Tampa's 'youngest brewery' taps demand for new beers

What makes a good beer?

"Love. That's the hidden ingredient," said brewer David Nicholas. "You've got to care about what you're doing and put passion into it."

And when beer aficionados taste your beer and like it, Nicholas said, "The job satisfaction is quite high."

Last week he patiently refined the recipe for a trial batch of brew that soon will be sold under the name Florida Avenue beer, by newly-founded Cold Storage Craft Brewery.

The brewery set up shop a few weeks ago at 4101 N. Florida Ave., inside a former Kash n' Karry grocery store. Partners Bruce Talcott, Andrew De La Parte and Brent Berthy recently reached agreement with Pepin Distributing Co. to distribute the brewery's beers.

The Florida Avenue brand could be followed by a blueberry beer and an India Pale ale.

"We think this is very drinkable," said Talcott of Florida Avenue beer. "It's a wheat ale. Our challenge is to make sure we're consistent. We're very close to going to market."

For now Cold Storage is focused on selling its beer to retailers and restaurants. Some breweries have tasting rooms that are licensed to sell alcohol but Talcott said that is not in the foreseeable plans for Cold Storage.

Its tasting room is strictly for potential distributors of the craft beers, not the general public.

"We didn't get into this to have a bar," Talcott said. "We got into this to make a good beer."

Talcott, who lives in Lutz, is a retired Verizon employee of more than 35 years. De La Parte and his wife, Naida, also Lutz residents, owned the former Cold Storage Café in downtown Tampa. The brewery adopted the Cold Storage name for its recognition factor but it wasn't as easy finding a name for the first beer brand.

"It's very difficult finding a name that hasn't been taken," Talcott said.

But the old grocery story on Florida Avenue fit the requirements for a name easy to remember and associated with Tampa's history.

The neighborhood also is viewed as on the rebound with new restaurants along Florida and Nebraska avenues including Ella's, Reservations to Go Gourmet and The Refinery. The Independent, a beer hall on Florida, is next to Cappy's Pizzeria and has become a popular stop for conversation and a micro-brew.

The craft beer industry is taking off as more people become aware of different beer tastes in the same way as wine, Talcott said.

Some local breweries include Tampa Bay Brewing Co. in Ybor City; Cigar City Brewing Co. on Spruce Street; Yuengling Brewing Co. on 30th Street; and Dunedin Brewing Co. in Dunedin.

Cold Storage bills itself, at least for now, at Tampa's "youngest brewery."