I have friends who spend almost all of their spare time exploring small breweries they've never heard of. If what I've just found is accurate, they need to road trip to St. Louis as one of their small brewers was just declared one of the hottest in America.

Full disclosure: I am NOT a connoisseur of beer or wine. Be glad that I'm not as I can barely walk straight in my always completely sober state. However, I do know how to pass on good news about one of our regional businesses getting some love. That's the case for Side Project Brewing in St. Louis who were just included among the top 34 for Thrillist's "Hottest Breweries in America".

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What is it about Side Project Brewing that Thrillist loves? Here's a small snippet of what they said:

Though owner/brewer Cory King says he’s an old man in brewing terms, demand for his barrel-aged creations is as strong as it was when the brewery became its own self-contained business—a side project no longer. The brewery produces barrel-aged stouts, with a return of the vaunted Beer:Barrel:Time, an adjunct-free bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout.

Here's more on what that beer is all about.

Adult beverages are such a subjective thing. I have friends that swear by the stout stuff and those that only dabble in lighter concoctions. You can check out the official Side Project Brewing website for more information if this sounds like a destination you'd like to explore.

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