A Christmas gift turned career: Accomplished couple opens unique new brewpub in Edgewater

A crossroads between classic and never-been-done-before, Edgewater’s latest brewery addition is combining elevated cuisine and unique craft beers for a whimsical brewpub experience like no other.

Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing, located in Edgewater’s Riverside Plaza, opened its doors earlier in October, offering the local community an eclectic new space to unwind, have a drink and disconnect from the week’s troubles.

The funky new spot prides itself on its steampunk-esque feel and movie-themed interior, providing customers with a dining experience as alluring and unique as the brewpub’s owners, JR and Mika Rivera.

While the seasoned brew master, JR, alongside his wife and culinary wizard, Mika, have long dreamed of opening their own brewery, the road to doing so has been anything but ordinary.

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From hair dye and scrubs to culinary school

The dynamic pair, now business owners, met in Sebring, Florida, 13 years ago, both initially pursuing other professional interests.

“He was a master mechanic for ... 35-40 years — still is — and I, at the time, was a hairstylist,” Mika said. “We were both kind of just doing things we didn’t love … but when we met, it kind of changed our lives for each other.”

Mika shifted careers shortly after the pair married, ultimately going on to work as a trauma nurse and, later, as a telehealth nurse for military families — a career she maintains to this day, alongside her role at Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing.

It was during this time of change and self-exploration several years ago that Mika — or JR, rather — unveiled yet another hidden talent — one that had no strings attached to neither hair dye nor scrubs.

“When we met, I told him, you know, look, I don’t cook, I don’t clean, I’m not good at those things,” Mika said. “We were going to this Christmas party one day, and I made this lasagna and he just looked at me from the living room and he was like ‘you lied to me; you can cook.' From that moment on I was like ‘I can? Oh OK,' and I started watching every show about cooking I could get my hands on, learning all the different techniques. I loved it.”

Mika went on to attend and graduate from Escoffier Culinary School during the pandemic, where she was awarded honors for menu design. She even auditioned for Gordon Ramsay’s “MasterChef,” and noted the experience’s impact on her beginnings as a chef.

“I ended up making it through several rounds — not on TV but in the preliminary, like application process," she said. "But that was fun. They liked my food, you know? The Gordon Ramsay team, they kept on coming back and trying what I made, and I didn’t expect that you know? So, all of that just really inspired me.”

Fully enveloped in her new, kitchen-born passion and eager to bring her culinary dreams to life, the only question left was how to make it happen.

The gift that changed it all

Like Mika, JR’s professional path ultimately began to shift.

For some, their career is born from a life-long passion, a dream they’ve had since childhood, a skill they’ve honed for as long as they can remember. For others, like the now-seasoned brew master, it was born rather spontaneously nine years ago, from a simple Christmas gift: a Mr. Beer brew kit.

“It’s basically like an Easy-Bake Oven of brewing,” Mika laughed. “It was like, oh my God, I think you’re good at this, you know? Then he started getting all this other equipment, brewing at home, and then he just like loved it and it look off.”

JR began brewing for himself and, ultimately, for friends and family after gradually upgrading his equipment, perfecting his craft and falling in love with the art of it all.

“I just loved the science of it and the creation of it,” JR said. “The Mr. Beer kit was very limited, so I started to make the beers from scratch, getting all the grains and equipment and all to make it.”

It wasn’t long after the couples culinary and brewing talents began to blossom that they realized a new dream, one that fused their newfound passions: opening a brewery.

And, in time, that’s just what they did.

What the duo hoped would be a couple-months-long project began last March, taking more than six months of dedication to bring to fruition. The delay in the brewpub’s worth-the-wait opening allowed the pair to organically bring their vision to life — one they insisted on maintaining complete creative control over.

“I had a vision for the look of it. I knew I wanted it to be movie-themed … but it sort of did still come about organically as we looked at the space,” Mika said.

“We broke ground, and I do mean broke ground. I built the benches over there, I did the seats here, I did the bar, he made the structure. So, anything that looks pretty, I did, and anything structurally, anything that works — he did. I made the tables; we did the floors — everything that’s not plumbing or electrical.”

The brewpub’s walls are as on-theme as it gets, decorated in wall-hangings inspired by film classics like “IT” and “Jurassic Park,” while its eclectic elements come into play through the jewel-toned velvet seating, unicorn décor, LED glowing bar and miscellaneous vintage pieces placed throughout.

What to expect at Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing

According to the brew master, there’s a level of creativity and sense of community that comes from brewing in house for customers — one that beer-lovers won’t get from any old bar.

“It’s a craft brewery, and the beer served is all made here,” JR said. “The difference between a brewery and a bar is really that at a bar you’re just getting different types of beer or alcohol to serve for the type of clientele that you have. A brewery, the beer is made there, to a point where you know I’ll do an IPA, I’ll do a stout — it just keeps the creativity pretty flexible, so I can make whatever I feel like for people.”

According to the co-owner, brewing is an art; it’s a time-consuming process — one that, gradually, he has learned well, allowing his creativity to flourish, his beer quality to improve, and his love for the practice to continually grow.

“Brew day is always a special day. You set your mood, you set your music and you start making beer,” JR said. “That process usually takes four to five hours. Then, once the beers finished, I put it in a fermenter, put the yeast, leave it at that temperature, let it do its job. You’re looking at a week to two weeks for it to finish, but it depends on the type of beer — the more alcohol or more complexity, those will take longer — five to six weeks easy.”

JR went on to note that the brewpub has eight taps that are continually rotating with new and unique brews.

Several new selections recently placed in the rotation include the Porn Stache oatmeal stout, Purple Reign blueberry wheat ale, Orange Crush wheat ale, Rivera’s Roost red ale, Bombshell Blonde blonde ale, and “Uni-toots,” a Fruity Pebbles-rimmed wheat ale made from wheat-type malt, lactose sugar — for added creaminess — and Fruity Pebbles for a hint of sweetness, without overpowering the natural beer flavors.

JR has also created his first seltzer, a cotton candy selection of which he boasts leaves no lingering aftertaste.

Currently, a holly berry stout is in the works, praised by the duo for its subtle sweetness and complex flavor profile, comprised of cranberries, various wild berries, grapes and “something new” the brew master noted, stating, “we made some sangria, and in sangria you put fruit, some cinnamon — you know, things like that — so I took that fruit out, put it in a bag — a mesh bag — and put it in the beer to let that flavor in.”

Previous popular offerings have included the Hop Tub Double IPA, made with blood orange and described as a refreshing and juicy, yet sneaky, high-alcohol favorite, as well as the Mac Me Coconut, described as a light and refreshing blonde ale with hints of coconut and macadamia-forward flavors.

“There will always be some type of lager and Uni-Toot on tap, but I want to keep things — even when people like it — I want to still keep it fresh, because we only have eight taps. So, if I keep two or three all the time, it only leaves me so many to get creative and try new things,” JR said. “I’ll bring those back — the ones that are popular — but I want to keep the interest alive so people can look forward to it when it comes back.”

Typsy Unicorn's scratch kitchen serves baked brie, paninis and more

Mika, the culinary mastermind behind the brewpub’s elevated menu, takes pride in the ever-changing offerings that are often inspired by day-to-day life, whether it be a scratch-made soup during gloomier days, a seasonal baked brie inspired by the holidays, or a classic grilled cheese and tomato soup just because.

The accomplished chef’s menu includes house-made hummus, charcuterie, various soups and an array of homemade paninis ranging from the Lomo de Cerdo pork loin panini — pork tenderloin, goat cheese crumbles, plum tomato, thin sliced cucumber, shallots and cucumber/dill crème fresh — and the From Capri With Love caprese-style panini — fresh mozzarella, heirloom cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, Maldon salt and cracked pepper — to the eatery’s most popular King Louis XV French onion/roast beef panini — a royalty-inspired dish comprised of thinly sliced beef, gruyere/fontina cheese, sauteed onions and house-made garlic aioli.

A place where her medical and culinary background merge, Mika noted the importance of cleanliness, and fresh ingredients at Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing, putting quality and consistency at the forefront of all the brewpub does.

“Every week I do a soup from scratch, everything is from scratch, my hummus — everything. My bread is from the Dutch Oven Bread Company (in Edgewater) and they are spectacular,” Mika said. “I use produce from Ingrid’s produce store over here. My charcuterie — I use whatever is seasonal. It’s all fresh … and, being a nurse, you know, I keep everything very clean.”

Among the brewpub’s most popular and picture-perfect offerings is the seasonal-turned staple baked brie — a favorite that has stuck around by popular demand and customized with each season. Currently, Mika’s baked brie features rosemary and orange cranberries, while the previous fall brie came decorated with baked granny smith apples, pomegranate and candied pecans.

Although still getting a feel for the newly opened business, in the future, Mika plans to grow the brewpub’s menu and continue to explore her passions through new culinary territories.

“I love it,” Mika said. “I’ve been a hairstylist; I was a very good hairstylist. I’ve been a nurse; I was a very good nurse. But this, I love. I wake up thinking about it, and I go to bed thinking about what new recipe I can make.”

Get in the T.U.B. and become a member today

As fun and funky as its owners, Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing’s slogan organically became “get in the T.U.B.,” a play on the brewpub’s acronym that has found wild success among the local community for its comedic nature. Whether used as a hashtag or displayed through promotional social media captions such as “Ever eat soup in the T.U.B.?” the cheeky play on words never fails to catch customers’ attention.

According to JR and Mika, those looking to “get in the T.U.B.” can visit the brewpub and purchase a TUB CLUB membership — $50 bronze membership, $100 silver, $250 gold, and $500 platinum lifetime membership — where special discounts and perks will be rewarded, including discounted event space-booking and first dibs on new beers. Memberships can also be purchased using Venmo, Cash App or Zelle, as noted on the brewpub's website.

Start planning your visit, sit back and relax

With the intention of creating a romantic, yet causal and whimsical escape, JR and Mika's wish is that customers new and returning will find the magic in Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing — a place they hope people will use to connect, have fun and disengage from the world around them, while engaging with the small pleasures in front of them. It's an atmosphere, they say, new and unknown to Edgewater.

“We’re not a sports bar,” Mika said.

“There are plenty of sports bars out there; were not that. We play classic movies — "The Blob," old cult classics. So, we have those on and then we always have music on, and people really get into it. We have live music, local performers … We’re trying to go more for a date night vibe — there’s nothing like that here. Edgewater is growing. We’re becoming a huge community, and we need places like this.”

Typsy Unicorn’s Brewing is located at 2140 S. Riverside Drive in Edgewater and is open noon - 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon - 7 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 386-444-3047 or visit typsyunicornsbrewing.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Typsy Unicorn Brewery offers craft beer, elevated cuisine in Edgewater