Resurgence Brewing expands distribution in Southwest Florida

Resurgence Brewing Company, which opened March 6 in south Fort Myers, is expanding its business by partnering with Suncoast Beverage Sales of Fort Myers to distribute beer, ciders and vodka seltzers to bars, restaurants and stores across Southwest Florida. 

“We’re ready to rock and roll,” said Resurgence President and Owner Jeff Ware, who founded the business in 2012 in Buffalo, opening his first brew pub there in 2014 before opening the satellite location in Lee County this year. “As the distribution grows — if it does grow, which we’re hopeful it does — we would grow the amount of beer we brew.” 

Some of the beer will be trucked from the Buffalo brewery at 55 Chicago St. Some of it — and eventually most of it — will be made at the new brewery at 6160 Exchange Lane in south Fort Myers. 

“We want it to be down there,” Ware said. “Shipping beer across the country isn’t cheap. Shipping costs keep going up and up.” 

The Buffalo brewery encompasses about 30,000 square feet and makes about 7,000 barrels of beer per year. The Fort Myers brewery is about 12,000 square feet. 

“I think we’ll make about 1,000 barrels this year,” Ware said of Fort Myers. “It’s still to be seen, but I think we’ll max out in the 2,500-barrel range.” 

It will take some time for Resurgence to build its brand in the region, Ware said. 

“We’re slow rolling it out there,” he said. “We just want to get out there and start building relationships.” 

Resurgence began its marketing efforts by sponsoring the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels minor league baseball team this season. 

“We’d love to work with Hertz Arena, as well,” Ware said. “Places that are family friendly are in our wheelhouse.” 

Resurgence’s top-selling beer in both Buffalo and Fort Myers has turned out to be the same: CitMo IPA. 

The Dubai chocolate stout has proven more popular than anticipated in Fort Myers, Ware said, so the brewery will continue making it. 

There are 17 Resurgence beers on tap, plus two guest taps at the brew pub. 

The core beers that will be available in cans include CitMo IPA, Flats & Drums Pale Ale and Premium Pilsner. 

Resurgence beer cans should make their way to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores by December and Total Wine by early 2027, Ware said. The cans will be sold in packs of four or eight, which are available now at the brewery. The brewery also serves an assortment of beer on tap that will be exclusive to the restaurant and won’t be distributed. 

“Our whole plan was to get the brick and mortar up and then start sending it out to the market,” Ware said. 

Asked about the dangers of cannibalizing his brew pub by sending Resurgence beer to other bars, Ware said it’s a two-way street. 

“People will come to the brewery, have a great experience, then see it on the shelves,” Ware said. “Or vice versa. They’ll get introduced to our brand at a bar in Cape Coral or Punta Gorda and realize, ‘Hey, that’s really good stuff. Let’s go and check out the brewery.’ We do have a robust distribution in the Buffalo area. We’re thinking we’ll be able to do a piece of business down there. 

“We’re certainly not looking to be the next Budweiser. We just think our beers and ciders and vodka seltzers will fit in nicely with what’s available across the market.”