{"id":347399,"date":"2026-07-21T15:54:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/347399\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:54:14","slug":"as-it-celebrates-11-years-in-tampa-jug-bottle-dept-keeps-building-seminole-heights-ultimate-living-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/347399\/","title":{"rendered":"As it celebrates 11 years in Tampa, Jug & Bottle Dept. keeps building Seminole Heights’ ultimate living room"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AnJug & Bottle Dept. in Tampa, Florida. Credit: jugandbottledept \/ Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

On a Sunday afternoon, Jug & Bottle<\/a> owner Jessie Wohlers, a now familiar-to-me-face, pours a glass of a crisp sauv blanc and gets right into the topic of the shop\u2019s 11th anniversary this weekend. She discusses where the shop\u2014located at 6203 N. Florida Ave. in Seminole Heighs\u2014has been, its legacy and how to protect, expand and move it forward.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s been in the neighborhood for a while, and took over the shop in February 2025. It\u2019s no secret that the neighborhood is changing. Less than two miles away, Southern Brewing & Winery is closing after 18 years in business<\/a>. Old Heights Bistro is moving to South Tampa, and there\u2019s uncertainty about the future of the wildly-popular Angry Chair Brewing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, when Wohlers took over, and even to this day, folks sometimes still walk in and say, \u201cHey, I thought you closed?\u201d<\/p>\n

But far from that, Wohlers is steadily building on what\u2019s been here, and taking the place to new heights. The little changes happen daily as Wohlers applies new paint to walls, rearranges, or gets a new fridge installed for all of the shop\u2019s special bottles of bubbly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re creating a space that allows Jug & Bottle to have a new relevance,\u201d Wohlers told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing two legacy businesses into the future in a thoughtful way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

The other business is Ichikoroshi<\/a>, the new iteration of Ichicoro, the Heights\u2019 beloved, Michelin-bibbed ramen spot that shut down all too quickly in 2023<\/a>. It\u2019s still run by much of the same good crew, and Wohlers, who came down from New York, was part of opening the original Ichicoro. Together, they continue to pave the way for unpretentious, gritty charm via Jug & Bottle<\/a> c. 2026.<\/p>\n

Wohlers talks about all of Tampa\u2019s bright new things\u2014and also, how the city doesn\u2019t exactly want to be the next Miami.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI see the trends in Tampa going a little bit more towards shiny views and Miami-esque vibes,\u201d Wohlers notes. \u201cBut we want to keep classic cocktails accessible and exceptional. I don\u2019t want you to have to be paying my rent for a cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, those cocktails are wine and sake-based. In December Jug & Bottle will introduce spirits to round out its current offerings of beer, wine, and N\/A drinks on tap (not to mention all the incredible bottles and cans to-go).\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, Wohlers is striving to recreate something a little more intimate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea is that I\u2019m trying to build my living room from Brooklyn in 2003,\u201d she said. \u201cLike, it\u2019s very casual. There is an intention behind it. We\u2019re not a coffee shop. We\u2019re not really anything\u2026 or just everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Jug & Bottle did just get an espresso machine\u2014stay tuned).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty clear the neighborhood still feels at home.<\/p>\n

One guy shouts out from a group down the bar: \u201cHey Jessie! I\u2019m going to have my birthday party here!\u201d Not long after, another woman greets Jessie practically like family and asks for a glass of one of her N\/A wines from behind the bar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wohlers is well on her way to making her vision reality, and the loyalty in Seminole Heights is part of the secret sauce,<\/p>\n

The transition from founding ownership<\/a>, she confirms, was not an overnight corporate takeover. It was a slow, deliberate grind to earn the neighborhood\u2019s trust back after many assumed it had closed.<\/p>\n

And so, a community block party<\/a> is exactly what is planned to celebrate. On Saturday, attendees can expect an all day affair from noon-midnight featuring limited time brunch options from Ichikoroshi, daytime sake and wine tastings, and local coffee pop-ups showcasing Jug\u2019s new espresso setup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the night barrels on, folks can expect collaborative guest-bartender cocktails (Madeline Longacre<\/a> from Rooster & the Till, Missy<\/a> from Velvet Gypsy, a drink from the team at Mandarin Heights<\/a>, plus another created by Wohlers<\/a> herself). There\u2019s be simultaneous wine tastings and local art and community vendors plus Seminole Heights themed flash tattoos offered by Travis Knight<\/a>, tarot card readings by Carmen Vass<\/a>, and a custom Magic the Gathering dice artist\u2014a nod to Jug\u2019s Magic the Gathering events hosted every Monday at 4 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The party is a reflection of what the neighborhood asked for, and it\u2019s all part of Wohlers\u2019 plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlowly but surely should be how you go about business,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause it forces you to listen to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no cover for the Jug & Bottle 11th anniversary happening Saturday, July 25 at Jug & Bottle Dept. in Tampa.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

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