M.I.A. Beer Co. Tour

M.I.A. Beer Company in Doral, Florida is one of many recent additions to the state’s once-scarce but now-thriving craft beer scene. I met up with brewery founder and owner Eddie Leon to talk shop and sample some of the beers currently on offer.

I arrived early, well before the brewery’s 5 p.m. opening time on Tuesdays, in order to take in some of the ins and outs of running a brewery. Around 20 employees were on hand, including brewers, bartenders and executives. Eddie laid out the history of M.I.A., explaining that the brewery started production in 2014 then opened its taproom a few months later. Growth has been steady, with M.I.A.’s current production steady at 600 barrels per month. 

Throughout my visit, I met numerous other members of the M.I.A. family going about their business. Air filters were being changed, a new recipe for the brewery’s flagship American Pale Ale Mega Mix was being worked on and a contractor even showed up with prototypes for new flight carriers.

Founder and owner Eddie Leon leads a tour through the Bruhaus.

Eddie put his two cents in on most issues, but delegated to other workers as well, keeping me moving throughout the brewery’s 21,000 sq. ft. space. The place did seem a little empty, despite a huge, brand new foeder for head brewer Michael Demetrus (formerly of Finch’s) to experiment with.

Much of the space, Eddie assured me, would be used for future expanded barrelage, as well as for a “craft beer cocktail bar, featuring a full-service bar that would focus on M.I.A.’s offerings but serve mixed drinks and guest taps as well.

“Sometimes people want something other than beer, even when they’re at a brewery,” Eddie told me.

The Florida beer scene has seen swift growth in recent years, and M.I.A. has been a beneficiary of that with its year-round releases Mega Mix Pale Ale, Tourist Trappe Tripel, 305 Golden Ale, M.I.A. IPA, Domino Pilsner and Miami Weiss Hefeweizen (M.I.A.’s best seller) generating steady income for the company. “A few years ago, people in Miami were kind of uneducated about craft beer, but that’s been quickly turning around,” Eddie told me.

One of the things that first caught my attention about M.I.A. was the stunning can designs of its flagship brews. Turns out, Eddie designed those as well. “My background was in architecture, so I designed the cans with the help of an in-house designer,” Eddie explained nonchalantly. The cans are truly remarkable. Sharp lines, vibrant neon colors and wonderfully bright contrasts make M.I.A.’s beers truly stand out on Florida’s craft beer shelves.