GULF SHORES — If there is a place in Gulf Shores that takes its "small town, big beach" motto to heart, it's Big Beach Brewing.

Since it first opened its doors 10 years ago, Big Beach has become a staple in the local community, whether people are getting a drink after work, meeting up with friends, catching live music from local artists or watching football games on a Saturday afternoon, such as Auburn's massive upset win over No. 1 Georgia.

This past week, Big Beach Brewing celebrated 10 years on the island with a series of beer releases, live music and merchandise commemorating its decade anniversary as a focal point for local community gatherings.

The establishment first opened in October 2016 under Jim and Julie Shamburger, originally launching with 12 beers on tap and utilizing a 10-barrel brewing system with six fermenters. With life changing and their children moving away, however, the Shamburgers decided it was time to move on.

In April 2025, the Shamburgers passed the torch by selling ownership of Big Beach Brewing to Kevin and Domini Corcoran and their longtime friends Doug and Tammy Warren.

Kevin Corcoran, a longtime patron of Big Beach Brewing whose résumé includes serving as president of the Gulf Shores City Schools Board of Education and as the public address announcer for the Gulf Shores High School football team, said that when they first heard the brewery might be up for sale, they jumped at the opportunity.

"We love what Big Beach represents to the community and we wanted to be apart (of it)," Corcoran said. "We wanted to continue the Shamburger's tradition, and we wanted to improve on it, and we think we've met all those goals."
With Big Beach Brewing the only brewery on the island, Doug Warren called it a big responsibility.

"It's like being the next coach in line behind Pat Dye or Nick Saban," Warren said. "You want to honor the legacy, you want to do what's always been done and at the same time, you know that times change and people change, and you've got to put your own spin on things and be your own entity, so we did."

Under their ownership, they have stayed true to the Shamburgers' vision for the brewery while making several additions and improvements, including doubling its tap capacity to 24 taps and introducing a new food menu featuring finger-style food such as flatbreads and dips.

At Big Beach Brewing, though, the staff members who keep the brewery moving are more than just colleagues. They are a family.

Head Brewer Chris Gadd, a former newspaper journalist who operated a small brewery in Tennessee, moved to Gulf Shores with his wife three years ago. They had been considering moving to Gulf Shores after visiting the area before, and Gadd said he blindly emailed the brewery to ask if a job was available.

"They reached back out to me in (a few days) and then just, boom, boom, boom," Gadd said. "Next thing you know, we moved here and I was a brewer here, and then a year-and-a-half, two years later, I'm the head brewer. Basically, I love beer. I love brewing beer and that was kind of what spurred that whole transition from newspaper to brewing simultaneously."

When it comes to creating their beers, Gadd said a variety of factors go into the process.

"Some of it's creativity, some of it's listening to what people have to say," Gadd said. "Lots and lots of people have great opinion on what they would like to see all the time, so we have a dry erase board back there writing down these ideas all the time. I'm jotting the ideas down."

For their 10th anniversary, Big Beach Brewing had its taps maxed out, bringing back beers from its first year of operation in 2016, such as "Batch No. 1," a pale ale that was the first beer crafted at Big Beach by former head brewer Rod Murray. Other throwbacks from its original 2016 menu released as part of the celebrations included its Mister Tally Man Hefeweizen and Small Town Brown American Brown Ale.

General Manager Amber Dion grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and worked in food and beverage management at casinos and other establishments in the area. She said the work "took a toll" because of how long the casinos are open.

"One day, I just kind of had a light bulb moment like 'Hey, if you're going to work in food and beverage, you can do that at the beach,' so I decided to move to Gulf Shores," Dion said. "I was a longtime guest of Big Beach, I live in the neighborhood, and when the former manager decided he was going to leave, he approached me about taking over, filling those shoes."

Dion said they aren't just reflecting on the past 10 years but also looking to the future, noting the pedestrian bridge being built a stone's throw away and the growth and development of Waterway Village in Gulf Shores.

"Ryan (Shamburger) did a great job creating a welcoming, friendly environment and I'm extremely proud to carry on that reality of running a bar that is so welcoming, that is able to be family friendly and pet friendly and welcome everybody," Dion said.

"It's very much a community gathering place, like the third place that some people say in addition to home and work where they can come and hang out," Gadd said. "We have people that come in here almost every single day and we also bring in tourists, visitors from all over the country, so we're a little bit of both, but I think it's awesome what has been able to be achieved in the last decade kind of becoming, (besides) Fairhope, the brewery spot on the Gulf Coast."