LARGO — Like most cities its size, Largo has numerous breweries, bars, pubs and taverns, each with distinct branding and marketing approaches.
Some occupy prominent locations on main roads or busy strip plazas. Others use theme nights, colorful décor or advertising to attract customers.
Commerce Brewing follows a different path. The brewery’s tasting room at 521 S. Commerce Drive sits tucked away on a side street in a commercial area across from Largo High School — not exactly prime real estate in the city’s expanding downtown district.
But the owners of this contract brewery, which has supplied beer, wine and distilled spirits to bars and taphouses across Florida and beyond for five years, wanted to expand their reach locally, according to head brewer Jamie Chapman. The result is a 2-year-old taproom that has built a loyal following with its laid-back atmosphere and swashbuckling decor.
“We’ve always brewed for other people,” Chapman said in November, referring to the former Barley Mow brewing operation the current owners acquired in 2019. They brewed their first Commerce batch in March 2020.
“We are primarily a contract facility, and that was the goal at the beginning.”
After years of producing beer, wine, cider and spirts for clients including Cigar City Brewing, 7th Sun Brewery, Coppertail Brewing Co., and the Harbor Bar in Safety Harbor, the group of investors — which Chapman said includes Cigar City’s Joey Redner — decided to open a showcase space. The tasting room opened to the public in March 2024.
Chapman, who spent four years at Tampa Bay Brewing Co. and has extensive experience in local craft brewing, said the tasting room operates on a straightforward business model.
“We do up to 30-barrel batches for any client, and we typically ask them if we can hold back a couple of half barrels or barrels for the taproom,” Chapman said, adding, he has yet to have a client refuse. “And that’s how we fund our taphouse.”
That shared business model means Commerce “has new beers on tap all the time,” including several under its own labels. The taproom also features a “Pay It Forward” chalkboard where patrons can buy beers for other customers.
“It’s not always going to be the same,” Chapman said. “But it’s going to be consistent because we put on draft what we make.”
Brewing for other companies means Commerce “doesn’t get a lot of street cred,” Chapman said. Being located on a small side street off Missouri Avenue means customers rarely stumble upon it.
But Chapman said the combination of the laid-back atmosphere, eclectic pirate-themed decor, central location and rotating beer selection has made the tasting room a hit with locals and visitors, including Largo Mayor Woody Brown.
“We’re busy every stinking day,” he said of the facility, which is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. “The mayor and his wife stopped in on a Friday night after an event, and they said they really enjoyed the place.
“And that’s because we’ve got awesome bartenders who have stuck with us, and you can come in and try craft beers from all over the Southeast.”
Commerce has already earned a strong reputation for its brewing capabilities — it’s the first facility in the state licensed to produce beer, wine and distilled spirits, according to Chapman.
But he said they want the tasting room to become a local destination by hosting business happy hours and open mic nights, book club meetings and parties at no charge.
“I’d like to see the Commerce Tasting Room be the place for people to come and hang out, whether it’s for a business happy hour or a birthday party,” Chapman said, noting they have hosted several events.
“It’s a beautiful space,” he added. “There’s a pirate vibe in the back of the house, because we do pirate-y things in here. We’re open Wednesday through Sunday, and you can have the place to yourselves for free for the space. And we hope to have food trucks and open mic nights soon.”
When asked how to describe Commerce Brewing’s place in Largo’s business scene, Chapman said, “We just want people to know that we’re here. So, come in and check us out and see what you think.”