Great Moments in Craft Beer: 3 Daughters Brewing wins award, misses ceremony to shelter locals during Hurricane

So, here’s the main news item, which we were going to share regardless: 3 Daughters Brewing, one of the fastest growing breweries from Florida, was awarded the Emerging Business Achievement Award by the U.S. Chamber during the Dream Big Small Business of the Year celebration in Washington D.C. The annual award ceremony celebrates the achievements of small businesses and honors their contributions to America’s economic growth.

“This award is a testament to our amazing team and their dedication to making outstanding craft beer,” said Mike Harting, CEO of 3 Daughters Brewing. “We are honored to be chosen from the many small businesses that are making a difference by creating jobs and driving the local economy.”

Pretty cool, right? Well, Leigh Harting, owner of 3 Daughters, mentioned to us in a side note when sharing the news that they were unable to make it to Washington to accept the award because of hurricane Irma, which is a bummer, but not as big of a bummer as having to survive a hurricane.

The owners of 3 Daughters responded to this by helping their community and opening the brewery as “a shelter of sorts.”

“We had 55 people, 12 dogs and 6 cats as we weathered the storm,” Leigh said. “It was a privilege to be able to assist during the hurricane, but were sorry to miss the small business summit and award ceremony.”

Hey, when life is throwing lemons at you at 200 mph, the best among us provide some lemon aid. And hey, whether they were there or not, the award is still theirs. Cheers to 3 Daughters.

More about the award

The Emerging Business Achievement Award recognizes a start-up company that has attained outstanding business practices and exemplifies the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and individual initiative. 3 Daughters Brewing was chosen by a panel of judges from eighteen finalists across the U.S. and the award was presented in Washington D.C. on Sept. 12.

“Small business owners are the backbone of our nation, exemplifying the American Dream by working hard, taking risks, and helping strengthen their communities and local economies,” said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “The Dream Big Award winners have gone above and beyond to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship, and we are proud to recognize these tremendous small businesses for all of their achievements.”