On the banks of the Hillsborough River, across from Blake High School, and near yet far from the bustle of I-275 is the City of Tampa’s new multimillion dollar Water Works Park.
Water Works park partnered with the City of Tampa and the Columbia Restaurant Group to bring a restaurant to the city’s old pumping station, breathing new life into one of the city’s oldest springs. While the concept of a restaurant has been tried and refined by the Columbia Group, this time the addition of a craft brewery to the restaurant has added a new flair and a new challenge to Ulele’s hospitality.
The Columbia Restaurant Group and the Gonzmart family did not take the addition of a brewery lightly. Richard Gonzmart has family ties to the old Florida Brewing Company of Ybor City. After all, the Columbia Cafe (that predates the restaurant) was a tasting room for Ybor City’s original brewery dating back to the 1890s. Gonzmart knew that the beers Ulele produced would have to pair well with the food and invite beer enthusiasts both emerging and seasoned to give them a try. Gonzmart hired brewmaster Tim Shackton, an alumnus of the Hops chain and a seasoned Florida brewer to accomplish this heady mission.
Once he was onboard, Shackton hit the ground brewing with his shiny new JV Northwestern fifteen-barrel brewhouse. Currently, Shackton stocks Ulele’s bar with three beers that will likely become part of the core lineup. Managing partner Keith Sedita says Ulele will carry six taps of beer, likely five standards and one rotating tap. Once Shackton gets his legs under him with the pub in full swing, the only limit to the beers he can brew is the limit of his own imagination.
As Shackton develops Ulele’s beers based on the tastes of patrons, he has made big plans for the brew house at Ulele. Those plans? Shackton is not extremely forthcoming, but he has hinted at some of the tools in his proverbial garage: “a Patron tequila barrel and a Knob Creek Distilling barrel” among other surprises await Ulele patrons at some point in time. Shackton has not filled these barrels yet, but teases the imagination of what beer could possibly take up residence inside these oaken havens. Once in barrels, Shackton would lay these barrels down inside the cooler and let nature and the barrels make their magic. The only thing that Shackton’s plans do not include is serving beer by the pitcher. “I want my beer to be cold when people enjoy it,” Tim says, and that means not serving the beer in a vessel that will allow it to warm up past prime temperatures.
Once out of the brewhouse, Shackton’s beers have an Florida-centric menu of partner foods to dance with. Working closely with chef Eric Lackey, Shackton has designed his beers for Ulele’s menu, and that menu is an eclectic one. Gonzmart drew inspiration from some of the boldest flavors in Florida’s well. Ulele’s copious oyster choices, Fresh From Florida Strickland Ranch steaks, and chef-inspired ice cream menu will allow Shackton a plethora of pairing choices.
Ulele is about more than the typical hackneyed “Farm to Table” concept, they are about sustainability. Sustainability is using 70% less water to wash dishes. The building is refurbished from 1903. The “s” word means sending spent brewery grains from Ulele’s brewery to Strickland Ranch to feed the cows, so that what is taken from the restaurant can be brought back to the menu.
Ulele is many things, but to sum it up as simply a brewpub would be insufficient. Ulele is an experience. The pub wants to be embraced as a family environment: not just beer or a meal, but a place to go to be with sounds of children, friends, and bikes. Whether enjoying a snack or savoring a meal, with the river a short distance away, the Florida sunset casting rays and shadows, and a menu that pairs beer and food like old friends, Ulele is redefining what Tim calls ‘the biergarten experience.’ And that is the idea.
Ulele’s currently available core beers:
Ulele Light: Ulele Light pours a light straw yellow with a white head. A light-bodied, versatile food pairing beer with some malty and grainy characteristics with some yeasty character in the background. This ‘light’ will go well with Ulele’s shellfish and salad courses.
Water Works Pale: A Pale lager, Water Works Pale starts off with some malt character then goes into some tropical fruit and citrus then works its way back around to a balanced yeastiness, finishing clean with a hint of citrus. This larger-than-light pale will go well with Ulele’s calamari, grouper, and crab mac & cheese.
Rusty’s Red: Rusty’s red pours its characteristic red color with an off-white head. The beer starts off with some caramel and toast in the aroma followed by the same and some mild bitterness and citrus character in the flavor. This one looks to go great with anything on the sides menu as well as the meatloaf.