MISSION STATEMENT
A Bit of History
Before Prohibition, small local breweries and neighborhood pubs were an important part of communities across America. They weren’t simply places to grab a beer—they were gathering places where neighbors met, conversations happened, and people felt connected to their community.
When nationwide Prohibition took effect in 1920, America’s brewing industry changed dramatically. Thousands of breweries closed, and when Prohibition ended in 1933, the industry that emerged became increasingly dominated by a relatively small number of large producers.
Then something began to change.
The Craft Beer Revolution
Federal legalization of homebrewing was signed into law in 1978 and took effect in 1979, helping rekindle America’s interest in making beer on a small scale. Homebrewers began experimenting with ingredients, rediscovering traditional beer styles, and creating beers that weren’t readily available from the major breweries of the time.
Many of those homebrewers eventually became professional brewers, helping launch the American craft beer movement.
Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co. grew from that same homebrewing tradition.
What began with a passion for making beer became our brewery and taproom in Bonita Springs, where we continue to experiment, learn, and create beers we’re excited to share with our community.
Our Approach to Beer
At Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co., brewing is equal parts science, creativity, and tradition.
We enjoy brewing recognizable classic styles, but we’re equally comfortable stepping outside traditional style guidelines. That might mean experimenting with new hop varieties, brewing hybrid styles, working with unusual ingredients, developing gluten-free recipes, or aging select beers in barrels.
Our small brewing system gives us the freedom to experiment. New ideas can begin as small batches, allowing us to refine recipes and get feedback directly from the people drinking them. When something really connects with our customers, we can take what we’ve learned and bring it into larger production.
The result is a constantly evolving beer selection where there’s almost always something new to discover.
More Than a Brewery
We built Chubby Mermaid to be more than a place where beer is made. We wanted it to be the kind of neighborhood gathering place breweries once were—a comfortable place to meet friends, talk with neighbors, watch a game, play trivia, listen to live music, grab something to eat, or simply enjoy a pint.
Our Bonita Springs brewpub brings together our beer with food, events, and the people who have made Chubby Mermaid part of their community.
Seriously Gluten-Free Beer
Gluten-free beer isn’t an afterthought at Chubby Mermaid.
Rather than taking traditionally brewed beer and attempting to reduce the gluten afterward, our gluten-free beers are brewed using gluten-free ingredients from the beginning. We’ve developed a growing lineup of gluten-free beers across several styles, allowing guests who avoid gluten to have something many breweries can’t offer: actual choices.
It’s another example of what we enjoy most about brewing—solving problems, experimenting with ingredients and processes, and creating beer that brings more people to the table.
Brewing for Something Bigger
The manatee in our name represents more than our Florida roots.
Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co. pledges 1% of our tap beer sales to conservation efforts supporting the waters, wildlife, and ecosystems that make Southwest Florida special.
Our partnership with Calusa Waterkeeper helps support its work protecting and restoring the waterways of Southwest Florida. Every beer enjoyed in our taproom contributes a little toward that commitment.
It’s a simple idea: if we’re fortunate enough to build a business around something we love in Southwest Florida, we should also do our part to help protect the place we call home.
BREWING WITH LESS WASTE
Brewing beer requires water and energy, so we look for practical ways to reduce waste wherever we can. Our closed-loop glycol chilling system circulates, cools, and reuses glycol to control fermentation and cellaring temperatures instead of relying on a constant supply of fresh water for cooling.
Fermentation also naturally produces COâ‚‚. By fermenting many of our beers under pressure through a process called spunding, we can capture that naturally produced pressure and, when possible, use excess COâ‚‚ to purge tanks and equipment, helping reduce our reliance on purchased COâ‚‚.
For us, conservation starts with the everyday decisions inside the brewery: reuse what can be reused, reduce waste where possible, and avoid consuming resources unnecessarily.
Use less. Waste less. Give back where we can.
Thank You for Supporting Local
Chubby Mermaid wouldn’t exist without the people who walk through our doors.
We’re grateful for our regulars who support us throughout the year, our seasonal friends who return to Southwest Florida and bring new energy each season, and the visitors who discover us for the first time.
Every pint, meal, event, conversation, recommendation, and return visit helps an independent local brewery continue doing what we love.
Come have a beer, try something you haven’t had before, and be part of the Chubby Mermaid community.
