Our Brewery

Glenn Closson - Co-Founder

Our Story

Independent By Choice

An independent craft brewery and tasting room located in the historic Ivanhoe District of Orlando, Florida, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company celebrates the spirit and pioneering ways of early 20th century Lake Ivanhoe founder George I. Russell. Later named Joyland, an amusement and recreational park located on the shores of Lake Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe Park previously served as home to beautifully lined orange groves and a pineapple farm. Connecting Orlando's historic past to our brewery’s commitment to community, education and the use of quality ingredients, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company seeks to make craft beer accessible to everyone.

The Brewery

Making Great Craft Beer

Keeping it simple equates to high-quality craft beer. Using only the finest ingredients and selected hops, barley and malts, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company is committed to the highest quality standards and ensuring consistency in our core beer selections. Monitoring cleanliness and freshness of our products will remain priority one.

Brewery Tours

Private tours available upon request.

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Our People

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Is Beer Your Life?

Enjoying a quality craft beer or paying the electric bill? Which one is more important to you? If you chose to enjoy a craft beer, you belong at Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company. Being neat, organized and well-mannered is also a plus. IPBC is an EOE employer.

Beer Me

Glenn Closson

Co-Founder

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally: Spreadsheets! I can stare at numbers all day.
Personally: Weightlifting. I’m not swole, but I enjoy my hour everyday at the gym to catch up on e-mails and social media.

What are you surprisingly good at?

Cooking? I’m not a pro, but I can definitely whip something together using the most random ingredients available in the fridge.

How long have you been working in your field?

It seems we wear a lot of hats at the brewery, but I’m consistently in charge of the finances. I’ve been in Finance and Accounting for over 10 years now.

What’s your biggest accomplishment?

I would have to say getting this brewery open! There was a lot of moving parts and just navigating the build out process and starting up the systems was a long and daunting task.

Beatles or Elvis?

Elvis, but only because we all have that one friend that kills his songs at karaoke night.

What is your favorite style to brew and why?

I would say a Pilsner. They’re the most difficult to ensure it is clean and crisp. It’s usually the best way to judge a brewery on cleanliness, as it is tough to hide off flavors in it.

How do you stay connected with the local area in relation to sourcing ingredients?

We love working with local suppliers for our ingredients outside of our barley and hops. Hopefully one day there will be enough Florida Hops to be able to source those locally as well.

If there were a beer that you could brew, with no regard to cost, production or sales, what would it be?

The higher the ABV, the more expensive the beer. I would say a nice Barley Wine that can be barrel aged in Brandy barrels.

Eric Van Wormer

Head Brewer

What was your first job?

Long John Silvers.

If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?

1848 The beginning of the California Gold Rush

What is your favorite style to drink?

Right now. Pilsners & Lagers

Have you ever had a nickname? What is it?

Worm.

What’s your favorite Local Restaurant?

Delmonico’s Italian Steakhouse

What is one thing you will never do again?

Parasail with a parachute bought from an Army surplus store attached to a VW bus on an old runway. Or chicken on motorcycles.

If you were deserted on an island what 3 things would you take?

Fishing Gear, Lighter and a knife.

Jonathan Uddin

Brewer

Nick Catterson

Brand Ambassador

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally, I’m beyond passionate about the Orlando Community. Personally, I’m passionate about my family and loved ones. And my sports teams.

What are you surprisingly good at?

Random impressions of celebrities and/or characters from TV/Movies.

How long have you been working in your field?

8 years.

What’s your biggest accomplishment?

Proposing to my amazing Fiancée.

Beatles or Elvis?

Beatles. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”

What is your favorite style to drink and why?

Each day presents an opportunity to try something new! Right now I’m really enjoying Pilsners and Witbiers

JD Todd

Co-Founder & Brand Ambassador

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally, I really enjoy making people happy. Whether it’s selling a product that makes someone’s life easier, or creating a brewery that’s an inviting space in which people like to spend time in. I am passionate making a positive impact with whatever it is I’m working with. Personally, I’m most passionate about my family, music, beer and having a good time. There’s nothing better to me, than hanging in our backyard, grilling, swimming with my kids, listening to good music and drinking good beer.

What are you surprisingly good at?

I’m surprisingly good at mid to late 90’s hip hop trivia. Specifically, hip hop from New York and Southern California. Also, I’m also pretty great at rock, paper, scissors.

What’s your biggest accomplishment?

I would say my biggest accomplishment is producing and raising 3 strong, smart, beautiful girls. It’s amazing to see something that I created, grow and develop into such incredible little humans.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I’d say it’s a toss-up between Linda’s La Cantina and Black Rooster.

Beatles or Elvis?

Definitely The Beatles. They were a huge part of my childhood and were always on at my parent’s house. The biggest influence on my musical taste. It’s amazing to me that they were only together and putting out albums for 7 years and have had such an incredible impact on music forever.

What is your favorite style to drink and why?

As much as I love a nice, refreshing Berliner, I think I’d have to say that my favorite style is a crisp Pale Ale. Definitely has a nice, light, hoppy flavor, without being so overpowering that you can only have one. They’re light enough to drink a few by the pool, but not so light that there’s no hop flavor.

Other than your beer, what is your “go to” drink after a long day at the brewery?

Lately, I’ve been drinking a lot of Rome City, but Guayabera is my normal go to. I’ll drink an occasional bourbon. Hudson Baby Bourbon is my preferred.

Brian Masters

Co-Founder

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally, wanting to make this brewery and tasting room an inviting and fun experience. Whether you come for the great beer, the tasting room experience, or watching the beautiful sunset from our patio over Lake Ivanhoe, I hope you look forward to visiting again every time you have to leave. Personally, seeing the world. If I'm not on vacation I'm planning the next one.

What are you surprisingly good at?

Ping Pong, would love to squeeze a table into the brewery.

How long have you been working in your field?

I've been in my "day job" for more than 20 years and this endeavor is certainly a new direction in my life.

What’s your biggest accomplishment?

Raising three energetic kids and staying mostly sane.

If you were deserted on an island what 3 things would you bring?

Wife/refrigerator/generator.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Christner's. Simply the best steak and service anywhere!

Beatles or Elvis?

He's such a big piece of Americana and growing up I was exposed to a lot more Elvis music than the Beatles.

Joe Bowling

Co-Founder

What are you most passionate about professionally? Personally?

Professionally, helping customers reinvent their business or create new business opportunities through technology. It’s amazing how technology, particularly software, can fundamentally transform entire industries. Personally, other than home brewing, anything outdoors – hiking, kayaking, hunting, etc.

What are you surprisingly good at?

Cooking – I love to cook, especially with wild game and veggies from my garden. It’s very relaxing to cook and have a few beers with SportsCenter on in the background. I’ve recently started cooking with beer, but that’s still a work in progress…

Beatles or Elvis?

Beatles because they influenced many of the 60’s rock bands (like The Who) that influenced the heavy metal pioneers of the 70’s and 80’s. If I had my choice, it would be Black Sabbath and Motorhead.

What is your favorite style to brew and why?

Ales because that’s what I like to drink, but I do more traditional English ales, Belgians, and Stouts/Porters. There are so many great IPAs on the market that I like to experiment with these other styles. My neighbor and I have a killer Belgian Golden and we’ve got an Imperial Stout in my basement that’s been in a Heaven Hill bourbon barrel since April.

Do you look at ratings on Untappd, Beer Advocate, Rate Beer and if you do how does it influence you?

I look at Beer Advocate and some of the others when I’m traveling some place new. Great reviews really draw my attention but marginal reviews don’t deter me too much. I look a little closer, and often, those reviews have more to do with an individual’s dislike for a style rather than that particular beer.

If there were a beer that you could brew, with no regard to cost, production or sales, what would it be?

Ales with fresh fruit additions. I’ve been experimenting the last few years at home – raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, peaches, etc. from my garden or neighboring farms. We’re working on using heirloom apples, but they aren’t nearly as juicy as the commercial varieties.

Other than your beer, what is your “go-to” drink after a long day at the brewery?

A nice Kentucky Bourbon on the rocks or neat. It’s the perfect partner to craft beer in so many ways.