Another STL Brewery

While St. Louis has been abuzz with stories about the potential InBev acquisition of Anheuser-Busch, another local brewery might be of interest to you, especially since their products will be the ones offered at the City Museum this coming night.

Schlafly Beer is a locally-produced brand with two brewing facilities in St. Louis. The older of the two is located Downtown, at the corner of Locust and 21st, a nice little walk from America's Center. With a brewpub, two music rooms and some of the brewing operation on-site, this Downtown STL venue is a popular after-work gathering place, with a host of community-oriented events booked into the multiple nooks of the Tap Room on weekends and evenings.

The Bottleworks is the newer operation, with several years of operation in suburban Maplewood. It hosts everything from cult films to poetry, with tours of the brewing operation scheduled several times a day. Adapted from an abandoned grocery store, the space has anchored the burgeoning Maplewood commercial district. It, too, features a large restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating.

What's particularly notable about Schlafly is the company's commitment to the environment. The Bottleworks has an on-site garden and hosts as weekly farmer's market during the spring and summer. Members of the brewery's senior staff work on a local CSA and head up the slow food movement here. The company sends out a regular Green Notes e-mail, highlighting everything from the pub's organic food recipes to notes about internal greening operations.