The first annual Wynwood Beer Festival is quickly gaining ground as the premier craft beer festival in South Florida. The festival expects to have more than 40 breweries and 150 beer choices, with unlimited tastings for all attendees.

The festival was created by an FIU School of Business graduate, Kevin J. Martin ’13. Kevin majored in Management Information Systems, where he utilized his teachings to co-found several technology startups. His favorite beer styles are Hefeweizens and Brown Ales.

Over the years, Kevin grew fond of the complexities of tasting and brewing beer. To date, he has tried over 500 unique beers. Four years ago, Kevin began to learn how to brew his own beer at home.

Beer brewing is the process, from start to finish, of converting water, starches (such as malted barley), yeast, and flavoring into a fully fermented alcoholic beverage. The process is highly complex, and this is what intrigued Kevin.

After attending many of the local beer festivals, he did not feel fulfilled with his experiences at the events. “They felt tired and generic after a while,” Kevin said.

“I then knew that I needed to bring a unique beer festival experience to South Florida.”

Kevin enlisted the help of his fellow FIU graduates, Ana Perez de Morales ’14 and Gabriel Noboa ’14, to help him with this endeavor.

Ana majored in Human Resources and is now studying for her MBA in Finance. She is in charge of organizing volunteers, handling finances, and several operational tasks. Her favorite beer styles are Lambics and Stouts (just ask her how much she loves Guinness).

Gabriel majored in Marketing. After graduating, he worked for a local startup and later launched his own web development, SEO, and content agency, Tribe Digital.  He is in charge of social media, engagement opportunities, and sales. His favorite beer style is Blonde Ale.

The Wynwood Beer Festival will take place on August 26, 2017. Learn more at wynwoodbeerfestival.com.