"Got the tap handles back on the truck," Gordash told me. "The whole thing got thrown at my lap in the last week... It was unexpected."
As for the Mack House, the Davie beer bar that has been operating as a base of hoperations for the beer line, Gordash said things just didn't work out.
"As great as the beers are there, there will be no affiliation between the Mack House and Holy Mackerel [Brewing]," he explained.
Gordash started Holy Mackerel Beers in 2006 after winning a Sam Adams homebrew competition ten years earlier. He sold Holy Mackerel Brewing in 2011 to Davie local Larry Hatfield while staying on as a brewer and sales representative. Then in 2013, he moved on to become brewer rep and craft-beer alchemist for the Florida Beer Co. in Cape Canaveral. He most recently worked a stint for Hollywood Brewing Co. as a craft brewery consultant and sales rep."The brand just needs its face back."
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Moving forward, he is planning on continuing to have the Holy Mackerel beers contract brewing at Thomas Creek Brewery in South Carolina but is looking to possibly find some local capacity to help fulfill what he sees as an increase in market share through festivals and promotions.
"The goal is to expand and add more beer," he shared, adding that he is working on updating some of the beer packaging, which hasn't been changed for almost ten years. "Time to jazz it up."
There are plans for a strong return to form with a relaunch at Jupiter Beer Fest and an event at the Riverside Market in Fort Lauderdale. Expect some creative infusions to rear their heads, like a coffee-infused Panic Attack, the brand's 10 percent ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale.
After the reintroduction, Gordash will move on to do some test batches at a physical South Florida location, which is yet to be decided.
"It has always been my goal to do test batches at a place that people can come in to sample. I’ve always liked the smaller scale; it’s more fun. On the bigger scale, it's like work," says Gordash. "I'm getting back to brewing no matter what it takes. Holy Mackerel, or a different concept, just to get my hands wet in brewing again."
But he's far from giving up on Holy Mackerel.
"The brand just needs its face back."
Doug Fairall is a craft beer blogger who focuses on Florida beers. He is a Certified Beer Server and has been a homebrewer since 2010. For beer things in your Twitter feed, follow him @DougFairall and find the latest beer pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.
