Azalea City Brewing Co.
Like many visitors to Putnam County, Andrea Conover fell in love with its natural beauty, outdoor recreation and small town charm. “I realized I liked the inland waterways better than the beach, and got really into kayaking the St. Johns River,” says Conover. Just off the river’s banks, Palatka’s streets are lined with historic buildings, including a 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant that stood vacant from the 1980s until 2020. That’s when Conover gave it new life as Putnam County’s first and only microbrewery, Azalea City Brewing Co.
“I moved to Palatka from Ponte Vedra for its nature, access to the Intracoastal and the lower cost of living. It was obvious to me that the town needed revitalization and I kept thinking how someone should open a craft brewery,” Conover says. “I always thought the old Coca-Cola building would be the perfect spot.” After arranging a meeting with the building’s owner, Andrea was able to purchase it and begin a 2-½ -year renovation.
Conover’s background in business and environmentalism drove her desire to save an old building as opposed to constructing from scratch. “One of my favorite quotes is, ‘the greenest buildings are the ones already built,’” she says. “There’s so much history in this building. Some of the locals have told us they have memories of high school dances being held here. We are honored to be able to turn it back into something useful.” Conover and her partner Rod Wies repurposed as much as they could of the original building. The white wooden planks seen throughout the brewery’s design and bar were taken from the upstairs drop ceiling, for example.
While the partners worked on the logistics of building out a craft brewery in a former warehouse, St. Augustine native and brewer Eli Miranda got to work on the beer. Miranda has a culinary management degree from the Culinary Institute of America and is the master behind the brews, including Azalea City’s two award-winning drafts: the Coffee Cream Ale (winner of the silver medal at the Best Florida Beer competition) and the Hot Blonde Ale (a mango and datil pepper beer taking second place at the 2022 Battle of the Datil competition). During the building’s renovation, Miranda gave out samples of beer to the community, who were patiently waiting for Azalea’s opening.
Azalea City Brewing Co. celebrated its two-year anniversary in November 2022 and Conover is excited about the future for both her and Palatka. While the town’s culinary scene is still small, it is expanding as entrepreneurs like Conover head south and west. Palatka is about an hour’s drive from Jacksonville and 40 minutes from St. Augustine, making it a perfect location for expansion. As for the brewery, Conover has more plans for it as well, including a restaurant and event space.
“We haven’t been here that long and are so thankful for the locals whose families have been here for decades that have welcomed us,” Conover says. “Some have even brought photographs from their family archives of the building which we now have framed on our wall. I’m just really honored to have this space and contribute to the building’s history.”
Azalea City Brewing Co. is family friendly with a pet-friendly outdoor patio. Pair a day exploring Palatka’s unbeatable natural scenery and recreation (Ravine Gardens State Park and Dunns Creek are two of Conover’s favorite spots) with a stop at the brewery for fresh, cold beer on tap, and you’ve got yourself the perfect day trip. It might even have you also consider making the move to Putnam County
