Grace Note Brewing: A Music Themed Brewery

DeliveryRank chats with Jeremy Baker, the co-founder of Grace Note Brewing and a longtime member of the Jacksonville music scene, notably as part of the rock band Inspection 12. Combining classical training, a love for rock and punk music, and over a decade of professional brewing experience, Jeremy creates beers that reflect his musical passion and dedication to craft.

Your brewery has a unique connection to music, from the names of your beers to your history as members of the band Inspection 12. How does your love for music influence the brewing process and the overall vibe of Grace Note Brewing?

I have discovered a ton of similarity between making music and making beer. I am creating something unique and presenting it to the world in hopes that people connect with it. I am able to take a finite amount of ingredients and create an infinite number of expressions, which applies to the 4 main ingredients of beer or the 12 notes of western music. Each new beer is like a new song. 

Grace Note Brewing hosts a variety of events, from live music and comedy shows to trivia and pop-ups. How do these events reflect your mission and contribute to building a strong community around the brewery?

We strive for this location to be a local neighborhood place for gathering. We host a variety of events in hopes to establish Grace Note as a place of regularity for our customers. A place where people can go and get something familiar, but also different depending on the day. We hope to create a destination that can be a place of relief and support for the people in our community who support us.  

Your beer menu includes creative names like "Da Capo" and "Plectrum Porter," showcasing a range of styles. How do you approach crafting beers that cater to diverse palates while maintaining your musical theme?

“Da Capo”, in music means, “from the top/beginning”. That beer was the first one I brewed here at Grace Note. It was a fresh start for me, so the name fits. Sometimes the name is just alliterative and fitting of our theme, as is the case of “Plectrum Porter”. Sometimes the beer is influenced by the name, and sometimes the name is determined by how the beer presents itself. For instance, “Common Time” is a play on the historic styles of California and Kentucky common whereas, “Cut Time” is a Double IPA that’s a little more aggressive and has a sharp bitterness.

Having been part of Jacksonville’s music and brewing scenes for decades, how has the local culture shaped Grace Note Brewing’s identity and offerings?

Being a part of the music scene here has allowed me to easily find musicians for events big and small. From having a friend play on our patio, or hosting an open mic night, to showcasing musicians in the boat yard on our beautiful river. We’ve got a big music and beer festival coming up to celebrate the one year anniversary of our grand opening on 2/1/25. It’s called, “Rock the Dock” and every band has a connection to the local beer and fermentation industry. I am hopeful that we can continue to grow that so it can be a yearly exposition that highlights both aspects of my life and the cultures that I’ve been immersed in for decades.

What are your goals for Grace Note Brewing in the coming years? 

My goals for Grace Note are to continue to grow into a comfortable size that allows me to facilitate the dreams and successes of my employees, to become a part of the community in a meaningful way, and continue to create music and beer that I can share with the people who appreciate it. I hope to create a destination that people seek out and return to regularly. 

The craft beer industry has seen significant growth over the past decade, but it also faces challenges such as market saturation, competition from larger breweries, and changing consumer preferences toward non-alcoholic or low-ABV beverages. How do you see the craft brewing landscape evolving in the next five years, and what strategies do you think independent breweries like Grace Note Brewing need to adopt to remain competitive and innovative in this dynamic market?

There really is no way to predict what will happen in this fast changing landscape but I think the key to success is to listen to customers. I do think that trends vary depending on where you are and who your core clientele is. So, every brewery can be unique in that way. They can create offerings that cater to the desires of their specific audience. I think the most important part of that is to strive for authenticity and professionalism while not being pretentious about it. I studied classical guitar growing up but I always played bass in punk bands at the same time. I am trying to create a product that is refined and technical but I want to present it in a fun and energetic way. I also know that there will always be more to learn and ways to get better. That goes for both music and beer.

If you would like to find out more about Grace Note Brewing, please visit https://www.gracenote.beer/