I finally decided to do my first brewery tour after 12 years of being able to legally drink. 

My destination was Gainesville’s own Swamp Head Brewery. It is tucked away at the end of an industrial
park amidst a cabinet business and some storage units. One would not realize it was even a brewery if it was not for the burl walnut sign dangling out the front door. I walk inside to see a quaint little tasting room with few coeds exchanging friendly banter. 

Three scruffy bearded brewers work the bar where five taps feature the barrel aged beer du jour along with an experimental brew and their other staples. Rows and rows of snifter and pint glasses line the shelves and a train of Florida bombers form a perimeter around the entire place with new ones added each day. 

My posse includes my assistant manager, Eric and another manager, Sean. We each order a Batch 400 American Stout to bring with on the tour. The guy with the longest, scruffiest beard announces the tour is ready to start and people come out of the wood work to join in. The tour is given by head brewer Dan Wade; he gives his impressive credentials including a stint with Rogue Ales. He includes an in-depth look in to the brewing process including technical jargon and laymans terms for the novices in the group. 

We see their seemingly huge, but really meager compared to bigger breweries, mash tuns, all the while
we sip our brews and take in the knowledge. It is very interesting, and we take pictures of the whole works. We learn that they will be expanding soon to a larger facility and begin canning their five core beers as well. As quick as it started, the tour ends and we shuffle back to the tasting room to get another beer. It is 10 10 10, a 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Aged Imperial IPA. 

We get to chat with Dan some more, and I ask him to autograph my free official pint glass I get with the tour. There is a growler filling station with 32oz and 64oz ones. We are all jovial and get a third beer to
finish out the evening. I get one of their staples, Cottonmouth Wheat Ale. The tour was excellent and informative with some incredibly tasty beers to boot. If you are ever in the Gainesville area, visit 3140 SW 42^nd Way 32608 and taste the Gator’s finest.

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Beer Consultant - Archer Road, Gainesville

Follow him on Twitter @abcbeeradams