Unbranded Brewing Co.
Zach Swanson, M.A. '15 and Lance Aschliman, Ph.D. '17.
The team from Unbranded Brewing Co. identified one of the most opportune areas of Miami to open their craft brewery—Hialeah. Nestled next to the commercial train tracks that helped to build commerce in the area, the warehouse space has been fully transformed to house the largest brewery in the county.
Connecting and forming a friendship while studying philosophy at the U, owner Zachary Swanson, M.A. '15, and chief brewer Lance Aschliman, Ph.D. '17, have crafted the brewery out of simplicity—a love for beer and a call for authenticity. Coined “the original Mavericks,” Swanson’s family history in Texas brings deep ties to operating in an untraditional manner. The bold move to open a brewery in an underutilized part of town is exactly the recipe for success that the pair is looking for.
Beat Culture Brewery & Kitchen
Dan Espino, A.B. ’05
Beat Culture Brewery and Kitchen is a partnership between brothers Dan and Alan Espino and chief brewer, Erik Durr.
Dan Espino, City Attorney for Miami Springs, worked closely with his family and friends to open the unconventional brewery in the former Eastern Airlines employee lounge. Many of the managing partners are also hurricane graduates.
Espino, the youngest elected official in the history of Miami Springs, was named "Elected Official of the Year" by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Alan, who earned his science degree from Florida International University and is trained in Microbiology, works alongside Durr brewing batches of beer and concocts original recipes for everything from honey-meads to hot sauce.
Nightlife Brewing Company
Juan O'Naghten, B.S. '10, B.B.A.'10
Juan O'Naghten built Nightlife from the ground up. As a former U.S. Army paratrooper, he’s dedicated his passion to learning all there is to know about craft beer.
O'Naghten worked diligently building his business plan while earning dual degrees in phycology and business. He applauds the support and mentorship at UM’s Launch Pad, which helps students and alumni to start, build and scale businesses.
For O'Naghten, the brewery is a foray into Miami's craft beer industry, but he shares, this is just the beginning. His brewery, located next to Marlins Park, is poised to scale to the growth of the market. Nightlife brews are also stocked at local markets, and are poured at over 200 restaurants.
The Tank Brewing Company
Carlos Padron, B.B.A. ’86, JD ’90
Opening in 2017, The Tank Brewing Company was built out of passion for Miami, cigars and craft beer. After graduating from the University of Miami School of Law, Carlos Padron joined a law firm in downtown Coral Gables.
Padron established a close friendship with the family affiliated with Plasencia Cigars, and built a connection over the years.
As the craft beer scene became more intriguing to Padron, he and his family decided to dedicate their current warehouse space to innovate and transform into a modern brewery and tropical oasis in the midst of Doral. Padron shares that the brewery is a lot of fun, keeping in tune with the market and trends of craft brewing. "We’re always trying new things, looking for ways to incorporate Miami style into our brews." For Padron, The Tank is a family business; employing his son, son in law, and numerous family friends. The marketing firm behind the creative concepts, beer names, labels, design, is Republica Havas, a leader in Miami for setting style.
Carlos (Caki) Padron A.B. ’14 majored in Political Science and Public Health, is the fixed site supervisor at the needle exchange at the Miller School of Medicine, the IDEA Exchange. After graduating from the U, Caki interned with Dr. Hansel Tookes, who led the fight to establish Florida's first needle exchange program in 2015. Caki continues to work part time at the brewery.
Do you own a 'Cane Biz? Learn more about our UM Alumni Association 'Cane-owned business program.
