With more SC breweries popping up, here are the five largest in the state
With the announcement of Peak Drift Brewing opening on North Main Street in Columbia, SC in 2023, comes the question of what are the state’s largest breweries?
Peak Drift will be the largest brewery by square footage in South Carolina upon completion at nearly 64,000 square feet of total indoor space and 15,000 square feet of dedicated production space.
The South Carolina Brewers Guild estimates that these five breweries are the runners up:
5. Holy City Brewing
This North Charleston brewery has 20,000 square feet in a re-adapted warehouse in the Park Circle neighborhood.
Holy City Brewing began in 2011 after two Charleston ricksaw business partners took up home brewing, according to the company’s website. The business expanded into its current building in 2019 and has a four-vessel, thirty-barrel brewing system.
Holy City Brewing is opening its own event space on the marsh in Charleston soon.
4. Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.
Charleston’s Edmund’s Oast brewery has 20,000 square feet, but the company also has a separate restaurant and an “exchange” retail store, bringing it to the third largest brewery in South Carolina.
The brewery is known for its funky and creative brews, usually in the black and white cans. Its most popular beers include the Bound by Time IPA and the Something Cold Blonde Ale.
Edmund’s Oast opened in 2017 and started canning operations in 2018 at its 1505 King St. location.
3. Thomas Creek Brewing
Thomas Creek Brewery has at least 23,000 square feet, according to TripAdvisor. The brewery has been family-owned since 1998, making it one of the oldest and largest breweries in Greenville County.
Father and son duo Bill and Tom Davis focus on using water from the Blue Ridge Mountains as the base for their craft beers.
Thomas Creek’s flagship brew was the River Falls Red Ale that is still in production.
2. Sumter Original Brewery
Sumter’s first brewery is also one of the largest in the state at 30,000 square feet and three stories tall.
The building at 2 South Main St. has a 15 barrel brewing system and is owned by Gray Shuler. Troy Bervig is the head brewer and has experience brewing across the Midwest after quitting his job in the medical field to become a brewer.
Sumter Original Brewery opened in March 2020 and offers a variety of beers, a full bar, rooftop and a game room.
1. Westbrook Brewing Co.
Three of South Carolina’s largest breweries are in the Charleston-area, including Westbrook. The Mount Pleasant brewery has about 40,000 square feet, according to the business.
Westbrook regularly has 22 rotating beers on tap, in bottles, cans and crowlers, said its website. The brewery opened at 510 Ridge Road in 2010.
Husband and wife duo Morgan and Edward Westbrook own the brewery that created the sought-after Mexican Cake imperial stout that is released once a year and its signature White Thai Belgian-style wheat beer.
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: Westbrook Brewing is about 40,000 square feet after expanding recently, not 18,500 square feet.
