FEATURE
JIM KELLY
Hop Life Brewing Co. owner Jim Kelly uses hops grown in his backyard to
make the recipes that he creates.
Pilsner and Face Plant NEIPA New England IPA, the
last of which is a collaboration with Pareidolia Brewing
Co. in Sebastian.
There are nights with live music and special events
along with the ever-present board games and bean bag
toss. For serious beer lovers, there is a mug club whose
members pay $100 for a year of half-price beer.
HOP LIFE
Hop Life began as an apparel company in 2011 founded
by Jim Kelly, then a St. Lucie County Fire District battalion
chief. It was established to preserve the name that
every beer drinker can relate to and to raise funds for the
brewery and pub. In 2012, Rob Tearle joined the business.
He was with Air Rescue for the same fire department.
In 2016, Jeff Blitman, owner of Golf Cart Depot in Palm
Beach County, joined the partnership.
After remodeling a former fruit juice warehouse, Hop
Life served its first craft beer on July 24, 2017. As it is so
hot in late July, Hop Life celebrates its debut in the fall. Its
fourth anniversary party is set for Oct. 2.
In 2019, New York Mets spring training was very good
to Hop Life, but in the past two years, restrictions for fan
attendance dulled the impact.
“Next spring training will be the great turnaround,”
Tearle said.
Depending on which night you arrive, you can test
your trivia knowledge, listen to live music, play bingo
and more. Once a month, on a Friday, is the popular silent
disco with its individual wireless headsets for dancers.
Business fell during the height of the pandemic last >>
Port St. Lucie Magazine 37
SIDE DOOR BREWING CO.
Address: 1419 SE Village Green Drive, Port St. Lucie.
Food and beverages: Taps: 18, including one rotating guest
tap. The other 17 taps dispense products made on premises
by owner Dwayne Buchholz. There is an on-site kitchen
and a Taco Trap food truck on Fridays.
For more information: Visit its website at
www.sidedoorbrewingcompany.com; its Facebook page
at www.facebook.com/SideDoorBrewingCompany
or call 249.0065.
BERNIE WOODALL
Alexis Ariail, former bartender at Hop Life Brewing Co., once served beer
brewed in the silver tanks easily visible to tap room patrons.
/www.sidedoorbrewingcompany.com
/SideDoorBrewingCompany
