We found the “Ferm” when we were visiting Tallahassee and were meeting a friend who lives in the area. He suggested we meet up there since it’s near his office and is also a favorite of his. We were told that it's a place that came about when the four owners decided to open a place where they would want to hang out.

With only an address to work with, we set off. Our GPS took us down what appeared to be a residential street with three story townhouses down the sides. We figured it was wrong when it told us we had arrived because we were in front of residential buildings on both sides of the street. It wasn’t until we realized that the group of people sitting outside was not on someone’s patio but rather was in the outdoor seating area of the bar. Later in the evening, we were talking with one of the owners, Scott, and he told us that we weren’t the first to tell him that. As a matter of fact, one of the regulars came along and when Scott introduced me to him, he explained how the guy had told him that he would drive by all the time and think to himself that “these people sure throw a lot of house parties.” He said that one day he decided to crash the party only to find out that it was actually a bar. True story.

I don’t know if it was the word “lounge” in their name or what but I expected an old-fashioned bar with some tables and booths and a jukebox. Boy was I pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong. The outside area is sort of what you might expect for a patio area, a few small tables with chairs, some benches, etc. It spans the width of about three of the units. There was some sort of a bean-bag toss game set up and a small group of patrons was having a grand time playing. Inside was where I was surprised. The interior theme was an eclectic 60’s-retro look. There were small tables and chairs opposite the bar with some bench type chairs facing a projection screen. The chairs were a collection of all sorts of styles including what looked to be old movie theater seats. Instead of showing sports, they were showing vintage ads and film clips. I took a look at their FaceBook page recently and they had a "movie night" with an obscure vintage film coming up. Definitely not your local sports bar.

The crowd was a bit eclectic, in a good way. There was a good mix of typical college students, local business people and hipsters. Everyone from a guy in a suit to a girl on a Vespa wearing a helmet & goggles that looked like she should be flying a biplane.

The menu listed what was probably close to 100 different beers in bottles plus there was a blackboard with about a dozen draft beers that were on tap. We were there during a Shipyard special so they were well represented with several of their beers on tap. A second chalkboard displayed a listing of artesian wines. Honestly, I'm not a wine drinker so I didn't really pay much attention to the list. I also noticed another list on a side wall discussing cheeses and such. The bartender was very knowledgeable about the beers and was terrific when it came time to suggest a beer for me to try.

Next door to the bar, there is a small store that's the retail arm of the bar. They have an awesome selection of Belgians and other craft beers. Just to give you an idea of their beers, it's all gone now but I was able to score some Hopslam there. No Mike's Hard Lemonade or Miller Lite. This is a place for real beer connoisseurs. The owners are real hands-on and took the time to discuss the various beers that they had on the shelves. They didn't know us nor did they know that we were going to write a review. They're just beer guys who are passionate about beer.

Fermentation Lounge is definitely a place that I have on my to-do list for my next visit to Tallahassee.

Learn more about Fermentation Lounge on their website.