Swamp Head Brewery & Tasting Room

iemailjack

Florida

4.94/5  rDev +17.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

One of the best spots in Gainesville to get Craft Beer! You turn down this road that you would never expect a brewery to be down and then tucked away at the end of the warehouses is Swamp Head. You park in the grass, and enter the Wetlands. Growlers and Pints flow daily, with a staff that is knowledgeable, friendly, and fun. They’ve recently stepped up their pilot series and weekly tap new brews exclusively available through their taproom only. They fill other breweries growlers, and sell their own. The Wetlands is one of the best taprooms you can visit in the state.

01-08-2013 01:29:55 | More by iemailjack

jgagne

Kentucky

4.56/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Recently went to two events at the new tap room at Swamp head Brewery and had a wonderful time at both. The first event was the premiere of there Saison Du Swamp and the second was the tap takeover by Cigar City during craft beer week. I was really impressed by the new tap room. Really nicely decorated with a decent amount of there beers on tap. A great place to go hang out with friends and try some great beer. I am a huge fan of Swamp Head beer so its really awesome to come and see what new beers there are working on. The people who run the tap room are really helpful and friendly. It might be a small brewery but it makes up in it quality. One of my favorite places to go in Gainesville. I would suggest every BA to go and experience a great up and coming brewery.

05-31-2011 01:23:51 | More by jgagne

mullenite

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

When you walk up to the brewery you are greeted by a fancy glass door. Behind this door sits the tasting room.

The decor is very warm and neutral, with aluminum siding covering the lights to give it more of a nice ambiance. The bar and tables are made from beautiful pieces of cedar from a local lumberyard and the stools are a great detail. You don't feel like you're sitting inside of an industrial park.

Luke, the owner, and his girlfriend run the bar and both are very conversational and friendly. Very good service both nights I went and I think everyone there felt the same way.

Currently they have 6 taps, 5 for their year round beers and 1 that rotates with a special or limited release beer. There are plans to expand the tap selection in the near future and feature guest taps from other local breweries.

Growlers aren't available at the time of my writing this but I will update my review when they become available.

02-27-2011 18:28:11 | More by mullenite

JPBCrown

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$

Went to Swamp Head's taproom on a whim after browsing their website and seeing their great reviews. Swamp Head did not disappoint! Friendly bar tenders, a good vibe, great beer selection, and interesting people. The room itself was a bit small...but I'm sure after a few years they may expand. I wasn't expecting a lot of people to be there....but there was a pretty good crowd! I would definitely visit this place again. In fact, I'll get a group of some of my best mates together next week to pay a visit. Get a growler while you're there!

06-30-2011 00:22:19 | More by JPBCrown

jp11801

Florida

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

Overall awesome place! We got there just after opening on a Saturday and we were one of three groups. Very friendly staff that clearly loves craft brewing. They had Catherine's Passion, 10 10 100 imperial IPA, Smoke Signals and Matamata on draft so were drank these and did not partake in their normal line up.

These seasonals were extremely good with Smoke Signals and Matamata were my favorites. Matamata is a crazy good session beer.

The atmosphere is warehouse area craft brew akin to CCB in Tampa.

The folks working took the place from very good to exceptional. Andy behind the bar is a great guy and made our experience.

Cheers I'll be back.

04-21-2012 21:31:34 | More by jp11801

cirtap

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Swamp Head is a really impressive up-and-coming brewery. Owner Luke and head brewer Craig have a really good thing going for them. The location is in a small area of business warehouses, but the tasting room has a great atmosphere and feel to it. The tables are natural driftwood and it's a fun place to grab a beer after work. Unfortunately they're only open three days a week from 4-8 at this time, so it can be very crowded depending on when you go. A new release or special event can draw 100 people to the brewery, and the tasting room comfortably holds about 20 people.

There is extra space to hang out by the brewery itself, and the tanks look magnificent. As for the beers, there are five year-round offerings. The Wild Night and Cotton Mouth are very approachable so you can bring anyone here and they'll find something they like. Big Nose, Stump Knocker, and Midnight Oil are great examples of their style. Their seasonals and special releases have been getting more creative and ambitious, most recently with a Cherry Russian Imperial Stout.

With their rise in popularity I hope they hire more people or expand to meet the demand, or at least expand the tasting room hours. Prices for growler fills and pints are high but the beer is excellent quality.

06-07-2011 15:41:56 | More by cirtap

nmbr0ne

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

The brewery is only a mile away from my apartment so I try to go as often as I can; especially when they have a beer release.

It's a great atmosphere to be in because the tasting room is not huge so you're surrounded by beer enthusiasts even when the place is relatively empty (I've never seen it actually empty).

The first time I went, my friend and I had to stand cramped into a corner of the room. Less than a year later though, the tasting room has almost doubled in size. It is much more comfortable and a lot more seating too. Plus they have extended their bar area.

As far as service goes, I get served pretty fast. I've never had to wait to order nor stand around while they assisted me.

The beer is great for a young brewery. You can get growlers of their five year-round brews only, which I consider the only bad thing. They have around ten or a little bit more beers on tap that you can drink too, which is also a plus.

Besides that, it's a great brewery and tasting room to visit if you're in town.

11-09-2011 02:07:29 | More by nmbr0ne

drabmuh

Maryland

4.34/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

If you can find this place you'll have a great time. Located in an industrial park, roughly behind Target, Swamphead is the a great place to grab a beer or a glass. Look for the signs leading you back into the industrial park, once you see the big sign (made out of some swamp tree) you're there.

The interior of the bar is rather small, I bet it seats about 20 - 30 people but I don't know that for a fact. Like a lot of FL breweries they will fill 32 or 128 ounce growlers (how about allowing 64 ounce growlers FL? no? oh well). They have about 8 beers on tap, mostly theirs but a couple of nice guest beers. VERY REASONABLE PRICES IN MY OPINION.

The employee I interacted with was super nice and attentive. I thoroughly enjoyed this place and will be returning. Very awesome. Great atmosphere, good beer, good people.

04-27-2011 01:01:04 | More by drabmuh

cubanbeerguy

Florida

4.34/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I love coming here. As a gainesville resident there arent many options for craft beer and this is the best brewery in town. Friendly staff and pretty good prices on their beers. Wish they had more guest beers but their beers are very solid. I love coming here and bringing friends to experience what micro brewing is all about.

01-29-2013 19:11:04 | More by cubanbeerguy

aepb1

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Off the north side of Archer Road, behind Target and if you happen upon it, you're a lucky person!

This is a great up and coming brewery that seeks effective mentoring from Cigar City in Tampa (I can't wait for them to do a collaborative brew!). Their offerings are great and very good representations of the style and of the normal offerings, I'm partial to the Cotton Mouth or Midnight Oil.

The taps are normally comprised of their normal 5 rotation as well as a special release and also two local, Florida beers though the last three are different from time to time.

They fill 32 and 128 oz Growlers of their normal 5 rotation as well for a decent price. They have some shirts and they're working on hats as well so you can take some Swamp Head home with you that will last for more than one evening (as the Growlers in my household don't last too long...).

05-14-2011 01:37:18 | More by aepb1