When asked how many hours a week he and his wife put into their beloved Florida Keys Brewing Co. (FKBC), Craig McBay was quick to respond.
“All of them,” he said with a laugh. “When you own a small business, you’re never off.”
“Even when we’re not here, we’re still here,” added his wife and business partner, Cheryl McBay.
In 10 short years, the owners of the Florida Keys Brewing Co. have managed to turn a passion for beer into a hotspot for beer enthusiasts, tourists and locals alike. At any given time, FKBC offers 40 to 50 different brews and some of them are also distributed across the state.
“Iguana Bait kills it,” said Cheryl of their best-selling beer. “It’s pretty much at every bar and restaurant down here, and if they don’t have it, they’re missing out,” she said.
All of FKBC’s beer is brewed and canned locally, right in the heart of the Morada Way Arts District in Islamorada.
On the day of this interview, a new canning line machine made in Nebraska was being delivered. This machine is capable of filling 50 cans of beer a minute, as opposed to the sometimes-unreliable prior one that could produce 32 cans a minute.
“It’s a big upgrade and it’s not going to break down because it’s new – cross your fingers,” Cheryl said.
Colorful cans of Spiny Hopster made their way down the canning line and onto a pallet for distribution.
“It’s a little play on words and it’s actually our second-best selling beer. It’s just a really good IPA; people love it,” said Cheryl.
The brewery pumps out some 3,200 barrels of beer a year, roughly 5,000 cans a month. About 70% of the product goes out for distribution across the state with the remainder being sold in the FKBC taproom.
Both McBays are 100% hands-on.
“Craig still does brew days, which means he gets here at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Cheryl said. “A brew day usually goes from 3 o’clock in the morning until about 6 o’clock in the evening; he’s here at least two or three days a week at that time.”
While Craig is the one making the beer taste so good, Cheryl fills the creative role, designing the cans, T-shirts and other merchandise.
Over the last decade, Florida Keys Brewing Co. has also distinguished itself as a hot venue for live music, offering a wide variety of genres seven days a week, sometimes twice a day.
“We knew we wanted to make a really good live venue for music,” said Cheryl.
To understand the McBays’ success, it helps to know their back stories.
Cheryl is a self-described Conch, born and raised in Islamorada. Craig is a Canadian, who happened to meet Cheryl during a vacation to the Keys.
“We met at Hog Heaven, late night,” Craig said.
“One of the very few good things to come out of there,” joked Cheryl.
Who knew that chance encounter between a Conch and a Canadian would lead to a prosperous business that has become a pillar of the community?
“Cheryl’s mom got me a home brew kit for my birthday right before we got married. At the time she was like, ‘Well, he’s drinking a lot of beer, maybe he wants to make some beer too,” recalled Craig.
McBay’s mother-in-law, Linda Barrett, still works in the beer garden. She’s in charge of the plants, arranging the orchids and creating the enchanting island vibe.
Craig McBay’s background is in engineering. He went to school for fire protection engineering back in Canada, designing fire sprinkler systems.
“So that sort of technical side of things has helped me along,” he said.
Cheryl’s background is in hospitality. She always suspected there was a real thirst for locally brewed beer.
Before they opened the Florida Keys Brewing Company in 2015, Craig began crafting his concoctions in their garage and giving out samples to friends and family. After rave reviews, the couple decided to go all in.
“Within a year, we bought a house, quit our jobs, had twins, signed a lease here and cashed in our retirements,” recalled Craig.
“We both do not remember the first two years of business because it was just crazy,” added Cheryl.
Those twins, a boy and a girl, are now 10 years old and fifth graders at Plantation Key School.
“Those two will 100 hundred percent run this place one day, I have no doubt in my mind,” said Cheryl.
With success comes social responsibility. The McBays have embraced giving back to the community.
“We have a saying as far as what we sponsor throughout the Florida Keys: anything that has seas or fleas,” said Cheryl.
“Anything to do with the ocean we’ll sponsor and we’ll gladly help out, and anything to do with animals,” she continued.
As for what the next 10 years will hold, who knows? But one thing is certain, the McBays and their Florida Keys Brewing Company are here to stay.
“We’ve always said we never want to take over the world, we’re trying to find that right size,” said Craig.
“We want to keep making our beer here,” he said. “We’re a Keys brewery so we want to make our beer in the Keys.”
