Verdant Synergies
Gabe Grass

Gabe Grass provides expert witness services for plaintiff and defence attorneys in matters involving:

Dram shop liability
Negligent alcohol service
Over-service of alcoholic beverages
Age verification failures
Inadequate staff training
Responsible beverage service
Intoxication recognition and intervention
Refusal-of-service practices
Brewery and taproom operations
Bar and hospitality management
Staff supervision and operational compliance
Hospitality industry standards and best practices

His case reviews evaluate staff conduct, training programmes, written policies, management oversight, operational procedures and regulatory compliance. He compares the actions of individuals and organisations against accepted industry standards to determine whether departures from those standards contributed to the incident under review.

Gabe is available to provide:

Expert case review and consultation
Written expert reports
Deposition testimony
Trial testimony
Rebuttal opinions
Analysis of policies, procedures and training programmes
Evaluation of hospitality industry standards and operational practices

Gabe Grass is Founder and President of GrassLands Brewing Company in Tallahassee, Florida, where he built and operated a community-focused craft brewery, overseeing production, distribution, taproom operations and hospitality services. He is also CEO and Co-Founder of Verdant Synergies Consulting, a strategic advisory practice based in Jacksonville, Florida.

He holds active TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) and ServSafe certifications, both recognized industry standards for responsible alcohol service, intoxication intervention and food and beverage safety. Gabe is also a Certified Beer Judge through the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), demonstrating advanced technical knowledge of brewing standards, quality evaluation and craft beverage industry practices.

Academically, Gabe is completing a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership (expected Spring 2027) at the University of North Florida. He also holds an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Education Policy and Program Evaluation from Florida State University, together with graduate and undergraduate degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of North Florida.

Gabe has extensive hands-on experience in brewery ownership, alcohol service, hospitality management and business leadership. As founder of GrassLands Brewing Company, he managed every aspect of brewery operations, including beverage production, distribution, front-of-house service, regulatory compliance and the supervision of teams of up to 15 employees across production and hospitality functions.

His responsibilities included developing and implementing standard operating procedures, staff training programmes, management protocols and compliance systems governing responsible alcohol service. His practical experience provides a thorough understanding of industry standards relating to age verification, intoxication recognition, refusal of service, employee supervision and operational accountability.

His commitment to responsible alcohol service extended beyond his own business. Gabe organised and hosted an annual ID analysis training programme conducted under the oversight of the Florida Department of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, welcoming staff from restaurants, bars and breweries throughout the Tallahassee area. This initiative reflects his commitment to improving compliance, responsible service practices and training standards across the hospitality industry.

In addition to his brewing and hospitality background, Gabe has more than 20 years of experience in business development, organisational leadership and nonprofit advisory services. His combined experience allows him to evaluate hospitality operations from both an operational and management perspective.