Their story began in high school. Four adolescent boys hanging out, skipping class, doing things that “luckily never left permanent damage on [their] record.”
A brotherhood eventually formed, and it’s now the basis for their upcoming project, Backdrafts Brewing Company.
The four friends — two firefighters, a Hollywood actor and a medical manager — are chasing their collective dream of opening up a craft brewery and tasting room with a fiery twist. Backdrafts, coming soon to the north Pinellas area, will combine the tradition of firefighting and good beer.
CEO and head brewer Jared Carlson brewed his first batch of beer almost five years ago. He started like many beermakers do — with a Mr. Beer kit, a garage and a passion for hearing, “Holy crap, this is delicious. You missed your calling.”
Jared’s eyes light up when he talks beer, talking so fast that the words come tumbling out. He discusses the brews he’s most proud of, including the Pick Axe IPA, Mornin’ Coffee Stout and Neapolitan, featuring raspberry, chocolate and vanilla bean notes, with excitement.
His brother, Aaron Carlson, acts as the chief operating officer and soon-to-be bar manager for the brewery. Chief marketing officer and assistant brewer Macho Liberti has always envisioned launching a firefighting-themed bar. And Sebastian Sarace, the actor of the gang, is moving back to Tampa in May to serve as the chief financial officer and to take care of Backdrafts’ media.
The first-time owners are hoping to make a splash in the region’s growing beer scene with a haven for firefighters and their families from around the country. They envision hosting everything from firefighters’ union gatherings to monthly SCUBA meetings, just a place with an emphasis on community.
Their building’s decor will include chandeliers made of hoses, old fire extinguishers, and patches from fire stations throughout the world. Still on the hunt for a location, the group has scoped out areas like Dunedin and Palm Harbor.
“The big thing with the fire department is community. And the brewing community is similar,” Liberti says. “We have already experienced other owners reaching out to us to tell us, ‘Hey, if you need a day to get hands on equipment, let us know.’ It is the little guys helping each other out.”
To embody the word “community” as much as possible, the foursome plans to give a portion of their proceeds to charities, hosting events for causes such as Children’s Burn Foundation of Florida and Dunedin Doggie Rescue.
The Backdrafts name has gained attention through local events like Dunedin’s 6th Annual Craft Beer Fest, where the brewery blew through five kegs in two and half hours.
More rewarding, though, was a Facebook comment from a fan afterward — “Best stout I’ve ever had.”
“The thing all four of us are big on is the quality,” says Liberti. “We do want to offer the varieties of flavors, but we don’t want to put out something just to put it out. It’s gotta be good.”
Backdrafts is hoping to debut in September, just in time to honor Sept. 11.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2016.
