Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill McFee.
Bill, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Barrel of Monks brewing started with a group of very good friends who share a common love of Belgian ales. We have been sharing, talking about, and critically tasting these beers for over 20 years. Several years ago, we began to discuss the possibility of putting together a brewery and began homebrewing as an experiment to determine if we had the skill to craft beers of the caliber of those we enjoyed from Belgium. We also traveled to Belgium several times and toured a large number of the breweries there to learn more about how the beers we love are made. As our brewing skills progressed, we have had friends and professionals tell us that we have indeed developed high-quality ales reminiscent of some of the fine ales coming out of Belgium. Thus began our commitment to developing a brewery. Our goal is to focus on Belgian-inspired beers, and to make them very well.
Why start a brewery? Because we love Belgian ales and love to share them! We have been surprised to learn that while craft beer is definitely “catching on” with the average American beer drinker, many that we meet have not had or do not understand Belgian ales. We have been disappointed to discover that only a few of the American attempts to mimic that style have done so successfully. We believe that we have a good understanding of the style and that we can use that understanding to successfully craft beers which pay homage to the great brewers of Belgium.
We have also been pleased to learn that most of the people we share Belgian ales with are surprised at how complex and delicious these beers are, and really enjoy them. We want to share this experience with a larger number of people.
We have now been open two and a half years, and have developed a growing loyal fan base who really like what we do.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m sure that starting any new business is rarely a “smooth road”. Bumps along the way included educating our local municipality about craft beer and the concept of a tasting room. However, we believe we are now seen as an asset to the community in Boca Raton, and feel welcome. Educating the public about Belgian – style ales is also a hurdle but one we are overcoming.
Please tell us about Barrel of Monks Brewing.
We are a production brewery, meaning we primarily produce beer in bottles and kegs for sale through distributors to local stores, bars, and restaurants. We have a tasting room as part of our brewery, where the public can come sample our beers, and learn about our passion for Belgian beers and why we think our beers are special. We also offer tours of our brewery where people can learn how we make our beer with care and attention to detail.
How are we different from other breweries? We are focused purely on Belgian-inspired beers. We are also not making beers for a mass market, we are making beers for those who are willing to take the time to truly appreciate the look, aroma, taste, and overall experience of a fine ale. We will not compromise the quality of our products by taking shortcuts or using inferior ingredients in the effort to make money, and we believe that quality of the beer is the number one goal.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Christmas mornings were always a very happy time in my family. Being together with family on holidays or on vacations are some of my favorite memories.
Contact Info:
- Address: Barrel of Monks Brewing
1141 S. Rogers Circle #5
Boca Raton, FL 33487 - Website: www.barrelofmonks.com
- Phone: (561) 510-1253
- Email: info@barrelofmonks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrelofmonks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrelofmonks/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarrelofMonks
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/barrel-of-monks-brewing-boca-raton
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