Schnebly Plans Expansion, Barrel-Aged Beer Collaboration With Daddy Brews

In the beer world, two brewing companies sometimes combine powers to create a brew that symbolizes their solidarity and sensibilities. Here in South Florida, Miami Brewing Company and Daddy Brews are doing that very thing — but they hope their collaboration leads to many, many special brews.

That's because Peter Schnebly, owner of Miami Brewing Company (MBC) and vintner at Schnebly Redland's Winery in Homestead, recently brought Daddy Brews owner Jacob Lindsay on as MBC's newest brewmaster. His hire is only one piece of a brewery and winery expansion. 

On the brewery side, Lindsay is expanding the barrel-aging program. He wants to use whiskey barrels and says he already has a few Jack Daniel's barrels lined up. Aging beer in whiskey barrels gives the liquid an intense and aromatic mix of flavors, such as oak and whiskey, and a high alcohol content — highly desired by sophisticated drinkers. It's all about the imperial stouts, lambics, and gueuze — the last a type of Belgian ale that's blended from old and new lambics. Lindsay understands the nuances of complex styles.

"I like the gueuze for its tradition and understanding of the art of blending," Lindsay says, "since it's a three-year lambic blended with a one-or-two-year lambic, giving the palate the opportunity to show its amazing abilities."

The plan is to feature Lindsay's concoctions in a 10,000-square-foot taproom that's being constructed, according to Schnebly, who hopes it'll also flow with lambics, meads, and ciders.

There's a chance Lindsay could extend his brewing class to MBC. He hinted at the possibility of providing contract brewing services there, similar to what Brew Hub does in Lakeland. 

It's part of the general expansion at Schnebly's winery/brewery, which also includes an extra 30,000-square-foot building that formerly housed a produce company he sold a couple of months ago. It'll give way to more brewery and winery operations, Schnebly says, adding he is also searching for a seasoned winemaker as well. 

"We really need to specialize in both," Schnebly says. 

Past milestones at Schnebly Redland's Winery & Brewery include a canning line at MBC and the addition of Dewey LoSasso, former executive chef of the Forge in Miami Beach. Earlier this year, Schnebly began distributing his beer in North Carolina.

Add another milestone: Schnebly tells New Times that he acquired an additional ten acres of land, increasing his operation to 30 acres. It'll give him the space to turn his operation into a destination, to throw larger parties every weekend, he says. 

Lindsay is also a weekend warrior. Every Saturday in the Bird Road Arts District, he mashes grain at his shop, along with Nick Armada from CerveTech, teaching regular joes how to make their own suds from scratch. But soon, classes will end at Daddy Brews and restart at Miami Brewing Company every Saturday beginning Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Aside from decades of homebrewing experience and one or two classes with professor Barry Gump at Florida International University, Lindsay is not a formally trained brewer. But then again, many brewmasters aren't.

Lindsay's exquisite taste in craft beer comes from Portland, where small-batch brews dominate and where he spent many years of his life. In Miami, he's able to bridge the two cities.

His ability to cultivate a scene is partly what earned Lindsay the attention from Schnebly. 

"The more I got to know Jacob, the more I got to know his brewing culture," Schnebly says. "His enthusiasm is off the charts."

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