Blast Beer was born from a simple idea: if comic books can have heroes with explosive energy, why can’t beer? Our brews are crafted with bold flavor, vibrant style, and the kind of character that jumps off the shelf.
Blast Beer Company started in 1990 as the brainchild of beer-loving Purdue University student Tadd Maudlin. With the craft brew movement just kicking off, Tadd drove hundreds of miles to find ingredients and bought books to learn all about how great beers are made. Since then, he has enjoyed brewing beer and sharing the process with friends and family.
My first introduction to beer wasn’t exactly refined. It was quantity-based. Fast lessons. Rough results. Then I realized something important. I didn’t want more beer. I wanted better beer. That shift changed everything.
Friends kept disappearing with beers in hand, and the bottles rarely made it back. What began as hauling bottles home turned into labeling them, just to keep track and get them returned. Less chasing bottles, less washing, and a small but important idea took shape.
In 1997, a friend took me to the Broad Ripple Brew Pub in Indianapolis. That’s where I had my first Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I was smitten. For the first time, beer had balance, flavor, and intention. It wasn’t just something you drank. It was something you built. I went all in. Homebrewing became an obsession. Recreating the great craft beers of the time. Experimenting. Refining. Learning control.
While living in Mexico in 2015, I finally realized I was allergic to the gluten in my beer. I was devastated. However, my wife, Lindsay, took me on a wine appreciation road trip. That’s when I met a fellow brewer who introduced me to an enzyme that significantly reduces gluten in beer. I was skeptical at first, but the results were fantastic. I came back to brewing with a renewed passion.
I kept brewing when we moved aboard our sailboat in Key West. In 2018, Lindsay and I sailed our catamaran across the Atlantic to the UK, over to Europe, down to Africa, and back again. While at sea, I couldn’t brew and experienced firsthand how hard it was to find great-tasting beer for people sensitive to gluten. That’s when I knew I couldn’t keep this to myself anymore. I was on a mission.
Our new mission at Blast Beer Company was to provide you with everything that’s great about high-quality craft beer and blast out what’s not. The only change we make is to add a natural enzyme that blasts gluten to bits. It doesn’t change the taste of the beer! We make great-tasting beer that’s fun for everyone, including gluten-intolerant people. Among the first recipes to emerge from Tadd’s brewhouse was an exceptionally gluten-reduced beer designed for drinkers with sensitivity to gluten. This early innovation delivered full craft flavor with a more accessible profile and became a defining moment in the evolution of Blast Beer.
Blast Beer made its official debut at the Craft Brewers Conference in 2021, where ideas turn into brands and small batches meet big opinions. It was the first time Blast Beer was poured outside its inner circle, marking the leap from concept to craft brewery. Pictured here is the Blast Beer Co. Team, Tadd, His Wife Lindsay, and Brother-in-law Ian.
Blast Beer Co. is currently brewing a wide range of curated craft beers from our Key West, FL, location. We have partnered with a contract brewery in FL to meet our customers' demand for our beer at their local shop or bar. You can find out more about our current brews and the process of putting our signature POW! into every beer below.
The Brewers Association journal The New Brewer features Blast Beer Co. and Southernmost Pint in its 2025 Brewpubs Industry Review, spotlighting 415% barrel growth in 2024.
Keys Weekly celebrates a year of gluten-reduced craft beer at Southernmost Pint, the Key West brewpub from Blast Beer Company.
International Business Times features how Blast Beer Company brews gluten-reduced craft beer without sacrificing traditional flavor.
Looking to add a high-energy, crowd-favorite craft beer to your tap lineup? Blast Beer delivers crisp profiles and super-hero punch that keeps customers ordering another round. Superpower your beer offerings with the explosive character of Blast Beer.
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