Floridians love their craft beer, and Noel Cruz knows it. The Ichicoro chef-owner is behind a newly launched beer bar whose tap list spotlights the state's crazy-good brewing scene.
Less than a mile from Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, c.1949 quietly opened its doors at 6905 N. Orleans Ave. in mid-October. According to Cruz, they did a quick revamp of the former Dugout Tavern space, which needed a little love in a few areas but nothing major. The building (just under 2,000 square feet with a large outdoor courtyard/patio/beer garden) as well as its proximity to Ichicoro were big drivers in terms of location.
"We just wanted to quietly open and make sure we had our best foot forward, work out some of the kinks," Cruz said of 1949's debut on the downlow. "With any opening, there's always speed bumps you have to deal with."
He acknowledges that there are a ton of great breweries with tasting rooms and cool beer bars homing in on Belgian-style selections. But 1949 aims to capture how dynamic Florida beer is, carrying as much of the state's best breweries and suds under one roof as possible.
The ever-changing draft lineup is what's mainly locals-only; 99 percent, if not 100 percent, of the taps are made in the Sunshine State.
Alongside the beer, two wines are featured on tap as well as in a few bottles by the glass. The bar — which also showcases low-alcohol hard soda (think White Claw Hard Seltzer's grapefruit vodka soda and Not Your Father's Root Beer) — is set to grow into the "fun sangria" it has planned and expand its cider offerings.
There are nine or 10 hard ciders available right now (in bottles or otherwise), an unusual abundance that cider enthusiasts, like Cruz and this food editor, will happily scarf down.
"We're gonna grow that 'cause I love ciders, and I think [rarely] you find where you have a big selection. There's good ones here and there, depending on your taste, and I like some of the drier styles, but we're gonna have a range," he said.
To incorporate a snacking element, '49 rotates popcorn from South Florida's Brown Paper Bag Co. in swoon-worthy flavors like dark chocolate sea salt caramel. They're also talking with several food trucks interested in bringing their mobile fare to the courtyard, short and long term.
According to Cruz, both food options have the potential to turn the bar into an all-day affair. Patrons won't have to leave and come back, or vice versa, to grab a bite. Other features of the pet-friendly hangout include a pool table and TVs, and the capabilities to host live music outside.
Cruz isn't worried about getting the word out, either. This is beer we're talking about.
"As we grow and as we move forward, we're gonna be reaching out and becoming part of the beer community," Cruz said. "We're gonna focus on super-cool events and awesome theme nights and grow into having a great happy hour, just being an everyday type of place you can come to."
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 3, 2016.