- See more at: http://blogtimenow.com/blogging/automatically-redirect-blogger-blog-another-blog-website/#sthash.TapQ9hQj.dpuf gap creek gourmet: On Tap: A (Self-Guided) Greenville Beer Tour

Monday, March 03, 2014

On Tap: A (Self-Guided) Greenville Beer Tour


Thanks in part to the Pint Bill in 2013, which increased on-site beer consumption at breweries to 48 ounces, old brewers have been expanding and new brewers have been popping up around the Greenville area. You can go straight to the source of local craft beer with a tour and a taste at these fine locations:

Thomas Creek Brewery
2054 Piedmont Highway, Greenville, SC
(864) 605-1166
Tours available by appointment Mon-Fri 9-6 p.m.; Sat 10-6 p.m.
Located south of downtown Greenville, Thomas Creek is the city's best known brewery. This award-winning facility opened in 1998 and offers everything from the classic River Falls Red Ale and Class Five IPA to specialty options like the Banana Split Chocolate Stout. The brewery is currently expanding to include a new courtyard seating area and an official tasting room, but the original facility is still open for tours and offering a few beers on tap.

Quest Brewing Company
55 Airview Drive, Greenville, SC
(864) 272-6232
Tours available Sat 1-4 p.m., on the hour
Quest began brewing in 2012 and wasted no time making an impact on local beer lovers. The adventurous spirit of the city inspired its name and beers: try the Smoking Mirror Porter or the Kaldi Coffee Stout, made with West End Coffee's freshly roasted beans. The taproom frequently hosts food trucks, live music, outdoor games and even yoga nights.

Brewery 85
6 Whitlee Ct, Greenville, SC
(864) 558-0104
Tours available Thu and Fri 4-7 p.m.; Sat noon-5 p.m.
Brewery 85 begins hard hours in March with a small, but enthusiastic line-up of beers available in half- and full-pint pours (flights are in the works). Start with the 864 Weizen for a literal taste of the Upstate—all ingredients are locally sourced—and bring your drinking pants for the 8.5% Quittin' Time Helles Bock. The large, outdoor patio is the perfect place to sip before a sunset, and rumor has it that live music, food trucks and games are soon to come.

Swamp Rabbit Brewery
26 South Main Street, Travelers Rest, SC
(864) 610-2424
The building that once brewed Leopard Forest Coffee will soon re-awaken to brewing a different sort thanks to Swamp Rabbit Brewery, the latest beer adventure of lauded brewer Ben Pierson. This family-run operation near the popular Swamp Rabbit Trail will welcome enthusiasts to sip classic beers at the steel bar in late March.

Blue Ridge Brewing Company
217 North Main Street, Greenville, SC
(864) 323-4677
While technically a brewpub, Blue Ridge should not be missed for both its importance in local brew history and its thirst-quenching beers. Bob Hiller was only able to open Blue Ridge in 1995 after lobbying to make brewpubs legal in South Carolina. Take a seat inside amidst the large tanks or out on a sidewalk table, and sip one of the big four: Colonel Paris Pale Ale, Kurli Blonde Ale, Rainbow Trout ESB and XXX Total Eclipse Stout.

A big thank you to Harvin, The Craft Beer Chick, for her round-up of local breweries for Gap Creek Gourmet! Visit her all things beer blog at www.craftbeerchick.com
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