Dr. Ty Eriks and Sharee Eriks, Esq. Owners and Operators of Gulf Stream Brewing Company
Dr. Ty and Sharee Eriks are originally from the Pacific Northwest, but made Fort Lauderdale their home in 2013. Ty learned how to brew beer in dental school more than a decade ago. What started out as a fun hobby for broke young adults who couldn’t afford to buy booze, soon turned in to a true passion. Ty used his love of science to totally nerd out and explore how to develop recipe profiles to create “true to style” beers. He’d spend hours selecting the right water profile, confirming if reverse osmosis was needed for the style of beer (and which brewing salts to use), selecting complimentary grains and hops, and researching new hop strains. Sharee, the ever patient wife, learned to love and appreciate the beers fermenting in her bathtub. The bubbling sounds became the soundtrack to her law school exam study sessions.
In 2018, Ty founded Gulf Stream Brewing Company with a good friend who had a similar beer philosophy. In the summer of 2022, Ty and Sharee became the primary owners and operators.
Just as the Gulf Stream’s warm current flows up the eastern coastline, influencing the climate and amazing recreational opportunities in South Florida and beyond, Ty and Sharee strive to recreate that same warmth, abundance and fun with each beer they introduce! Gulf Stream Brewery is focused on balanced, creative, flavorful and unpretentious beers to be enjoyed in the South Florida sunshine.
Sean De Vosjoli Director of Sales
Sean studied to be a perfumer in France but realized that he could use his heightened sense of smell and taste to help him discover the unique nuances in wine and craft beers. Raised to be an avid traveler, Sean has lived in Paris, Switzerland, Sun Valley, Beijing, and St. Thomas. In between adventures, Sean kept returning to South Florida, the home of his heart, and now his permanent residence.
His career in craft beer started at Islamorada Beer Company, and Sean then moved on to Brown Distributing which gave him a wider insight into the business side of craft beer and distribution. Even then, Sean was an enthusiastic fan of Gulf Stream beer and would hype them up to anyone who would listen. The admiration was mutual, and Sean was invited to join the Gulf Stream family in 2019. Sean has built the brewery’s distribution footprint from the ground up (we’re now at 300+ establishments and counting!) and is now developing our retail pipeline, landing accounts like Whole Foods and Total Wine & More.
Casey Johnson Brewmaster
Casey grew up in the Turks and Caicos Islands, enjoying crystal clear waters and sunny beaches for almost all of his childhood. He moved to Florida when he was 13 and later attended the University of Florida where he got his degree in accounting (no, he won’t do your taxes). Once he came of legal drinking age, Casey started to enjoy the wide variety of beer that was available, visiting his local bottle shop in Gainesville on a weekly basis to try as many different beers as he could. After graduating from UF and working as an accountant for 1.5 miserable years, Casey moved back to south Florida where he met his friend Sean. Sean worked for a brewery called Gulf Stream and wouldn’t ever shut up about how great it was. When an opportunity arose to support Gulf Stream’s brewing operations, Casey joined the team, and in August 2021 he became Gulf Stream’s head brewmaster. Even though it’s not something his younger self envisioned, Casey is extremely happy to work for an amazing company, in an industry full of great people, doing something he loves.
Kim Johnson Director of Social Media and Marketing
Kim also hails from the Pacific Northwest and has known our owner, Ty, his whole life and tortured him for most of it (she’s his sister). Kim graduated from the University of Washington in 2002 with a degree in something sucky that has never paid the bills. She began working for her father’s dental practice in 1999, and in 2009 decided to double down on being around teeth all the time and attended dental hygiene school. Kim has been a practicing dental hygienist for more than a decade and is pretty damn good at it.
Ever the glutton for punishment, she decided to work for family once again and currently works at Ty’s dental practice AND joined the Gulf Stream team in September 2022 as the Director of Social Media and Marketing. Kim is a self proclaimed social media addict and has turned her incessant scrolling and clicking into an opportunity to support the family business. Kim is extremely excited to be working with her favorite sibling (Sharee), growing the brewery’s reach, and drinking great beer in the process.
Taproom and Brewing Staff
Ashley, Gina, Alex, Jason and Les have been with Gulf Stream Brewing Company for many years, and Danielle, Megan, Eddie, Mia and Rachel are amazing additions to the taproom! Craig is a bartender turned cellarman and works hand-in-hand with Casey to create the product we all know and love.
The staff at Gulf Stream Brewing Company are unmatched in their knowledge of craft beer, their experience in this industry, their friendliness, and their ability to create an amazing vibe in the taproom every day. They each have an uncanny ability to recall your favorite beer the last time you were in the bar or guide you to your next favorite Gulf Stream brew.
You are in good hands with our “beertenders” and staff.
