When news broke of Dunedin’s 7venth Sun Brewery opening a new and larger home in Seminole Heights, the rumor mill started speculating about what might be in store for the stalwart crew of the 7venth Sun. In mid-November, 7venth Sun co-owners Justin Stange and Devon Kreps detailed just what they had in mind for the brewery’s rise in one of Tampa’s most up-and-coming neighborhoods.
The new building itself is near the intersection of Nebraska and Sligh in Tampa just north of the Mermaid Tavern. This building is more than ten times the size of their Dunedin home, and once renovated will offer brewing staff a canvas to create exactly the type of beers they envisioned when the 7venth Sun rose in 2011. During and after the process, the Dunedin 7venth Sun will remain open–Kreps and Stange have no plans to close the Dunedin location.
What type of beers? “We are looking to set up a climate-controlled barrel cellar, stage more blends, and make more Belgian-style farmhouse ales.” Stange admits that most of the beers that have been released from the facility in Dunedin have been from a single barrel, that should change when the new place opens.
Opening day is in the works, but the building will need some renovation and repairs before construction, and then the brewery will introduce itself to the new building in phases.
Also included in this new home will be a Quality Assurance lab and an increased presence in distribution, including 7venth Sun cans available locally. Stange estimates that year one will raise their annual production eightfold.
“We remain dedicated to making the beers we love,” says Stange. “We’re not trying to take over the world or to be on every corner, just to raise the bar on creativity as high as we can.”
