13 January 18-24, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Reality Bites Former Bachelor star goes from reality TV to South Beach taproom. BY NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR L orenzo Borghese is an Italian- American businessman, member of the Borghese family (yes, that family), a cosmetics entrepreneur, and an animal rights advocate. He was also the star of the ninth season of ABC’s The Bachelor. Now, through his life’s ups and downs, his unlikely career path has led him to this exact moment. After founding South Beach Brewing Company in 2017, the beer com- pany has a new taproom at 210 11th St. in Miami Beach. The 2,000-square-foot taproom welcomes locals and tourists alike with an energetic atmosphere, bold primary colors, and an expansive outdoor beer garden. The taproom and beer garden will provide the perfect setting to grab beers and lunch with friends in a quintessentially Florida, laid-back atmosphere. However, Borghese’s path to the beer in- dustry and this taproom might be entirely un- like anyone else New Times has ever featured before. “I haven’t watched The Bachelor in years — I didn’t even watch my season, honestly,” says the former reality star about his stint as the leading man of ABC’s hit reality dating show in 2006. During his season, he ulti- mately picked Jennifer Wilson, breaking up shortly after the show concluded. Beyond being a one-time reality TV star, Borghese boasts a lineage tied to historical and royal figures, such as Pope Paul V, and is recognized for his family’s contributions to art, religion, and cosmetics. Oh, and Bor- ghese’s paternal grandmother was Princess Marcella Borghese, who founded the Bor- ghese cosmetics line in 1958. Despite his impressive family lineage and time in the spotlight, Borghese sought out en- trepreneurship instead. “When I was filming The Bachelor in the late 2000s, I couldn’t even get on Facebook at the time, so I missed out on social media completely,” he says with a laugh. Since his numerous stints on shows like Big Brother UK, he believes his life has worked out for the best. The creation of South Beach Brewing Company was seren- dipitous, originating from Borghese’s appear- ance on the Esquire Network show Lucky Bastards in 2014, which propelled his passion for craft beer and inspired him to start the company. Although he calls Miami Beach home now, he previously lived in New York for 17 years, which is where he had dreamed of launching the beer brand. However, his career led him back to the state where he had attended col- lege, Florida, and he never looked back. Once back in the Sunshine State, it clicked. He would set out to create unique, South Florida-style beers made with real fruit juice and added electrolytes. “The beer scene brought me to South Beach,” he explains. “Here, I was able to add electrolytes to my beer.” Although he isn’t the biggest beer fan, he loves what he has now coined as “brunch beer,” meaning a light and fruity beer you can have during brunch. “I had the idea of doing a brunch beer, which makes more sense in Florida than in New York be- cause of the high heat in Florida, and, of course, South Beach is known for its brunch parties.” In true South Florida fashion, his brunch beers are made with 100 percent natural or- ange juice sourced from Florida, electrolytes for an added boost of hydration, and a gluten- free blonde ale. “It took me three years to make that formula correct,” he adds. “A team at the University of Florida helped me come up with the perfect formula.” The company’s first award-winning IPA was its Blood Orange Sunset IPA, made with bright notes of orange, mango, and other cit- rus fruits paired with carefully chosen hops. “It’s not too hoppy, and it’s not too filling,” he explains. “It’s also high in alcohol content, which I like, too. You get a lot of bang for your buck.” Although South Beach Brewing Company isn’t the first beer with electrolytes, it is the first brunch beer to coin itself as such. “I had the electrolyte concept since 2015,” he boasts, although almost in regret. Just like his time on The Bachelor, he says he was “ahead of his time.” As for the new taproom, its opening wasn’t an easy feat. Since 2016, the entrepreneur has faced nu- merous roadblocks in order to build the tap- room of his dreams, including facing hurdles with the city due to building and restaurant restrictions, his landlord, and then the heart- breaking death of artist David “Lebo” Le Ba- tard in 2023, who designed the brand’s logo, each beer’s artwork design, and a custom mu- ral for the taproom. At one point, Borghese al- most felt like giving up. However, to the benefit of local beer lovers, he did not. After six years, Borghese has finally ac- complished his dream of owning a South Beach taproom. (Although, if his original dream was to star on The Bachelor, then he succeeded with that one, too.) South Beach Brewing Company. 210 11th St., Miami Beach; southbeachbrew.com. [email protected] ▼ Café South Beach Brewing Company photo Lorenzo Borghese sits on top of cans from South Beach Brewing Company. “I HAD THE IDEA OF DOING A BRUNCH BEER, WHICH MAKES SENSE IN FLORIDA.”
