient.

From the moment you enter the parking lot, you can see the immense progress that has been made at the former Coca Cola bottling facility — and, of course, the towering 34-foot grain silo with the Proof logo emblazoned on it. The silo, while a showpiece of sorts for the new facility, is one of numerous design considerations that should have Proof efficiently producing and distributing a lot more beer.

More Tallahassee beer news: 

More quality beer is always a great thing, but where the new project should really excite patrons is the indoor/outdoor spaces for consumers. From the kitchen to the bar, the game area to the beer garden, Proof and its design team seems to have considered the craft beer consumer at every step.

You’d be hard to pressed to find a space — indoor or out — where sight lines to a TV and access to a bar or restroom are more than a few steps away. If you’d like to see additional photos of the space in progress, check our gallery from this week’s behind-the-scenes tour at Facebook.com/TLHBeerSociety.

So, the question you really want answered: When will the new Proof open?

TLH Beer Society takes a tour of the new Proof building in progress.

Smith wrapped our tour by confirming that, while an exact date is to be determined, the new facility is currently projected to be open at the end of January. Until then be sure to follow the progress at 1320SouthMonroe.com.

And if you want to hear our on-site interview with Smith, be sure to listen to the "Saturday Morning Bottle Share" on ESPN 97.9 FM on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

A Berry Christmas at Ology

You will not want to miss Ology’s next scheduled bottle release.

On Dec. 15, the Midtown brewery, which is garnering national acclaim for its barrel-aged American sour program, releases Dynamic Fermentum Raspberry Boysenberry, aged in red wine barrels. Fans of Ology know to expect quality craftsmanship and a well-struck balance of tart, fruit and funk. This ruby-red stunner should not disappoint. Be sure to score you a pour and a bottle — or three.

Beer, pizza, games and community

From 2-5 p.m. Saturday, GrassLands is hosting the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend, and would love for Tallahassee to come learn how Bigs (volunteer mentors) unlock the potential of local kids. At 4 p.m., education gives way to celebration as the Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year will be announced.

Adding to the philanthropic festivities, GrassLands has named the Community Pint for December. Ten percent of the month’s sales of Advanced Darkness Porter will be donated to help – who else? — Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend.

Decking the halls at Lake Tribe

Always looking for ways to cultivate that laid back “Lake Tribe vibe,” the Ross family took the Thanksgiving holiday break as an opportunity to reveal some new additions to their brewery: new decking with bench seating out front and new TVs in the tasting room.

We’re looking forward to enjoying a few brews around the patios and fire pits at the brewery this winter, but if you can’t make it out, fear not — owner Jason Ross tells us we can expect their Red Cloud IPA and Satsuma Wheat cans in distribution soon.

Lake Tribe is also debuting a new beer this weekend: Cabin Camp Amber Ale. This is the first amber beer Lake Tribe has ever brewed.

Deep To debut new style

This weekend at Deep Brewing sees the return of Vertigose — a lime, mango and habañero gose that checks all the boxes for us, balancing sweet and tart with a warming peppery finish.

In two weeks, Deep debuts a style of beer that, to our knowledge, is new to Tallahassee: a brut IPA they're calling Surface Tension. Picture the dry, crisp, effervescence of a champagne, with the delicious aromas and flavors of hops — with very limited bitterness. It’s a West Coast craze that has shaken what hop heads anticipate in an IPA, and we can’t wait to try it.

Beer Society bottle shares

We’d like to close this column with a big thank you.

We invited those interested in plugging into Tallahassee’s craft beer community to come out, bring a bottle, and support a great cause — and you all responded! New faces joined our faithful standards at Ology Brewing on Nov. 20 for a bottle share to benefit the United Way of Northwest Florida. Your donations raised more than $1,000 to aid our neighbors affected by Hurricane Michael.

For the next bottle share at 6 p.m. Dec. 9, GrassLands invites you to join Second Harvest of the Big Bend in the fight against hunger. This bottle share will be slightly different as we’re asking participants to bring a bag of groceries in addition to their bottle. A bag of staple items — peanut butter, canned goods and toiletries — goes a long way in aiding those who need it most this winter. We hope to see you there!

The TLH Beer Society is a group of avid craft beer lovers that was co-founded by Tallahassee native Matthew Crumbaker. Follow them on social media at Facebook.com/TLHBeerSociety or @TLHBeerSociety on Twitter and Instagram. Email them at tlhbeersociety@gmail.com.


Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

x