Gainesville breweries team up to celebrate “10 years of Gainesville Beer”

Ten years after opening as the first craft brewery in Gainesville, Swamp Head Brewing Company is inviting six other breweries to celebrate in its success.

The company is collaborating with six local breweries to create six special edition beers, one for each company, to debut at Swamp Head’s 10th anniversary party, “10 Years of Gainesville Beers,” April 7.

Alligator Brewing Company, First Magnitude Brewing, Cypress & Grove Brewing Company, Infinite Ale Works, Blackadder Brewing Company and Hoggetowne Ale will each have a beer with Swamp Head. The beers will range from $5 to $7 and be sold in 12 to 16 oz. servings, said Swamp Head's marketing coordinator Brandon Nappy.

Though he could not release specific details on the beers, Nappy said each of the six will combine the personalities of Swamp Head and the partner company.

Nappy said the companies want to celebrate Swamp Head’s success along with the evolution of the craft beer scene in Gainesville.

“We’re a company focused on community,” Nappy said. “We’ve gone from being the only brewery in town to having all these other different breweries and creating a close-knit community.”

Aaron Kahn, the 37-year-old head brewer at Alligator Brewing, said Swamp Head reached out in January about getting involved. Kahn and the other brewers get to use Swamp Head’s facility to create their beers.

“It’s exciting for us to come to a space considerably larger than ours and get our hands on bigger toys,” Kahn said.

Gainesville resident Nick DeConna, 35, said he has been a regular at Swamp Head since it opened its doors in 2009, and he plans to attend the anniversary event. His favorite Swamp Head beer is the Stump Knocker pale ale, which he said is smooth with a great hoppy flavor.

“I love the fact that it’s local, good beer and run by great people,” DeConna said. “I’m excited about the future of Swamphead and love watching them grow and expand.”

Swamp Head Brewery