Swing Tree Brewing Company

Swing Tree is a tiny operation just a few blocks from downtown Ashland. It's in an industrial park, but they manage to pull off a decent vibe to the place. When I visited on a late afternoon there were quite a few people sitting inside and out, and a band playing music.

Quality of the 1 beer they had (that's right, they only had one of their beers on tap) was pretty good. It was a pretty standard Pale, but it was drinkable and refreshing. They had I believe 3 other guest beers on tap so at least there were a couple of other options.

The gentleman who served me was quick, friendly, and chatted me up for a few minutes.

Not a bad little spot to check out, but I'll probably won't visit again until they have a few more of their offerings on tap.

 

Small brewery, four taps. Only one swing tree beer, two shilling ale. It is a good English Brown. Live music is nice and a small crowd.

Swing Tree is a nano brewer, located in an industrial park east of downtown Ashland, but just a few blocks away from the main part of town. It's a bit out of the way, but still walkable (under a mile from the Shakespeare Festival, for example).

There are only 4 taps, shared between Swing Tree's own brews and other neighboring small brewers from nearby towns. According to the bartender today, Swing Tree tries to keep their own beers on tap, but when a batch is ready, folks show up and get their pints and they blow the kegs quickly. There were just two Swing Tree beers on tap today, plus two guest beers.

The vibe is industrial taproom, with some decor, and decidedly less sterile than some industrial taprooms. There's a nice little bar and several tables. They have live music occasionally. There are some sandwiches.

It's hard to judge a brewery off of just the two beers they had on tap of their own today. But I thought their Pale Ale was terrific, and the Two Shilling was a decent example of a low ABV brown ale.

If you're in Ashland for a few days, check it out. It's not in the same league as Caldera, of course, in either selection or quality of the best beers, but it's a nice alternative to the big guy.