Emerald Republic was devised in 2008 when owner/founder Phil Zayas began his passion for homebrewing.
Phil probably could have gone from homebrewer straight into business, but he wanted to hone his craft. In 2017 Phil graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a Professional and Master Brewers Certificate. He then began the journey to find a perfect home for the Republic.
Phil saw the blossoming craft beer scene and wanted to extend it to the west side of Downtown Pensacola. In 2018, the Republic found its home in an old auto-mechanic shop that was built in the 1960s. Inspired by its industrial past, Emerald Republic took shape with its minimalistic colors, exposed trusses, and open space- while still having a warm, inviting ambiance.
Emerald Republic opened its doors with six beers on tap for the first time. During the first few months of being open, Emerald Republic provided a neighborhood hangout with a heavy metal twist, with metal Mondays and an eclectic set of music being played. Unfortunately, after only being in operation for three months, Emerald Republic temporarily shut down due to the global COVID pandemic.
After restrictions had been lifted, the doors to the Republic opened once again. Emerald Republic flourished until Hurricane Sally hit Pensacola and damaged the facility. Unfortunately, Emerald republic faced the third closure, and hopefully, it’s last.
On the morning of April 10, 2021, a microburst hit Emerald Republic Brewing Company, damaging 90% of the facility.
After eight long months of hard work and construction, Emerald Republic finally had its Grand Re-Re-Re Opening. And we are here to stay.
Phil has a long history in the beer industry. From graduating at UC Davis in the Brewing Science and Technology Program, he was later working in sales for New Belgium, to now as the owner of Emerald Republic. Phil devised the concept for ERBC in 2008 and has been crafting the details since.
Phil wears many hats around the Republic. Brewer, electrician, painter, engineer, teacher, you name it. When Phil isn’t doing the many things he does at ERBC, he enjoys listening to metal (all kinds), riding his Harley, oh and taking care of those plants and stray cats of his.
Grier is a Cincinnati native who came to Pensacola to attend UWF. After graduation Grier learned that she could make a career of drinking beer and became a distributor sales rep before landing a job with ERBC. In her free time you can find Grier picking up weights, or spending time with her dog. The CDC now recommends you buy Grier a sour beer on a nice sunny day.
Alicia grew up in the Northeast but now calls Florida home. She is currently working on her Master’s towards becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). She spends a lot of time in the gym and competes nationally in Olympic weightlifting. Alicia is also passionate about traveling and occasionally hermitessing to obsessively read or play Animal Crossing for hours. She loves New England IPA’s, dislikes paper straws that crumble after the first sip, and her spirit animal is a moth.
