Brewing A Society

JUPITER, FL – November 7, 2017 – “Borne of grit, tenacity, and a thirst for quality, came the idea of a civil society.”

The emblematic, marquee message behind Jupiter’s first and only microbrewery underlines a sophisticated motivation to purvey tastes of the highest quality to beer drinkers from the area. A growing trend of an establishment, Civil Society Brewing’s offerings have created a stir in the community; gathering a local following that converted into regular, repeat customers, thus creating – well, a society of brew enthusiasts.

“We like to keep it simple, this is a place to come and drink craft beer and enjoy a bit of conversation; there are no pretenses,” says owner Karl Volstad. “Everyday we see how such a simple concept can attract so many people.”

The pleasant smell of malt, hops, and hard work invades your nostrils as you walk through the doors of Civil Society in Downtown Abacoa, and instantly there’s a sense of easy going-ness; a quiet invitation to take a load off and have a brew. Wooden chairs and tables, Eduardo Mendieta’s graffiti art on the walls, the sounds of beer filling many a glass, plus scattered conversations from regulars and newcomers decorates the front of the house with scenery and soundtrack. In the back of the house, there are men at work and their business is brewing (pun intended).

The directors of this behind-the-scenes production, to which the emergence of Civil Society is attributed, are Jupiter-based brewers Karl and Chris Volstad, along with long-time friend and collaborator Evan Miller. While they now possess top-of-the-line equipment and resources to brew some of the best beer in the country, their brewing operation actually began with Karl’s foray into home brewing 10 years back. Evan joined him shortly after, and together they began crafting their own recipes in Karl’s garage. Throughout the years, Karl and Evan’s feedback on their beer grew more and more positive, especially when they decided to provide friends and family with a taste of “Fresh” – their signature Flagship IPA, which is on tap at the brewery today.

For Civil Society’s owners (left to right) Evan Miller, Chris Volstad, and Karl Volstad craft beer making is a family affair

“It took a bit of trial and error, but it got to the point where we were making some pretty good beer and decided we wanted to take the next step,” Karl points out.  

Civil Society opened its doors in 2015, and suddenly, what used to be a five-gallon brewing operation scaled to a mega 300-gallon brewing undertaking, now with Karl’s brother Kaleb, as well as other staff members on board. Their mission is to enhance the culture of local-made quality beer and to provide an environment where people can drink a beer and feel like they’re home with their family. The brewing trio itself is steeped in family orientation to the point where they decided to name their stainless steel brewing tanks after their loved ones.

As far as the beers go, Civil Society has an ever-changing product list, which they couple with their signature beers: Fresh (IPA), Blondes Make Me Hoppy w/ Mosaic (Blonde Ale), Pulp (American wheat ale), and Southern Exposure (hoppy saison).

“Our beers go through evolution periods,” says Karl. “However, we make it a point to stay consistent with a level of quality that meets our standards while producing our beers.”

And they’re recipes haven’t only made their mark on Jupiter beer drinkers, they have also made their mark around the world. Case in point: RateBeer.com ranked Civil Society #5 of the Top 10 New Brewers in the World. The selection system of RateBeer.com took into account 6,500 other new breweries before designating the top 10. In short, there’s Germany; there’s Belgium; there’s Portland, Oregon… and then there’s Jupiter, Florida as a destination for beer enthusiasts.

Civil Society was also one of the 14 breweries to be recognized by Thrillist earlier this year as the Best New Breweries in America. Not bad for a brewery that is just shy of their second year in business.

“We are fortunate and feel happy to even be considered in these lists,” notes Karl.

As far as competition goes with nearby breweries, there’s a genuine amicable relationship. Karl recognizes that it was breweries like Tequesta Brewing Company and Twisted Trunk Brewing that paved the way for Civil Society’s success, and each brewery has done its part in continuing to create a stronger craft beer culture in Palm Beach County.

“We are like a fraternity,” says Karl. “We have great breweries in Palm Beach County and we all help each other out. There’s a lot of ground to be made up in Florida, so the more, the merrier.”

For more information, please visit www.civilsocietybrewing.com.  

References: RateBeer.com:Best New Brewers in the World (www.ratebeer.com/RateBeerBest/newbrewers_2017.asp); Thrillist: The Best New Breweries in America (www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/best-new-breweries-near-me)