beerindex
Well-Known Member
Yes, STLHops has a guide, and it is fairly good. But it is a bit out of date, and a bit too neutral (which isn't that helpful if you are from out of town and trying to prioritize).
Breweries (The Best)
1) 4 Hands Brewing Co - They have a fairly wide range in beer styles. The do free tours every Saturday. And they offer some damn fine bar food. Beer to try: Contact High.
2) Perennial - These guys really go out of their way to serve the local beer community in terms of allowing tastings/events to be held there. And on Thursdays they always show off something new on tap. But their brewery-only bottle releases are insane. So if you drive in for one, expect to line up at about 4 AM. Note: Side Project also operates at Perennial, and thus does not have its own entry. It is very much worth drinking their beers when available.
3) Schlafly - Aka the original craft brewers here (and yes, Tom Schlafly is related to Phyllis Schlafly, though he is much more liberal than her). They are always putting new beers on tap, some of which are pretty damn good. Any rye beer they make is a must-try. And they have recently started making sours that are tap-only. The have two locations, Bottleworks and Taproom. Which has a better tap list varies at any given time, so check out both online. Bottleworks though is in the heart of downtown, and thus a lot to a some of the top bars mentioned below.
4) Civil Life - If you want more traditional, session-type beers, this is the place to go. Lots of classic German and British brews, in a nice environment. Its owner was the previous owner of 33 Wine.
Not worth visiting, but you should try on tap or in bottles:
1) 2nd Shift - This place is pretty far out of your way, and their bottles are plentiful around town. Their best beer, the Green Bird Saison, is brewed exclusively for The Bridge (mentioned below), and is therefore usually available.
2) Cathedral Square - Their bombers are cheap, and other than Forbidden Fruit, are worth trying. A majority of their line is modeled after traditional Belgian offerings, and are pretty solid. If you want them on tap, Diabolitos always carries them, because they share an owner.
3) Morgan Street - If you want to hang with drunk fratbros, then by all means, visit this bar in the Arch Landing area. But these days, they can their beer. And some of it is pretty good. They are mostly known for their pilsners (of which they make a few).
4) Excel - They have only been around as a brewery for a year, before which they were in the craft soda game (they still make that too). Admittedly, I have only tried their Anniversary beer (Ryeday the 13th), but it was delicious.
The Also-Rans (visit if you have time, but do not prioritize):
Heavy Riff, Ferguson Brewing Co, Augusta Brewing (a bit of a schlep), Square One.
Be sure to miss:
Alpha Brewing Co (which, besides serving crap beer, charges $20 for a brewery tour despite having a setup smaller than some homebrewing operations), Kirkwood Station, Six Row, Tin Mill, Trailhead, and Urban Chestnut.
Still to come: bottle shops, restaurants, and bars.
Breweries (The Best)
1) 4 Hands Brewing Co - They have a fairly wide range in beer styles. The do free tours every Saturday. And they offer some damn fine bar food. Beer to try: Contact High.
2) Perennial - These guys really go out of their way to serve the local beer community in terms of allowing tastings/events to be held there. And on Thursdays they always show off something new on tap. But their brewery-only bottle releases are insane. So if you drive in for one, expect to line up at about 4 AM. Note: Side Project also operates at Perennial, and thus does not have its own entry. It is very much worth drinking their beers when available.
3) Schlafly - Aka the original craft brewers here (and yes, Tom Schlafly is related to Phyllis Schlafly, though he is much more liberal than her). They are always putting new beers on tap, some of which are pretty damn good. Any rye beer they make is a must-try. And they have recently started making sours that are tap-only. The have two locations, Bottleworks and Taproom. Which has a better tap list varies at any given time, so check out both online. Bottleworks though is in the heart of downtown, and thus a lot to a some of the top bars mentioned below.
4) Civil Life - If you want more traditional, session-type beers, this is the place to go. Lots of classic German and British brews, in a nice environment. Its owner was the previous owner of 33 Wine.
Not worth visiting, but you should try on tap or in bottles:
1) 2nd Shift - This place is pretty far out of your way, and their bottles are plentiful around town. Their best beer, the Green Bird Saison, is brewed exclusively for The Bridge (mentioned below), and is therefore usually available.
2) Cathedral Square - Their bombers are cheap, and other than Forbidden Fruit, are worth trying. A majority of their line is modeled after traditional Belgian offerings, and are pretty solid. If you want them on tap, Diabolitos always carries them, because they share an owner.
3) Morgan Street - If you want to hang with drunk fratbros, then by all means, visit this bar in the Arch Landing area. But these days, they can their beer. And some of it is pretty good. They are mostly known for their pilsners (of which they make a few).
4) Excel - They have only been around as a brewery for a year, before which they were in the craft soda game (they still make that too). Admittedly, I have only tried their Anniversary beer (Ryeday the 13th), but it was delicious.
The Also-Rans (visit if you have time, but do not prioritize):
Heavy Riff, Ferguson Brewing Co, Augusta Brewing (a bit of a schlep), Square One.
Be sure to miss:
Alpha Brewing Co (which, besides serving crap beer, charges $20 for a brewery tour despite having a setup smaller than some homebrewing operations), Kirkwood Station, Six Row, Tin Mill, Trailhead, and Urban Chestnut.
Still to come: bottle shops, restaurants, and bars.
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