Falling on the first Saturday since 1992, this year’s Leap Day, Sat. Feb. 29, also marks the official launch of the Charleston Brewery District trolley. Every Sat. from 1-9 p.m., a free (not a dollar, not a dime) trolley will shuttle sud sippers from Tradesman to Munkle, stopping at seven other breweries on the way.
Baker & Brewer co-owner and Brewery District member Abe Versprille says that in addition to the nine district breweries teaming up for quarterly beer releases, they’re also banding together to get beer lovers to and from their favorite spots via free, public transport.
[content-2] The breweries have enlisted Lowcountry Trolley to shuttle folks in style. “We’re looking at ways to really evolve the brewery district,” says Versprille. “A lot of beer towns have these beer-centric tours, and Charleston has them too, but this is completely sponsored by Charleston Brewery District and free to our customers.”
As CP writer Jessie Hazard noted in her 2018 piece about the Brewery District, “Unlike the fierce competition that can be found among the restaurants or hotels that dot the peninsula, breweries enjoy a camaraderie uncommon in most lines of hospitality.”
Beermakers help beermakers, and want to extend that invitation to beer drinkers, too. Starting Sat. Feb. 29 at 1 p.m., the free trolley will be parked at Tradesman at the top of the hour. The order of the loop is:
:05 Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.
:10 Cooper River
:20 Palmetto
:25 Baker & Brewer
:30 Revelry
:35 Fatty’s
:40 Lo-Fi
:45 Munkle
:50-55 arrive back at Tradesman
And so on and so forth until 9 p.m.
Versprille says the’ve also worked out a deal with Lyft to get discounted rides for trolley travelers. Spend as much time as you like at each brewery, then catch a ride to the next when you’re ready. You can also walk or bike to the breweries in between trolley hops — they’re all within three miles of each other.
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