Barfly: Brew Garden in Clearwater offers acres of beer and more

The Brew Garden, one of Clearwater's newest watering holes, has been open for only four months but it's already attracting quite a crowd. I stopped in at 8 on a Wednesday night and was surprised by how full the bar was.

Settling at the bar, I looked over the beer and wine list. Actually, "encyclopedia" would be a better term. With 32 varieties of imported, domestic and American microbrews on tap and more than 80 bottled brews, the bar offers almost every beer imaginable — excluding standards Budweiser, Miller, Busch and such. Some selections that stood out: La Fin Du Monde, Paulaner, Spaten Oktoberfest, Rogue Dead Guy, Maudite and Franziskaner Dunkel.

The wine list isn't as extravagant, but they do offer the standard reds and whites (chardonnay, merlot, cabernet, etc.). Hungry? There's antipasto, chips and salsa, hummus, spinach and artichoke dip, and a small variety of sandwiches.

After reading the entire menu, I ordered a Kronenbourg 1664 and soaked in my surroundings.

The atmosphere wasn't quite as relaxed and jovial as one would expect from a purported Belgian tap house or traditional biergarten. The interior was a brightly lit mix of terra-cotta red and earthen beige bejeweled with seven flat-screen TVs. The piece de resistance was the European mural depicting a seaside scene more reminiscent of Venice than of landlocked countries typically associated with beer gardens.

The outside patio was a bit more laid-back. It was dimly lit by strip lights and decorated with potted palm trees and hanging philodendron. Kept cool by ceiling fans, it was a welcome respite to those who wanted to light a smoke and mingle.

Overall, I enjoyed the wide selection of beer they offered. A little more biergarten charm wouldn't hurt.