We are visiting every St. Louis microbrewery to help highlight the variety, quality and fine spaces we have to enjoy a fresh beer in our fair city.
We stopped at the Schlafly Tap Room at 2100 Locust Street in the Downtown West Neighborhood.
The strong microbrewery scene in St. Louis owes Schlafly for much of its success and freedom to operate. They were the first brewery to open post Prohibition. Setting up shop in 1991, a time when Anheuser-Busch, still a family run business at the time, Schlafly fought the AB status quo legal and distribution landscape to pave the way for small breweries once again..
They were the OG of the modern scene we have today. Their pale ale, hefeweizen and kolsch were the first local microbrewery beers I had when moving here in 1994. They changed the way I thought about beer, especially local beer. We all owe them a lot. Back in those days aside from Busch, Red White & Blue and Stag, a fancy beer was a Newcastle, Shiner or Heineken.
That all changed.
The building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, dating back to 1901.
Photo Source - Missouri Historical Society - 1953 John S. Swift Company
I remember sitting down with the owner at one point talking about their expansion. I shared my opinion that they blew it when they expanded in Maplewood, MO, a small town just outside of St. Louis. They were considering the former grocery store property at Southwest and Macklind in the Southwest Garden Neighborhood. That location would have cemented the coolness of their brand and the neighborhood itself, right on the edge of the Hill. Too bad, missed opportunity, but people seem to like the suburban locations as well. And we still have the Taproom, which is a gorgeous space.
For some reason, Schlafly claims the Taproom is in Midtown, but Midtown is west of Downtown West starting at Jefferson.
Anyhow, here’s what you’ll see at Schlafly.
The bartender, who I’ve seen there for years, is excellent. The fried green tomatoes he recommended were enjoyed over a Kolsch and IPA. The tomatoes and remoulade hit the spot and the crisp, clean beers were the perfect pairing.
The Taproom is right across Olive from the new City SC MLS stadium, making it a favorite on game days. It is a also a very walkable destination before and after Blues hockey games.
There is a charming patio space as well as a smaller bar and seating area to the north of the main bar. It is set up for live music.
There is also a full take out and souvenir section.
As Downtown West hopefully sees the scads of empty lots developed to housing, the stock of Schlafly will rise.
I love this place. They give a really great tour of the building and talk about the legal fights it took to open St. Louis microbrewing in the 1990s. Well worth your time.
