Take a road trip to consider Southern Philosophy brews in Bainbridge

Gallagher and Nicole Dempsey, co-owners of Southern Philosophy Brewing, pose for a photo in the tasting room as part of a profile in Bainbridge Living Magazine after its opening in 2019.

We're just gonna say it: Southern Philosophy Brewing in Bainbridge, Georgia, (35 minutes due North of Tally, straight up Highway 27) is truly becoming one of our fave places to both drink AND eat in all of North Florida and South Georgia.

We really just can't say enough about the niche they've carved out for themselves in Downtown Bainbridge since opening up in June 2019.

And to think, the owner Gallagher Dempsey — who is from Tallahassee and graduated from Florida State University — once seriously thought about opening his concept in Tallahassee before choosing Bainbridge instead.

And that's OK — because now it gives us a reason to take a short drive into the country, especially knowing what awaits.

Here's some takeaways from our latest visit last week, which included dining in their outdoor courtyard full of games like cornhole and a giant Connect Four board.

Go for the beer

It's crisp, clean and always on point — but dang it — you better try one of their cocktails while you're there. Southern is the only brewery in our area other than Proof Brewing that has both a baller tap room and a full complement of cocktails and wine.

The spicy beet margarita - yes, beets - is one of the best margaritas we've personally ever had. Made with a beet simple syrup and smoky mezcal tequila, we asked to make it spicy and the fresh jalapeño did just that.

Crowlers of "Tropical Fist Bump" - a mango-strawberry-passionfruit kettle sour at Southern Philosophy Brewing in Bainbridge, Georgia

Scope out the menu

After you have a drink, scope out the menu — and, trust us, order as much as you can eat. Why? Because it's nearly impossible to get one or two things.

The charcuterie boards are incredible, highlighted by piles of fresh meats and cheeses, including Thomasville's Sweet Grass Dairy cheeses and smoked Bradley's Country Store sausage. We can't name anyone else featuring Bradley's on their charcuterie boards — can you? 

And for all those places currently serving boards, we want you to note something: Look at how many crackers they give you! Stop being stingy on the crackers — no one likes being 'that guy' (or 'that girl') asking for "a few extra crackers" just so they can finish a board!

Oh, and after trying pepper jelly on our board last week, we are now convinced that pepper jelly needs to be on every charcuterie board.

The charcuterie boards are piled with fresh meats and cheeses, including Thomasville's Sweet Grass Dairy cheeses and smoked Bradley's Country Store sausage.

Pizza, please

Their pizza, in our opinion, is nearly unmatched — even by restaurants who specialize in it. Their thin, light sourdough crust is a recipe SPB spent the better part of a year perfecting — and even though we, like a lot of people, aren't "crust fans," we eat every bite of it, every time we have it.

They even have a cream cheese and smoked salmon pizza — or a specialty pie with prosciutto, peaches and balsamic vinegar — on the menu. That's next-level stuff from their pizza chef Joe Kiser, who operates as pretty much a one-man show in the corner near the open flame of their brick-oven.

Southern Philosophy's thin, light sourdough crust is a recipe SPB spent the better part of a year perfecting.

While you're ordering your drink, you can basically look down the bar and see Joe tossing doughs in the air and sliding pizzas in and out to check temps and crispness. And don't sleep on Joe's truffle-parm breadsticks. Freaking dynamite app.

Jambalaya special 

Still hungry? We lucked into some fine-looking jambalaya on our visit. It was just a special they had that night — and it's a recipe from Gallagher's mom, who is as talented as a cook as her son is a brewer. We were blown away at how authentic it tasted. Huge chunks of Cajun chicken, shrimp and sausage dotted every bite. And the roux tasted like it took hours to make.


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