Aaron Hosé
Bastet Brewing co-founders Huston Lett (L) and Tom Ross.
Best of the Bay-winning Bastet Brewing, located at 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B on the edge of Ybor City, will serve its last pint of fermented goodness on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
“The short explanation is that adverse socio-economic conditions that began in 2020, the year we opened, have led us to make a pragmatic decision that is the best for moving forward,” Bastet Brewing's owners wrote on its website this week. “For nearly 4 years we’ve fought against the persistent unfavorable challenges within the beer industry to keep the doors open, but with limited options available to us, the financial burden has proven to be too great.”
During its last few days open, the Tampa craft brewery will offer $6 pours of everything on its tap list—from its German-style Apep Pils to its deep purple, ube and Meyer lemon-based Ube Dube Do.
Other popular sips from Bastet Brewing include the fruity Florida Midriff, Orange! Bloody Orange! Pale ale, Poysenous Apple cider, and the Seedless Regime watermelon sour, in addition to a variety of lagers, blonde ales, hazy IPAs and imperial stouts.
Co-owners Tom Ross and Huston Lett opened their craft brewery in late 2020, ultimately inspired by ancient fermentation techniques and traditions from across the globe.
The duo named their microbrewery after the Egyptian lioness warrior goddess Bastet, one of the many examples of Ross and Lett incorporating ancient themes and cultural diversity in their approach to brewing.
“History has again and again shown that beer has changed the world in significant ways," they write on the brewery’s website. "The name Bastet is a celebration of this fact and is an homage to one of the world’s greatest beer making cultures, ancient Egypt."
Egyptian-themed decor can be found throughout the Tampa brewery, too.
In fall of 2021, both Ross and Lett graced the cover of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay for a story that delved into the world of Tampa Bay’s Black brewers and the challenges they faced. Lett talked about his experiences with racism as one of the few Black brewers and brewery owners in Florida.
On the National Black Brewers Association’s directory, there are only three Black-owned breweries in the state of Florida, including Bastet Brewing and St. Petersburg’s Green Bench Brewing. In 2023, the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation reported that the Sunshine State is home to almost 500 craft breweries.
Head to @Bastet.Brewing on Facebook or @bastetbrewing on Instagram for the latest updates on Bastet Brewing’s last few services.
Over the next few days, Bastet Brewing’s Tampa taproom is open its normal hours from 2 p.m.-9 p.m. on Thursday, 2 p.m.-10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. Its final days of service take place from 2 p.m.-9 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, August 5 and 6.
"We want to sincerely thank everyone, near and far, who supported us. We also want to thank the amazing group of regulars who showed up in the taproom week in and week out," Ross and Lett write to their loyal customers. "We’re really going to miss you guys. We shared good times and good beer and forged great relationships that we will cherish forever."
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