FIVE BRANCHES BREWING / FACEBOOK

Five Branches Brewing 131 Hibiscus St., Tarpon Springs Veteran-owned and operated nano brewery, Five Branches, shut its doors in early November. Ramey Simpson and Jerry Brown opened Five Branches in 2019 after retiring from the military and gave back to the veteran community by donating to charities and projects like the Fundraiser for Firefighters of Pinellas charity they hosted in October. The owners cited health challenges and changes in ownership as some of the reasons that led to the decision to close. Five Branches moved into its Hibiscus Street location last year after growing out of its nearby Athens Street spot. The Athens location also flooded from Hurricane Idalia shortly before the team was expected to move. “From our loyal customers to our dedicated partners, you have made these five years truly memorable and meaningful, the taproom wrote on social media. “While this chapter is ending, the relationships and memories we’ve built will always remain in our hearts.” Photo via Five Branches/Facebook

Tarpon Springs' newest brewery, Five Branches Brewing, has been serving craft beers out of its doors since its grand-opening in November of 2019. It's located in the heart of the historic Sponge Docks area, and has a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 

Alongside a wide variety of Florida guest taps, Five Branches also creates small batches of beer out of its 294-square-foot brewery, like its popular Kinetic IPA and Slingload brown ale. Current beers in the works include its blueberry ale, imperial stout, strawberry basil ale, and cilantro lime ale.

The name “Five Branches” stems from its veteran ownership; it represents the five branches of the military. 

Get a taste of this new Tarpon Springs brewery at the inaugural Northwest Beerfest on March 15, as Five Branches Brewing is one of the seven local breweries taking part in this craft beer celebration. 

Five Branches Brewing—at 531 Athens St. in Tarpon Springs—is open from noon to 9 p.m. Sun.-Thurs. and late on weekends. However, it's closed on Mondays for brewing. 

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This article appears in Feb 6-13, 2020.

Kyla Fields is the food critic and former managing editor of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay who started their journey at CL as summer 2019 intern. They are the proud owner of a charming, sausage-shaped, eight-year-old...