The St. Louis region has a great reputation for its beer brewing tradition, which stretches beyond the King of Beers. St. Louis City and County have seen a renaissance in microbreweries that have gained national and international acclaim. Over the past two years, St. Charles County has witnessed a boom in the creation of several new microbreweries.
Steampunk Brew Works
St. Louis Wine and Beer Making in Lamp and Lantern Village has provided equipment, ingredients, encouragement and inspiration to many a homebrewer over the years, and that influence reaches to almost all of the brewers in this article. Owners David Deaton and Erika Gibb took over the homebrewers’ paradise in 2006 and, on Memorial Day 2017, added Steampunk Brew Works to the location. David took his love of beer and creative personality to add a bit of mystery to their beer menu. They rotate approximately 10 small-batch brews at any given time, but visitors may never see the same beer twice.
Two microbreweries that are directly inspired by Deaton are Third Wheel Brewing Co., located off Interstate 70 in St. Peters; and Petrichor Brewing Co., which just opened its doors last month in Winghaven.
Third Wheel Brewing Co.
Under the guidance of owner/brewer Abbey Spencer, Third Wheel Brewing has garnered a loyal following of beer drinkers. The brewery offers much to visitors of all ages with weekly bluegrass music, board games, corn hole and darts. Third Wheel boasts more than a dozen customer favorites, some of which are seasonal. They have a few guest varieties and a diverse food menu at the walk-up window.
Petrichor Brewing
Petrichor Brewing owners Michael Crowell and his brother, along with Efrain Barretor, who also owns two microbreweries in his native Venezuela, are excited about their new venture. Michael garnered inspiration for opening his own venue after writing for a Missouri wine blog and wanting to focus on the excitement and creativity of microbrewing. The word “petrichor” means "the smell one experiences after an early morning rain," and customers can feel this vibe in many of the diverse flavors of craft beer. They offer around 10 of their own brews, a few favorites from other craft breweries, along with diverse and delicious food, including appetizers and more hearty offerings.
Good News Brewing Co.
A second location for Good News Brewing Co. opened last month in Defiance. Owners Dan Tripp, Matt Fair and Josh Miller (head brewer) have another smaller venue in O’Fallon but saw a great opportunity in taking over the old Trail BBQ on the Katy Trail and Highway 94. This brewery allows them space to create more large-batch offerings, especially of their popular flavors. Dan says they are not a restaurant but a brewery that offers pizza. This brewery will enjoy lots of visitors on this very popular St. Charles County route.
Two Plumbers Brewery and Arcade
Rob and Katie Schowengerdt and John Simon opened Two Plumbers Brewery and Arcade near Lindenwood University in 2017. It is a little out of the ordinary as it offers not only several of its own brews and a couple of guest taps but also a “hopping” arcade. Two Plumbers may have had the most unique beer of all of those sampled on my weekend excursion: Montezuma Blessing, which includes all the ingredients of brewer John Simon’s grandmother’s famous brownie recipe, including cayenne, Azteca chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon. Amazing—I could taste all of them.
The discerning palate and the casual drinker will find something to love about every one of these establishments. Trying one or more is a great idea any day of the week and will make for wonderful weekend outings.
