Locals can now enjoy classic, cult and B movies while sipping the brewed experiments of Grindhaus Brew Lab.
The craft brewery complement to Clearwater-based HiFi Homebrew and BBQ Supply, Grindhaus opened inside longtime homebrewers and owners Robb Larson and Lisa Colburn's HiFi brewhouse on Dec. 17. Every Saturday, during their Brew & View events, a guided tour of the brewhouse at 1650 N. Hercules Ave., brief talk about the brewing process and flick on a big screen are showcased.
Grindhaus, focused on producing high-quality beer, follows a tour and tasting model, which gets patrons a flight of four 8-ounce tasters and a tour for $12. Big Kahuna American IPA, Pillow Talk Robust Porter and Oh, Beehive! Honey Cream Ale are included on the tap list, alongside what are called "double taps." The two featured Evil Dead Smoked Reds, for example, have received the double tap treatment, meaning a variable within each beer (a yeast strain, in this case) was changed to spotlight "the difference one ingredient can make," as Grindhaus puts it.
Because Larson and Colburn enjoy experimenting with beer as well as education, their small-batch neighborhood brewery also hosts classes known as Brew Lab Basics, covering topics like styles, ingredients and the history of beer.
Grindhaus is open 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 2 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
This article appears in Jan 12-19, 2017.