The St. Louis area has a plethora of breweries (60+) and I’ve narrowed those down to the top 8 breweries in STL. These spots are cranking out the best beer in the city and are absolute must-trys!
Check out my full guide to St. Louis here!
In ranking order, here are the top breweries in St. Louis:
#1: Side Project Brewing
Repeatedly ranked one of the top breweries in the country, Side Project is the absolute G.O.A.T. of STL beer. Their beers are all barrel aged and a majority of them are barrel-fermented. Think Imperial Stouts, Barleywines, Wild Ales, and Saisons—but don’t overlook their IPAs that the staff produces through Shared Brewing.
Peanut Butter & Stout at Narrow Gauge Brewing
#2: Narrow Gauge Brewing
Narrow Gauge is located just Northwest of STL in Florissant, Missouri and produces the best New England IPAs in the area. Juicy, hazy, and delicious is the name of the game at Narrow Gauge. Their Imperial Stouts are also fantastic!
#3: Perennial Artisan Ales
Perennial has been in the craft beer game since 2011 and they make a huge variety of beers. Abraxas is their most popular beer which is an Imperial Stout with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks, but if Stouts aren’t your style Perennial will still have something you can fall in love with.
#4: 2nd Shift Brewing
2nd Shift also makes an impressive variety of beers—essentially any style of beer you are looking for you can find at their taproom. Lean into the crazier sounding brews and you won’t be disappointed.
Daisy Glaze New England IPA at Heavy Riff Brewing
#5: Heavy Riff Brewing
Heavy Riff is in the heart of the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis and has a whopping 25 taps to choose from. Their Wild Ales are particularly fantastic and they are quite possibly the only brewery I’ve seen to have a Brown Ale with an untappd rating of a 4.2.
#6: Bluewood Brewing
Bluewood opened their doors in 2019 within the old Lemp Brewery Stables, giving their space a particularly unique atmosphere. They make a wide variety of beers as well as their own Mead.
German Chocolate Cake at Wellspent Brewing
#7: Wellspent Brewing
Wellspent makes some incredibly delicious beers! They are particularly known for their barrel aging and Imperial Stouts. Their taproom has great vibes.
#8: Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s Midtown Biergarten
This German-style brewery has a very traditional tap list and classic biergarten vibes. I recommend getting a stein of something clean like a Pilsner or Lager and the pretzel sticks.
