Gator Beverage

drabmuh

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is a tiny liquor store near kind of a bad neighborhood. It is not uncommon to get harassed by a homeless person looking to score some liquor. Inside the store is crowded and seems dirty. About 2/3 of the store is devoted to beer though (not counting the pornography). There is a wall of coolers where you can get your standard mass produced fair of crap. About 1/2 of the cooler are craft beers or imports like Singha or Carlsberg.

The beer aisle, not refrigerated, is filled with interesting bombers and six packs of beer from Belgium, Germany, Great Britian and the United States. The staff doesn't really want to help you. The beers are roughly organized by style and region, but the organization is often in great flux. The selection and diversity has been increasing. I would estimate that there are maybe 200 different beers available at this place. I would definitely check it out if you are into beer.

08-28-2009 18:00:54 | More by drabmuh

cjgator3

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I'll admit, I did not go into the store at the best possible time for browsing. It was a Saturday in Gainesville which means FOOTBALL and many students picking up cheap kegs and cases of Natty Light. However, I was impressed by the selection, especially being located in such a small college town right across from the University. Rogue, DFH, Ommegang, Unibroue and some belgian singles are some of the standouts. I am lucky to have a couple absolutely stellar stores in my hometown of Orlando, but when I am in Gainesville Gator Beverage will surely do! Service was not that great, but then again there were tons of people in there so I cannot be too upset.

09-11-2006 05:27:26 | More by cjgator3

gabe

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -5.9%
quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | $$

A pretty sweet spot in downtown Gville. Overall it's one of probably three places that has a good selection of brews in town. It is kind of shady looking as others have said but that shouldn't be a turnoff. It adds to the experience. You can pick up anything for your late night party needs here. Most of the good stuff can be found unrefridgerated down an aisle, with some of the more popular selections in the fridge section. Sometimes they have some good beer on sale too. Service is a detractor as I've never had anyone talk to me about the beers here. If you know what you are looking for you'll be ok, otherwise your outta luck. Though in a land of cheap swill, this is your oasis. The 'Liquor Store' of LTJ fame delivers!

11-27-2005 04:29:04 | More by gabe

scottyshades

Florida

2.9/5  rDev -18.5%
quality: 3.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | $$

Although this place has a very good selection for a liquor store, the store itself is a dump...there are boxes and shelves in random places that force you to squeez through the isles and it is anything but clean. The biggest bone I have to pick with this place is that the people behind the counter are the rudest most impatient people I have ever come across. The last thing that they want to do IN THEIR OWN STORE is to help you in choosing a good beer. They rushed me out of the door and literally told me to hurry up when pulling out my wallet and cash.

If you want to find some good beers, go to Gator beverage, but do not expect to have a good experience...hopefully you will find yourself having a better experience than mine

11-13-2007 22:57:46 | More by scottyshades

mullenite

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +20.8%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Everyone else has pretty much said it all, it is a very small store with very little shelf space but much of that holds an excellent selection of beers. They have a lot of the standards and a good variety of harder to get beers. They also sell with enough volume to request hard-to-get beers, though they may not always be able to. Be sure to check dates on rare brews as some may be out or close to it.

While most of the employees don't care, if you go in and speak to Ryan my experience has been he will help you as much as possible, even going as far as to take my phone number and call me when he got an answer about adding to their Brooklyn lineup.

Update to change my review a little:

Since posting this I have noticed that the staff has been much more helpful all around and has really gone out of there way to make me happy on multiple occasions.

08-22-2008 12:39:31 | More by mullenite

LuckySevens82

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -22.8%
quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Located directly across the street from the University of Florida campus, for as long as I went there, Gator beverage has been a mainstay of the college diet of pizza and beer.

They mostly sell crap beer, the macros and kegs. They do have some pleasent surprises though. I was able to find St. Bernardus Abt 12 there for 2.50 a bottle and they had a lot of it. They also carry most of the Rogues as well as some other hard to find (especially in gainesville) belgians and other imports.

The store is a mess, however, and not in the best area. It looks like the kind of place (and is) where you can easily be mugged. But, if you're feeling adventurous and want some good beer in a town that lacks, this is the only place to find it.

01-06-2004 18:38:42 | More by LuckySevens82

Zeckster

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | $$

Like everyone else has said they have a fine selection of Rogue (at a far cheaper price than many of the other places in town) along with some nice Belgians and lots of Unibroue (way more Unibroue than wards). They're also good about getting the seasonal beers.

However, it is a small storefront so you might have to search a few aisles or fridges to find your brew. Its really not that big of a deal when you go there multiple times, since you know the layout.

The staff really isn't big about talking to you at all. However, I can't give them a 1 because a few times someone has recommend other beers based on what I was picking up at the time.

01-20-2008 05:32:15 | More by Zeckster

hunteraw

China

3.35/5  rDev -5.9%
quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This place is practically across the street from the parking lot I use to go to class every day, so it's real convenient to stop at on the way home and pick up something new.

Selection is better than anywhere else I've been in Gainesville, with the exception of Ward's. All the standards: Unibroue, Flying Dog, Sierra Nevada, full selection of Rogue, Ommegang. Some DFH, but not all, and lots of Belgians and British beers (Samuel Smith, etc.), including some gift cases: for example, the St. Bernardus pack of 4 that includes a chalice. Lots of other random stuff, as well.

The behind-the-counter help has never particularly interested/helpful, but I've spoken to the manager a couple of times about stuff they don't have. Both times, the answer has been "if I can get it, I'll get it soon."

I did get a Saison Dupont here that I suspect might have been skunked, but since it's the only one I've had I can't be sure.

Prices are reasonable.

11-02-2006 18:43:58 | More by hunteraw

Portertime

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
quality: 4 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This would be a good store but one, it is smaller than a Mini Cooper in a trash compacter, and two, the people who work there just aren't into beer. I ask them if they can get this or that and they say they don't know, maybe and they are always distracted with talking to each other or something else when I go to check out. Now their selection blows me away. I didn't know you could fit so many different beers in a space the size of Vern Troyer's underwear but they did. Their best varieties are the Dogfish Head seasonals, Avery, and Rogue but they also have some interesting ones you don't see every day like Heavy Seas, Terrapin, and Atwater. Everything can be bought singlely and warm or cold. So if you are ever driving down the corner of University and 13th in Gainesville and you squint really well, you just might see the blue roofed building called Gator Beverage. Go in a pick yourself up some Dogfish Head 120 IPA (when it is in season) and feel the burn!

05-12-2008 18:31:36 | More by Portertime

babaracas

Florida

3.74/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Very nice selection of domestic craft, German, and Belgian beer. They will typically have everything that makes it out here, but occasionally one of the other stores in town will get certain releases before gbev does. Prices are good too. Employees are nice enough, but most aren't particularly knowledgeable. They will give you a heads up on upcoming releases though, which is great.

They recently revamped the store layout and stuck the Belgians in front of a window that gets bright light much of the day. (Of course a bunch of those are in green bottles). Bummer about that; gotta get Dupont, etc somewhere else now.

09-26-2008 04:02:45 | More by babaracas