This craft brewery in Miami is closing its downtown tap room

Biscayne Bay Brewing, which started life in a warehouse —as all good craft breweries do— is shutting down its downtown Miami taproom.

Known for beers like Tropical Bay IPA, Miami Pale Ale, Regatta Double IPA, Colada Porter and The Marlins Lager, the brewery is closing its doors at 100 NE First Ave., where it opened in July 2023 in hopes of riding the wave of downtown development.

But the good news is that Biscayne Bay Brewing isn’t closing forever, according to CEO John Lennon. It’s moving into a new space at 1588 NW Seventh St., in the Home Plate Parking Garage next to LoanDepot Field, across from the west gate entrance of the ballpark.

The downtown taproom was “an incredible hub for craft beer lovers, friends and the Miami community,” Lennon said. “We are immensely grateful to our dedicated staff, whose hard work, passion and hospitality have made the taproom a welcoming and memorable space for everybody. Their commitment to excellence and to creating a sense of community is a huge part of what has made Biscayne Bay Brewing so special.”

The move allows the brewery to grow. The new venue near the baseball stadium is larger and will include a beer garden (the downtown location was on the third floor of a historic building).

Hopes were high when the downtown location opened in 2023. Biscayne Bay Brewing founders Jose Mallea and Nick Bonfiglio opened the brand’s first taproom in Doral in 2014 but were forced to close it during the COVID pandemic. They vowed to make a stand downtown and hoped the long-promised revitalization would take hold there.

“As Miamians, we believed in the downtown revival that was starting to take place,” Bonfiglio told the Miami Herald about the brewery, which they had been planning for five years before it became a reality.

“When we signed the lease, the idea that there would be foot traffic and people wanting to come downtown was not a reality, and when COVID hit, it was really not a reality. But downtown has the most hype right now for new, approachable concepts.”

The hoped-for change hasn’t quite come through, with spots like the long anticipated food hall Julie & Henry’s converting its third floor to a flea market and chef Massimo Bottura’s Torno Subito Italian restaurant, which sat atop the food hall, announcing a summer closing in June (the restaurant has not reopened as of this writing, though a spokesperson vowed it would return).

There’s no official opening date for the new brewery, but the downtown location will host a Moving Weekend Party from Nov. 14-16, with music and giveaways. In other good news, your first beer will cost you $2.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to our new brewery, taproom and beer garden at LoanDepot Park,” Lennon said.

This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 4:30 AM.