'Naughty' pleasure now in distribution

If you want a date with a “Naughty Blonde,” you won’t have to be in Lakewood Ranch anymore.

The Naughty Monk Brewery’s craft beer creation, Naughty Blonde, will be its first available through distribution.

Diana and Joe Eibler, along with their business partners, have struck a deal with Gold Coast Eagle Distributing to make their beer available to the masses.

“This is the fun part,” said co-owner and co-founder Joe Eibler, who has developed most of Naughty Monk’s Belgium-inspired beer recipes. “It’s a good feeling.”

Diana Eibler, Naughty Monk’s CEO and co-founder of the Lakewood Ranch brewery, added, “The distribution part of it is the ultimate goal. To be out there and have your product out there, it feels good. This is just the beginning.”

She was confident Gold Coast Eagle Distributing would take their brewery to the next level.

Brewmaster Joe Eibler called “Naughty Blonde” a gateway beer that can convince patrons to try craft beer.

“Blonde is the most popular in the taproom,” he said. “It’s a beer that anybody can drink.”

Pat Bruenning, vice president of sales of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, said Naughty Monk already has gained a following. Gold Coast will monitor supply and demand at five eateries — Geckos Bar and Grill at 7228 55th Ave. E., Bradenton; Beef ‘O’ Brady’s at 4286 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton; Fuzzy’s Taco Shop at 2515 University Parkway; Oak and Stone at 5405 University Parkway; and Truman’s Tap and Grill at 11161 E State Road 70 East, Bradenton.

“We’ve got people lined up for it,” he said. “We want to be diligent.”

Naughty Monk CFO Eric Keller said the distribution kickoff is the first step in a grander vision for expansion. With the taproom open since November 2016, the brewery already is profitable.

In the first year, Naughty Monk expects to sell less than 1,000 barrels of beer. But by year three, it hopes to sell at least 4,000 — that’s 120,000 gallons of beer annually.

“I’ll be disappointed if we don’t,” Keller said. “Right now, the taproom is generating most of our revenues, but a year from now that will change.”

Diana Eibler said the business’s success would not be possible without its staff.

“We have a wonderful brew crew and servers,” she said. “We couldn’t do it without them. They are absolutely phenomenal. This is not a one-man show. It takes all of us to make this happen and keep us moving forward. It’s a tough business, but it’s a fun business."