7 St. Louis-area breweries opening or expanding this spring

The season of new beginnings also means new entrants into the St. Louis beer scene from familiar faces and newcomers alike. We spoke to area breweries about what they’re opening up – and brewing up – this spring.

Blue Jay Brewing Co. 
As part of the development at JC Midtown this spring, Jason Thompson, former head brewer and production manager at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., and Nicole Thompson plan to open Blue Jay Brewing Co. in early spring. No official opening date has been settled on yet, but expect a sizable covered patio and 3,500-square-foot brewery and taproom. The roughly 10 to 12 beers on tap will favor American and European lager-style beers, with five core offerings alongside rotational features.
2710 Locust St., St. Louis, bluejaybrewing.com

Friendship Fli-Hi and Godspeed Distilling Co. 
Dubbed Friendship Fli-Hi as an homage to surrounding neighborhood Flint Hill, Friendship Brewing’s new 10,000-square-foot location and accompanying distillery will quadruple brewing capacity and enable the brewery to begin canning and distributing their brews locally. A large outdoor space will house bocce courts and a beer garden. Co-founder Brian Nolan anticipates the addition of several malty lagers that the team ferments in their foeders, new twists on hazy IPAs and some of his personal favorite barrel-aged brews alongside Friendship’s traditional six to eight brews. Food partnership plans and an exact opening date are forthcoming.
400 Crossroads Business Park Court, Wentzville, friendshipbrewco.com

Friendship Brewing Hannibal 
The second of two Friendship Brewing spinoffs slated to open in the upcoming months, Friendship Brewing Hannibal will take up the former home of Mark Twain Brewery in Hannibal. The two-story, 15,000-square-foot space offers scenic river views as well as bed and breakfast options for thirsty travelers stopping off from nearby Highway 19. Expect slightly different food and beverage offerings at this location, in line with the brewing company’s goal to offer patrons unique experiences at each of their locations.
422 N. Main St., Hannibal, friendshipbrewco.com

Alpha Brewing Co. Distillery 
Slated to open in late summer or early fall, Alpha Brewing Co.’s new concept includes a 2,300-square-foot tasting room and a 1,200-square-foot distillery, allowing the brewery to expand into a new line of whiskeys, ryes and bourbons as well as a new line of fruited vodkas, Squoosh. The distillery itself will provide St. Louis-style pizzas alongside its beverage offerings. Alpha will be joined by Steve’s Hot Dogs and Fountain Off Locust in the Maker’s Locale development on Delmar Boulevard.
5232 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.621.2337, alphabrewingcompany.com

Mississippi Culture 
Father-and-son co-owners Bruce and Tracy Hutton have been brewing up plans for new Staunton brewery Mississippi Culture since 2020. Inspired by Belgian sour beer traditions, Tracy, who currently heads up brewing at Recess Brewing, will focus on true farmhouse-style saisons. Expect a lineup of at least one farmhouse IPA and an assortment of American sour beers, all fermented and aged in oak barrels. Opening plans are slated for this spring, with an official date yet to be announced.
201 S. Union St., Staunton, Illinois, mississippiculturebeer.com

Narrow Gauge Brewing Co. 
Narrow Gauge is expanding into an 8,000-square-foot brewing facility just down the street from their original location. Co-owners Heather and Jeff Hardesty, Ben Goldkamp and David Beckham plan to open their doors exclusively for retail in the next couple of months; an adjacent taproom and patio will open up in the next year or so. The extra space will double production capacity, enabling additional distribution throughout Missouri as well as more barrel-aged stouts, lagers and longer fermentation-style beers that were not previously feasible due to space limitations.
1545 N. Hwy. 67, Florissant, narrowgaugestl.shop

Main & Mill Brewing Co. 
Festus favorite Main & Mill has plans to open four new concepts at its new, 20,000-square-foot production facility on Main Street: Six Main, its new cocktail bar concept; a carryout restaurant from a to-be-determined local food vendor; a taproom featuring a takeout window from the restaurant; and an event space. Co-owners Denny and Barry Foster are hopeful for a May opening date for the “intimate but lighthearted” cocktail bar led by longtime Main & Mill brewer Tyler Bryant that will feature a mix of experimental and classic cocktails, assorted wines and, of course, beer. Opening dates for the taproom and event space have yet to be announced, but the owners anticipate experimenting with new wines, fruit-beer slushies and hard kombucha, among other brews.
6 Main St., Festus, 636.638.0130, mainandmill.com