I like damn good beer.. it’s as simple as that. As a Virginia Beach native, my affection for the ocean is what steered me to FL. I have a masters in environmental science, currently working as a part time sea turtle biologist in addition to helping manage my second home, LauderAle. I fell in love with our local brewery the minute I walked in the door in 2016 as it created a space that wasn’t so clustered with city chaos. My favorite parts of life consist of traveling, enjoying a good Belgian Triple or Rauchbier, playing tug of war with my rescue pup, and annoying the heck out my family..the simple things.
Jimmy enjoys solving problems and finding creative solutions. He has the motivation to learn and constantly improve our processes, methods and tools. Jimmy knows how to play nice with equipment as well as humans and has been a critical member of the LauderAle team since 2020. He describes the Brewing process as ‘a very complicated case, You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you’s. Lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder’s head. Luckily, I’m adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.’ His strengths: a LOT of stuff. His weaknesses: Details. And, in defense of alcohol, he may have done some pretty crazy things while completely sober too.
Hi there! I’m Joey, co-founder and CFO of LauderAle Brewery. I’ve taken my love for the ocean, surfing, and flying to new heights as I ventured into craft beer with my beer drinking bud, Kyle. I have a background in marine engineering and naval architecture, along with an MBA. I consider myself an IPA enthusiast, but you can still catch me sipping on a dark, heavy stout from time to time. We started this journey when craft beer was still new in South Florida and it’s been an awesome ride creating a buzzing community space filled with cold brews, family, and local friends! I ‘m excited for you to stop in for a pint soon and talk shop! Who knows, you might get inspired by our story and create your very own next adventure!
Kyle Jones, a Fort Lauderdale native, is the Co-Founder and Operations Manager at LauderAle Brewery & Tap Room. Growing up in the area, he was active in sports, particularly baseball and basketball, and attended Cardinal Gibbons High School. With a passion for the ocean, Kyle enjoys activities like fishing, diving, and conservation efforts. Outside of brewery projects, he engages in travel, personal projects, and real estate ventures. Additionally, Kyle finds solace in mountainous regions, favoring hiking trails in Arizona, Utah, and Costa Rica when he has the chance.
Our Mission: Building relationships with distinctive beer,
in an approachable stimulating atmosphere.
LauderAle Brewery came to fruition when two local beer drinking buddies turned passion into profession. Tucked away in a marine-industrial warehouse district, conveniently located by Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Port Everglades, this hidden gem offers a vibe so welcoming you instantaneously localize yourself with each visit. Consisting of a large taproom and beer garden filled with art murals, greenery, railroad ties, and shipping containers, the brewery is a unique representation of the two Fort Lauderdale natives who hand built it; even better, it provides the escape from busy downtown Fort Lauderdale that you’ve been searching for. As the first nano brewery in Southeast Florida, LauderAle Brewery is an original pioneer in the local craft beer landscape.
30 beers consistently rotating on tap, all house made, all equally focusing on quality, providing a little something for everyone. Our passion for cultivating authentic ales is centered on local culture and influence, encompassing a wide variety of styles ranging from crisp lagers to cream ales, classic Belgians and Porters, IPAS, sours, and experimentals. Our brewers have been amongst the best, recognized with medals from the Great American Beer Festival, U.S. Open Beer Championship, Best of Craft Beer Awards, and the Best of Florida Beer Competition.
If a cold, refreshing pint doesn’t wet your whistle, here at LauderAle, our customer’s needs are the ultimate focus. We provide an array of options for everyone including a classic selection of wines, sangria & champagne, ciders, vodka seltzers, sake, CBD drinks, non-acholic options, and craft sodas.
We partner with local food trucks, a new one each day, to provide a unique food experience that pairs successfully with our craft brews. With free parking and a large beer garden, LauderAle Brewery plays host to more events than almost any other local brewery. Experience activities such as yoga Sunday’s to Trivia Wednesday’s, live music of all genres, full moon parties with fire-breathing dancers, even our very own Renaissance Festival and so much more! Be sure to check out our calendar to plan your next visit!
When it comes down to the backbone of LauderAle Brewery, the staff is what makes us so special. We’ll treat you like family the minute you walk through our door. We’ve managed to create an amazing local community of diehard craft beer lovers who allow us to be their second home. Our staff’s experience and training are amongst the highest in the beer scene and they are all Cicerone Certified Beer Servers. Want to snag a taste or have questions about an unfamiliar beer style? Just ask, we’re excited to explore with you.
If you’re looking for a chill, relaxing spot to kick back a few cold ones with friends, we got you. From our 1,100 sq ft beer garden, to bar games like dart boards, cornhole, and ping pong in the taproom, we are what you’re searching for. You can even sit back and enjoy the game on one of our large flat screen TV’s. We’re the place you bring your dog to, water bowls included, or the spot to host your next event, we love supporting our community. Hopefully you’ll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of wild monkeys! We’re a destination. Now go grab your buds and take the path less traveled, break free from the city, and escape to LauderAle Brewery.
LauderAle Brewery has gone from a five-gallon bucket to a must-visit treasure, celebrated in Fort Lauderdale and all-over South Florida. What an adventure that started from a conversation between friends. Just like every great idea, LauderAle was conceived between buddies over a few beers. We stumbled upon this idea one night at a local craft beer bar. While bantering about possible inventions and other business ideas, the one that stuck was how fun and adventurous it would be to own a brewery.
The only problem, we were rookies at brewing beer. At the time, Kyle was a ten-year veteran of the residential real estate game, and Joey was, and still is, a naval architect, working for Resolve Marine, a maritime salvage and emergency solution group. Our backstory is steeped in South Florida and the sea, something the beer carries over naturally.
Now that we had this risky idea, we had to come up with a name. How could we combine where we are from with the bold, new endeavor? Ft. Lauderdale and beer. LauderAle came like a freight train and just seemed too good to pass up. The hard part is remembering who came up with it. To this day, we still argue over who came up with the name.
The day after our drunken epiphany, we ordered a home brew kit and shortly after started brewing on a stovetop in Kyle’s 500 SF second floor apartment.
After months of testing and sharing with friends and family, we moved into Joey’s garage and upped the ante to a 15-gallon, all-grain system that we custom built ourselves. The new system seemed high tech compared to the stovetop one.
We kept experimenting, refining recipes, the demand growing within our circle and community.
We quickly moved our brewing system into a 3,200 SF warehouse in a small industrial district between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades near the FPL power plant, which seemed like the perfect location for a couple of Ft. Lauderdale natives (if you’re a native as well you’ll recognize the tap handles, and if you don’t, our bartenders will be happy to tell you the history).
Now, over a decade after opening, we are going stronger than ever having won several highly recognized beer awards: Gold in 2016 & Silver in 2017 at the Best Florida Beer Competition for our Foreign Export Stout, Black Mamba. In 2017 we also won a Silver Medal at the US Open Beer Championship for Black Mamba. 2017 was a big year as we also won a Gold for our Coconut Porter at the Great American Beer Festival. In 2020 we won a Bronze Medal for our Belgian Tripel Pieces of 8 at The Best of Craft Beer Awards and took home a Silver Medal at the same event for our Belgian Quad named Quintessence.
Today LauderAle Brewery has a 3 BBL electric fired brewhouse with 13 fermenters and 5 brite tanks. We often double batch into 7 BBL fermenters producing about 1,000 BBLS annually. We’ve dipped our toes into distribution but we’ve found the freshest place to enjoy our brews is directly from the tap at LauderAle.
As the story of LauderAle continues, we’re humbled to have been able to serve up almost 1,000,000 pints of beer to our community so far, and we can’t to welcome you into our tap room for your next cold one.
Cheers,
Joey & Kyle
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