We’ve been doing our best to keep y’all abreast of what’s happening in the world of beer here in the Lowcountry. From yoga to trivia to food trucks aplenty, there seems to be something other than hop guzzlin’ going on at the more than 20 breweries — and counting — around town.
We want to take a deeper look, though, at where everyone from the burgeoning cicerone to the social drinker can hang out for an extended period of time with their four-legged bestie.
With SEWE — and all things wild and floppy eared — going down this weekend, we’d figure we should start our list. Here’s the low down on three North Charleston breweries where dogs are allowed (and cats have been spotted):
Commonhouse Aleworks
4831 O’Hear Ave
Wed. & Thurs. 4-8 p.m.
Fri. & Sat. noon-10 p.m.
Sun. noon-6 p.m.
No dogs in tap room, dogs allowed in adjoining courtyard, better for well behaved pups
The new Park Circle brewery is everything you want out of a Saturday afternoon day drinking venture — gorgeous open tap room, wee babes running around, a variety of brews on tap (the hazy Oleander Pale perfectly matches the sultry pace of an early Spring). And dogs are allowed, not in the tap room, but in the accompanying gravel-laid courtyard.
If you own a naughty dog (read: never trained, climbs on picnic tables, barks at glass doors, etc.) don’t worry, this guide is for you. All of these breweries were tested with a very naughty (albeit sweet and friendly) three year old rescue hound dog and a very well behaved Australian Shepherd, for good measure.
Commonhouse is great for kids, great for lunch (they have a variety of food trucks on deck), but not great for naughty dogs. It’s safe (fenced in), but your naughty dog will probably not have enough room to roam. Leave them at home for this venture. Good dogs? We witnessed a few of those, and they were happy, and good, as clams.
[location-1] Rusty Bull Brewing
3005 West Montague Ave. Ste. 110
Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sun. 1-9 p.m.
Dogs allowed, good for naughty and nice dogs
Rusty Bull has the feel of a super nice, grownup frat hangout. Spacious warehouse, couches in the corner, friendly bartenders breaking down the Winter Olympics. Our good dog was an angel in this space, and another 100 plus pound lab was also super comfortable roaming around. Our naughty dog was a bit intimidated by its vastness, and we were slightly concerned about the open doors and parking lot right off the main, busy road. But that’s on the dog owner, of course. Overall, even on a busy afternoon, we think this is an uber dog friendly option, and not a bad spot for beer drinkers, either. The Dance Naked IPA has the name you’ll want to shout from the rooftops, and the easy-drinking citrus kick you’ll want to sip over and over. [location-2]
Freehouse Brewery
2895 Pringle St.
Tues.-Fri. 3-8 p.m.
Sat. 1-8 p.m.
Dogs allowed, great for all dogs
Our third and final stop of the day proved the old adage of saving the best for last. Freehouse Brewery is like a cabin in the woods … except it’s a warehouse on the water. There’s plenty of seating both inside and out, and it’s all pleasantly rustic AF so you don’t feel bad that your already sort of muddy pup is romping around. The Ashley Farmhouse saison always tastes good (trust us), and the brewery cat named Pringles is a hilariously fierce — and damn fearless — guard cat.
Surrounded by wilderness and tucked way back off the main drag, you definitely feel like you’re not in Kansas anymore. Do yourself a favor, all naughty dog owners, and when you get the urge to make a trip out of the house for beer with your doesn’t-know-even-the-most-basic-commands pup, head to Freehouse. Just remind fido to steer clear of Pringles. [location-3]
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