Downtown Drafts

This had a great atmosphere and good pricing. The bartender was extremely nice and had knowledge of all the beers on tap. A wide variety of choices leaves you with many options!

Love this place. Good selections and the people that work there are great. I like that they have games you can play too.

Besides being a growler store, Downtown Drafts was a great place to hang out with friends for an afternoon! They have plenty of big tables, board games to play, and a couple of TVs. The four beers in my flight, recommended/​endorsed by Aimee, did not disappoint. (Chocolate orange porter? Amazing!) Can’t wait to come back!

This has truly been one of the best places that I have ever gone to get beer! The owner is kid friendly which is a HUGE plus for this beer enjoying family. The root beer on tap helps my two year have fun too! He plays the board games or the wii & is able to enjoy the yummy pretzels.
The selection is more what I like then other things in the area– hoppier & experimental! Lots of things I’ve been trying to get a taste of.
The square is a great location, drop dad off & go play with the kids as well!

Downtown Drafts is an unexpected delight. Not the type of establishment normally found in Gainesville, Downtown Drafts has suddenly appeared on the Gainesville square and is trendy, «Beer Chic», and old-​fashioned «Homey» and inviting, all at the same time! How do they pull this off? Well, an amazing assortment of 20 or so craft beers on draft is an excellent start … but don’t look for one eternal favorite … the craft beer offerings change often enough that the menu is chalked up on the wall! There is also a long wall filled with bottled craft brews, so if you are brand homesick, you can get a quick beer fix. Don’t know what you want? How about a free sip or two of several brews, then a modestly priced four beer flight? Sounds good, doesn’t it.
The atmosphere ranges from pin-​drop to rowdy, depending on the crowd and what board games are in play … board games? … Yep. But probably not too many that you’ve heard of. Most are fun, strange, or if you want to go to a board-​less game … try «Cards Against Humanity» … but be prepared for a risqué experience at the very least. Look it up on the net, then grab some friends and go play … Rated R btw. The kiddies can come, but better sit them out of earshot.
The staff are pleasant, helpful, very knowledgeable about their craft beers, and can suggest a variety of palate pleasers based on just a few descriptive statements about the type of brews you prefer. As for me, after a few questions about the dark beers, porters and stouts that I prefer … I was hooked up with a relatively new offering from Anchor called Flying Cloud which weighed in at a very respectable 7.6. I liked it so much, I took a Growler of it home with me. And that’s another service Downtown Drafts offers … Growlers. Set at a standard 64 ounces, this handled glass bottle will hold about five tall glasses of your favorite brew … or six if you pour ‘em a bit short. I’ve got a big glass at the house … so about four glasses for me, with a top-​up or two.
Food offerings … no, not really. But with Atlas Pizza on another corner of the square, you can always get takeaway and then sit, sip, and savor in the darkly paneled Downtown Drafts environment. They also have some flavored and spicy pretzels and such … but that’s expected.
While you are there, you can get some Downtown Drafts logo’d merchandise such as shirts, T’s, sweatshirts, caps, and the like. So grab some friends, and grab some brews, and take a chance on «Cards Against Humanity». Try the Anchor Flying Cloud while you are there … but leave some behind for me!

When I come to town visiting family I always hit the growler store as out in NE you need to be at a brewery to get them. This place is solid. The selection is good and the glass goblet I got is high quality. It survived the baggage flight. I’d come back to this spot every time I’m in town.

Great selection and knowledgeable staff make this one of the best in the business. A must visit when in Gainesville. I have been a craft beer drinker for over 10 years and while the scene is starting to be watered down with «avid» fans, this place proves that they know what they are doing.

Awesome owners, excellent beer. This place is great! I wish I lived closer! Highly recommended

This place is the bomb! Great idea for a perfect location. The Gainesville square is long overdue for a growler store. Great selections, some modestly priced and usually some that are expensive but are the «once in a lifetime» beer. Seem to emphasize real man beer like ales, porters, and stouts. Definitely the kind of place you would go if you have a magnificent beard (like me). Not for clean shaven wussy types that think beer is ok but red wine is better.