All Praise Beer

Thousands of beer enthusiasts descended upon the Coast Brewery property on the old Navy base last weekend as the sixth annual Brewvival welcomed dozens of brewers from all over the country. While bone-chilling winds whipped down Noisette Creek, the rain at least held off until the very end as another Mudvival was narrowly avoided.
Festival favorites such Jester King, Dogfish Head, and Founders broke out some of their rarest brews and therefore pulled the biggest lines. It was the hometown folks who proved that the independent brewing spirit is alive and well in the Lowcountry. Both Westbrook and Holy City Brewing used tequila barrels for aging strange but interesting concoctions. Coast broke out a cask version of their 2010 Blackbeerd Stout, which included organic chocolate and scorching scorpion peppers. Newcomers Revelry and Tradesman made their Brewvival debuts, while other local brewers Freehouse, Palmetto, Frothy Beard, and Riverdog all represented with their finest ales.
The week leading up to Brewvival, which has become one of the most anticipated beer fests in the Southeast, brought plenty of good beer events to West Ashley. Craft Conundrum, which was just named one of the best beer bars in America by DRAFT magazine, welcomed California Brewery Lagunita’s for a tap takeover prior to Saturday’s big festival. Total Wine hosted a tasting for Greenville’s Thomas Creek Brewing, which also had a pint night at Triangle Char & Bar on Friday before the festival.