The Charleston Ale Trail
There are 21 breweries in the Charleston area, with five more having locations selected, recipes ready and opening dates ranging from September of this year to early 2018. Asking locals to name them all can’t be done while holding a straight face, much less asking the same of tourists or visitors. With so many offerings, each with its own flavors, specialties and personality, how is one to decide where to go on a particular day or while under the grip of a particular beer-derived craving?
Enter the Charleston Ale Trail, a free print field guide and website dedicated to the burgeoning beer scene that is Charleston, bringing area breweries, beer stores and restaurants together in one simple, easy-to-use format.
The Charleston Ale Trail print guide lists all Charleston- area brewery neighborhood (broken down into Downtown, Mt. Pleasant, North Charleston, West Ashley and James/John’s Islands) and highlights the most popular beers from each location, as well as whether each brewery offers food or music or allows pets. The Ale Trail also showcases businesses in each area that cater to the beer-drinking crowd, namely restaurants that pair local brews with their cuisine, beer stores that give brewery-goers the opportunity to nab take-home supplies and nearby shopping for the non-beer geek.
The website accomplishes this and more, integrating Google maps into its design to allow the designated driver quick and easy access to turn-by-turn directions while thirsty revelers read through recent reviews and ratings of each brewery that come through the Ale Trail’s Untappd feed.
The website is live for your drinking pleasure at www.CharlestonAleTrail.com and the field guide will be available at breweries, pubs, restaurants and select retail outlets in early October.
BREWERIES
1. Charles Towne Fermentory 809 Savannah Hwy., Charleston
2. COAST Brewing Company 1250 2nd St. North, North Charleston
3. Cooper River Brewing Company 2201 Mechanic St. B, Charleston
4. Edmund’s Oast 1081 Morrison Dr., Charleston
5. Famulari’s Pizzeria Brewpub 2408 Ashley River Rd., Charleston
6. Fatty’s Beer Works 1436 Meeting St., Charleston
7. Freehouse Brewery 2895 Pringle St. B, North Charleston
8. Frothy Beard Brewing Company 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Charleston
9. Ghost Monkey Brewery 522 Wando Ln., Mt. Pleasant
10. Holy City Brewing 4155 Dorchester Rd., North Charleston
11. Lo-Fi Brewing 2038 Meeting Street Rd., Charleston
12. Low Tide Brewing 2863 Maybank Hwy., John’s Island
13. Oak Road Brewery 108 E. 3rd St., Summerville
14. Palmetto Brewing Co. 289 Huger St., Charleston
15. Revelry Brewing Co. 10 Conroy St., Charleston
16. Rusty Bull Brewing Co. 3005 W. Montague Ave., Suite 110, North Charleston
17. Snafu Brewing Company 3280 Industry Dr., North Charleston
18. Tradesman Brewing Co. 1639 Tatum St., Charleston
19. Twisted Cypress Brewing Co. 1897 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Charleston
20. Two Blokes Brewing 547 Long Point Rd., #101, Mt. Pleasant
21. Westbrook Brewing Company 510 Ridge Rd., Mt. Pleasant
COMING SOON
22. Commonhouse Ale Works 4831 O’Hear Ave., North Charleston
23. Dockery’s 880 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
24. Fat Pig Brewery 3690 State Rd. S-10-1094, John’s Island
25. Island Tap Room 1401 Shrimp Boat Ln., Mt. Pleasant
26. Munkle Brewing Co. 1513 Meeting St. Rd., Charleston
27. Pawley’s Island Brewing Company 2668 Industrial Ave., North Charleston
