Dry Wrought Cider opens new Gainesville tasting room
While Gainesville’s beer and breweries have been growing slowly but surely, recently Gainesville’s cidery has taken a major step forward by opening a tasting room.
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Coppertail Brewing expands Florida distribution from Ocala to Tallahassee
Coppertail Brewing of Tampa, Florida has inked a deal for distribution with Cone Distributing.
Cone Distributing (Team Cone) is proud to announce a partnership with Tampa’s iconic Coppertail Brewing Company. Coppertail Brewing (Coppertail) is best known for their Free Dive IPA, rotating selection of IPAs, Florida-themed Berliner weisses, and all- around quality and consistency in the craft of brewing. Coppertail Brewing’s staff, captained by owner Kent Bailey and brewer Casey Hughes, strive to bring a thoughtful and thought-provoking beer to every can, bottle, and keg.
“We at Team Cone enjoy partnering with such a unique Florida brewer,” says Charlie Ingrilli, Vice President of Sales for Cone Distributing. “Free Dive IPA wowed me from the first time I tried it, and after meeting Kent and the team he has put together we knew this was a World Class operation.”
Team Cone’s enthusiasm is met by Coppertail Brewing, who is looking forward to a fruitful partnership. “We chose to partner up with Team Cone because we love their values, their company culture and their ability to get things done,” Bailey says. “The feeling I get walking the warehouse at Cone is the same feeling I get walking around our brewery: it’s like a big family. We only get to choose a distributor in that area once, and we feel confident putting the future of our brand in Team Cone’s hands.”
As for the chance to sell their beer in Team Cone’s 20-county, geographically diverse counties, Bailey welcomes the opportunity: “We love the unspoiled, old-Florida feeling in much of the country up there, and it’s exciting to be able to sell beer in our state Capital.” That old Florida feeling will not be the only thing that gets Coppertail away from their Tampa home base, admitted Bailey. “We’re also looking forward to having a good excuse to drive up for some football games.”
Team Cone will be bringing in and selling many of Coppertail Brewing’s beers, with a focus on selling Independent Pilsner and Free Dive IPA first, with other releases to follow. Look for a complete schedule of release events further down the page.
About Coppertail Brewing’s Beers
Coppertail Brewing makes their “Florida Inspired. Tampa Brewed” beers in their “Barely in Ybor” facility. Coppertail Brewing’s lineup of beers is anchored by four core beers, and while these beers will all be available, look for Free Dive IPA and Independent Pilsner to be available first.
Free Dive IPA: Whether you’re diving for stone crabs under Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway or just wishing you were, this beer’s got you covered. Expect huge hits of citrus and pine aromas layered over a bright malt backbone. Perfect for a day on the water.
Independent Pilsner: A German-style Pilsner, Independent Pilsner celebrates the independent spirit that started the good ol’ U-S of A and its beloved craft brewing movement. One of Coppertail Brewing’s much loved seasonal beers, we hope to see a lot more of this golden beauty.
Night Swim Porter: Dark and luxurious like a midnight dip in the warm gulf waters off St. Pete Beach. Rich and Roasty with a hint of chocolate. Both this porter, and a night swim, are best enjoyed with a friend.
Unholy Trippel: Coppertail’s take on the Trippel style originally brewed by monks in Belgium features fruity / funky notes from the traditional Belgian yeast paired with a sacrilegious American hop character.
Look also for Coppertail Brewing’s seasonal and Florida Weisse rotating beers, beginning with Oktoberfest Lager and Guava Pastelitos Florida-Style Berliner Weisse.
Coppertail Brewing Launch Events– The first place to try one of Coppertail’s beers:
Tuesday, August 22nd
World of Beer in the Tioga Town Center – Beginning at 6:00 p.m.
140 SW 128th Ave in Gainesville
Coppertail Spotlight/Launch Party
Drafts will include:Free Dive IPA, Unholy Tripel, Night Swim Porter, Oktoberfest, and Guava Pastelitos Florida Berliner Weisse on draft.
The Top – Beginning at 7:00 p.m.
30 North Main Street in Gainesville
Coppertail Spotlight/Launch Party
Drafts will include:Free Dive IPA, Unholy Tripel, Night Swim Porter, Oktoberfest, and Guava Pastelitos Florida Berliner Weisse on draft.
Midtown Social – Beginning at 8:30 p.m.
1728 West University Ave in Gainesville
Goin’ For a Free Dive
Come out and try a Free Dive (IPA). Free Dive IPA will be available for a sample and on draft.
Wednesday, August 23rd
World of Beer Villages (BrownWood square, Wildwood) beginning at 5 p.m.
2751 West Torch Lake Drive in Wildwood
Coppertail Spotlight/Launch Party
Drafts will include: Free Dive IPA, Unholy Tripel, Night Swim Porter, Oktoberfest, and Guava Pastelitos Florida Berliner Weisse on draft.
PLEASE NOTE: Per CONE DISTRIBUTING’S WEBSITE, THIS EVENT IS BEING RESCHEDULED.
Thursday, August 24th
7th Hill Taproom beginning at 7 p.m.
2475 Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee
Coppertail Tallahassee Spotlight/ Launch Party
Drafts will include: Free Dive IPA, Unholy Tripel, Night Swim Porter, Oktoberfest, and Guava Pastelitos Florida Berliner Weisse on draft.
The Wilbury beginning at 9p.m.
513 West Gaines St
Goin’ For a Free Dive
Come out and try a Free Dive (IPA). Free Dive IPA will be available for a sample and on draft.
About Coppertail Brewing Company
Coppertail Brewing Company poured its first beer in 2014, and opened its current brewery and tasting room after much renovation and sweat equity. The brewing staff craft flavorful beer for the Florida lifestyle. Coppertail believes in time-honored, old- world production techniques like natural carbonation, whole leaf hops, and a lack of filtration. It takes longer to make beer this way, but sometimes amazing things come to those who wait. Coppertail produces four core beers year round, available in draft and bottles alongside a number of limited beers throughout the year. 100% of
Coppertail beer is brewed and bottled in Tampa, Florida.
Swamp Head Brewery is sending cans to Tampa Bay
Press Release: In response to demand for their canned beer in the Tampa area, Swamp Head Brewery announced today that they have begun distributing cans of Wild Night Honey Cream Ale and Big Nose IPA to Pasco, Hillsborough and Sarasota areas. Launch events are being planned throughout the month of March.
Six packs will be available at select grocery stores and independent bottle shops, as well as bars and restaurants throughout the aforementioned areas. The brewery currently distributes their cans in 36 counties in the North, North Central and Central Florida Areas, and is excited to be supplying beer to markets that have been requesting the cans for some time.
An exclusive release of cans of Stump Knocker, Swamp Head’s American Pale Ale, will occur at the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival, which takes place from March 4th through April 30th 2017.
The brewery feels that cans of their beer are a perfect complement to enjoying the natural beauty of Florida, and are a flawless fit for enjoying a day outside.
The new counties that will see a release of Big Nose IPA and Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, which will be distributed by Brown Distributing, will be: Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, De Sota, Charlotte, Lee, Highlands, Glades, Hendry, Collier, Okechobee, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin.
A full list of stores, bars and restaurants that already have Swamp Head’s cans available can be found on the brewery’s website at www.swamphead.com. Can launch events will be announced on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Swamp Head Brewery’s dedication to the protection of Florida’s natural resources, as well as their goals for maintaining a small carbon footprint distinguish them from other Florida breweries. Swamp Head became the first Florida brewery to have a portion of their operations solar powered with the help of their solar partners, Solar Impact of Florida.
Swamp Head continues to distribute draft beer of all five of their year-round beers and select limited offerings throughout all counties in Florida other than Palm Beach, Broward, Dade and Monroe counties. Swamp Head Brewery announces new releases and expansion of their products via social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and a monthly Brewsletter it sends to subscribers.
About Swamp Head Brewery
Swamp Head, founded in 2008, brews craft beer for the citizens and visitors of Florida. The brewery’s year-round beers include Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, Cottonmouth Belgian Witbier, Stump Knocker Pale Ale, Midnight Oil Oatmeal Coffee Stout and Big Nose IPA. The brewery also produces Spasmodic, Migrational, and Elusive Reclusive releases, which are available on a limited basis.
Swamp Head Brewery cans headed to Saint Augustine & Jacksonville
Press Release: In response to demand for their canned beer in areas outside of their current markets, Swamp Head Brewery announced today that they will begin distributing cans of Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, Stump Knocker Pale Ale and Big Nose IPA to new areas starting in the first weeks of August.
St. Augustine will be the first market to receive the cans, with the roll out starting during the second week of August. Six packs will be available at select grocery stores and independent bottle shops. Their canned beer will not be available at bars and restaurants at this time.
Jacksonville will be the next location to receive Swamp Head cans. Orlando will follow. Exact release dates will be announced on the brewery’s website and social media in the coming weeks.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we are really excited for some of our favorite places around Florida to begin enjoying our beers in a can on their outdoor adventures,” said Luke Kemper, owner.
The brewery currently distributes their cans in the Gainesville, Ocala, and Tallahassee markets, and is looking forward to supplying beer to markets that have been requesting the cans for some time.
“It will be very nice to have a different answer to the standing question: ‘When are we getting cans?” said Kemper.
The brewery, which feels strongly about protecting Florida’s natural treasures and spending time in the state’s outdoor beauty, feels that their canned beer is a natural fit for a day outside.
“Our main goal is to be ‘Florida’s brewery,’ and we have always had the vision of our beer being an integral part of Floridians spending a day on the water or a hike through the woods,” said Brandon Nappy, marketing director. “Now we get to share that with even more folks.”
Swamp Head Brewery continues to distribute draft beer of all five of their year round beers and select limited offerings throughout all counties in Florida other than Palm Beach, Broward and Dade counties. An expansion to South Florida will be the final expansion for the brewery, which does not plan to distribute their beer outside of Florida.
Swamp Head lists quality control and decreased carbon footprint as reasons for Florida-only distribution.
“We want to be ‘Florida’s Brewery.’ Florida is our home, and we want to stay here and provide Floridians and visitors to our state with our beer. We don’t need to be a gigantic brewery with national distribution,” Nappy said. “On top of that, the farther our beer goes, the more energy it takes to get it there. We feel like that goes against everything we stand for.”
Swamp Head’s brewery expansion
In an effort to stay ahead of rising demand for their packaged product as well as an eventual expansion into the South Florida market, Swamp Head Brewery constructed a new, larger brewery in Gainesville, expanding their production capabilities and bringing to life a new, larger tasting room and expandable solar power grid.
The project, which consisted of a new 13,500 sq. ft. single-story production building, more than tripled the brewery’s production capabilities upon completion in 2015, bringing their estimated yearly volume to 18,000 barrels (558,000 gallons) from their previous brewery’s capacity of under 6,000 barrels.
Less than a year and a half later, the brewery underwent another expansion in June 2016, increasing their production capacity by 70 percent. The recent expansion added 480 barrels (14,880 gallons) of fermentation capacity. The increase gives the brewery the necessary breathing room to expand their distribution of packaged product to new markets.
“We have always been very careful to not expand too far too fast,” said Kemper. “The last thing we want to do is give someone beer and then take it away. Nobody likes that. We are now ready to get to new places and stay there.”
As the brewery grows and expands, they have been able to begin sustainability practices that they have long had their eyes on. Working with Solar Impact of Gainesville, Swamp Head became the first brewery in Florida to have a portion of their operations powered by solar energy. Swamp Head has plans to greatly expand the solar power grid at their brewery in the future.
Swamp Head, founded in 2008, brews craft beer for the citizens and visitors of Florida. The brewery’s year round beers include Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, Cottonmouth Belgian Witbier, Stump Knocker Pale Ale, Midnight Oil Oatmeal Coffee Stout and Big Nose IPA. The brewery also produces Spasmodic, Migrational and Elusive Reclusive releases, which are available on a limited basis.
Two more Swamp Head beers see cans
Press Release:
Swamp Head Brewery will crack open six packs of two new brands, Big Nose IPA and Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, in their home market while expanding distribution of Stump Knocker Pale Ale to Tallahassee, FL.
Big Nose IPA and Wild Night Honey Cream Ale will hit shelves in Gainesville and Ocala, FL in July and will be for sale at off-premise accounts only.
Starting in mid July, six packs of Stump Knocker Pale Ale will begin to show up on the shelves of package and grocery stores throughout Tallahassee. All Publix, ABC Liquor and other independent retailers will be receiving Stump Knocker cans for off-premise sales.
Swamp Head Brewery’s new facility is complete
Swamp Head Brewery will triple its production and upgrade its tasting room while solidifying its commitment to the environment with a new brewery that is the first in the state to use solar power.
The new brewery will also dedicate a portion of its six-acre property into protected conservation, giving its surroundings a feeling to match the name of its tasting room, “The Wetlands.”
“Our new location is now bordered by conservation land, which was something very important to us. It has the feel of being out in the wetlands, but we’re right in the middle of town. We also have some room to grow, which is nice,” said owner Luke Kemper.
The 13,500-square-foot facility will allow Swamp Head to produce 18,000 barrels of beer a year, up from the current 6,000 barrels. The site also gives the brewery room to expand to a potential 50,0000 barrels to meet future demand. The brewery will also immediately create 6 new jobs and hopes to create more than 20 overall as the expansion continues.
Swamp Head opened in 2008 and quickly grew from a Gainesville-area favorite to gain a statewide presence with a slogan of “Inherently Floridian.” Its year round beers include Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, Cottonmouth Belgian Witbier, Stump Knocker Pale Ale, Midnight Oil Oatmeal Coffee Stout and Big Nose IPA. The brewery also produces Spasmodic, Migrational and Elusive Reclusive releases, which are available on a limited basis.
Realizing demand was outgrowing production capabilities; Swamp Head spent two years searching for a new home with the hope of finding a location that would encompass their brand.
The new location is at 3650 SW 42nd Ave., near the recently closed Alley Katz Corner.Swamp Head has put a major focus on the quality of their beer in their new brewery, investing in a laboratory and other brewing equipment typically used only by large breweries. A centrifuge will be used to filter most of their beer. It takes out unwanted yeast, leaving behind valuable hop compounds that contribute to the aromatics and flavor of the brewery’s beers.
Swamp Head is also focused on sustainability practices. Working with Solar Impact of Gainesville, Swamp Head will become the first brewery in Florida to have a portion of their operations solar powered, an effort it will continue to expand.
“The Wetlands” tasting room will not only be bigger, but it will also provide visitors with more amenities. It will feature two separate bars, a designated growler filling station, 30 beer taps and larger restrooms. The Wetlands will add games, weekly events and larger community events to their entertainment lineup in 2015.
“Gainesville has welcomed our brewery with open arms. So much so that we’ve been able to grow this thing way bigger than we ever imagined, and will in turn be able to give back to Gainesville in the way of jobs, culture, and of course, beer,” Kemper said.
Gainesville based Scherer Construction was the general contractor for the brewery construction. The 30-barrel (930 gallon) brew system was supplied by JVNW of Oregon. Goodwin Lumber of Gainesville provided the reclaimed Florida hardwood cladding for The Wetlands.
As part of their commitment to buying local, Swamp Head made a commitment two years ago to purchase all major brewing equipment from U.S. based manufacturers, whenever possible.
A grand opening celebration will be held on February 21st from 1pm to 9pm and will include a ribbon cutting, a tree planting and an array of food trucks.
For more information about Swamp Head, visit www.swamphead.com.
Swamp Head is now distributing cans
Swamp Head Brewing has now joined the ranks of Florida’s canning breweries that distribute.
While Gainesville’s first craft brewery posted a while ago that they were going to can their core lineup of beers, their cans left the brewery only in the hands of their faithful followers. With the passing of this week, Swamp Head launched their core lineup in cans and sent cans into distribution.
For right now, the pictures being posted indicate that Stump Knocker Pale Ale is the first canned beer making its way through distribution channels. Swamp Head posted that their beer is “in all Gainesville Publix Supermarkets and a handful of independents.”