The Best Breweries In St. Louis, MO

Beer to St. Louis is the midwest version of coffee and Seattle. A much hoppier, tasty version, in our opinion. But STL isn’t just mass-producing beer from one big company. There are also local brewers that are perfecting small-batch beers.

The people of St. Louis know beer. Brewing’s been in their DNA since that one huge beer company opened its doors in 1850, complete with Clydesdales. If you want to sample some of the best craft beers in the midwest, skip the big brewery in STL and check out the local microbrewery scene. You’re welcome in advance.

• Square One Brewery
• Urban Chestnut Brewing Company: The Grove Bierhall
• 2nd Shift Brewing
• Civil Life Brewing Company
• Perennial Artisan Ales
• 4 Hands Brewing
• Schlafly Bottleworks
• Bluewood Brewing

Square One Brewery

Some of the best flavors can’t be achieved with large batches of beer, and Square One Brewery recognized that early on. When they opened their doors as a restaurant and brewery, the chef and master brewer worked together to find innovative beer and food pairings that make their menu an experience beyond just beer.

Square One regulars will tell you that all of the craft beers on tap are their favorite. But, you shouldn’t leave without trying the classic combo of fish and chips with a beer. Specifically, the Maple Stout. It’s infused with just the right amount of real Vermont Maple Syrup, making this meal a brilliant, sweet, savory masterpiece.

Urban Chestnut Brewing Company: The Grove Bierhall

Urban Chestnut has become a St. Louis craft beer icon since taking over an old paper company building in 2014. The UC brand also includes two additional locations with a Biergarten and Brauerei, but the majority of the brewing is done at The Grove Bierhall location.

Once you’re inside UC, it’s hard to leave. The atmosphere is fun, and the beer is great. What more could you ask for? When you commit to an afternoon (and potentially evening) at UC, the locals suggest ordering their Urban Underdog American Pale. It’s lighter but still packs a ton of hoppy and citrusy flavor, so you can definitely have more than one.

2^nd Shift Brewing

If you prefer something a little bit more off the beaten path or a “hidden gem,” then you have to make the trip to 2^nd Shift Brewing. This clever establishment is located in an industrial part of the city, in an actual warehouse. If you can visit 2^nd Shift on a nice day- they have all kinds of outdoor seating and games to play.

The results are in, and the Liquid Spiritual Delight is the one brew you can’t leave 2^nd Shift without sampling. It’s rich, it’s chocolatey, and it’s really, really good.

Civil Life Brewing Company

The beer is what brings people to Civil Life Brewing Company, but it’s the knowledgeable and friendly staff that makes this place so special. They’re always hosting events that get the community involved and collaborating with other local businesses. They’ve also recently launched their brand new outdoor space, making this stop another one to do on a lovely day in The Lou.

The Angel and the Sword is Civil Life’s signature brew. They created this recipe as a competitor for the popular IPAs prevalent in the craft beer world. This brew is a culmination of all things beer and refuses to stay in just one (beer) lane. The story behind the name is a long one, so you’ll have to ask the bartender to tell you all about it when you order one for yourself.

Perennial Artisan Ales

The never-ending quest to create a delicious beer without being ordinary keeps this small-batch brewery… well, brewing. They like to be adventurous with their flavors but aren’t afraid to scrap something that doesn’t taste good. The goal of Perennial’s brewers is to make beer they want to drink, so others will too.

Ready for a mind-blowingly original beer that sounds like it shouldn’t happen, but we’re so happy it did?! Try Perennial’s, Saison de Lis. It’s a traditional Belgian Saison with that carbonation you expect from this classic style, but it’s brewed with chamomile. This is one of those magical brews that taste so good that they tend to go down fairly quickly. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

4 Hands Brewing

Food, arcade games, and beer… what else could you possibly need for the perfect brewery outing? 4 Hands Brewing Co. took over an entire building in Downtown St. Louis, steps away from Busch Stadium. On Cardinals’ game days, you can hear the roar of the baseball crowd while you play Pacman. It’s pretty great.

4 Hands is best known for their City Wide APA. The fruity citrus and melon flavors deliver a slightly tropical punch, but it’s perfectly balanced with just the right amount of hoppiness. We don’t just love the flavors of this very drinkable American Pale Ale. We also love the fact that 4 Hands donates $1 from every one of these sold to help the St. Louis community.

Schlafly Bottleworks

Now St. Louis’s biggest brewery, Schlafly was one of the pioneers in the small-batch, craft brewery movement. There are several locations throughout St. Louis, but Schlafly Bottleworks is where the brewing magic happens. Schlafly makes some of the best beer in St. Louis but also focuses on sustainability. Their beer is “crafted with a conscience.”

One of Schlafly’s best sellers is their Just a Bit Hazy IPA. It’s a fruity IPA with an assertive hop flavor, and as the name says, it’s just a little bit hazy. It goes well with the Currywurst from Schlafly’s menu.

Bluewood Brewing

Two college friends turned their love of beer into a full-scale brewery in 2019, and they’ve been thriving members of STL’s craft beer scene ever since. Bluewood Brewing has taken over the historic Lemp Brewery and proudly uses art and science to continue brewing small-batch beers with new and surprising flavor profiles.

We finally found a beer that pays homage to the city’s most well-known landmark, St. Louis Arch. Arch City Haze is Bluewood’s New England-style IPA. This IPA leans into more of a hoppy flavor as opposed to the common bitterness that comes with most IPAs. When you drink Arch City Haze, you’ll get a refreshing hit of stone fruit with each sip.