by Benjamin Nunnally
R
ain falls in sheets on the Jacksonville
square.
It’s a July downpour that won’t last more
than a half hour, but for now, the roads are
slick, the sun is gone and the downfall is
thick enough to turn the way home invisible.
It’s a terrible time for driving, but it’s just
about right to relax for a spell in the local
pub.
“That’s exactly what I wanted: a place for
someone who wants to come in, have a
couple of draft beers and enjoy themselves
without getting loud or rowdy,” said Joe
Donahue, founder of new Jacksonville
brewpub Joe Beer.
Watching the weather play out from one
of the pub’s big, cozy leather couches is
comfortable enough to spite the rain. A
television quietly natters over the wood
bar, leather-topped stools pulled up and
ready for travelers to park and have a sip
of Donahue’s personally brewed offerings.
There’s a comfortable atmosphere here, and
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a lot of heart.
The pub is a product of Donahue’s love for
beer, a passion he discovered after getting a
taste of the brews on tap at Five Seasons, a
brewpub in Atlanta.
“I didn’t know beer could taste like that,”
recounted Donahue.
He started learning about the brewing
process, began brewing at home and
eventually chose to brew for a living. His
pub carries seven of his own concoctions,
including scotch ale, peach wit and a
chocolate raspberry porter. Each is unique
to their maker, leaving Jacksonville as the
only spot to pick up a barley wine that tastes
like Donahue’s.
Joe Beer carries unusual options from outside
brewers, like Stone Brewing Company’s
“Enjoy By” series, a beer created by Stone to
be sold and drank shortly after production.
Donahue served up the “07.04.14,” a double
IPA, or Indian Pale Ale, a run that only existed
for two months.
August 2014
INSIGHT