Hopping around the 'ham
Only 10 years ago, the Birmingham brewery scene was virtually nonexistent. Now where to spend a Friday night — or a Tuesday, Wednesday or really any night or day of the week — has some steep competition.
Depending on the atmosphere you’re looking for, there are plenty of options, or at least a few solid places to start. Check out our list of some of downtown Birmingham’s favorite brews and breweries here.
Trim Tab Brewing Co.
Sit down in Trim Tab’s lawn chairs and surround yourself in sunshine, palm trees and the “paradise” aroma of fruity beer. If you’re constantly scouting out completely unique micro-brews, Trim Tab puts out weekly and often daily beers to try in the tasting gallery. Make sure to check out their Instagram to see what’s happening, as well as the artist of the month, who has their work displayed in the gallery. Plus, the Paradise Now food truck is usually parked right outside.
► Recommended brews:
○ Paradise Now Raspberry Berliner Weisse | ABV: 5.2%, IBU 7 | Tart, refreshing and seasonally available. This is a Great American Beer Festival bronze medal winner for the fruited wheat category.
○ Trim Tab IPA | ABV: 6.5%, IBU 61 | Their namesake beer, a “southern IPA.”
► Website: trimtabbrewing.com
► Address: 2721 5th Ave. S.
Cahaba Brewing Co.
Spacious, low-key and industrial, Cahaba Brewing is relaxed and a great starting place for people who don’t often go to breweries. Spend a day on the Cahaba River and head over to the warehouse-style brewery to drink and cool off, either on their huge shaded porch or inside on their long wooden tables perfect for big groups. Plus, it has the best selections of games, including Skee-Ball, giant Jenga, foosball, pinball machines and a whole corner of board games to play. Watch the brewers at work through a glass wall or grab something to eat at one of the food trucks normally parked outside.
► Recommended brews:
○ American Blonde Ale | ABV 5.25%, IBU 20 | Biggest seller, crisp and brewed with European malts and hops.
○ Kiwi Kolsch | ABV 5.3, IBU 35 | Summer seasonal, light and clean taste with subtle hits of kiwi and coriander.
► Website: cahababrewing.com
► Address: 4500 5th Ave. S., Building C
Good People Brewing Co.
One of the oldest breweries in town, Good People is known for its urban feel and consistently good beer. Located closest to downtown and right across from Regions Field, this is often the place where people come to get a head start on drinking before the Barons Baseball games, or where young professionals or college students grab a beer after-hours. Known for “good people having a good time,” it brags among the highest ranked beers in the Southeast, with plenty of outdoor seating, corn hole and a huge, Instagram-worthy light-up sign outside that glows through the night.
► Recommended brews:
○ Pale Ale | ABV 5.8%, IBU 37.8 | A beer for anytime, for any occasion. Great for new beer drinkers.
○ Snake Handler Double IPA| ABV 10%, IBU 100 | All hops and the “most requested beer” at Good People, with aromas of pine, citrus, flowers, spice, pineapple and grassiness.
► Website: goodpeoplebrewing.com
► Address: 114 14th St. S.
Back Forty Beer Co.in Birmingham
This is the kind of brewery that feels like people have been going there forever, despite its newness in the Birmingham area. The original location is in Gadsden, but Birmingham’s brewery opened in summer 2018. The Back Forty servers are dressed in overall-styled aprons, and this is the only brewery that has a full kitchen and feels like a homey restaurant on the inside. The food is big-portioned and served on big metal trays, and there is more than one painting on the walls featuring pigs. Outside, there’s wooden tables, a long wraparound porch with plenty of rocking chairs and the most “Birmingham” view of Sloss Furnaces.
► Recommended brews:
○ Naked Pig Pale Ale | 6% ABV, IBU 43 | Crisp ale, great for beer newcomers, loved state-wide.
○ Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale | 6% ABV, IBU 14 | Brewed with Alabama Wildflower Honey, roasted malts and hops. Tastes sweet and earthy.
► Website: backfortybeer.com/birmingham
► Address: Sloss Docks, 3201 1st Ave. N.
Ghost Training Brewing Co.
Despite coming to the Birmingham brewery scene only a couple of years ago, Ghost Train has developed a cult-like following. It’s quickly become a cozy corner of Birmingham that people from all walks of life gravitate back to. You can usually find a band or acoustic singer playing on the stage — primarily bluegrass jams, cover songs or singles — and it’s the first brewery to introduce people to a smoothie sour on a large-scale. They even have sour beer slushies for those looking for something refreshing and new or who don’t usually like beer.
► Recommended brews:
○ Kaleidoscope Kettle Sour | ABV: 4.9%, IBU 6 | Natural kettle sour, fermented on heaps of wild cherries.
○ Switchman’s Stash IPL | ABV: 6.9 %, IBU 7 | One of the few breweries with an India Pale Lager as a signature brew.
► Website: ghosttrainbrewing.com
► Address: 2616 3rd Ave. S.
Avondale Brewing Co.
Spending an afternoon at Avondale Brewing is not so different from hanging out at a backyard barbecue with friends. It’s the most family-friendly and dog-friendly brewery in the city. Fitted with both an outdoor and indoor bar, the patio area outside is grassy and spacious, where families can bring their kids and set up a picnic on a blanket. There are often events with live music playing from their outdoor stage, and it’s not unusual to find people dancing or hula hooping to the music. Even though Avondale was bought out by Good People in 2017, their laid-back, feel-good vibe has stayed the same, as have their huge crowds on sunny Saturdays. It’s a great place for non-drinkers and just a short walk across the lawn to their Sour Room, which sells funky and sour wild ales.
► Recommended brews:
○ Spring Street Saison | 7.2% ABV, 18 IBU | Flagship brew and most ordered beer at the brewery. Unique farmhouse taste, both peppery and fruity with a malty backbone.
○ Vanillaphant Porter | 6.2% ABV, 25 IBU | Light-bodied but with a smooth flavor of chocolate, roasted nuts and a vanilla twist.
► Website: avondalebrewing.com
► Address: 201 41st St. S.