Beaker & Flask Wine Co. makes splash in Alachua's San Felasco Tech City
By Alan Festo - published in the Gainesville Sun on Sunday, September 24, 2023
San Felasco Tech City may not be no known for full-bodied reds and crisp white wines, but that's exactly what you'll find in a small and elegant space hidden away in the startup and entrepreneurial hub off bustling U.S. 441 in Alachua.
Beaker & Flask Wine Co. opened quietly almost a year ago next to the popular Daft Cow Brewery. Its success to this point has been largely dependent on word of mouth and those who stumble upon it when visiting the brewery.
Owner Elliott Welker said he struggled for two or three years to find a location for his wine bar and that, while Tech City may seem like an odd choice, the area gets just under the same amount of round-trip traffic as the major shopping centers off Archer Road in Gainesville.
He said a lot of his customers on weekdays are those that work in Tech City or come from the nearby Turkey Creek subdivision. He's also seen quite a bit of business from people living in northwest Gainesville.
"We love the community. You won’t find a more supportive hometown team to come in and make a business easy to operate," Welker said. "Our community shows up for you when you need them. I have felt that the whole time here.”
With 140 wines from around the world to choose from, Beaker & Flask was honored in August with Wine Spectator magazine's Award of Excellence, which recognizes those establishments that feature "at least 90 selections (and) a well-chosen assortment of quality producers," according to its website.
Welker, a Certified Specialist of Wine, said honors like the Wine Spectator award will help him "unlock new partnerships" and enable him to bring in even better and unique products.
"Within 48 hours we can have any wine from around the world here, or at least some representation of it," he said.
Other area businesses recognized by Wine Spectator include Embers Wood Grill and Shula's Steak House in Gainesville, and Blue Water Bay in Melrose.
Beaker & Flask's best-selling wine is Matthews Winery's Blackboard Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petite verdot.
“There’s something in this wine for everyone. It blows every single individual wine out of the water not on quality, but just on approachability by the customers," Welker said.
Beaker & Flask, 13800 Tech City Circle, Suite 311, also features a wine club, wine tastings and the ability to host private events. It announced on Tuesday the addition of a Wine Academy — one of only three in the state — that will “provide enthusiasts and professionals an exceptional opportunity to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of wine.”
Customers that venture in on Saturday evenings — like those in the wine club — are treated to live jazz music curated by longtime local musician Cathy DeWitt. Welker said it's not a "listening crowd" and that customers often talk over the music. It is more about the room's ambiance, which also includes leather couches and chairs, local artwork, warm lighting and high ceilings.
"It adds a lot of vibe and texture to the room and the night," Welker said of the music.
For those looking to share a night out with someone who doesn't drink wine, a spacious covered outdoor area with ample seating is shared by Beaker & Flask and the Daft Cow Brewery. The space is also shared six days a week by local food trucks, such as Everyday Amore, Cheffrey's, Taino Roots, Alachua Eats and more.
Those at Beaker & Flask can even order two- and four-person charcuterie boards from Daft Cow and bring them back to the wine bar.
Welker, 33, attributes his love of wine to his father, Russell Earl Welker Jr., a lifelong grocer who started selling produce in Hawthorne out of the back of his pickup truck. Welker Jr. began working in 1993 as the wine buyer for Ward's Supermarket in Gainesville.
That job allowed him to travel extensively for industry tours and shows and, when Elliott Welker turned 18, he was able to accompany his dad to famed wine regions such as Italy, Spain, France, Chile, Argentina and the Pacific Northwest in the U.S.
“Getting that behind-the-scenes of Disney look at the wine industry, that unlocked a lot for me," Welker said. “He (his father) just kept feeding that spark and taking me on these trips with him.”
He learned the service and fine-dining side of the business while working at the now-closed Leonardo's 706 during his undergraduate years at the University of Florida.
“I really fell in love with the culture around wine drinking," Welker said. "The ceremony of it, the history, the geography, the terroirs, the ecology of it, as well as the industry side."
He said his favorite regions are Northern California and Spain.
"I'm a sucker for bubbles," he said.
While wine is Welker's passion, he spends most of his time just 2.5 miles away as an assistant director of UF Innovate Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech, a biotechnology incubator with $1.7 million in shared scientific equipment.
His time at Beaker & Flask is usually spent going over the books. He typically works behind the bar on Sundays.
“It’s an entrepreneurial hustle," he said of balancing his time between UF Innovate and Beaker & Flask.
The wine bar's day-to-day operations are handled by beverage director Melody Wilson and assistant manager Josh Huey.
“The fact that I found two people that were ready to work, that believed in an idea and the potential for this area, that was a huge stroke of luck," Welker said.