photo/Michael Cyra

More Than 20 Breweries on Tap for this Year’s Charleston Beer Garden

More than 20 local, regional and national breweries will be filling mugs with their brand of suds at the sixth annual Charleston Beer Garden on Saturday, May 20. From locally brewed beers to established craft beers, local wine and regional ciders, this pop-up beer festival has something for everyone.

This year’s event is noon to 7 p.m. at The Grove at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant. Proceeds from the event support Lowcountry AIDS Services in its work helping people living with HIV/AIDS in the greater Charleston area as well as its community outreach, education and prevention programs.

Breweries scheduled to be part of this year’s event include:

  • Ballast Point of California

  • Bold Rock Hard Cider of Virginia and North Carolina

  • Charles Towne Fermentory of Charleston

  • Cigar City Brewing of Tampa, Fla.

  • Cooper River Brewing of Charleston

  • Devils Backbone Brewing Co. of Virginia

  • Elysian Brewing Co. of Seattle, Wash.

  • Frothy Beard Brewing Co. of Charleston

  • Hi-Wire Brewing of Asheville, N.C.

  • Kona Brewing Co. of Hawaii

  • Lo-Fi Brewing of Charleston

  • Narragansett Beer of Rhode Island

  • New Belgium Brewing Co. of Colorado and Asheville, N.C.

  • Noble Cider of Asheville, N.C.

  • Oskar Blues Brewery with locations in Colorado, Texas and North Carolina

  • Palmetto Brewery of Charleston

  • Samuel Adams of Boston

  • Southern Barrel Brewing Co. of Bluffton, S.C.

  • SweetWater Brewing Co. of Atlanta

  • Terrapin Beer Co. of Georgia

  • Tradesman Brewing of Charleston

  • Two Blokes Brewing of Mount Pleasant

  • Yazoo Brewing Co. of Nashville

“We know this year’s attendees will love the wide selection of beers available at this year’s Charleston Beer Garden. Favorite breweries are returning from last year along with several new options and six terrific local breweries,” said Jason Kirk, director of development and marketing at Lowcountry AIDS Services. “We strive to provide a true variety of beers so everyone has a chance to enjoy a classic favorite and sample something new.”

For those who prefer a pinot over a pilsner, Deep Water Vineyard will have a selection of its wine made from muscadine grapes grown on Wadmalaw Island.

“Even though this is a beer festival, we had several requests to offer wine, so it only made sense to partner with Charleston’s local winery,” Kirk said.

In addition to tasting the more than 40 beers provided by these breweries, beer lovers will enjoy live music from the Greystar Stage, food trucks and arts and crafts vendors. Plus, there is a Homebrewers’ Village and the much-loved Yelp! Beer Games, which test entrants’ feats of knowledge, brawn and skill.

Beginning April 1, general admission tickets are $25 in advance/$35 day of and include a commemorative festival mug, 5 beer tickets, live entertainment, Beer Games competitions and access to the Homebrewers’ Village. VIP Tickets are $50 in advance/$60 day of and include a commemorative festival mug, 15 beer tickets, live entertainment, Beer Games competitions, access to the Homebrewers’ Village, a VIP entrance, goodies from the Swag Bar and access to the VIP Oasis with shaded seating, VIP only activities and private portable restrooms. VIP tickets are limited.

New for 2017 are Designated Driver Tickets available for $15. These tickets include admission to the festival and access to live entertainment, Beer Games and vendors.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.charlestonbeergarden.com.