USA, MO: Charleville Brewing Co. & Tavern now open in St. Louis

Charleville Brewing Co. & Tavern is now open at 2101 Chouteau Avenue in Downtown West in St Louis. The brewpub is a partnership between Ste. Genevieve's Charleville Vineyard, Winery & Microbrewery and Paul and Wendy Hamilton, the restaurateurs behind Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Vin de Set and PW Pizza, STLToday.com reported on May 26.

“Finally getting the liquor license was the moment I allowed myself to get excited,” Charleville director of operations Tait Russell tells Off the Menu.

Last October, when Russell first spoke to Off the Menu about the project, he said, “The whole idea is to connect with the (St. Louis) community.”

Now that members of the St. Louis community are actually sitting in the brewpub, drinking Charleville beer, he says, “It's a little surreal.”

Charleville has relocated its 7-barrel brewing system from Ste. Genevieve to the new brewpub. (Ste. Genevieve boasts a 30-barrel brewhouse.) Russell says the system should be ready to brew its first batch in the next couple of weeks.

While Charleville tends to the beer, the Hamiltons oversee the food, with chef Ryan Luke heading the kitchen.

“We're calling it upscale tavern food,” Russell says. “Comfort food with a little Southern feel.”

Appetizers include beer-brined fried wings, fried chicken livers and a lobster corn dog. Among the sandwiches are a patty melt, an open-faced sloppy joe and a Cuban.

Unsurprisingly, beer plays a role in several main courses: beer-battered fried catfish, beer-braised beef brisket and beer-brined smoked and fried chicken.

Charleville Brewing Co. & Tavern is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (bar till midnight) Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (bar till midnight) Saturday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

28 May, 2017