The Brew Garden

I’m happy to have found a cool little hang out spot with delicious craft beer and wine in Clearwater. As expected, there is a very wide selection of available draft beer written on a chalkboard in the sitting area. Both indoor and outdoor seating available. They also have a legitimate food menu, which I prefer much more than a place that offers just little snacks. The cold beer cheese dip with veggies and pita squares is an excellent starter. All of the sandwiches are tasty, especially the one with turkey and apples although I can’t think of exactly what they call it. Each time I have come in there was 1 person on staff to serve every single patron in there and even when it wasn’t that busy, I still noticed the bartender constantly «bumming» around the back, browsing on the computer, staring at her fingernails, etc, so be patient and prepare to wait a while for your orders

I came looking to drown my sorrows. This was the perfect place. If the selection craft beers on tap weren’t enough to put a smile on my face, trying them would turn that frown upside down. The staff is helpful and kind. The patrons are friendly and easy to converse with. Apparently I have to try this place on a Wednesday night. Perhaps, when my students are on Spring Break, I can enjoy my Wednesday night responsibly and check out the buzz.
As General MacArthur promised the Filipinos:
«I shall return!»

Came highly regarded through some of my online haunts so I made it my first stop on the way into Clearwater off the airport. The good? Probably the single best draft selection I experienced during my time in the Tampa area. I got to try such luminaries as Old Rasputin, Dogfish Head World Wide Stout and the new Ten FIDY, impressive on their own and blows me away to get them at one stop. The bad? Our sandwich, while an interesting concoction of turkey, apple and brie came with rotting lettuce inside, and the service was hit and miss with pleasant staff standing beside a bartender who yells at you for ordering something they’re out of on the drink menu they provide.
Don’t be swayed, for a great brew at a reasonable price you’re not going to go wrong in the Clearwater area. And sign up for their mailing list on their website for a little advance notice of new taps and promotions coming up each week.
Oh, and grab your home bottles at the nearby World of Beer where you’ll get a 2-​for-​1 draft coupon to use here!

Craft beer comes to Clearwater! This is a very good thing.
Friendly bartenders serving some great domestic and imported microbrews. It’s best to have an adventurous attitude if you’re new to the craft beer scene. Don’t be shy; they’ll gladly give you a taster of any draft beer and are happy to help you find the right one. I tried Cigar City Jai Alai (made in Tampa; hoppy!) before settling on the Retro Red from Fort Collins Brewing.
They also feature an extensive bottled beer selection, and there’s a very limited food menu (paninis).
Tuesday night is poker night; Wednesday night is 2-​for-​1 drafts on select beers. They also have that addictive wireless trivia game as well as several flat screens showing all kinds of sports.
Parking kinda stinks when it’s busy; I had to park in a neighborhood one street over.
The only other ding is that the drafts are kinda pricey for Florida ($ 5 – 6). When you’re the only game in town you can do that. So let’s hope this is the beginning of a growing trend in the bay area!

The Brew Garden is a relatively new beer-​centric bar in Clearwater on McMullen Booth road right across from the Kapok Tree /​Sam Ash Music center. It occupies the former space of a Starbucks and still contains some of the wall murals and other touches of its former self, which is kind of funny in the context of a bar. Perhaps the Starbucks would have been more successful had they brought in 32 draught beers! The beer list is decidedly Belgian heavy with many Trappist Abbey Ales to choose from such as: Chimay, Delirium, St. Bernardus, and Duvel just to name a few. There are other a strong selection of German and American craft/​micro brews and the tap list changes quite frequently which can be a good and bad thing, since sometimes old favorites are only available in bottles but it does give you a great chance to try something new. There is both inside seating options such as the bar, tables, high tops, and a wrap around couch which slinks along a curvy inside wall, as well as a health sized outside area with metal tables and chairs plus 1 flat screen TV. They have more TVs inside near the bar and also offer interactive trivia with electronic buzz boxes. The beer list is definitely the main attraction but the service I have received there has been pretty solid too with the owner being a regular presence on the nights I’ve been there and always eager to please. They also offer a small selection of bites to eat including some small plate appetizers and sandwiches. I am a fan of their Bistro Chips which is a plate of kettle cooked potato chips topped with thick balsamic vinegar along with a bunch of Gorgonzola cheese. Very tasty. There really isn’t another place like this in Clearwater with the closest competition being in Dunedin or Tampa/​St. Pete’s downtown areas. So it is definitely worth your time to come check out the Brew Garden and the world of beer that they serve. Yum!

Service is great everyone who spoke to us was very friendly. I just stopped in for some coffee which was not of a super dark roast like Starbucks. They have lots of coffee and tea options too– Japanese green tea service, French press Coffee (enough to share) — and the prices are reasonable. I kind of wish that coffee refills were cheaper, but it is a good place to chill out.
Next time I go it will be to try the beers. They have a huge selection of beers, moderately priced for the high qualeity beers they offer too.
I will definitely go back.