One of the reasons I really enjoy spending time over in the Tampa / Clearwater / St. Pete area is the collection of breweries and cool places to hang out. Anthony aka @RantOfTheAnt, expressed an interest in doing a guest review of one of his haunts, Dunedin Brewery.

Here's his review....

I am fortunate indeed to live in such a hotbed of microbreweries as I do here in Northern Pinellas County. Mere minutes from my home in Dunedin is 7th Sun Brewery which has emerged as a craft beer barnstormer in the last year or so. Right over the bridge in Tampa is Cigar City Brewing which is quite excellent as well and making great inroads into the canned beer market. Also close to home is the highly enjoyable Saint Somewhere from Tarpon Springs which is still on my Must-Visit list. Thus far, however, Dunedin Brewery stands tallest on my list of outstanding local beers, restaurants and venues.

This past weekend was highlighted by my most recent visit to Dunedin Brewery. The locale is very conveniently located within walking distance from Dunedin's historic downtown area. The venue is home to delicious craft beers, live music and delicious food. The atmosphere is definitely family-friendly during the day while giving way to partiers in the evening. Live music is featured several times throughout the week and is generally quite good. The room feels quite open although tables are somewhat limited if you're interested in dining.

The brewery's Brown Ale has long been a favorite of mine. It is available year-round and quite delicious. It is probably the strongest of their standard selection coming in around 6% alcohol. It is HIGHLY drinkable and strongly recommended. I am a lover of brown ales in general and this is an exceptional one. Their seasonal and limited release brews are also excellent, I must say. I just recently had Dunedin Brewery's Belgian-Style Wit Bier which was wonderfully refreshing for the hot Summer climate. I generally shy away from lighter-flavored beers but the slight lemon zing made this beer the perfect selection (for several rounds.) These guys clearly have a good grasp of seasonals as I (somehow) clearly recall having an amazing Winter brew appropriately named "Blitzen" late last year.

The food menu isn't particularly expansive but everything I've had from it was quite good and certainly above the quality level of standard bar fare. This past weekend, we only snacked on some French Fries and some Wisconsin Cheese Curds fried with Jalapeno. Both selections were good and weren't overly greasy as fried food can be. The Cheese Curds in particular were delicious and served with some Ranch Dressing on the side. Previous visits were graced with more substantial eats such as Chicken Wraps which have been consistently excellent.

The live music, while good, can be quite loud for a place of the brewery's size. With that in mind, the venue might not be ideal for a first date but certainly a fantastic night out for anything beyond that point. Many of Dunedin Brewery's beers are available To-Go in one-gallon growlers. Refills are cheaper when you bring back the original bottle. Years ago, I used to buy these excellent beers in bottles in retail outlets throughout the county but I haven't seen them available in quite some time. All that really means is that you need to get yourselves down to Dunedin Brewery to enjoy some delicious craft beer, good people and a great atmosphere while supporting the local community. Cheers!

Checkout Anthony's site, www.antsrants.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @RantOfTheAnt