There was lots of beer for sale on St. Patrick's Day in Tallahassee, but one venue with a special distinction: It’s on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Old City Waterworks at Gaines and Gadsden Streets opened as a craft beer taproom and brewery last year.
It’s called Amicus Brewing Ventures, and on Sunday the patrons were mostly outside, celebrating the holiday with the traditional green beer. Inside, you could see the seven-barrel system they use for brewing, with its gleaming metal barrels.
Laura Barrett, one of the partners, says when they bought the place in 2022, it had no water, no sewer, no electricity…and all the doors and windows had to be replaced.
“We really wanted to own our own property and didn’t necessarily think about downtown," she said. "But when this property came up, we saw it and were, like, ‘Oh, wow.’ We knew that this was the place we wanted to renovate. We were a little nervous because it was in such bad shape, and it had sat for decades, but we were able to get through the remodeling.”
Amicus has eight partners who have been friends for years. They still have their day jobs, and the place is open four nights a week. Kids and dogs are welcome.
Barrett says they’re proud it’s a majority-women-owned business.
“We are very proud of that," she said. "We want to help support other women. We’ve done some outreach, and I know there are some other organizations in Tallahassee that are promoting that. And so, we love to be an example of a successful women-owned business that maybe will inspire someone else.”
