The 18 Best Charleston Breweries

Low Tide Brewing

What are the best Charleston Breweries you absolutely must check out? Well, we’ve done the work to figure that out for you! We have sampled their brews, spent time in their taprooms and read all the online reviews to come up with our take on the top Charleston Breweries to explore this year! 

Charleston Breweries

Charleston, South Carolina is best known for its beautiful beaches, historic landmarks, and Southern hospitality. But in recent years, the city has also become a hot spot for craft beer lovers. Within the downtown area, there is even a Brewery District featuring some of the best breweries in Charleston.

From local favorites like Coast Brewing Company to nationally-recognized breweries like Holy City Brewing, there are around 30 breweries to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a hop forward IPA or a creamy stout, you’re sure to find something to your taste in Charleston, SC. So next time you’re in town, be sure to check out one (or all) of these best breweries in Charleston!

What are the top breweries in Charleston?

There’s nothing quite like enjoying a cold beer on a hot day, and the Charleston area has no shortage of great breweries to choose from. Most breweries in Charleston have a kid and dog friendly atmosphere, an in house kitchen or rotating food trucks, and of course, expertly crafted beer.

Whether you’re looking for great food and a lively social aspect, or simply a cold craft beer, there’s a brewery in Charleston that’s perfect for you. So grab a pint and explore some of the best breweries the city has to offer.

How we picked the best Charleston Breweries?

With every ‘top breweries’ post that we write, we make sure to do diligent online research to determine who makes it on our list. From reading online reviews and reviewing beer selections, to checking other authority websites and of course, sampling their beers. We do our best to take all the information we collect and give you our opinion of the top breweries in Charleston.

However, we know we aren’t perfect and if we’ve missed a Charleston brewery that you think should be on this list, contact us and let us know who the brewery is and we’ll do our best to include them!

Did we miss something?

If you think a brewery deserves a spot on our list, Vote for them! If you’re a brewery looking to update your information or get in touch, contact us!

The Best Charleston Breweries

Alright, let’s get to it, shall we? Here’s our list of the top Charleston Craft Breweries!

Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.
Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

If you’re looking for great food to pair with some great beer, Edmund’s Oast Brewing is the place for you. You’ll find high end bar eats, sandwiches, and mouthwatering pizzas along with classic brews and wildly delicious creations like the Peanut Butter & Jelly Ale. The production brewery in the new Pacific Box & Crate development on Upper King Street has a family friendly tap room and a dog friendly patio with 22 unique and delicious beers on tap.

Customer Review: Great atmosphere, beer is really good. They even had a frosè station. The food was amazing too, probably one of the best Cubans I’ve ever had and their soft shell crab Big Mac was a great dish:

Holy City Brewing

Holy City Brewing
Holy City Brewing

Holy City Brewing has a huge space in North Charleston that houses their production brewery, garage-like tasting room, private event space, and an outdoor stage. There’s always something going on at Holy City Brewing, from live music, trivia night, “Bendy Brewski Outdoor Yoga”, and even an outdoor farmers market on Sundays!

It’s not just their location that makes them great though, their craft beers are a real treat for the taste buds. From their Pluff Mud Porter with roasted malt and coffee notes, to their Sparkly Princess Kettle Sour, they’ve really got something for everyone.

Customer Review: Nice place! the indoor and outdoor spaces are great. Sampled a couple of brews and they were top notch! The wings were excellent! Fun atmosphere and good service equals a win!

Westbrook Brewing Company

Westbrook Brewing Company
Westbrook Brewing Company

Westbrook Brewing Co. is just over the scenic Ravenel Bridge in Mount Pleasant. The taproom features outdoor seating in their beer garden with weekly food trucks often making an appearance. If you’re interested in learning a bit more about how they do things over at Westbrook, they offer free brewery tours almost every hour!

PS. If the Mexican Cake Stout is available when you visit, make sure to try it or grab a bottle to go. It goes quick and some people wait all year to try this yearly release!

Customer Review: Some of the best beers in the south (yes, even better than Asheville). Sours and dark beers that easily compete among the best in the nation.

Palmetto Brewing Company

Palmetto Brewing Company
Palmetto Brewing Company

Palmetto Brewing Company has quite the history, being the first brewery in South Carolina! The original Palmetto Brewery opened in 1888 but closed down due to the Prohibition in 1920. Some-80 years later, Charleston locals Ed Falkenstein and Louis Bruce built the downtown Charleston Palmetto Brewery we know and love today, named as tribute to the historical Palmetto Brewery that came before them.

Their large warehouse taproom has a wide selection of craft beers on tap that you can enjoy while playing games and listening to live music. Plus, if you’re a Charleston local, they have a pretty cool Speakeasy program that is definitely worth the hype!

Customer Review: Awesome craft brewery, so glad we stopped by! Big outdoor area with plenty of seating, coupled with solid brews.

Revelry Brewing Co.

Revelry Brewing Co.
Revelry Brewing Co.

Revelry Brewing Co. is popular for its beautiful rooftop bar and patio, a great place to enjoy a craft beer and take in the scenery. They often feature live music or DJ’s, and food trucks with latin and asian inspired meals along with apps and pub food, all of which come highly recommended. The perfect spot in town to watch the sunset, plus, they’re dog friendly!

Customer Review: This is a great place. Love the rooftop bar and lounging area with the gas fire pit. Nice selection of well-crafted beers. Staff very personable and welcoming. Would definitely recommend this brewery.

Frothy Beard Brewing Company

Frothy Beard Brewing Company
Frothy Beard Brewing Company

Frothy Beard Brewing Company was founded by three friends who share a passion for creativity, culinary arts, all things sci-fi, and of course, good craft beer. In their West Ashley tap room you’ll find all kinds of sci-fi memorabilia, old school gaming consoles, and games of all kinds. Being a small batch brewery, they’re able to experiment with wild and unique flavours, always adding something special to their impressive 24+ tap list.

Customer Review: This place was great! They had a great beer selection which were all pretty good. The pizza was really good and the decor was so fun and interesting. I’d definitely go back.

Low Tide Brewing

Low Tide Brewing
Low Tide Brewing

Though not technically in Charleston, this Johns Island brewery definitely deserves to be in our top breweries list. Low Tide Brewing was the first brewery to open on John’s Island and has been a core establishment ever since. Just across the Stono River, Low Tide has a rustic, beachy vibe and their beers are crafted to perfection. Their tap room has almost daily events like bingo, trivia, and corn hole, plus a rotating line up of well loved food trucks!

Customer Review: Great local craft beer, super easy environment and dog friendly! New batches of brews for your palate each week…enjoyed the Aloha wheat and Basil ale on this visit! This is community and fellowship done the right way!

Tradesman Brewing Co.

Tradesman Brewing Co.
Tradesman Brewing Co.

Tradesman Brewing Co. is the oldest brewery on James Island, Charleston. Since then, their demand has outgrown the space and they’ve moved into a new facility on King St. Ext. where they’re able to produce more beer for more great people. From their flagship IPA to their seasonal saisons, the Tradesman Brewing Company offers something for everyone. Keep an eye out for their clever beer names, you never know when your trade might be called up!

Customer Review: Absolute favorite of mine!!! Amazing staff and a great selection of beer! They’re always hosting the best food trucks too!!!!

Commonhouse Aleworks

Commonhouse Aleworks
Commonhouse Aleworks

Commonhouse Aleworks has a great location in Charleston’s Park Circle, a garden style community in greater North Charleston. This brewery has a real community feel to it, being friendly and inclusive to all while donating a portion of every beer sold back to local community groups. Their patio, named the “Commonground” has picnic tables where you can enjoy a bite to eat and jam out to some local live music with your pals, celebrating what we all have in common!

Customer Review: Amazing beer, fantastic food and stellar entertainment. Great place all around.

Rusty Bull Brewing Company

Rusty Bull Brewing Company
Rusty Bull Brewing Company

Rusty Bull Brewing Company in North Charleston is devoted to creating great tasting, unique, and high quality craft beers. They share their building with Chucktown Axe Throwing and have live music on the weekends, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll have a great time. Plus, Rusty Bull is one of the few breweries in the area that has a full food menu!

Customer Review: I loved the beers they had! Their in house cider was delicious as well! Loved the vibe and wings too! Highly recommend.

Two Blokes Brewing

Two Blokes Brewing
Two Blokes Brewing

Two Blokes Brewing crafts solid, unpretentious, and approachable beers in the suburban town of Mt Pleasant, just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston. This women owned and operated brewery lights up the craft beer scene with everything from hoppy IPAs to sessionable pub ales and fruity saisons. Their taproom is always hosting events from live music, trivia, and even “Hatha & Hops”, a Sunday morning yoga and beer event. Head over to Two Blokes for a cold one and see what the food truck of the day is!

Customer Review: Excellent beer, excellent selection if you like IPA’s and dark beers. Our group did enjoy the Kolsch and the Blood Orange Heifenweizen

Freehouse Brewery

Freehouse Brewery
Freehouse Brewery

Freehouse Brewery brews certified organic beer for both earth and brew lovers alike! Free from preservatives, pesticides, and really everything but the purest form of ingredients, this beer is not only good for you, but good for the planet too! You can find these artisanal organic beers in their backyard style brewery along the Ashley River and marshes, the perfect place for admiring nature and that cold beer in your hand.

In terms of beer types, they do it all but their sour beers are where it’s at! Organic sour beer brewed with a house cultivated yeast strain and organic fruit and berries, you’ve got to try them!

Customer Review: Delicious brews with a great view. I would highly recommend this place for a few pints and really enjoyed pale ale. The atmosphere is also incredibly nice with a great view of the river.

Ghost Monkey

Ghost Monkey
Ghost Monkey

Another Mount Pleasant brewery, Ghost Monkey will show you a great time any day of the week. With events almost every single night from bingo, sip & paint, live music, and more, it’s truly never a dull moment. Being on the small side allows them to experiment with different recipes and take chances with wild flavour combinations all the time. You never know what they might have on tap next!

Customer Review: Perfect place for some tasty beers, great service, and a fun atmosphere!

Munkle Brewing Co.

Munkle Brewing Co.
Munkle Brewing Co.

Munkle Brewing has an interesting backstory like none other, bringing traditional Belgian and German styles to downtown Charleston. Munkle was named after Uncle Rob, the founder’s uncle who started brewing beer at a Benedictine monastery among the monks who paved the way for modern day beer drinkers.

You’ll find tons of European traditional styles at their Nomo neighborhood brewery that you can enjoy over a game of pool or while watching the game on their big screen TVs. They even have a shop dog named Brugge who loves to be loved on.

Customer Review: Cool little place catering to those who prefer all their beers to be German or Belgian style. No IPAs or sours to be found here like 99/100 other local breweries, but this is by no means a bad thing. Will definitely be back!

Cooper River Brewing Co.

Cooper River Brewing Co.
Cooper River Brewing Co.

Cooper River Brewing Co. in the thriving upper peninsula of downtown Charleston is among the newer breweries of the area and definitely worth the visit. Their relaxed and comfortable back porch vibe is the perfect place to try some unique ales and memorable beers of all kinds. Beer lovers new and old can enjoy great Southern hospitality inside and out while visiting this up and coming brewery.

Customer Review: Wonderful brewery! Great atmosphere, friendly staff, dog friendly, spacious and clean taproom, and delicious beers. Our favorites were the Pumpkin Golden Ale and Orange Blonde Ale.

Indigo Reef Brewing Company

Indigo Reef Brewing Company
Indigo Reef Brewing Company

Indigo Reef Brewing Company is another newer brewery in Charleston and one that is prioritizing sustainability and environmental protection, as well as community and hospitality. In their delicious and approachable beers they use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients through sustainable brewing standards to ensure limited waste.

This is a great brewery for meeting new friends over a pint of craft beer, as they have a large bar and community-sized tables, perfect for socializing. Their beers pair amazingly with their mouthwatering soft pretzels from Knotty Pretzels, “The Official Pretzels of Beer”, which you can buy right from the brewery.

Customer Review: Indigo Reef is one of my favorite breweries in Charleston. The beer they make here is crafted with love and passion and it shows. The place itself is cool and clean. If you want an amazing cream ale, this is definitely the place. They also have an awesome honey blonde that’s just heavenly. Definitely put this on your list of breweries to hit up if you are in the area.

Charles Towne Fermentory

Charles Towne Fermentory
Charles Towne Fermentory

What started out as an old laundromat, is now a buzzing craft brewery that is loved by many. Charles Towne Fermentory loves a good hop flavor, they specialize in all kinds of hop-forward and fermentation-driven beers. While you’ll find tons of IPA’s at this brewery, you’ll also see quite a few easy drinking lagers, stouts, and sours. With a frequently rotating tap list, live music on the weekends, and free tours of the brewery, it’s never a dull moment at this Avondale gem.

Customer Review: Outstanding beer in a cool, casual taproom. Friendly service, too!

Snafu Brewing Company

Snafu Brewing Company
Snafu Brewing Company

Snafu Brewing Company is known for their huge selection of sour beers, the biggest sour tap list in Charleston! With their quirky vibe and wild flavour creations, they’re truly paving the way for a different beer drinking experience, one that will excite your taste buds and leave you wanting more. Once you’ve sampled beer at Snafu, your world will be changed!

Customer Review: Awesome dive brewery in north charleston. Sours are insane here and you have plenty of choices. They have pinball, games , old Nintendo, ping pong, pool. FU to the big boys

Enjoy the best breweries in Charleston!

Make sure to go and check out Charleston’s best craft breweries, grab a locally brewed pint (or 2) and support your local brewers!

If we’ve missed a brewery on our list that you think should be added, contact us and let us know who the brewery is and why you think it should be added to our list of the top breweries in Charleston!

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