11 Micro Breweries You Have To Visit In South Carolina

Are You Looking For The Top Microbreweries In South Carolina? Well, Then This Is For You! We Put Together Our List Of Favorites Right Here In The Palmetto State.

After some months, countless tastes and thousands of miles, I think I can confidently proclaim that it is near impossible to drink a bad beer at a South Carolina microbrewery. The number of microbreweries doing incredible things with hops, malt, yeast and water is startling.

The limitless world of beer means a dizzying number of drinking options when visiting South Carolina microbreweries. From classic lagers, to bold IPA’s, to funky sour ales, each type of beer generates more sub-categories. Knowing what certain styles of beer taste and look like can make narrowing down selections a lot easier.

Check Out Our Article On The History of Microbreweries in South Carolina

Readers probably come to this article with different craft beer experience, from veterans to novices, but after crisscrossing the state I can assure you that you might find your head spinning at the options offered! The list of beer varieties grows everyday so I am going to briefly explain the main styles and then navigate through the state with my current favorite microbreweries.

“The limitless world of beer means a dizzying number of drinking options when visiting South Carolina microbreweries.”

What Are Different Types of Beer?

Beers start out as either an Ale or Lager and their specific styles and flavors continue to evolve from there. Under the broad category of ales, there are numerous types including: pale ales, Indian Pale Ale (or IPA), Porters, Stouts, Belgian style and wheat.

Lagers encompass a range of styles including: Pale Pilsner, German style Hellas and Dark American Lagers. Without going into great detail, the major difference between types of beer comes down to the types of yeast used in the fermentation process.

Pale Ale – The Pale Ale is more or less responsible for inspiring the entire craft movement. American Pale Ales range from golden to deep amber in color with a moderate hop flavor, medium-bodied and easy to drink.

IPA – Hops are still the foundation of the American craft brewery and the IPA style is its flagship. The style was originally created to transport beer from England to India so additional hops were introduced as a preservative. These beers can have some bitterness and usually have a high alcohol content.

Three styles of IPA’s have evolved in America. The New England IPA is fruity with a low bitterness. The British IPA is maltier and more bitter and the West Coast IPA is the middle-of-the-road with respect to both fruitiness and bitterness.

Stouts – The darkest of beers. All Stouts are made with deeply roasted malt resulting in a dark brown to jet black color. American Stouts are highly roasted, bitter and hoppy with high malt coffee flavors.

Porters – The line between Stouts and Porters has become blurred and many beer enthusiasts use the terms interchangeably. Most Porters have chocolate as an ingredient and thus are different from the coffee flavors of Stout as they instead have a chocolatey taste and feel.

“For this article, my selections are based on the quality of the beer.”

Belgian Style – A wide variety of styles from fruity to spicy to sweet with a high alcohol content and low bitterness.

Wheat Beers – As the name implies, wheat beers rely on wheat (not barley) for the malt ingredients. American wheat beers are very hoppy with funky, tangy tastes.

Sour Beers – Taste as they sound. Highly tart. The addition of fruit such as cherry, raspberry, blueberry and peach marry sweet to sour. These refreshing sours are rising in popularity to cool you down on a hot day.

American Lager – Most are made with ingredients (other than malted barley) such as corn, rice and oats. Usually mass-produced, though microbreweries make some flavorful Pilsners (a subcategory of Lagers), tasty German Style Lagers and Amber Lagers.

Micro Brews, Specialty Beer and Craft Beer

Despite the above ‘guide’ it is worth noting that many microbreweries craft beer outside of any standard style and thus it’s impossible to fully represent the spectrum of beers being created today. Due to constant experimentation and exploration, many breweries are making new beer styles that don’t fit neatly into one specific category….and, boy, are we glad!

So be prepared to encounter Specialty Beers. This is an umbrella term covering almost all types of craft beer made today that do not fit clearly into already established categories. Market forces will probably pare down some of the different kinds of beer that now defy categorization, but for now, I commend the innovation and inventiveness and in the future look forward to entirely new categories.

“Due to constant experimentation and exploration, many breweries are making new beer styles that don’t fit neatly into one specific category….and, boy, are we glad!”

Our List of Favorites Microbreweries

Now it’s time to introduce you to some places where you can taste flavorful effervescent beer. My recommendations are based on the breweries that I feel are doing the best work at the present time.

For this article, my selections are based on the quality of the beer. I recognize that food and ambiance can be important and I will include some notes to that effect but the emphasis is squarely on the beer….right where you want it!

In making my recommendations I look at things like the quality of the core lineup at a brewery, the number of exceptional beers, new products and creativity. Consensus can be a funny thing. You could probably ask ten people what their favorite microbreweries in South Carolina are and get ten different lists because, in the end, all lists are subjective.

That being said, I have traveled far and wide and tasted many microbrewery offerings and these are my recommendations for SC microbreweries that you don’t want to miss.

Note: An ABV after each beer indicates alcohol by volume. 6% and below is light. 6% to 7/7.5% is moderate. Anything above that is high. Also this list is unranked and in no particular order. It is not a list of the most popular, but a list of the best (in my opinion) at this time….and I did get around!

Whether you are a long time resident, a newcomer to the state, or a visitor passing through, you’re always just a stone’s throw away from some quality craft beer and satisfaction is always on tap.

We hope you decide to give some of these South Carolina microbreweries a try….well, let’s be honest, how much can you really learn from just one try??? With such varied selections, each one deserves some dedicated time to savor both the beer and the experience! We guarantee you’ll enjoy it!