Matt Armstrong
Matthew James Armstrong is a Colorado native born in September of 1976 who, as an adult, left the Colorado mountains, first for the Arizona desert, then for Florida’s white sand beaches. He earned his BS degree at Arizona State University in 1999, then transferred to Florida State University to complete his Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning in 2003. Once his studies were finished, Armstrong worked briefly in Korea as a civilian contractor constructing and preparing military facilities for the United States Air Force. Returning to the States, he then vacillated several times between Colorado and Florida, taking several short jobs in each location before finally determining to make his home in the Sunshine State for good in 2013.
By 2019, Armstrong was working as Director of Planning and Development of the scheduled St. Petersburg Distillery expansion. In that role, he planned the Urban Design and Architecture redevelopment of the 40,000 square foot facility and its 28-acre urban complex, including an entertainment venue, a new barrel house, an event hall, restaurants, a music venue and a hotel. Once that massive project was completed in 2022, Armstrong transitioned into the Distillery President role, where he managed the continued growth of both the product lines as well as the physical properties associated with the now greatly expanded St. Petersburg Distillery complex itself.
St. Petersburg Distillery is a family-owned company established in 2014 by Dominic Iafrate Sr. and his sons, Dominic Jr. and Stephen, during the early expansion of Florida’s craft-distilling industry. The Iafrate family brought a history of making things by hand to the enterprise. Dominic Sr. remembered picking grapes and helping make wine during his childhood in rural Italy, and that family tradition helped inspire the distillery’s emphasis on production and experimentation. The founders opened their doors in St. Petersburg with the stated purpose of making high-quality spirits for the Florida market, remaining independently owned instead of answering to a group of outside investors.
Armstrong’s leadership role at the distillery coincided with one of the most challenging times in American history for distillery executives, the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, when the worldwide health emergency disrupted the beverage and hospitality industries, St. Petersburg Distillery redirected much of its operations toward hand sanitizer. Armstrong discussed that production on the Feeding Tampa Bay podcast in 2021, explaining the provision of free sanitizer for any frontline personnel or neighbors in need. Then, as normal business activity returned, Armstrong’s work increasingly connected production with hospitality. At that point, Armstrong managed the construction of a Spirit Garden at its South St. Petersburg property, creating an outdoor area where guests could drink cocktails made with the company’s spirits, listen to music and visit the working facility. The garden officially opened in September 2023, extending the company beyond manufacturing and retail sales into an experience centered on the place where its whiskey and other spirits were produced. During that time, Matt also served a term as the Vice President of the Florida Craft Spirits Association, where he was tasked with spotlighting, not only his own distillery’s products, but those of all of Florida’s 100+ licensed distilleries operating across the state, including the 39 official stops featured on the Florida Distillery Trail.
Armstrong and his wife, Laura Reyes-Armstrong, are parents of four children. Their oldest daughter, Margo, completes her high school curriculum in 2027. Matt explained that in his small amount of free time, he enjoys hiking and kayaking with his family, or simply reading quietly. Meanwhile, Armstrong has remained active in the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, serving on its Board of Governors and doing his part in promoting the thriving businesses and outdoors-centered culture of Florida’s Suncoast, both nationally and internationally. Despite his statewide travels in that role, Armstrong has remained closely tied to the St. Petersburg community he calls home.
Nevertheless, after three years leading Florida’s largest craft distiller while also managing the continued development of the 28 acres surrounding the distillery, Armstrong stepped down as President of St. Pete Distillery in December 2025. He is now CEO of Angelos Florida Properties, where he leads the development and sales of large commercial property projects all over Central Florida. Armstrong’s short but active three-year career at St. Petersburg Distillery represents the strong and sustained development of a thriving family enterprise. Under his presidency, the operation retained its small-batch identity, presented an established corn-and-rye whiskies as signature St. Petersburg products, experimented with older and more specialized grain spirits, and opened much more of the working distillery to the public. Because of Matt Armstrong’s leadership efforts, St. Petersburg Distillery whiskey now is identified closely with modern St. Petersburg itself: locally branded, closely connected to the community, and increasingly experienced right in the place where it is produced by neighbors and friends.
Sources:
City of St. Petersburg, “History of St. Pete,” accessed August 31, 2026, stpete.org
St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, “St. Petersburg Distillery…Unique Spirit Garden,” Lynn Cissna, August 2, 2023, stpete.com
Shorecrest Preparatory School, “Community Sponsor Spotlight: St. Petersburg Distillery,” Mary Ellen Collins, March 25, 2025, shorecrest.org
Bay News 9, “St. Pete Distillery Starts Offering Behind-the-Scenes Tours,” June 19, 2025, baynews9.com
St. Petersburg Distiller official website, stpetersburgdistillery.com
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, “St. Petersburg Distillery Opens Speakeasy Above Production Floor,” May 19, 2026, tbbwmag.com
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
