Three South Carolina Breweries on Maxim 10 Best List

Maxim magazine has a list of the ten best brews you've never heard of, and three beers from South Carolina make his list.  Now, the fact the author is from South Carolina might have something to do with that, but it's a national magazine and great exposure (definitely abundant in Maxim) for three breweries in the #newbrewsouth.

Heck, Brewery 85 and Quest Brewing have not even been brewing that long, so it's pretty impressive.

Brewery 85 Sweet Tea Sour

I can't wait to check out the Sour, as I've (in the not too distant past) become somewhat of a sour-phile.  Don Richardson is one of the lowest key most cool people I know in the biz.  I worked with him a bit when he was importing Belgian beers, and he was always just really cool to work with.  Well, Quest is just a really cool place in Greeneville, SC, and they have a lot of cool live music (even an outside stage), and I can't wait to check it out now that they are open to the public.

Don Richardson Quest Brewing

The Revolution in Deep South Beer may not be televised, but it's coming.  It'll be fun to watch it develop.


Cheers!

New Home Brew Shop in Charleston.

H/T to drinkblogrepeat for this blog about Charleston's new home brew shop that is opening Feb 1.  This is a great sign for the low country area of South Carolina because the more people that get into home brewing and learn about beer, the more they appreciate great well made beer.

drinkblogrepeat post on new home brew shop in Charleston

Cheers!

Southbound Brewing in Savannah, Ga to Begin Tours

Congratulations are in order for Southbound Brewing Company for beginning the company's first tours starting next week according to its website.

From its website, the company gives "tourists" a way to save a little on the tour and help out the less fortunate in the community at the same time.

Southbound’s brewery tour partnership with America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia will also begin that day! Guests bringing two canned goods can receive $1.00 (max) off their souvenir tour glass. This year round food drive will benefit many families throughout coastal Georgia. Please feel free to visit www.helpendhunger.org/ for suggested canned items.

In personally dealing with some food banks, I know some of their favorite canned items to receive are tuna and beans.  I'm sure I'll be down there soon to check out the space.   Cheers.

Draft Magazine Names Top 100 Beer Bars (Deep South)

Draft Magazine  released its annual America's 100 Best Beer Bars list in its latest issue.  The link will take you to the list for "The South".  I, of course, want to focus on the bars in the Deep South.

(Oak Barrel Tavern h/t @chsbeer.org)

Mahogany Bar
3810 Hardy St., Hattiesburg, Miss.; mahoganybar.net

Brickstore Pub
125 E. Court Square, Decatur, Ga.; brickstorepub.com

Closed For Business
453 King St., Charleston, S.C.; closed4business.com

The Porter Beer Bar (Little Five Points)

The Nook
3305 Bob Wallace Ave. SW, Huntsville, Ala.; thenooktavern.com

Oak Barrel Tavern
825 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, S.C.; 843.789.3686

Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Ave. NE, 
Atlanta; theporterbeerbar.com


                                            
I'm actually thrilled to say that I have not been to all of these establishments.  I take that to be a sign that these kind of places are opening up  at a decent clip in the region, even though there have been laws in most of the states that did not allow stores, restaurants, or bars to carry beers that were over a pretty low ABV percentage (usually in the 6% range).

The main thing about this list that I want to point out is that our region has a great chance to have a lot of growth in these kinds of establishments.  That's one of the reasons that I started this blog.  I want to be able to look back in a few years and say to myself, "Look how far we have come." 

There are also a few places I have been that did not make this list, but I feel have good beer lists and take care of the product.  So, if you are in these areas, they are worth going a little out of your way for.  If you know of some others in SC, GA, AL or MS....let us know in the comments.

DoT's Beer Bars of Note in the Deep South Region

• Barley's Tap Room and Pizzeria and The Trappe Door which is Barley's "Belgian Cousin" downstairs. The are also right down the alley from Greenville Beer Exchange if you taste something you want to take home. 
• I really enjoy Charleston's Griffon Pub.  It's down in the "olde section" of Charleston and just has that funky don't give a flip kind of vibe to it,  but with good beer, and they seem to always have a lot of local stuff.  Plus, you are surrounded by money (go and you'll see what I mean).  
• Trappeze Pub in Athens is a personal favorite of mine and really one of the pioneer beer bars in the southeast.  The owner Eric Johnson is also the brewmaster of the (til soon) contract brew, but soon to have its new home in Avondale Estates, Ga Wild Heaven .  
• Savannah, Ga has the beautifully encased The Distillery in downtown.  A few new breweries are opening up or have opened in Savannah, so go take a couple of tours to get the local flavor and then land here for treats from everywhere...around the nation and the world.  

So, what are some of your favorite beer bars (not brewery bars mind you) in The Deep South.  I'll be traveling some and would love some suggestions to visit.