Meet Leopoldo F. Diaz | GM & Partner of Focal Brewing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leopoldo F. Diaz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leopoldo F., how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from Caracas, Venezuela. I have a law background and after pursuing my masters degree in NYC and working for 12 years in Finance, I ended up brewing beer. All of my past 37 years have shaped into whom I am today. Of course country and environment has a lot to do, but also and more importantly family and friends. Beer has always been a passion and I happy of where I am and with whom I am doing this proyect.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Focal Brewing Company is a Local and Independent craft brewery based in Little River, Miami. We believe in quality over quantity so in that sense we have a small but dedicated team that lives all things beer 24/7. We are committed to continue growing at a steady pace so that the Focal brand is known more every day. After a turbulent 2020, we are getting back to our core business of brewing and distributing beer (as opposed to pandemic survival mode), it definitely wasn’t easy but things that are worth never are. Resilience would be one of the most important things that we learned and also teamwork and a sense of community. When the going got tough everybody came through (including the landlord – just dont tell him that – hahaha).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Lets start with our cozy neighborhood of Little River: – Hachidori Ramen (great ramen and buns) – Boia De! (new kids on the block, dont let the strip mall vibe fool you) – Fiorito (great Argentinian steakhouse, start with a Mayami Blonde and Provoleta with chorizo, get the Tomahawk and pair it with a nice Malbec) Outside our frontier: – iBurguer (amazing burguers, probably the coldest Mayami Blonde beer on draft you’ll drink outside our Taproom) – Pubbelly Sushi (butter crab is a must, also we heard their Yoshitomo Beer is amazing, haha) – Friends Market and Bistro (show some love to our Venezuelan buddies who have an amazing menu) – Aficionados Gastrobar (never a dull moment for a cigar and a peaty single malt) After all that, go to the PAMM, walk through their permanent exhihbition, get a double shot expresso and sit outside, take the view in and digest all the food we’ve just recommended.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A big shoutout for the Focal Brewing family, Humberto Perez my Brewery partner and Carlos de la Rosa, the Head Brewer in Focal and a true artist. Regarding life, I wouldnt be here (wherever that is) without my mother, my wife and my beautiful daughter.

Website: focalbrewing.com

Instagram: @focalbrewing

Facebook: facebook.com/focalbrewing

Image Credits
Adriana Guinand Leo Diaz Humberto Perez