Longtime Florida-based brewer Bobby Gordash, formerly of Holy Mackerel Small Batch Beers, is the man behind the Mindful Drinking Project and its first flagship offering, Oomph! Hazy IPA.
With the sober-curious trend that has emerged in the past few years, you've probably heard a story like Gordash's. He cut back on drinking to find healthier hobbies and was unimpressed by the nonalcoholic beverage options available to him.
But unlike his large-scale, zero-proof competitors, Gordash says he plans to use his years of brewing experience to create a local product that's both full of flavor and better for you than the nonalcoholic competition.
South Florida beer lovers might remember Gordash from Holy Mackerel "Panic Attack," the beer he founded nearly 20 years ago.
Gordash began home-brewing in 1993 after purchasing a kit from Sharper Image. The part-time hobby grew into a passion, and his kit morphed from one gallon to five. In 1996, he entered the Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Competition, eventually winning the contest for his "Bob's Flywater Ale" Gordash used the prize money to invest in his home-brew setup and began experimenting with Belgian-style ales, kegging and bottling his own beer.
He founded Holy Mackerel Small Batch Beers in 2006, self-marketing and distributing alongside South Florida's early brewers. In 2016, he opened the Holy Mackerel Garage Project in Pompano Beach. It closed in 2019, and he sold the brand that same year.
“I didn't plan on getting back in the business again. I'd been cutting back on drinking and had an itch to start something new," Gordash tells New Times. "And the one thing I really wanted was a good, juicy, New England-style IPA."
To that end, Oomph! is a hazy, full-bodied New England IPA with all the hop flavor and aroma you'd expect from the real deal — minus the alcohol. Each batch is unique, adds Gordash, brewed with a single rotating hop.
Mindful Beer Project founder Bobby Gordash holds a can of his nonalcoholic craft beer, Oomph! Hazy IPA.
Photo by Nicole Danna
"If I'm not going to have a full-strength beer, I don't want to be consuming large amounts of calories or carbs, either," he says.
The nonalcoholic beverage sector has seen explosive growth in the past several years as consumers continue to practice more conscious drinking habits, from choosing low-proof drinks to subbing out regular-strength drinks for alcohol-free alternatives.
According to the IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, sales of no- and low-alcohol beverages grew by more than seven percent in volume across ten key global markets in 2022, and the pace of growth is expected to accelerate over the next several years.
As Gordash sees it, South Florida, known for its "play all day" attitude toward drinking, is the perfect location to launch a nonalcoholic alternative that looks and tastes like the real thing.
"Everyone knows someone that might be trying to cut back or not drink, but you still want to enjoy a beer by the pool or on the beach," he says.
Gordash, who contracts his beer brewing out of Hollywood Brewing Co., says he's not removing alcohol.
"I'm basically brewing a baby beer — a super session IPA that's a very low-gravity beer," he explains, noting that the product remains below one-half percent alcohol throughout production. "The advantage of that is that I'm using less ingredients, which allows me to buy top-quality grains, yeast, and hops."
Earlier this month, Oomph! became available for sale at Total Wine and Fresh Market stores across South Florida. A six-pack retails for $14, and is also available for purchase online. On draft, Oomph! is available at LauderAle in Fort Lauderdale.
"The ball is just rolling now," Gordash adds. "Moving forward, I plan on making different styles. Maybe a sour or a malty lager, anything that has a lot of flavor. This is new and exciting, but there's a lot to prove to people that just because it's alcohol-free doesn't mean it has to taste bad or be bad for you."
