First Look: Blue Jay Brewing Co. in Midtown St. Louis

Midtown continues to blossom as one of St. Louis’ new epicenters for food and drink. The latest project to open its doors there is Blue Jay Brewing Co., which quietly debuted on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2710 Locust St. in the JCMidtown development.

Blue Jay is the passion project of husband-and-wife team Jason and Nicole Thompson. Jason is a beer industry veteran who most recently worked at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. in several positions, including head brewer and production manager, before leaving in 2019 to focus on Blue Jay. The brewery’s focus is on American- and European-style lagers. The tap room has eight taps, with half dedicated to year-round offerings and half to seasonal and collaboration brews.

Inside the bright red facade, the space measures approximately 3,500 square feet, including both the brewing facility and the taproom, which has seating for 49. Several overhead doors, the remnants of the building’s past as an auto shop, will provide an open-air feel during the warmer months. There’s also an outdoor Biergarten that seats another 49 or so, with a sliding gate that allows access for food trucks and other vendors.

“The Biergarten sold it for me,” Jason said of the space. “The proximity to the soccer stadium doesn’t hurt either,” Nicole added.

While the taproom boasts a full kitchen, Blue Jay isn’t offering food, at least initially. The Thompsons definitely plan to offer food in the future, however – Nicole said the duo are currently talking with potential culinary partners. The initial beer list includes Okay!, a Bavarian-style hefeweizen, along with collaborations like Midtown Shuffle, an American cold IPA brewed with Urban Chestnut, and Lindman, a Munich-style helles collab with Springfield Brewing Co. The Thompsons will be bottling onsite in the future and hope to self-distribute eventually. There’s also a limited selection of wines, cider and seltzers available.

Blue Jay Brewing Company is open Wednesday through Friday, 3 to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 7 p.m.