Couple Brews Up A Business Following Their Retirement In Dunedin

DUNEDIN, FL — After spending 30 years working in the corporate world and enduring Connecticut's frigid winters, Jerome Gaughan was ready for a change.

"Our four kids were grown and off on their own, and we were ready to downsize," said his wife, MaryLu Gaughan. "We've always loved the beach. Our son lives in Naples and we would come down every year to visit, and never wanted to leave. One day we looked at each other in the freezing cold of Connecticut and said, 'Let's do it.'"

Jerome Gaughan has been a hobby brewer for 35 years. His training is based on the 1516 German purity laws, which call for only using four ingredients to make world-class beer - water, barley, hops and yeast.

"Friends and family loved his beer and he always had it in the back of his mind that he wanted to open a brewery someday," MaryLu Gaughan said.

The Gaughans began exploring Florida in search of the perfect place to spend their retirement years and open a small brewery.

It was their daughter who suggested they look into Dunedin after she took at trip to nearby Clearwater Beach.

"As soon as we drove over the Dunedin Causeway, we looked at each other and said, 'This is it,'" MaryLu Gaughan said.

They purchased a home in Dunedin three years ago and then began searching for a location for their brewery.

Over the past decade, Dunedin and the surrounding north Pinellas County towns of Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar and Safety Harbor have become a mecca for craft breweries.

Dunedin's quaint downtown is now home to nine artisanal breweries.

After searching for a year for the perfect location, the Gaughans found a 1,300-square-foot space in the rear of an existing shopping center at 2058 Bayshore Boulevard near the Covered Bridge Restaurant.

"It was near the beach, halfway between Dunedin and Palm Harbor and located right on the Pinellas Trail with a Jolly Trolley stop nearby," said MaryLu Gaughan. "They do a bicycle pub crawl along the trail and always stop at Eddie's Bar & Grill, which is nearby. This gave them another pub to visit. Plus residents in the surrounding neighborhoods can legally cross on Palm Boulevard with their golf carts to reach us."

Doing most of the interior carpentry himself including constructing a custom-made bar, Jerome Gaughan and his wife spent two years renovating the space.

But in the midst of their preparations, the coronavirus pandemic swept the country. The idyllic Scottish heritage town on Florida's west coast wasn't immune from the economic impact.

"It was a stressful time," said MaryLu Gaughan. "We'd done a lot of work and ordered a lot of brewing equipment. We definitely felt the pressure."

Their concerns proved unfounded when they officially opened the doors of Beach Island Brewery five weeks ago.

"I think the timing had a lot to do with it," said MaryLu Gaughan. "People have been cooped up for a year and are looking for things to do. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. The community has just embraced us. We already have regulars."

Inside is seating for 25 people and a bar area with 15 stools. Outside are tables on both a front and back patio. Guests are invited to bring their own beach chairs and relax, socialize and sample Beach Island Brewery's custom-made, small-batch, high-quality beers produced using a two-barrel brewing system, including ales, IPAs, ales, German Eisbock, porters, Vienna and German lagers.

Currently on tap are: Hazelnut Brown Ale, Clear Sky Clouds, Red Pilsner, Parker's Dirty Dipa, Three Finders, Craig's Wicked Ale, Mango-Starfruit Ale, Strawberry Blonde, Ne Hazy and Chocolate-Vanilla Porter.

In addition to craft beers, Beach Island Brewery's 20 taps offer Gaughan's popular gluten-free hard seltzers including lime mango, blackberry, blueberry and pomegranate jalapeno.

Eventually, the Gaughans plan to offer live music and possibly host food trucks with the city's approval. Beach Island Brewery's hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Gaughans said their new venture is everything they hoped for.

"It's reassuring to see golf carts in the parking lot and 60 bicycles during pub crawls. Last weekend, we had three generations of a family here for Mother's Day," MaryLu Gaughan said. "The neighborhood has just embraced us. The other brewers have been wonderful to us. We couldn’t have asked for a better community."

This week is American Craft Beer Week. In addition to Beach Island Brewery, 2058 Bayshore Blvd., Suite 5, Dunedin, check out these local artisanal breweries:

• Rapp Brewing Company, 10930 Endeavour Way, Seminole
• Big Storm Brewing Co., 12707 49th St N, Clearwater
• Crooked Thumb Brewery, 555 10th Ave S, Safety Harbor
• Clearwater Brewing Company, 1700 N Fort Harrison Ave, Clearwater,
• Arkane Aleworks, 2480 E Bay Drive, #23, Largo
• Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave, Dunedin
• Two Lions Winery & Palm Harbor Brewery, 1022 Georgia Ave, Palm Harbor
• Grindhaus Brew Lab, Hercules Space Center Industrial Park, 1650 N Hercules Ave, Unit I, Clearwater
• Silverking Brewing Co., 325 E Lemon St, Tarpon Springs
• Cueni Brewing Co., 945 Huntley Ave, Dunedin
• Southern Lights Brewing Company, 2075 Sunnydale Blvd, Clearwater
• Two Frogs Brewing Company, 151 E Tarpon Ave, Tarpon Springs
• Unrefined Brewing, 312 E Tarpon Ave, Tarpon Springs
• 5 Branches Brewing, 531 Athens St, Tarpon Springs
• Anclote Brew, 735 Dodecanese Blvd, Tarpon Springs
• de Bine Brewing Company, 993 Florida Ave, Palm Harbor
• Stilt House Brewery, 625 Alternate U.S. 19, Palm Harbor
• Local Brewing Company, 35631 U.S. 19, Palm Harbor
• 7venth Sun Brewing Company, 1012 Broadway, Dunedin
• Mastry's Brewing Co., 7701 Blind Pass Rd, St Pete Beach
• Sea Dog Brewing Co., 9610 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, and 26200 U.S. 19, Clearwater
• Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company, 12945 Village Blvd, Madeira Beach
• Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, 3007 Beach Blvd S, Gulfport
• Anecdote Brewing Company, 321 Gulf Blvd, Indian Rocks Beach
• Hammerstein Brewing Co., 1158 7th St NW, Largo
• Soggy Bottom Brewery, 660 Main St, Dunedin
• Clearwater Social Brewing Company, 483 Mandalay Ave, #213, Clearwater Beach
• Caledonia Brewing, 587 Main St, Dunedin
• Lagerhaus Brewery & Grill, 3438 East Lake Business, Palm Harbor
• Brighter Days Brewing Company, 311 N Safford Ave, Tarpon Springs
• Troubled Waters Brewing, 670 Main St, Safety Harbor
• Woodwright Brewing Company, 985 Douglas Ave, Dunedin
• HOB Brewing Co., 931 Huntley Ave, Dunedin
• Antibrewery, 1367 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Dunedin

See related stories:

• Raise A Glass To Pinellas Breweries: It's National Beer Week
• Small Brewery Sunday 2020: Where To Grab A Pint Near Clearwater
• Clearwater Brewing Co. Shows City's Efforts At Revitalization
• Fledgling FL Microbrewery Wins National Honors Amid Pandemic