Beer dreams can come true
Infinite Ale Works starts brewing at its new midtown location.
The dream of transforming the old Ocala Fire Rescue Station No. 1, which overlooks Tuscawilla Park, into the new home of Infinite Ale Works was realized April 2 as the company brewed its first batch of beer at the location.
The new brewing operation comes with the added perk of a full bar and independent food hall tenants offering multiple dining options, all under the same roof and collectively called Midtown Station.
The eatery and bar opened in September of 2024, but it wasn’t until Wednesday that the company was ready to brew beer.
When Infinite Ale Works started out 11 years ago, they were a small-scale operation, borrowing equipment from another brewery.
“As we grew, we were able to buy our own fermenters and grow our brewing program. In 2018, we had grown so much that we were actually awarded Best Large-Scale Brewery in the state of Florida by the Florida Brewers Association,” recalled co-owner Kristin McDonald on the recent momentous day.
McDonald and her husband, Tom, sat down with the “Gazette” to reminisce about the long road to this moment.
The couple said their dreams for the location began in 2017, when the city of Ocala issued a request for proposals for the property’s use. It would take years for them to refine their vision and secure the contract.
According to the agreement, the city sold the one-acre parcel to McDonald Properties & Investments for $1. The deal included reimbursement of up to $100,000 for roof repairs to the 1984 building during the first year. The city agreed to pay the company $25,000 per year for five years after that.
After the contract was in place, it would take almost three and a half years to open the project’s door to the public—an expensive endeavor that came with many surprises, from determining which walls were load bearing to figuring out how to convince the birds that occupied the structure to leave.
“We tried to get them to leave using a machine that would make noises randomly,” Tom explained with a chuckle, remembering a “huge hawk” that would hang out at the back door with an eye to get in.
But when that didn’t work, they had to hire out-of-town professionals to “humanely” remove them, Kristin explained.
Looking back on the three and a half years it took to open the place, Kristine and Tom both said they wished they had understood that they needed to be more hands-on, moving things along rather than relying on others.
“Time is money,” Tom acknowledged in hindsight.
“I probably spent in interest the cost of a new sports car,” he added.
The neighborhood for Midtown Station is a mixture of residential and commercial, and the McDonalds say their new neighbors have been great and welcomed them.
“I think it helps that we try to be careful about noise and keep the live music inside,” Tom said.
Eventually, the couple would like to host concerts in the backyard of Midtown Station, which can fit around 700 people.
The McDonalds acknowledged they too have noticed the trend, nationally reported, that Americans are drinking less alcohol.
“There are trends in this market. We just have to stay on top of it,” Kristin said.
The couple acknowledged that another trend, including THC or CBD in cocktails, is one they’ll likely pass on.
“Usually, we have around 30 of our own beers on draft, as well as a handful of our own cocktails,” Kristin said.
With so many options, “We like to say that we have something for everyone. That being said, our flagship beer is the West Floridian, a Belgain quad. It’s one of the first beers we brewed and it’s also an award-winning beer,” she added.
Their IPA, Into the Haze has taken over the top spot as far as distribution goes.
“Everyone these days loves a good hazy IPA and we have perfected ours; it’s a good one,” Tom offered.
Beer drinkers can visit the brewery to stock up on the local brew or find it at their favorite bars and restaurants. Additionally, the beer is distributed throughout Florida at local grocery stores or bottle shops.
“If you can’t find it, ask for it. Almost any place in Florida can get it for you,” Tom said.
The Infinite Ale Works site on Magnolia in downtown Ocala will remain open and Tom and Kristin said they have ideas for adding more fun activities, as well as introducing new, unique drink options beyond beer, at that location.
To learn more about hours, offerings and the live music schedule for the brewery and food hall, visit midtownstationocala.com
To learn more about Infinite Ale Works, visit infinitealeworks.com
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