In a world of Michelob Ultra and Natty Light, is it too much to ask for a crazy college kid to respect and honor the universe’s beautiful gift of beer? I’d like to think not. And so, I write this as a means of exposing those who still feel the need to slug back 20 Bud Light Platinums in a night to the world of craft and microbreweries.
I’m still learning myself, but if you’re open to it, there’s a better beer out there for you, and I’d love to help you find it.
Down here in the swampland of Gainesville is a brewery known as Swamp Head. Known for brews such as Stump Knocker Pale Ale, Wild Night Honey Cream Ale and Midnight Oil Oatmeal Coffee Stout, Swamp Head Brewery was founded in 2008 and has since become Gainesville’s most established craft brewery.
Via: Facebook
With a motto of “Inherently Floridian,” the brewery tries to support the Sunshine State in every way possible, from the locally acquired ingredients they put into their beer to the conservation and environmental efforts they are involved in. I got a chance to talk to Brandon Nappy, the tactical marketing manager of the brewery, to get a feel for what they’re all about.
The brewery’s philosophy has stemmed from enjoying the natural beauty Florida has to offer, and they’ve learned this through the many native Floridians working at the brewery.
“A lot of us here grew up in Gainesville,” Nappy said, “We grew up playing outside in Florida and that grows into playing as an adult, fishing and camping and hiking and just being outdoors, being a part of what Florida has to offer.”
Via: Facebook
This appreciation of the outdoors and nature runs deep in the Swamp Head philosophy, leading them to the idea of creating a beer with a big taste and a small footprint. Among the groups Nappy said the brewery aligns itself with to help environmental causes in the state are the Florida Springs Institute, the Alachua Conservation Trust and the Coastal Conservation Association.
“Our ideal goal down the road is to have an initiative that protects the springs and the rivers, and an initiative that focuses on the coast, and to really be able to see where our efforts are going and see the improvements of the conservation that they’re doing,” Nappy said.
The same way the brewery focuses on protecting the environment in Florida, it only focuses its beer sales and distribution in the state as well. In terms of planning to only stay in Florida, Nappy said it’s the easiest way to ensure the integrity of the beer. “The larger you get and the farther your beer goes away from you, the harder it is to keep tabs on your product,” Nappy said.
The farther your product gets away from you, Nappy added, the less sustainable the company is able to be.
The largest transformation Nappy said he has seen in the craft brewing industry in Florida is the packaging and selling of the beer in stores, as opposed to strictly selling kegs. Many craft breweries in the state are packaging and selling their product in cans, a phenomenon that Nappy says is new and widely accepted in the industry. Similarly, Swamp Head recently started packaging and selling Stump Knocker in cans for a number of reasons.
Via: Facebook
“For one, it’s infinitely recyclable,” Nappy said regarding the decision to can instead of bottle, “So you can take that aluminum can and recycle it, and that recycled aluminum gets put into another can and follows down the road.”
The other reason Swamp Head is packaging its beer in cans is so you can drink a beer while being active in the state’s natural environment. “We’re in Florida,” Nappy said, “Everybody wants to drink beer on a trail, at a beach, on a boat, by a pool, and you just don’t want to carry around glass for that.”
One of Swamp Head’s listed core values reads “Ask the next person you see what their favorite beer is, and share your favorite beer with them.” When asked, Nappy filled me in on a beer industry tradition of not being allowed to have a favorite beer, as he said it diminishes the value of the seemingly infinite number of other awesome beers out there. He did tell me his favorite Swamp Head beer was the Saison du Swamp, a once-a-year made ale brewed with honey and a variety of spices that drinks like a dream, a conclusion I arrived at after trying one for myself.
Via: Jax Brew Bitch
With the craft brewing industry growing rapidly in Florida, one of the most intriguing characteristics of the community is the lack of competition between breweries, but rather a sense of camaraderie and community.
“Pretty much any brewery in Florida, if they run into a problem that they can’t fix themselves has five to 20 they can call and go, ‘Hey, we’re running into this problem,’ and they’ll go, ‘OK, well we had that same problem and this is how we fixed it,’” Nappy explained, “It’s still very much ‘us against the big guys.’”
So rather than support those big guys, next time you’re grabbing a beer around town, why not seek out a local brew and support the state you call your own? It’s better for you, it’s better for Florida, and it’s better for beer.
Feature photo courtesy of: Beer for Girls
