Up to date on February 13, 2023
On its floor, St. Louis, MO, may not appear to be a craft beer vacation spot. Particularly not when stacked up in opposition to coastal cities teeming with stylish breweries. However within the silhouette of Anheuser-Busch’s historic, gleaming campus, there lies a gold mine of nice beer. The beer scene has been flourishing there for a while, too: The town has a storied brewing historical past a long time previous, undeniably spurred by A-B setting roots there in 1852. Now the Gateway to the West is residence to newcomers and seasoned brewers alike, all within the pursuit of placing St. Louis beer on the map. For that motive, we tracked down among the greatest breweries in St. Louis.
The Greatest Beer and Breweries In St. Louis
2nd Shift Brewing
1601 Sublette Ave #2, St. Louis, MO 63110 | (314) 669-9013
St. Louis’ 2nd Shift Brewing is a comparatively under-the-radar brewery providing understated beers throughout a wide range of kinds. Helmed by co-owners Libby and Steve Crider, 2nd Shift has made a reputation for itself brewing wonderful IPAs, dangerously drinkable lagers, and sturdy stouts. And whereas 2nd Shift might not earn the identical hype as their neighbors Aspect Venture, they’ve earned a passionate native and nationwide following.
This brewery was positioned in New Haven, MO, however relocated to St. Louis’ Hill neighborhood in 2016. Now the brewery boasts a spacious taproom and has a variety of beers provided on draft.
At present, we suggest some recent Retro Brew American pale ale, a model of the brewery’s American-style imperial stout with beans from Search Espresso Co, or a Belgian-style tripel known as Informal Experimentation.
If they’ve it round while you’re there, give Baggage Mixture a strive. We listed this schwarzbier as one in every of our “20 Greatest Beers to Drink in Fall 2020.”
4 Fingers Brewing Firm
1220 S eighth St, St. Louis, MO 63104 | (314) 436-1559
Tucked away close to the Soulard neighborhood, 4 Fingers is usually related to its Metropolis Huge pale ale and pilsner, that are go-to tallboys for a lot of locals. There’s much more to like popping out of this brewery, although, together with a peanut butter chocolate milk stout known as Absence of Mild, and the Divided Sky rye IPA. The taproom additionally includes a menu from their Peacemaker kitchen of bar meals similar to buffalo cauliflower, pretzels, nachos, and grilled cheese. Plus, upstairs you could find a tasting room with arcade classics similar to Skee-Ball and NBA Jam.
Slim Gauge Brewing Firm
1595 US-67, Florissant, MO 63031 | (314) 501-6108
Should you crave the haze, this Florissant-based brewery ought to actually be your first cease. Slim Gauge makes among the nation’s greatest juicy brews. Focusing totally on the hoppy stuff results in beers like Rocket Home equipment, an thrilling imperial IPA double dry hopped with Galaxy and Mosaic hops with virtually a warmth to this aggressively hopped beer that’s someway harmoniously stored in verify. This beer is a stellar instance of the expressive Slim Gauge high quality.
That being mentioned, don’t sleep on the black sheep of the menu, the brewery’s Outdated City porter.
Perennial Artisan Ales
8125 Michigan Ave, St. Louis, MO 63111 | (314) 631-7300
Look, for those who’re in St. Louis this can be a bucket-list brewery. Most individuals know Perennial for Abraxas, a venerable imperial stout made with cinnamon sticks, ancho chilies, vanilla beans, and cacao nibs. Or their different unimaginable pastry stouts.
However Perennial has additionally made among the greatest saisons and farmhouse ales within the nation, a few of our favourite beers to drink in spring, a few of our favourite beers to drink in summer season, and even one in every of our favourite pilsners.
This cozy house is south of town, however definitely worth the jaunt. On high of a draft menu of Belgian-style ales and attractive amber bière de miels, the bottle listing is insane.
Go right here, drink unimaginable beer.
Aspect Venture Brewing
7458 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO 63143 | (314) 276-4250
Right here’s a truth for you: Beer : Barrel : Time (Rye 2022) was the highest-rated beer on Untappd in 2022. Not simply the highest-rated stout. Not simply the highest-rated imperial/double stout. The very best-rated beer of the yr. Incomes an virtually diabolical 4.82 on Untappd, Beer : Barrel : Time (Rye 2022) shines as a result of it does precisely what it says.
It’s a beer in a barrel that turns into extraordinary with time.
That’s the magic of this Maplewood brewery that has garnered loads of nationwide consideration for its all-barrel-aged lineup of not solely stouts, but in addition saisons and wild ales.
Aspect Venture makes a few of the rarest beers on this planet. And among the most prolific barrel-aged stouts. But in addition among the most humble, but pitch-perfect saisons and farmhouse ales.
Oh, and don’t overlook to take a look at their Cellar, one in every of St. Louis’ greatest craft beer bars.
City Chestnut Brewing Firm
3229 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103 | (314) 222-0143
4465 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 | (314) 222-0143
The most effective German-style beers on the town reside right here: dunkels, zwickel lagers, Berliner weisse bocks, you identify it. And for those who hit the brewery’s location in The Grove, a preferred strip west of town, you possibly can take pleasure in a pint in a standard bierhall setting with schnitzel and currywurst. Hop throughout the road, and you may even pattern just a few of the brewery’s check batches at its City Analysis facility. For the extra out of doors inclined, City Chestnut additionally has a second location within the coronary heart of downtown with a biergarten.
Ferguson Brewing Firm
418 S Florissant Rd, Ferguson, MO 63135 | (314) 254-7359
The main focus at Ferguson Brewing Firm is equal elements meals and beer, and that’s an excellent factor. Gobbling down some toasted ravioli, a St. Louis staple of breaded and fried crammed pasta, or a salmon BLT whereas sipping the brewery’s pecan brown ale is each a satisfying, and oddly synergistic, expertise. The bar reserves just a few faucets alongside its flagships for seasonal choices and featured visitor brews, too.
Rockwell Beer Co.
1320 S. Vandeventer Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 | (314) 256-1657
5300 Donovan Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109 | (314) 256-1657
You’d be stunned to know that this 15-bbl brewhouse pumps out award-winning beers. Resembling Kazimierz, a foeder Baltic porter that picked up a gold medal on the Nice American Beer Competition in 2021. A hoppy IPA named to Wine Fanatic’s Prime 50 Beers of 2021. And a foeder-lagered doppelbock named to Wine Fanatic’s Prime 50 Beers of 2022.
That’s the type of unimaginable beer breadth that Rockwell Beer can cowl whether or not you’re at their Francis Park or The Grove taproom. Certain, the beers are enjoyable and approachable. However they’re additionally rattling scrumptious.
Honorable Point out
Scratch Beer Firm
264 Thompson Rd, Ava, IL, 62907 | (618) 426-1415
You probably have the means and time to hire a automobile and drive two hours out of St. Louis to the center of nowhere in Ava, IL…
Do it. Do it now.
Since you gained’t be in the midst of nowhere. You’ll be at Scratch Brewing Firm. That is fairly merely probably the greatest beer pilgrimages you’ll make in your life.
At Scratch, you’ll discover a fermenting ecosystem. One the place the house-cultured yeast goes not solely into the beer, but in addition the do-it-yourself bread, pretzels, and even pizza dough that’s cooked in an oven fed by wooden from a close-by Amish neighborhood.
And the beer? Co-founders Marika Josephson and Aaron Kleidon make wild ales made with about fifty % foraged elements from the farmland, woods, and gardens throughout them.
For example, a farmhouse ale with wild carrots, stinging nettle, lemongrass, and lemon balm. Or a dry-hopped bitter ale with paw paw, a local tropical-like fruit. The beers change with the seasons, in fact, so for those who go to in winter you may discover a fig porter brewed with chocolate wheat malt, juniper, and Chicago Hardy figs. Or an English-style bitter with oak leaves from bushes on the property.
Scratch is simply the type of brewery you need to go to to really consider.
