Tampa-based Brass Tap brings craft-beer focus to Sarasota

As beer bars and craft-beer culture continue to see a boom in Sarasota, beer aficionados can look forward to another microbrew-centric establishment slated to open early this summer.

The Brass Tap, a Tampa-based bar and restaurant chain, has been rapidly expanding its brand (there are currently 17 locations, with 50 more planned to open) and Deb Hargreaves, co-owner of the Sarasota location, says she and her business partners, Dwayne Waltrip and his sons Desmond and David, recently settled on Stickney Plaza as the new home for Sarasota location.

"The craft beer industry is getting huge," she says."With The Brass Tap, I kind of see us as a hub for Florida craft beers; we have 70 beers on tap. We see the market getting huge in Florida, especially in Tampa, so we like showing off all that Florida has to offer in our bar."

She says The Brass Tap plans to support local breweries, including JDub's Brewing Company and Big Top Brewing Company, and she hopes to collaborate with other local vendors.

In addition to the wide variety of craft beer available on draft and in bottles, the location, which she describes as having an upscale pub atmosphere, will also offer wine, cigars and a full menu including a selection of burgers, wings, fries, paninis, flatbreads pizza and more.

"We're excited to open a location in Sarasota," says Heargraves. "It's great — Sarasota is booming, downtown is getting huge again, and there's a new mall — everything just seems to be growing, and we want to be a part of that."