Brew Buddies How Two Best Friends Turned a Beer Passion Into a Thriving Business
by Seraine Page
The founders of Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co . remember a time when their first batches of beer tasted nothing like a beer they would drink , let alone sell .
Long before the wild success of their brewery , Andy Sistrunk and Robbie Carelli slogged away to craft a delicious local beer they could be proud of sipping and selling .
In 2014 , after months of physical labor remodeling an old parking garage , the duo opened their original brewery and taproom in DeLand . Throughout their remodeling process , residents would poke their heads in to say hi and check the progress of the taproom . It encouraged the pair throughout what they deemed their “ labor of love ” project . Even though it took twice as long as they thought it would to remodel and open , they eventually opened their doors to the public ’ s delight .
“ The whole community completely embraced us ,” says Sistrunk of opening the taproom . “ The first night we were open , we were full and it never really stopped .”
Now they brew enough beer to have new releases each week through their four locations . Their brewing schedule always includes five core beers they send to local restaurant and bar partners and then four types they package in cans and sell in addition to the flavors on tap .
Their crafting process hasn ’ t always been so smooth ,
Andy Sistrunk and Robbie Carelli Photo courtesy of Justin Carmody though . Sistrunk and Carelli recall the first batch they made together as a bit of a disaster .
“ We just about ruined the kitchen on the first try ,” jokes Sistrunk . “ From then on , we were banned to the outside .”
Since those early beer experiments , they admit they ’ ve come a long way .
With 81 employees and upward of 25 beers in rotation at their locations , it ’ s safe to say the pair is far removed from their days of making “ vinegar ” when they brew . When they first opened , they were a novelty to the Port Orange and DeLand areas .
Now , word has spread how fun and unique local taprooms are , Sistrunk says .
“ We were the only brewery in a 20-mile radius ,” says Sistrunk . “ We ’ ve seen it really catch on , and starting to go to a brewery is now a mainstream thing . People wanted to do things like tours . Just about everybody ’ s got a brewery within a few miles .”
So mainstream , in fact , that aside from the regular locals , the founders even see knitting club members come in to have their gatherings at their taproom locations .
“ We want to be the neighborhood gathering place ,” says Sistrunk .
It turns out , quite a few people gather inside the walls of the Sunshine State ’ s local breweries .
Florida boasts 374 craft breweries and brings in big bucks for the state . In 2021 , the industry brought a whopping 4.1 million to the state , according to the Brewers Association , a nonprofit trade association .
What makes Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co . standout aside from its beer is perhaps its ability to embrace each of the communities its locations reside in — downtown DeLand , Lake Eola , Port Orange and Flamingo Crossings Town Center . Each location has the same beers — with
EVOLVE-SUCCESS . COM FALL 2022 | 15 |