Katie Herrera bids farewell with her 12 top St. Louis beers

After seven years in the St. Louis beer community, I’m officially saying goodbye to one of the best beer cities. I’m ringing in 2019 in the Windy City with my new team at Revolution Brewing.

So allow me to toast the holidays, the new year and the amazing breweries this fine river city has to offer. Cheers, St. Louis – you are a true beer mecca, and it’s been a pleasure writing for you all these years. I bid you adieu with my 12 favorite beers in The Lou.

1. 4 Hands Brewing Co. Incarnation
This IPA is, without question, my favorite beer in St. Louis. It’s as tropical and stone fruit-forward as 4 Hands is classy, and I thank the beer gods I can get it in Chicago.

2. Charleville Brewing Co. Long White Cloud
A perfect balance of lightly toasted malt, fruity lager esters and subtle dank aromatics, this New Zealand-style Pilsner is a crush-worthy spin on a classic style.

3. Side Project Brewing Grisette
This delicate brew (and style) will forever have a place in my heart. This mildly funky, Brett-fermented farmhouse is a true gem and as perfect as that little brewery I called home for so long.

4. Bud Light Lime
If you don’t know, now you know. Lime is really refreshing on game days.

5. Civil Life Brewing Co. Porter
This beautifully roasted, malt-forward beer showcases notes of chocolate, coffee, and just a hint of herbaceous licorice. It’s the one beer and brewery experience I will seek out every time I roll back through The Lou.

6. 2nd Shift Brewing Co. Katy
Katy was one of the first Brett beers I loved. The mild bubblegum and juicy, fruit notes and barnyard-y aromatics opened my eyes to a whole new world.

7. Perennial Artisan Ales Barrel-Aged 17
You have to appreciate two things when enjoying this beauty: one, the perfect combination of mint and chocolate, especially when paired with whiskey, and two, Perennial’s killer Imperial stout base.

8. Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. Stammtisch
A gorgeous version of a classic style, this German-inspired Pilsner is a perfect example of what hops, yeast and Pilsner malt can do when they live in harmony through a cold fermentation. Don’t mess with UCBC’s German-style game.

9. Schlafly Coffee Stout
One of the first St. Louis beers I fell in love with, this beer is the marriage of two of my favorite things: fermented beverages and coffee. It’s medium-bodied, just boozy enough to warm up a cold day, and resembles a welcoming cup of diner coffee after a long night of drinking.

10. Logboat Brewing Co. Mamoot Mild
This little bready and light bodied guy is a year-round favorite. It’s a 4 percent ABV can of perfection. Props to the Logboat crew on the coffee and PB&J variants. Who knew you could make an incredible beer more incredible?

11. 4 Hands Contact High Juiced
This beast was the highlight of my summer. It’s vibrant tropical fruit and citrus aroma, exquisite juiciness and underlying tangerine tartness had me crushing one after another.

12. Busch
No explanation necessary. Busch is better than Miller High Life (Sorry Chicago). The end.

Katie Herrera is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine and area sales manager at Revolution Brewing.