Biscayne Bay Brewing Opening Location in Downtown Miami

Biscayne Bay Brewing is about to make Miami beer-making history.

The Doral-based brewery is poised to open a brewery and taproom at the Old United States Post Office and Courthouse building at 100 NE First Ave. in downtown Miami, according to the Real Deal.

When it opens this winter, it will be the first brewery in downtown, and Biscayne Bay will be the first Miami-Dade brewer with two locations.

Biscayne Bay Brewing owner Jose Mallea says his initial vision was to open the brewery in Little Havana. "The logistics required to make a brewery at the scale we wanted was difficult. Doral has so many buildings made for industrial purposes, so we ended up there."

Mallea says his realtor friend, Barret Wolf, mentioned the Old Post Office space was available. "I remember seeing it, and I knew it held a lot of history." Mallea hit it off with the building's owner, Daniel Peña of Stambul USA, and inked the deal after some recent zoning changes made operating a brewery and taproom in the area easier.  "[Peña] has a vision for restoring downtown," Mallea says.

Stambul USA also owns the nearby Langford Hotel, which housed the now-shuttered Pubbelly Boys concepts PB Station and Pawn Broker.

Though Doral will continue to be home to Biscayne Bay Brewing's main production facility, the downtown location will also make beer and serve as a hub for locals and tourists, according to Mallea. "We want this to be a place for people to gather — downtown needs that."

The downtown space will host a four-barrel system, the perfect size to brew experimental beers. "We'll be able to make some really fun styles of beer with local fruit and mixed fermentation," Mallea says. "This will be an evolution in our beer-making." The flagship's 15-barrel system is simply too large for testing seasonal and small batches.

Mallea is also considering working on some collaborations with other brewers. "I think this is going to be great for Biscayne Bay and the local community."

Biscayne Bay Brewing. 100 NE First Ave., Miami; biscaynebaybrewing.com. Opening winter 2018.

8000 NW 25th St., Doral; 305-381-5718; biscaynebaybrewing.com.