Brew Life Brewing opens in Sarasota

There’s a new brewery in Sarasota, and it’s out to prove that bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Brew Life Brewing, which opened its doors last weekend, specializes in small-batch brewing. Mick Cohn and Michael Evanoff have partnered with head brewer Tom Harris to open the operation, located at 5767 Beneva Road, in the former Beer Box .

Cohn and Evanoff previously partnered for the Beer Box, and Harris is former head brewer at JDub’s Brewing Co. and is a consultant with Chela Brewing and Big Top Brewing companies.

Together, they plan to offer beer brewed with a small, simple operation, as well as other experimental products, like specialty sodas.

“The brewing idea is something that goes all the way back to the Beer Box days,” says Cohn. “The timing was finally right. Tom brought up the small-batch idea, and it was perfect. We want a sense of urgency about each beer we make — there’s literally only so much of it. It’s not always about quantity. It’s about quality.”

Cohn says the 55-gallon system, which yields about 300 pints, allows for more precise control over each batch and helps them devote more of their resources to ingredients and beer. 

The lineup will feature at least four year-round mainstay beers in various styles, and eight to 12 of the bar’s 15 taps will be Brew Life offerings. There will also be other guest Florida beers on tap, plus two lines just for Harris to experiment with things like sodas and carbonated waters.

“The fun thing about small-batch brewing is the flexibility,” says Cohn. “It’s like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory — you have so much ability to explore your creativity.”