By Charlie Crespo
When Fort Lauderdale’s Orchestrated Minds Brewing opened its doors in September 2019, it only had two employees—both of whom were also juggling full-time jobs completely outside the world of beer. Husband and wife Davy and Jaime Martin have since added an assistant brewer to their payroll, and the 2,500-square-foot brewery is thriving. Operating with a tiny, one-barrel system, the team has managed to produce more than 170 new beers, with big, high-ABV stouts quickly becoming fan favorites. Add to that the well-received collaborations with companies like 3 Sons Brewing and Argyle Coffee Roasters, and Orchestrated Minds Brewing has made a name for itself among locals and beer geeks alike.
How did you decide to make the leap to running a brewery full time?
Jaime: It wasn’t the original plan. We were relying on both of our incomes. Once we opened, we saw that it could sustain itself, but we knew that if we wanted it to be better, Davy needed to focus full time on brewing. (He left his position as a software developer in January; she is still a practicing lawyer.) We’re not scared of taking risks. That’s kind of our thing.
What makes Orchestrated Minds stand out from other breweries?
Jaime: Because of the size of our brewing system, we get to take chances and do fun and creative things with our beer, from incorporating unique ingredients like orange zest or rhubarb to using smaller bourbon and aging barrels, which allows us to produce our product quicker. We also release new beers every week. The quick turnover of the beer allows us to keep our customers engaged, since they know the tap list does not get stagnant.
Davy: When people walk in and the owners ask, “How was your week? How are your kids doing?” I think you strike a note with people. We want to know your name. We want to be your favorite brewery. We give you a level of hospitality that I feel you don’t get elsewhere.
How did the pandemic force you to change?
Davy: We didn’t do cans. When COVID-19 happened, we started packaging in cans, and we noticed we were reaching so many customers who never came into our taproom prior to the pandemic. We were individually canning and labeling everything, though, which put a heavy burden on us from a production standpoint. But it speaks to the character of the brewery; we didn’t allow the pandemic to break us. It’s going to take a whole lot more to break Orchestrated Minds.
What do you want the future of Orchestrated Minds to look like?
Davy: I want to be the No. 1 brewery in South Florida—maybe all of Florida. I want to headline the Mikkeller Beer Celebration in Copenhagen like 3 Sons Brewing did, and I want Orchestrated Minds beer to be in every state in America. I want to be the absolute best.
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2020-2021 Issue.
