Tom Moench was a seventh-generation Floridian and a pioneer in Florida’s craft beer scene. The beauty of Tom’s contributions to Florida beer is that they helped everyone, whether you knew Tom personally or had just enjoyed a pint of his Orange Blossom Pilsner.
Tom’s distributorship, Unique Beers, was the first to bring beers from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Avery Brewing to Central Florida in 2004. Tom would drive to bars, restaurants, and beer stores one day and then drive the truck to deliver beer the following day, repeating the process again. He was a one-man distribution company, and he used his distributorship to promote his own brand, Orange Blossom Pilsner. Once the beers grew a following, Tom sold his distribution rights to other larger distributors and devoted himself full-time to selling Orange Blossom Pilsner.
Tom could always be seen in a bright yellow car, screen printed with OBP logos. The car became a mainstay at beer festivals all over the Sunshine State, and Tom continued to grow the brand – “from 5,000 cases in 2005 to 35,000 cases in 2010,” according to an article in the Florida Business Journal.
While OBP continued to grow, Tom would have the beer brewed at Thomas Creek Brewing in South Carolina via contract brewing. The brewery would produce the beer on their equipment while following Tom’s specifications for the beer. Tom spoke about owning a brewery and wanting to brew the beer in Florida. He came close to opening a spot in Orlando, the city most closely associated with OBP, but instead opted to partner with Lakeland-based Brew Hub for all of Orange Blossom Brewing’s beers.
Tom and his small-but-fierce team of salespeople kept growing Orange Blossom Brewing’s following throughout multiple states through the partnership with Brew Hub, and the brand maintained its reputation as an approachable beer throughout Florida and Beyond.
Tom would add OBP Squared, an 11% ABV strong ale, City Beautiful IPA, and Toasted Coconut Porter to the OBP lineup. Tom would then change the name of his company to Orange Blossom Brewing to reflect the diverse lineup of beers.
Then, this weekend, the news broke from Orange Blossom Brewing.
We are deeply saddened to share that our friend and founder, Tom Moench, passed away Friday. His vision and passion shaped our company and we’ll miss him so much. He put his heart into this brewery and we’ll carry that spirit with us always. Here’s to you, Tom.
Tributes and condolences started coming in from all corners of Florida’s craft beer scene and beyond, lamenting the loss of Tom’s friendship, dedication, and passion.
Tom will be deeply missed throughout Florida beer and beyond. His story is can be heard throughout the numerous articles and podcasts he has appeared on, including:
Florida Beer News – OBP Plans Brewpub
Florida Beer News – Orange Blossom signs with Brew Hub
Persuasion By The Pint Podcast
About Orange Blossom Brewing
Our story starts in 1988, where Orange Blossom Pilsner, one of Florida’s first craft beers, was initially brewed in our founder Tom Moench’s Orlando garage. A 7th generation Floridian and Orlando native, Tom grew up loving the sweet scent of orange blossoms in the air. And it stayed with him, as it turns out that even before he was legally old enough to drink beer, he was buying the ingredients to craft his own, including the orange blossom honey that is key to the flavor of OBP. What started as a way to subvert the system, then became a lifelong passion.
From being awarded a patent on a draft-to-go device to judging at the Great American Beer Festival, Tom built a foundation that allowed him to take his acclaimed OBP honey beer pro. In 2014, he partnered with Brew Hub in Lakeland to expand production. Through this transition to the new facility, OBP evolved into the Orange Blossom Brewing Company.