5 years of living in Charleston: 5 Top Breweries!

The Charleston brewery scene as exploded in the last few years. 

Much of this is due to better legislation regarding breweries, but nonetheless, it seems there is a new brewery on every street corner (which isn’t a bad thing!).

    In my five years living in Charleston, I’ve had the opportunity to hit up my fair share of breweries. Here are some of my favorites.

Holy City

Holy City is one of the OG breweries in Charleston.

They are also one of my favorite spots to hit up in the spring time and summer nights. Holy City has a great selection of beers for the novice beer drinker, all the way to the beer connoisseur. Their Washout Wheat and Pluff Mud Porter are a few of my favorites.

The scene at Holy City is nice. Although, with it being indoor/outdoor, it can get quite toasty in the summer (that’s why I prefer to make it a night stop). It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. The food is unexpectedly good. (I recommend the Cheesesteak!). The only downside is it is not centrally located. It is off the beaten path on Dorchester Road in North Charleston.

They do tend to close rather early too, so it is not a huge party spot. But, it’s a great place to grab a brew with some friends and enjoy a spring day or a relaxing summer night.

Palmetto

Another brewery among the OG list is Palmetto.

I have only had the chance to go to Palmetto a few times. It is located downtown with parking available nearby. The facility is nice.

When I went a while back they had live music and decent crowd for a winter Friday night. I would say it should definitely be on your list to check out. I do like how widely distributed their beer is in Charleston. Their taps are made of Palmetto leaves and are very prominent when you go in other bars. You definitely know when Palmetto is on tap!

Revelry

Revelry is a new favorite of mine. It is only a few years old.

It helped jumpstart the movement of bars and restaurants to the No-Mo area. It is easy to get to off of 26 and from downtown with plenty of parking nearby. Revelry is the only true brewery (that I know of atleast) in Charleston with a rooftop bar. It is nice to go up and chill. Although the view isn’t the best (I mean it’s only a two story building so it’s hard to have much a view), it’s nice to be able to relax under the sun or stars. Revelry also stays open 'till midnight most nights so it does have a pretty good vibe at night. It’s nice too because you can easily walk to other spots including Home Team, Tattooed Moose, and Edmund’s Oast from there. The beer is good, but again I would not label myself a connoisseur, I pretty much just go to the breweries for the relaxed vibe.

Frothy Beard

It’s hard for Frothy Beard to not be a favorite since they moved right across the street from my house.

When it was announced they were moving from the Ashley Phosphate area down to West Ashley, I was ecstatic. Frothy Beard has helped revitalize the Northbridge area of West Ashley. I like how Frothy Beard has a truly indoor space and truly outdoor space. It’s great when it’s hot and you can go inside and cool off. The lines at the bar can be long and it can get crowded inside, so I recommend if you are looking for a relaxing brewery experience, to try it on an off time. (Weeknights, early afternoon, etc). The wait for Zombie Bob’s pizza can get pretty long if you go during primetime, as well. Frothy Beard also does a really fun Trivia night on Thursday. It draws a large crowd, which makes it more fun and competitive. Again, bar lines can be long and seating can be limited, so send someone early to stake your spot (trivia starts at 7:30 pm sharp!).

Honorable Mentions

A few honorable mentions include Low Tide Brewery on Johns Island, Twisted Cypress Brewery in West Ashley, and Craft Conundrum in West Ashley (although technically not a brewery).

I’ve only had a chance to go to Low Tide and Twisted Cypress once. Low Tide has a great industrial feel, and makes you feel like you are experiencing a true brewery.

Twisted Cypress is new to the West Ashley area. It has a very calm, relaxing atmosphere. It is a great spot to hit if you are looking to avoid the crowds and enjoy a good beer. If you want to try a variety of Charleston beers without driving all over the city, then I highly recommend hitting up Craft Conundrum in West Ashley. It has been a favorite of mine since it opened a few years back. I am not exaggerating when I say it has close to 100 beers and most of which are from the Charleston area. It is great for the winter time, as it is pretty much a fully indoor space.

You can grab a beer, a bite from the food truck of the night, and a game and sit back and relax with friends!

What breweries are your favorite? Make sure to tag us @charlestongrit on Instagram when you post pics with your friends or those frothy beers out this summer!