Fifteen years ago, it was still illegal in South Carolina to sell specialty beers with a higher alcohol content than a Budweiser. But a succession of pro-craft beer laws has created a booming brewery business in Charleston.
The list of nearly 40 local breweries includes spots selling sours, lagers and seasonal ales. These 10 Charleston-area breweries are among the destinations that have been serving the longest.
Charles Towne Fermentory
809 Savannah Highway, West Ashley
Housed in a storefront warehouse space with a garage door opening up to the sidewalk, Charles Towne Fermentory is home to a list of thoughtfully crafted brews, including its flagship Sungazer IPA. Wooden walls and tables give the limited space a more homey feel, and local pop-up Bok Choy Boy serves food out of a small on-site kitchen.
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Last year, the Avondale brewery added a second location at 1331 Ashley River Road, also in West Ashley. The Garden by Charles Towne Fermentory, more taproom than production brewery, has ample outdoor space with plenty of food trucks passing through.
Coast Brewing Co.
1250 N. 2nd St., North Charleston
The Lowcountry’s brewing scene was just getting started 16 years ago when Jaime Tenny and her husband David Merritt first opened their brewery, serving organic craft beers like HopArt.
As Charleston’s brewing industry grew around Coast, craft beer drinkers continued to visit the North Charleston taproom, which was really just a handful of taps in the heart of a humid brewhouse. In 2015, the couple realized it was time for an upgrade.
That dream came to fruition in December 2022, when Coast’s “nautical” taproom opened. It features a 36-foot black walnut bar, two community tables and a handful of four-tops. There is a small stage inside and a bar window that can serve guests on the deck.
Commonhouse Aleworks
4831 O’Hear Ave., North Charleston
Located on the doorstep of a strip of Park Circle restaurants, Commonhouse Aleworks’ spacious outdoor area is a popular place to be on a weekend day. A list of core products and seasonal sippers like the Tax Day hazy IPA are on the menu, alongside an on-site food program curated by Swig & Swine.
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Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.
1505 King St., downtown Charleston
Located alongside Rancho Lewis at the Pacific Box & Crate development, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. is anchored by a bar outfitted with 26 taps. They’re filled with a slate of standbys and seasonal specials, like the Something Cold golden ale and Sun Kissed sour wheat.
With a far-reaching distribution program, don’t be surprised if you find cans from Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. while traveling outside of the state.
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Mike Morelli plays a card game with his 3-year-old daughter Amelia at the Commonhouse Aleworks in the Park Circle area of North Charleston on Friday, January 25, 2019.
Mike Morelli plays a card game with his 3-year-old daughter Amelia at the Commonhouse Aleworks in the Park Circle area of North Charleston on Friday, January 25, 2019.
File/Staff
File/Staff
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Frothy Beard Brewing Co.
1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., West Ashley
This family-friendly brewery pairs drinkable IPAs like the Sip Sip Pass with others infused with yuzu, jalapeño and other surprising ingredients. The West Ashley destination, which operates satellite locations in Summerville and Charlotte, has a full food menu of soft pretzels, wings and monster slices of pizza.
Holy City Brewing
1021 Aragon Ave., North Charleston
Located along North Charleston’s Noisette Creek, Holy City Brewing’s relatively new digs offer ample seating indoors and out. Patrons go to Holy City for the waterfront views and brews like the Sparkly Princess and Washout Wheat. They stay an extra hour or two for food from the brewery’s scratch kitchen and new raw bar.
Low Tide Brewing
2863 Maybank Highway, Johns Island
Low Tide is the longest tenured brewery on Johns Island, with its seasonally-changing sippers and longtime favorites like the pineapple wheat Aloha Beaches. In the coming years, the brewery will relocate to a 10-acre site next to Trophy Lake off Maybank Highway.
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Munkle Brewing
1513 Meeting Street Road, downtown Charleston
Locals love Munkle Brewing for several reasons, starting with ownership’s community-minded approach. This extends into the in-brewery experience, featuring comfortable seating and employees who look forward to talking all things beer with customers. One of my simple pleasures is sipping on a Munkle Pilsner while looking out across the railroad tracks as the sun sets on Charleston.
Palmetto Brewing
289 Huger St., downtown Charleston
You can’t skip over Charleston’s first licensed brewery to open since the fall of Prohibition on your Lowcountry brewery tour. Palmetto Brewing is a staple, and its Huger Street IPA and Lowcountry Lager are two local favorites.
Beer glasses customized for Revelry Brewing’s new Folly Beach location sit on the bar on Jan. 19, 2024.
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File/Henry Taylor/Staff
Revelry Brewing Co.
10 Conroy St., downtown Charleston
Revelry Brewing Co., which opened in 2014 and operates a second location on Folly Beach, sets itself apart with a dog-friendly rooftop and drinkable craft beers. While downtown development starts to crowd Revelry, a staple among locals, it’s still one of the top spots in the city for a picturesque sunset view.
Since March, Le Farfalle owner Michael Toscano’s Da Toscano Fugazzi has been serving what the chef calls “unauthentic Italian-inspired Americana” at Revelry. That could look like porchetta crackling and mozzarella sticks to start, and a lobster roll or porcini prime rib cheesesteak on an Amoroso’s hoagie to finish.
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks squad won its 10th consecutive game on Thursday when they dominated the Texas A&M Aggies by a score of 90-49.
Per usual, the Gamecocks showed off their impressive depth in the game, having six players scoring in double-digits in their first game after it was announced that top player Ashlyn Watkins tore her ACL and would miss the rest of the season.
Ever since their win over #9 ranked TCU on December 8, South Carolina has essentially cruised to a bunch of wins against unranked teams. Now, however, they face a series of exceedingly tough tests.
They face No. 5 ranked Texas on January 12, No. 18 ranked Alabama on January 16, No. 10 ranked Oklahoma on January 19, the undefeated and No. 6 ranked LSU Tigers on January 23, then the No. 16 ranked Tennessee Volunteers on January 27.
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That’s an insane slate of five straight games. But Dawn Staley seems to be feeling confident.
“I like where we are,” Staley said when asked if this is where she wants her team to be heading into this upcoming gauntlet, per the South Carolina Gamecocks YouTube account.
“I do,” Staley added. “I mean, probably Ashlyn’s injury freed us up a little bit. I think we could play a little more loose. And, I like it. I mean, I’m not fretting the five games in 16 days at all. Our team is prepared to play. Win, lose, or draw, we’re gonna play.
“We’re gonna play hard, we’re gonna give our best effort. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to play perfectly, but we’re going to muck it up to where other teams can’t play perfectly either. It’s going to be a battle, and we look forward to the battle,” she continued.
The women’s basketball world will learn a lot about these Gamecocks by the time these five games are over.
South Carolina’s championship repeat tour chances are in trouble.
Junior forward Ashlyn Watkins, a critical part of the 2024 team that won a title, is done for the season with an ACL injury. Her injury significantly complicates the Gamecocks’ chances at another title. South Carolina was already adjusting to life without Kamilla Cardoso, attempting her length and production with Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin after she moved on to the WNBA.
But no Watkins to lead the bench unit or fill in the starting lineup when needed puts a dent in how the team operates. “In the games, we might need to play small ball,” head coach Dawn Staley told the media earlier this week. “The last time that we lost a big such as Ashlyn, we played small ball, and it worked out for us. And we might have to pull that rabbit out [of] our hat.”
Dawn Staley on how @GamecockWBB adjusts without Ashlyn Watkins in the post:
“We might need to play small ball. The last time that we lost a big such as Ashlyn (Alaina Coates in 2017), we played small ball and it worked out for us.”@wachfoxpic.twitter.com/vtJNwhiSFM
Transparently, losing Watkins’ length and size (6 foot-3) for the remainder of the season will hurt the Gamecocks when they play teams with similar or larger physical attributes.
There’s also this to consider: South Carolina’s sheer amount of roster continuity is also impacted. When the NCAA Tournament arrives, teams with more chemistry, experience and ability to produce at those levels typically have longer post-season runs.
With this in mind, if South Carolina wants another ring, Dawn Staley might have to go so deep into her coaching bag that she finds Tic Tacs at the bottom.
No criminal charges will be filed over the death of a Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) K9 deputy who perished inside a hot patrol car on July 28, 2024.
The deputy – K9 Orser – was identified for the first time on Wednesday (January 8, 2025), less than 24 hours after FITSNews reported that the investigation into his death was ongoing.
“At my request, I was briefed today by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division regarding the findings and conclusion of their investigation into the death of K9 Orser,” newly sworn-in DCSO sheriff Sam Richardson said in a statement. “Based on their thorough and independent investigation, they have decided not to pursue criminal charges against the K9 handler involved in this incident. The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office will be holding a private memorial service to honor K9 Orser for his devoted service to the citizens of Dorchester County.”
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Deputy Brandon Edwards, Orser’s handler, was demoted following the incident – and the case was turned over to the SLED for investigation. As of now, the details of that inquiry – and the decision not to prosecute Edwards – remain a mystery.
Our news outlet repeatedly requested information from DCSO about this incident – but those requests were either declined or deferred. Last August, a former DCSO deputy took to social media and demanded accountability in the matter.
“Dorchester County is trying to sweep this under the rug,” former deputy Adam Throckmorton said. “They’re trying to duck the news media, and they’re just trying to make it like it never happened.”
Shortly thereafter, SLED announced it had taken over the case – with its director of public information, Renée Wunderlich, noting her agency was leading an independent inquiry as opposed to merely conducting an “investigative review.”
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RELATED | ANOTHER SOUTH CAROLINA K9 OFFICER KILLED
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Details of Edwards’ demotion recently surfaced in documents submitted to the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), which outlined the reason for the disciplinary action. Edwards left his K9 partner “unattended in his department-issued vehicle without the temperature controls operating,” according to a document dated September 12, 2024. As a result, Edwards’ rank was reduced from master deputy to deputy, his pay was decreased, and he was removed from the K9 unit. Notably, the document made no mention of the K9’s death.
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FITSNews is submitting FOIA requests aimed at uncovering the findings of SLED’s investigation – and the determination by prosecutors not to press charges. Whatever information we are able to obtain from those inquiries we will be sure to pass along to our audience.
As previously noted, last year was a horrific one for K9 officers in South Carolina. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) alone lost three K9s – Bumi, Kodak and Wick – each shot and killed in the line of duty. SLED lost one K9, Coba, who was also shot and killed in the line of duty.
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THE RELEASE…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons (provided)
Callie Lyonsis a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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