The beverage scene in St. Louis rests on a solid foundation of a world-famous brewing legacy, more than 70 breweries across the region, countless distilleries, regional wineries, bustling bars and some very talented mixologists.
What’s not to like? Or, better yet, what’s not to order? Options to imbibe in St. Louis are limitless. From local beer, cider and wine to delectable cocktails and even boozy ice creams, this city can satisfy any thirst.
Midwest Brewing Innovation
Let’s start with St. Louis’ fixation on beer. More than 165 years ago, German brewers found the naturally cool caves beneath St. Louis ideal for lagering their beer before the advent of modern refrigeration. Today, Anheuser-Busch, home of Budweiser, remains at the center of St. Louis’ brewing story.
Nestled throughout St. Louis, dozens of craft breweries follow suit. Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. has two locations in the city: The Midtown spot feels like a traditional European biergarten, while the brewery in The Grove is a sprawling, industrial-style bierhall. Formerly a paper company built in the 1920s, Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery and Bierhall offers a rotating selection of beers on tap, with American- and Bavarian-style lagers, pilsners, pale ales, Munich Dunkels and more served at long, communal tables. With names like Zwickel, Schnickelfritz and Stammtisch, there’s plenty of reason to raise a stein.
Let the Spirit Move You
Just a “pint away from the ballpark,” 4 Hands Brewing Co. pours a wide range of beers, including seasonal and limited releases. The brews are great, but this fan-favorite brewery also produces two lines of local spirits: 1220 Spirits, botanically inspired spirits and liqueurs, and Withered Oak, its family of whiskeys. The two-story tasting room includes food from Hi-Pointe Drive-In and an upstairs arcade with Skee-Ball and classic games.
If the spirit moves you, as they say, check out StilL 630. The award-winning craft distillery, just south of downtown, offers grain-to-glass tours and tastings alongside a lineup of locally made whiskey, gin, rum, brandy and other small-batch spirits.
If cider is your thing, head to Brick River Cider Co., housed in historic Engine House Number 32. Just a few blocks north of Union Station, Brick River’s fresh-pressed hard ciders range from dry to sweet. The building, constructed in 1892 as the largest fire station west of the Mississippi River, is now a laid-back ciderworks, tap room and restaurant. With ciders featuring flavors such as crisp apple and peach, you can get about as close to the orchard as possible in St. Louis.
Shake It Up
If it’s a cocktail you seek, shake things up with mixologists at the Central West End’s Brass Bar, Webster Groves’ Olive + Oak and Vicia in the Cortex Innovation Community. From French-inspired wine and cocktails at Brass Bar to creative drinks at Olive + Oak and seasonally driven sips at Vicia, there’s no shortage of ways to put your taste buds in hyperdrive.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of unique drink menus, though. Other must-stops include iTap for an incredible beer selection; Acero, with its Italian wine list; Session Taco for margaritas; Salt + Smoke for all things bourbon; ART Bar for rooftop cocktails in the Grand Center Arts District; Planter’s House for handcrafted cocktails; and Sidney Street Cafe for sophisticated sips at its antique bar.
To satisfy your sweet tooth, you’ll want to swing by Bella’s Coffee Cafe, Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery and The Fountain on Locust, where boozy shakes, spirited scoops and ice cream martinis round out the offerings.
Awaken your thirst buds and explore the drinks frontier that is St. Louis.
