6 spots to drink beer across St. Louis right now

Here are six spots across the St. Louis region, from Cherokee Street to Wentzville, where you’re sure to find a surprisingly great treat on tap in addition to a pleasant imbibing experience.

Go to Chillax, drink a Sump Coffee Stout
Chillax is the savvy beer drinker’s Wentzville oasis (with an upcoming second location in St. Peters) with 30 frequently rotating taps in addition to their wide retail selection. Friendly vibes, patio space and plenty of board and yard games make it an ideal, family-friendly hangout. New kegs are popped on weekly, but if you’re quick, you can catch a pour of Perennial Artisan Ales’ Sump Coffee Stout, a beloved Imperial stout aged in whiskey barrels and blended with coffee roasted by Sump Coffee.
714 W. Pearce Blvd., Wentzville, 636.887.0387, chillaxstl.com

Go to Side Project Cellar, drink a barrel-aged coffee stout
The crown jewel of St. Louis’ tasting rooms showcases an unrivaled selection of Belgian-inspired and barrel-aged beers. It’s heaven for the most studious beer nerd, and a crash course education for the rest of us. March brings Maplewood’s annual Coffee Crawl, and Side Project Cellar is celebrating with three to four special edition barrel-aged Imperial stouts blended with coffee from local roasters. Pro tip: Visit from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday to take advantage of their new happy hour with special discount pricing on select bottles from the cellar.
7373 Marietta Ave., Maplewood, sideprojectbrewing.com/pages/the-cellar

Go to the Royale Food & Spirits, drink an IPA
The Royale and its charming patio have been a staple of South City beer drinking since opening nearly 20 years ago. It’s the ideal neighborhood bar with friendly vibes, respectable food offerings, a smart cocktail menu and, of course, a diverse draft list that updates weekly. With that kind of dynamism, we like to stick to a classic patio pal, like Cigar City Jai Alai, a bold, citrusy India Pale Ale with six different hop varietals and notes of orange peel and light caramel.
3132 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314.772.3600, theroyale.com

Go to Saint Louis Hop Shop, drink their latest collaboration with 2nd Shift Brewing
In addition to the wide variety of retail choices available at Saint Louis Hop Shop’s small but mighty Cherokee Street bottle shop, you can also saddle up to the cozy bar in the back for a friendly, knowledgeable beer chat with co-owners and brothers Justin Harris and Ryan Griffin. This month you can try a draft of I’m the Captain Still, their newest collaboration with 2nd Shift Brewing. This boozy, Imperial stout, aged for one year in Barbados rum barrels, is dominated by spicy flavors that give way to sweet, rich chocolate notes with hints of coconut, cinnamon and coffee.
2600 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.261.4011, saintlouishopshop.com

Go to OSP Tap Haus, drink an Irish Red Ale
OSP Tap Haus dedicates at least 24 of their 50 taps to St. Louis-made brews; the other half showcases the country’s greatest hits from Ohio to Colorado and beyond. Real ones will get nostalgic tingles for the golden days of Growlers Pub’s beer card program. Fifty stamps (one per full draft beer purchased, two for every Budweiser) earn you a mug that gets $1 off during discount hours. Quick changes and seasonal choices are the play here. Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with Six Mile Bridge’s Irish Red Ale with Honey, a smooth, ruby-red ale brewed with over 40 pounds of honey to create layers of caramel and toffee notes.
6346 Telegraph Road, St. Louis, 314.293.9642, osptaphaus.com

Go to Blueberry Hill, drink a pitcher of craft beer
When you think of this landmark in the Loop, your assumption might be that the draw is burgers and decor that would have TGI Fridays’ interior designer shaking in their boots, but its true strength lies in its bar. Cozy, dark wood booths line the space and there’s no greater joy than sipping a pitcher under the warm novelty lighting. The craft draft selection reads like a list of St. Louis’ greatest hits from Civil Life Brewing Co. American Brown to 4 Hands Brewing Co. Incarnation IPA; and, best of all, you can order a pitcher of any of them for $19.50.
6504 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.727.4444, blueberryhill.com