Pictured: The Saison from Inner Compass Brewing has notes of citrus, stone fruit, and pepper, with a floral earthiness. Photo courtesy of Inner Compass Brewing Company.

Craft breweries are more popular than ever, but Inner Compass Brewing Company in Lakewood Ranch is one-of-a-kind. The credit for that goes to the blended family that runs the business. The story of Inner Compass begins in Sanford, Florida, where Robert Turner owned and operated a small brewery and taproom. When Covid hit, Turner shut down that original version of Inner Compass and relocated to Bradenton to be closer to family. His mother, Susan Carrubba, encouraged him to hold onto his brewing equipment so he could open another taproom again in the future.

As it happened, Turner isn’t the only person in the family with brewery experience. Susan is married to Robert Carrubba. His daughter Brittany Sutherin has worked in the restaurant industry since she was fifteen years old, including a stint behind the bar at Motorworks Brewing in Bradenton. With his brewing expertise and her extensive front-of-house experience, it made sense to combine forces. And that family involvement didn’t stop with them.

“My father was a home remodeler by trade, so he actually built the space from the ground up with his partner Nate,” says Sutherin, who has taken on the role of General Manager. “I run the front, we have Robert brewing in the back, and then Susan does the financial part. So all of our strengths together formed this whole business and everything seemed to work perfectly.”

Inner Compass officially opened on June 5th, and it already seems to be a smash hit, with lines out of the door on the weekends. There’s a lot to enjoy. Inner Compass has 30 taps, and always features as many of their own brews as possible. They round out their selections with craft beers sourced from other Florida breweries, and also offer a well-curated wine list as well as sangria and mimosas and a full menu of elevated bar fare.

“Every single night my father makes the dough from scratch, so the pizza is made 100% from scratch by an Italian man,” laughs Sutherin. “And then Susan makes the pizza sauce herself as well.”

Beyond the delicious food and next-level beer, Inner Compass offers some pretty special amenities. The brewery is located on a large plot of land by a lake, so there’s plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy. You can sit at a picnic table and sip on a new brew like the orange mango Rizzler, a summery American wheat beer brewed in-house. The brewery is dog-friendly and also has an outdoor play area for children. There really is a little something for everyone in the family. Not surprising from such a unique family business.

Inner Compass Brewing Company, 10316 Technology Terrace, Bradenton, 941-900-1102, innercompassbrewingcompany.com.

Pictured: The Saison from Inner Compass Brewing has notes of citrus, stone fruit, and pepper, with a floral earthiness. Photo courtesy of Inner Compass Brewing Company.