Tampa Florida Brewery, 1218 5th Avenue
Tampa Florida Brewery, 1218 5th Avenue, with advertisement for La Tropical Beer. 1936. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Swope Rodante Law Firm at Florida Brewing, 1234 E 5th Ave, Tampa, FL . 2020. © Chip Weiner
Before building construction in 1896, this land was the site of Government Spring that supplied water to locals and Fort Brooke. Vincente Martinez Ybor and partner Edward Manara founded the brewery and claimed that the spring water gave its beer a unique taste. The brewery gained in popularity and became a leading exporter of beer to Cuba. La Tropical, shown in the Burgert photo, was the brewery’s flagship brand. The business struggled during Prohibition when it turned to manufacturing soft drinks. After repeal, the name changed to Tampa Florida Brewery (as seen in the photo) and survived until 1961.
Corral Wodiska & Company, a cigar manufacturer, took over much of the structure and bricked over many of the windows to keep the tobacco fresh. During the Cold War, the building also served as a bomb shelter. It remains the tallest building in Ybor and is now owned and occupied by the Swope Rodante Law Firm, which completed a complex restoration.
From Burgert Brothers: Look Again Vol. 2
Tampa Florida Brewery, Inc., 1218 Fifth Avenue; storehouse with additional buildings for brewing beer behind it. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Florida Brewing Company and the Ybor City Ice Works. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Tampa Florida Brewery, Inc. from corner of Florida and Osborne Avenues; wall billboard advertises La Tropical Beer 300 Jackson Street, officers and automobiles in front of multi-story brick building. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
View west on the corner of 5th Avenue (1200 block) and 13th Street in Ybor City; large brick building on the northside is Florida Brewery. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Railroad crossing at 13th Street with elevated signal house, traffic gates, brewery and gas storage tank. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
The Florida Brewing Company and the Ybor City Ice Works Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Tampa Brewery with Topical Ale- Beer sign. Date unknown. © Skip Gandy Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection
Tampa Brewery with Topical Ale- Beer sign. Date unknown. © Skip GandyCourtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection