Sarasota brewing company expands distribution with partnership

Darwin Brewing is expanding again. 

The brewing company announced a partnership with Lakewood Ranch-based Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. Its first batch, Maize Morada, a hazy IPA brewed with purple corn, is expected to show up over the next few weeks in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice. 

Distribution will start off in small quantities with plans to expand eventually, a press release states. A company spokesperson says that the current plans are for distribution of "draft beer for on-premise accounts."  

"We are thrilled to partner with Gold Coast Eagle and extend our reach in the local market," Darwin Santa Maria, founder of Darwin Brewing, says in the release. "We believe that our partnership will help reintroduce our innovative beers to new and previous audiences and strengthen our position as a leading craft brewery. 

“We learned a lot from our past experiences, and this time we’re making it a point to stay hyper-focused on our product and making sure it’s in the right locations in our backyard before we worry about extending to other areas.”

Santa Maria recently reclaimed the brand after it had been sold to Clearwater-based Big Storm Brewing Co. in 2021. The brand started as Darwin's on 4th in the Rosemary District, just north of downtown Sarasota, in 2012. It later expanded into a 15-barrel production brewing facility in Bradenton as Darwin's Brewing Company. 

During his time with the brand originally, the company distributed canned beer, but Santa Maria says they went too big. This time he's planning to take his time with distribution. In March, Santa Maria noted the brand had no plans to distribute canned beer at the time. Santa Maria also plans to open a new brewing facility in Sarasota off Fruitville Road, complete with a full-service restaurant, brewery and distiller, in late 2024 or early 2025.