Orchid Island Brewery, Vero Beach’s first effort in the craft beer market, opened on the island over the weekend, and if there was a soupcon of saltiness in the Star Ruby India pale ale, it was probably dripping off the foreheads of guests.
It was sweltering at the outdoor grand opening, as shiny pink faces reflected more than just the brew’s heady 7.5 percent alcohol.
Owner Alden Bing was mopping his brow long before last weekend. “Sweat equity, a lot of it,” is what it took to get the beer in the barrels, says Bing, who with his wife Val has been working on the idea since 2011.
“We could have scaled this much quicker over the last couple of years but we resisted that temptation because we knew it was our vision that we wanted to create,” says Bing. “When you bring in a bunch of equity, a lot of people want to tell you how to run it.
“That’s the high I get from this,” Bing says. “’Designing the recipes is the most fun part, and seeing if somebody likes it. It’s just so rewarding.”
Orchid Island joins only a handful of craft breweries on the Treasure Coast including Sailfish in Fort Pierce and Intracoastal in Melbourne.
With its three-barrel brewhouse, six-barrel fermenter and 12-tap tasting room tucked inside the courtyard of Portales de Vero, Orchid Island Brewery scheduled its friends-and-family party around sunset, and even then, Scott Bing, father of Alden, was stepping into the walk-in cooler to talk.
“Every bit of this is sold,” the proud papa said, gesturing toward barrels of the brew. “Every club on this island wants to serve Orchid Island beer and they’ll buy all he can make.”
Alden Bing and his wife Val are pursuing the venture while keeping their day jobs – she teaches third grade at Imagine School; he is a regional branch manager with a Florida-based bank. Both are graduates of Vero Beach High School and Florida Atlantic University.
The idea to join the craft beer movement began with Alden’s bachelor party six years ago, when his buddies decided to brew their own beer for the event. His best friend Allen Dritenbas spearheaded that production; for a time he was involved in the Orchid Island effort, until Bing decided to go it alone. They remain great friends, he says, and Dritenbas was cheering him on Saturday night.
“I see a resurgence of energy out of our generation here in Vero,” says Bing, who with Alan and Val graduated from high school in 2001. He says the national market for craft beer last year rose by 16 percent while beer sales in general declined slightly.
Currently, beers like Busch and Miller-Coors have 85 percent of the market. As a result, craft brewers tend to support each other in hopes of increasing market share. “We’re brothers in arms in this,” Bing says.
Eventually he hopes to open a larger facility on the mainland. “I want to go west of town to the citrus groves to do a 30-barrel facility that’s just meant for distribution.”
Bing expects to market the new IPA at the beachside farmer’s market across the street by selling the empty 32-ounce flip-top bottles called growlers. “People can walk down to the brewery and fill up their growlers.”
IPAs are meant to be drunk fresh; Bing says within two weeks is optimal. “IPAs are meant to be had very fresh. It peaks probably one to two weeks after it’s made. I’ll drink them inside of three months,” Bing says.
Bing is in conversation with Dr. Dan King, head of scientific research at the Florida Department of Citrus in Lakeland. ”He’s got 25 years of experience in citrus oils, and I plan to do some experimenting with him in these compounds.”
Last weekend, the test tubes came in the form of pint glasses, and the potent brew made for an effervescent evening.
The verdict on the Star Ruby IPA? “It’s an extremely refreshing drink,” says Vero’s resident beer expert Kristyn Lier, a certified beer taster who writes on the subject of craft beer. She knows a thing or two not only about beer but the grapefruit that flavored it: The offspring of Orchid Island’s pioneering Michael family, she was born near the Wabasso causeway where Orchid Island grapefruit once reigned supreme.
“I like that the color had a little bit of pink to it,” says Lier, who attended Saturday’s soft opening. “They use that specific grapefruit. It complements the natural bitterness and citrus quality of the IPA. And it’s not just hops and grapefruit. He uses a good malt to balance it out and give it that breakfast bread, caramel candy apple quality.”
Bing intends to develop other brews including a French style of beer called saison, otherwise known as farmhouse ale. While he considers citrus the “terroir” of the region, he expects to use recipes that don’t include those flavors for his stouts, porters and lagers.
In the meantime, the space in Portales de Vero, on Flamevine just off Ocean Drive, will feature other craft beers from around Florida. In addition to its own Star Ruby IPA, there will be special releases from Boca’s Funky Buddha Brewery, Cigar City Brewing in Tampa and Bugnutty Brewing Company in Merritt Island.
The tap room is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. Hours vary from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. Sunday hours are limited to 1 to 4 p.m.
