Stumbling upon a great beer store is one of those beautiful, unexpected pleasures we can all appreciate. After all, craft beer is about trying new things and holding on to that adventurous spirit that pushes us to pursue the best that life — and alcohol — has to offer us.
That’s where the value of these beer-heavy establishments comes in. Their goal is simple: bring an expansive collection of craft beers all to one space for customers to comb through, find new favorites and experiment with.
If you’re looking for somewhere to check out before stocking up on beverages for a day at the pool or your next party, keep checking back for this series that will lay out the best places in town to buy good beer.
Gator Beverage: 1126 W. University Ave.
Although this low-key building off University Avenue may seem like a regular convenience store from the outside, step inside and you’ll discover hundreds of craft beers waiting to be cracked open. With its location right on the edge of campus, the store sells its share of Bud and liquor, to be sure, but few places in the region will rival its selection of craft beer that’s been 22 years in the making.
What started as a project to get more people in the community to try different styles of beers has graduated into a full-on beer education. Dozens of labeled shelves hold rows and rows of bottles representing styles from barleywines to scotch-aged to stouts.
“Craft beer is like any other hobby; it’s all about self-discovery,” said Mark Barnett, the owner of Gator Beverage Inc. “We provide customers with the information to learn more about the beers they are drinking, and that gives them more room to self-teach and discover new favorites.”
Below each beer is a label listing the flavor description, the alcohol content and the bitterness level. Barnett sees it as the perfect way to track what you like about the beers you’re drinking. Single bottles of beer are also available to assemble into a personalized six-pack — perfect for experimenting with a new style or holding your own beer tastings.
Travel up and down the aisles and you’ll find that American craft beer isn’t the only thing offered here. There are plenty of high quality imports as well. Beers hailing from Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Belgium and other European beer meccas can be found in the European section.
One of the first things you’ll notice is Gator Bev’s use of its limited floor plan. The store uses every inch of its small layout to store its selection of beer, wine and liquor. Some stacks of beer lining the back wall measured 15 boxes high. All the better to see everything they have to offer — favorites from coast to coast along with regionals like Terrapin Beer Company’s seasonal brews and SweetWater Brewing Company’s Tackle Box sampler.
If you always find yourself on the go, Barnett recommends picking up a case of canned beer — the perfect companion for a pool day, sporting event or a jaunt in the outdoors.
“I think it’s something we’ll be seeing a lot more of in the coming year,” Barnett said. “Cans were looked down on for awhile, but as the industry has matured, it’s come full circle and we are seeing more and more breweries start to can their beers.”
Some of the beers Gator Beverage offers in cans include the Stella Artois Chalice Can, Abita Purple Haze and Amber Lager, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Torpedo IPA, Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale and Mama’s Little Yella Pils Pilsner.
Ward’s Supermarket: 515 Northwest 23rd Avenue
Tucked into the back of the store by the dairy aisle, Ward’s beer aisle is bustling with customers looking to get a good deal on their favorite brew. The appeal of this spot is you can browse hundreds of bottles of some of the best craft beer, coast to coast, and then grab the ingredients for the cookout this weekend on your way out. It’s a match made in beer heaven.
The prices aren’t bad either, with plenty of weekly specials on cases and lower prices than normal on 750 mL bottles of beer.
Kyle Lewis, a natural foods associate at Ward’s, said the beer selection at the store has really picked up in the last few years as more customers gain interest in expanding their tastes.
If you want to try some of the best Florida has to offer, the shelves house a bevy of bottles from breweries like Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing and even Gainesville’s own Swamp Head Brewery.
“If we can get local beers, that’s our first priority,” Lewis said. “But we also offer plenty of other options like German and Polish beer, beers from out west and even a pretty good hard cider collection.”
The variety is impressive for a grocery store, with bombers and cases from Colorado greats like the Great Divide Brewing Company and Breckenridge Brewery sitting next to cases of regionals like Bell’s Brewery Oberon Ale, Flying Dog Brewery Snake Dog IPA and Stone Brewing Company’s Stone IPA.
There are also cases of some hard-to-find varieties as well. When browsing, you’ll see almost the entire line from New Orlean’s Abita Beer, with favorites like the Amber Lager, Golden Lager, Purple Haze wheat beer, Strawberry Harvest Lager and even the Jockamo IPA. There’s also plenty of representation from Georgia with Athens' Terrapin Beer Company, Atlanta’s Red Brick Brewing Company and Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewing Company.
“Just stay open-minded, you’ll be surprised what you like,” Lewis said.
What’s your favorite place to grab a good beer? Let me know in the comment section or tweet me @Beer_4Breakfast.
Posts in Beer for Breakfast appear on Fridays.
Craft beer is about trying new things and holding on to that adventurous spirit that pushes us to pursue the best that life — and alcohol — has to offer us.
