Ye Olde Brother’s Brewery is the first, and currently, only brew pub nestled in beautiful Navarre, FL. This laid-back and welcoming family establishment was designed and hand-crafted from the floor up by owners, proprietors, and twins, Jerry and Larry Rolison and their dynamic team of experts. We were lucky enough to sit down with Ye Olde Brothers to share ideas, stories, and a savory meal with a flight of their signature brews- Belle of the Ball Blonde Lager, Black Bear Honey Wheat, Patty’s Liquid Luck Irish Red, East Bay IPA, My Hop Mama Double IPA, The Broxson Brown Ale, The Panhandle Porter, and last but not least, Blackwater Stout served on a Nitro Tap. This sampling was complimented by Larry’s suggestion, the Buffalo Chicken Dip…just let that sink in for a minute. I’m in heaven just reminiscing.

We were first greeted by the sound of cheers, applause, and congrats signaling the announcement of the winner of the 1st Annual Home Brew Competition. The best of show was a Blonde Pumpkin Ale out of Pensacola, FL. The winner of this competition will have the honor of brewing with YOBB’s very own brewmaster to scale this ale to be brewed, tapped, and sold exclusively at Ye Olde Brother’s Brewery  for a limited time.

Our craft brew experience began with a behind-the-scenes tour of their brewery and was conducted by none other than brewmaster and retired Air Force aviator, Bill Bunning. His in-depth telling of the process it takes to craft the flavorful array of beer only available on premises was as much eye-opening as it was educational.

When Bill isn’t training Air Force aviators, you will likely find him at YOBB putting his 20+ year old brewing experience to work. Unsurprisingly, the first craft beer Bill created is not only featured at YOBB, but it is their best seller, the Black Bear Honey Wheat. His inspirations come to life in the surprisingly small, but efficient (thanks to the brother’s adaptations of their electrical processing past) one-barrel system. Bill has free reign in the brewery and shared some of YOBB’s most memorable brews and the inspirations behind them.

A friend of Bill’s inspired the Speed Break Stout, which is a milk stout with dark chocolate characteristics and only brewed seasonally.

The Turd Ferguson Lives! Weizenbock was inspired by a friend and colleague nicknamed Turd with the surname Ferguson, it was obvious why a strong wheat ale like this earned this quirky name that pays homage to an SNL skit featuring Burt Reynolds.

Other inspired brews include:

The Christmas Carol Tolbert Wit is a witbier that pays homage to one of Navarre’s own, the late Carol Tolbert. This seasonal brew will be brewed in limited quantities during the holiday season.

The Broxson Brown Ale is currently available on tap for a limited time and was inspired by another one of Navarre’s own residents and YOBB friends.

After the tour, we sat with owners, Larry and Jerry along with Jerry’s beautiful wife, Gloria for a meal and chat.

We learned that, despite how it may seem, opening Navarre’s first brew pub was not as easy as one would think. Situated on the wrong side of Navarre’s East River left the brothers with one big catch, no alcoholic beverages could be served on Sundays. Fully intending to go about business abiding by this law, the brothers were surprised to discover, and the last to know, that members of the community including WEAR TV, Navarre Press, and Northwest Florida Daily News lobbied county officials to change this law in favor of Ye Olde Brother’s Brewery.

Hearing this exciting news, we ordered our favorite brews on tap after sampling the flight to toast to craft brew filled Sundays! (It was probably one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make at a restaurant, but I chose the seasonal Irish Red and Colby decided on the Broxson Brown. Any decision would’ve been the best one!)

One might wonder with all the tantalizing beverages going round, “What did we eat?” Let me put your wandering mind at ease. Beer and Pizza. Too simple for you? What if I said this wasn’t just any pizza, but a pizza baked in one of this area’s only wood-fired black oven?

 

Yes, we got another behind the scenes look at how it’s possible to get a freshly baked pizza cooked in six minutes! This baby can heat up to 1000 degrees farenheit and retains heat over 24 hours making it,  in Rolison Brother’s fashion, the most efficient way to bake a pizza.

Our hosts ordered some of the kitchen specialties with a special twist on a staple side item.

The BLT is made with bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomatoes and complimented with twisted fries that are so fresh I happily lost a few taste buds in the process of shoveling these in my mouth.

With our palates and bellies fully satiated, we got to the heart of what makes Ye Olde Brother’s Brewery so unique. Their love for the community is a reciprocal love and can be seen in the patrons sitting at the next table as well as the walls that surround you. The decor is a direct contribution from the patrons that not only call this place their “Go to” restaurant but, their second home. People congregate here because of the atmosphere and, as the Rolison brothers put it, “We’re a family here.”

Some of the family’s favorite foods include-The Paul Revere Pizza, The Betsy Ross Pizza, Oven-baked Chicken Wings, plus, any of the weekly chef specials. The chef specials give you a taste of the chefs exercising their right to creativity within the kitchen.

A few of the family’s favorite craft beers include– The Black Bear Honey Wheat, The Broxson Brown Ale, The Speed Break Stout (a sore subject among locals who arrived too late to enjoy this seasonal brew), The Irish Red (Once again, drink this one while you can!), and let’s be honest EVERY one of the beers on tap right now. Even their IPAs, which I absolutely did not want to partake in because they tend to make even my tongue cringe, were not only palatable but smooth and bursting with flavor.

We chewed, we brewed, and now we leave you with the task of figuring out how you’ll make it down to this laid-back, welcoming, and delicious locale because the only way to get a taste is to come here. Whether you’re a local escaping the tourist-take-over of the beaches or a visitor in search of only the finest craft brews, you will find exactly what you are looking for here at Ye Olde Brother’s Brewery.

Visit their website and starting planning your next visit at:

YeOldeBrothersBrewery.com!

Coming soon…..

The picturesque, Southern-themed restaurant will be complimented with what will likely some of the best BBQ in town. Situated beyond a rousing game of cornhole (or bags, depending on which part of the U.S. you grew up) is a spot reserved for the upcoming, state-of-the art smoker, another one of the the Rolison brother’s ingenious plans to not only make their mark but establish their legacy in this ever-evolving industry and community.