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Charles Towne Fermentory was a brewery that Steve and I tried in the not too distant past. The Extra Hellos Lager was a beer that we had with this particular brewery outing and it was a fairly good experience. With this lager it was very refreshing, hoppy, crisp and an added zing (or so it felt) to add a little spring to your step. A perfect beer to enjoy in warm weather as it's nice and light and very persuasive in the idea of having more than one. Good brewery experience from a state I don't frequently delve into for craft beer.
After hearing friends rave about Charles Towne Fermentory, I finally tried it during the COVID-19 quarantine. CTF was open for pick up orders, and online ordering made it easy to pick out beers. My husband got the Yacht Party 4-pack, and I had the El Rayo 2020 beer. The El Rayo is 4.5% ABV and a tequila barrel aged sour. The Fermentory only has this beer for about a week each year- the week of Cinco de Mayo. I usually prefer cocktails, and this beer tasted just like a margarita, with hints of lime, orange, and agave. It's the best sour beer I've had. The Fermentory hosts pop-ups with food from vendors like Big Boned BBQ, Holey City Bagels, and Bok Choy Boy. You could order food online and pick it up with your beer. You can see which food vendors and beers are available on their website or social media (both updated regularly). I wish I'd visited the Fermentory sooner, and I hope to enjoy a drink and some food inside the taproom as soon as we're allowed to.
Stopped in one evening after work to try it out before our dinner plans. Staff wasn't the most friendly I've ever encountered, but we sampled a couple of different beers. I enjoyed the size options so you weren't required to get a full pint if you wanted to try a few. I'd come back to try some more!
Great atmosphere--very laid back and welcoming. Parking is a little tricky, since it's street parking. Nice selection of light and dark beers. Beertender was nice, 3 different sizes of beers available, and to-go options.
Charles Towne Fermentory is a craft brewery that opened in Charleston, South Carolina in December 2016. It was founded by head brewer Adam Goodwin. He began home-brewing at the age of 16 and eventually started helping out at Cisco Brewers in his hometown of Nantucket, MA. After graduating from college, Goodwin was hired by Tired Hands Brewing Company in Philadelphia, PA. He helped to renovate their location and built on his own foundation of brewing knowledge. Goodwin would later move back to Massachusetts and was hired as the original head brewer of Trillium Brewing Company in Boston. After a couple of years, he and Trillium employee Justin Slotnick decided to embark on a new quest. The duo relocated to Charleston with a dream to open their own brewery. They renovated an old laundromat in the West Ashley neighborhood and built a 15 BBL brewing system. Charles Towne Fermentory was met with much success. Slotnick serves as the Assistant Brewer and manages day-to-day operations at the brewhouse. In May 2022, CTF opened The Garden: a new taproom and beer garden that offers more space for customers to enjoy. My family and I recently visited Charles Towne Fermentory while we were on an East Coast Road Trip. We were visiting our cousins who live in Summerville (right outside of Charleston). Out of all the breweries that I visited during my stay, I was most excited to visit CTF due to their connection to Trillium Brewing: one of my favorite breweries. CTF has a small but cozy taproom. We arrived on a Saturday night and it wasn't too crowded. CTF doesn't offer traditional flights but they do offer short pours. I tried samples of "The Yellow Brick Commute IPA", "Telstar XIX" (Double IPA), and "Extra Sunny" (Hazy Double New England IPA). All three were fantastic, but the latter was my favorite. I later had a short pour of "Maser" (Hazy New England IPA) before leaving. For people like me who love hazy IPAs, CTF is the go-to Charleston brewery. It's easy to see why they stand out in an already impressive craft beer scene!
Older and original review below. After visiting 19 of Charleston's breweries, Charles Towne is in my top 3. Open space with view of barrels and stainless steel. Video games, board games, and foosball in a wood covered and exposed setting. This brewery covers the gamut of beers, sour, beetus, and IPA. Great beers that are launching into the upper echelons of breweries. Close, real close. NO DOGS ALLOWED. For someone who travels with their dog, I had to leave. A shame too, because there was a bottle release. On to the other many Charleston area breweries that are accomodatin
A brew pub atmosphere with a number of brews on tap (see the photo), with my wife and I trying four different ones, most in 5 ounce glasses until we decided on the one that each of us wanted. Of those my favorite was the Yacht Party (American Lager with 4.2% ABV) and second place went to Pelican Splash (IPA with pineapple, 7.5% ABV). Food is available from the separate business of Matzo y Masa, LLC. I had the Bagel Burger in the photo which had Chihuahua cheese which was thick, melted and quite tasty. The meat was Chorizo Verde (Green Chorizo) a specially prepared pork patty which was somewhat green in color, making you think that it is a veggie, but that color comes from the cilantro in the pork sausage. Quite, quite delicious on the onion bagel. Yes, it is something for me to order again, when I return and yes, I will. This is a former dry cleaner location, immediately behind/next to the fire station in Avondale area on Savannah Highway. There is one door to enter, although there is another which directs you on. In the middle of these standard size doors is a garage style door with glass inserts (see my photo). Laid back, bare bones feel.
So we did a mini self-guided Chucktown brewery tour/crawl...13 breweries in 3 days. Charles Towne Fermentory on the west side of the city was my favorite. The owner strives for, and achieves, a neighborhood style bar/brewery crankin' out rock star brews. Super friendly beertenders that chatted us up for almost two hours, and they host visiting chefs that rotate through to use their in house kitchen, and the best beers I tasted on our mini tour! No doubt I love this place because their owner focuses some of his attention on making New England style IPA's, which are my favorite. They are definitely in his wheelhouse; he was the founding and head brewer at Trillium in Boston (if you're familiar) for a number of years and he moved down to Chucktown to open his own neighborhood spot. He has a great rep in brewing circles for good reason. Go try some of his beers and judge for yourself. Ten beers on tap at CTF. My favorite was the Pallet Rider DIPA weighing in at 8.2% abv. They do have cans you can take home too, though I'm not sure they actually produce enough beer in their batches to allow for 64 ounce growler fills. I do know they'll do crowler fills to take home though. Pints in house will run you from like 5 to 8 bucks depending...they don't do flights, but they do 5 oz. tasters that range from 2 to 3 bucks per. The place has a totally laid back, non-pretentious feel and is rustic without being sketchy. The bartop itself is nice and they actually serve craft ice cream sammiches for 4 smackers. They are really small, but also really good. Try the salted caramel. Good lovin' right there. Of course, they also have some typical brewery snacks, but they don't do a full food menu. Only 2 downers about CTF right now...no WiFi and street parking that SUCKS...can be near impossible to find a spot. Plan ahead that you'll likely need to circle the block. It's probably a good thing that there are these two downers, otherwise I'd be driving down here from the Dirty Myrtle every single chance I could. Outside of that CTF takes the cake for me and I will most definitely be back!
Mmmmmmmm Well only came for one beer Totally not impressed with the unfriendly bartenders. They seem annoyed answering questions about their beers and no type of conversation. The seating was very stiff no where to lounge and just drink a beer at a non hard seat and table.
Stopped in for beers tonight and stayed for dinner. Not a huge range of beers but what they offer is really well done. The marzen is one of the best I've had in years, well balanced and clean tasting. The pale ale was very cloudy, but the flavor was great. The Slipstream has the perfect amount of bitterness from the Ethiopian beans. Expect a very high noise level in here, it can be hard to carry on a conversation some times. They had the big windows/doors open to the street and.when the trucks rolled by... They have a great little kitchen that serves Asian/Vietnamese food. We all had the noodle bowls with chicken shrimp and egg roll. It was perfect - filled us up without being heavy. The flavors were perfect with the cilantro really coming through. It took a little while to get our food after we ordered, I think they had a crush of orders when they first opened up, so heads up on that. What a great little spot. Parking can be tough, we managed to find a spot in the alley behind the place, but if they fills up you could be goofing it a ways.
My friend and I decided to come here based on the pop up restaurant--Matzo Y Masa. I'm not a beer drinker but my friend enjoyed the two she had. The bartenders were nice. Inside is spacious and bright. There were a few local vendors selling merchandise by the entrance. Parking in Avondale can be difficult. Luckily, we found spots behind the building. Overall, it's a cute spot to hang out with friends.
1 year ago
The Public Art, Sungazer and Pils were phenomenal beers. One of my favorite breweries here in Charleston. Love the beer and the space here. Disappointed in the service. Brought a friend here to try the beer and they offered her to try the beers. She loves IPAs and tried two that didn't exactly jive with her taste buds. When she asked for a third, the servers snickered behind her back. Not a good look and didn't appreciate the disrespect. She ended up going with the third try. But the beer superseded the service lol and we'll be back. But...do better CTF read more
100% best brewery in the southeast!! In a league of their own. Why? The owner was head brewer at Trillium in Massachusetts (top three breweries in the state and one of the best in the country) and was also from Tired Hands (#1 in Pennsylvania hands down). Sungazer, Maser IPA, Karate Champ, Nitro, Fruits of the World, all outstanding. Fruits is the best sour I've ever had!! The Rt 17 location has a neat Filipino Fusion restaurant inside called Bok Choy Boy, also excellent. They have another property with a dog friendly beer garden. Beers on tap are available in 5, 10, or 16 oz. Prices are reasonable, way better than Trillium. Service for both the bar and restaurant were outstanding. My only complaint is they their swag sucks. read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
Charles Towne Fermentory was a brewery that Steve and I tried in the not too distant past. The Extra Hellos Lager was a beer that we had with this particular brewery outing and it was a fairly good experience. With this lager it was very refreshing, hoppy, crisp and an added zing (or so it felt) to add a little spring to your step. A perfect beer to enjoy in warm weather as it's nice and light and very persuasive in the idea of having more than one. Good brewery experience from a state I don't frequently delve into for craft beer. read more
6 years ago
After hearing friends rave about Charles Towne Fermentory, I finally tried it during the COVID-19 quarantine. CTF was open for pick up orders, and online ordering made it easy to pick out beers. My husband got the Yacht Party 4-pack, and I had the El Rayo 2020 beer. The El Rayo is 4.5% ABV and a tequila barrel aged sour. The Fermentory only has this beer for about a week each year- the week of Cinco de Mayo. I usually prefer cocktails, and this beer tasted just like a margarita, with hints of lime, orange, and agave. It's the best sour beer I've had. The Fermentory hosts pop-ups with food from vendors like Big Boned BBQ, Holey City Bagels, and Bok Choy Boy. You could order food online and pick it up with your beer. You can see which food vendors and beers are available on their website or social media (both updated regularly). I wish I'd visited the Fermentory sooner, and I hope to enjoy a drink and some food inside the taproom as soon as we're allowed to. read more
Stopped in one evening after work to try it out before our dinner plans. Staff wasn't the most friendly I've ever encountered, but we sampled a couple of different beers. I enjoyed the size options so you weren't required to get a full pint if you wanted to try a few. I'd come back to try some more! read more
Great atmosphere--very laid back and welcoming. Parking is a little tricky, since it's street parking. Nice selection of light and dark beers. Beertender was nice, 3 different sizes of beers available, and to-go options. read more
4 years ago
Charles Towne Fermentory is a craft brewery that opened in Charleston, South Carolina in December 2016. It was founded by head brewer Adam Goodwin. He began home-brewing at the age of 16 and eventually started helping out at Cisco Brewers in his hometown of Nantucket, MA. After graduating from college, Goodwin was hired by Tired Hands Brewing Company in Philadelphia, PA. He helped to renovate their location and built on his own foundation of brewing knowledge. Goodwin would later move back to Massachusetts and was hired as the original head brewer of Trillium Brewing Company in Boston. After a couple of years, he and Trillium employee Justin Slotnick decided to embark on a new quest. The duo relocated to Charleston with a dream to open their own brewery. They renovated an old laundromat in the West Ashley neighborhood and built a 15 BBL brewing system. Charles Towne Fermentory was met with much success. Slotnick serves as the Assistant Brewer and manages day-to-day operations at the brewhouse. In May 2022, CTF opened The Garden: a new taproom and beer garden that offers more space for customers to enjoy. My family and I recently visited Charles Towne Fermentory while we were on an East Coast Road Trip. We were visiting our cousins who live in Summerville (right outside of Charleston). Out of all the breweries that I visited during my stay, I was most excited to visit CTF due to their connection to Trillium Brewing: one of my favorite breweries. CTF has a small but cozy taproom. We arrived on a Saturday night and it wasn't too crowded. CTF doesn't offer traditional flights but they do offer short pours. I tried samples of "The Yellow Brick Commute IPA", "Telstar XIX" (Double IPA), and "Extra Sunny" (Hazy Double New England IPA). All three were fantastic, but the latter was my favorite. I later had a short pour of "Maser" (Hazy New England IPA) before leaving. For people like me who love hazy IPAs, CTF is the go-to Charleston brewery. It's easy to see why they stand out in an already impressive craft beer scene! read more
7 years ago
Older and original review below. After visiting 19 of Charleston's breweries, Charles Towne is in my top 3. Open space with view of barrels and stainless steel. Video games, board games, and foosball in a wood covered and exposed setting. This brewery covers the gamut of beers, sour, beetus, and IPA. Great beers that are launching into the upper echelons of breweries. Close, real close. NO DOGS ALLOWED. For someone who travels with their dog, I had to leave. A shame too, because there was a bottle release. On to the other many Charleston area breweries that are accomodatin read more
A brew pub atmosphere with a number of brews on tap (see the photo), with my wife and I trying four different ones, most in 5 ounce glasses until we decided on the one that each of us wanted. Of those my favorite was the Yacht Party (American Lager with 4.2% ABV) and second place went to Pelican Splash (IPA with pineapple, 7.5% ABV). Food is available from the separate business of Matzo y Masa, LLC. I had the Bagel Burger in the photo which had Chihuahua cheese which was thick, melted and quite tasty. The meat was Chorizo Verde (Green Chorizo) a specially prepared pork patty which was somewhat green in color, making you think that it is a veggie, but that color comes from the cilantro in the pork sausage. Quite, quite delicious on the onion bagel. Yes, it is something for me to order again, when I return and yes, I will. This is a former dry cleaner location, immediately behind/next to the fire station in Avondale area on Savannah Highway. There is one door to enter, although there is another which directs you on. In the middle of these standard size doors is a garage style door with glass inserts (see my photo). Laid back, bare bones feel. read more
2 years ago
So we did a mini self-guided Chucktown brewery tour/crawl...13 breweries in 3 days. Charles Towne Fermentory on the west side of the city was my favorite. The owner strives for, and achieves, a neighborhood style bar/brewery crankin' out rock star brews. Super friendly beertenders that chatted us up for almost two hours, and they host visiting chefs that rotate through to use their in house kitchen, and the best beers I tasted on our mini tour! No doubt I love this place because their owner focuses some of his attention on making New England style IPA's, which are my favorite. They are definitely in his wheelhouse; he was the founding and head brewer at Trillium in Boston (if you're familiar) for a number of years and he moved down to Chucktown to open his own neighborhood spot. He has a great rep in brewing circles for good reason. Go try some of his beers and judge for yourself. Ten beers on tap at CTF. My favorite was the Pallet Rider DIPA weighing in at 8.2% abv. They do have cans you can take home too, though I'm not sure they actually produce enough beer in their batches to allow for 64 ounce growler fills. I do know they'll do crowler fills to take home though. Pints in house will run you from like 5 to 8 bucks depending...they don't do flights, but they do 5 oz. tasters that range from 2 to 3 bucks per. The place has a totally laid back, non-pretentious feel and is rustic without being sketchy. The bartop itself is nice and they actually serve craft ice cream sammiches for 4 smackers. They are really small, but also really good. Try the salted caramel. Good lovin' right there. Of course, they also have some typical brewery snacks, but they don't do a full food menu. Only 2 downers about CTF right now...no WiFi and street parking that SUCKS...can be near impossible to find a spot. Plan ahead that you'll likely need to circle the block. It's probably a good thing that there are these two downers, otherwise I'd be driving down here from the Dirty Myrtle every single chance I could. Outside of that CTF takes the cake for me and I will most definitely be back! read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
Mmmmmmmm Well only came for one beer Totally not impressed with the unfriendly bartenders. They seem annoyed answering questions about their beers and no type of conversation. The seating was very stiff no where to lounge and just drink a beer at a non hard seat and table. read more
Stopped in for beers tonight and stayed for dinner. Not a huge range of beers but what they offer is really well done. The marzen is one of the best I've had in years, well balanced and clean tasting. The pale ale was very cloudy, but the flavor was great. The Slipstream has the perfect amount of bitterness from the Ethiopian beans. Expect a very high noise level in here, it can be hard to carry on a conversation some times. They had the big windows/doors open to the street and.when the trucks rolled by... They have a great little kitchen that serves Asian/Vietnamese food. We all had the noodle bowls with chicken shrimp and egg roll. It was perfect - filled us up without being heavy. The flavors were perfect with the cilantro really coming through. It took a little while to get our food after we ordered, I think they had a crush of orders when they first opened up, so heads up on that. What a great little spot. Parking can be tough, we managed to find a spot in the alley behind the place, but if they fills up you could be goofing it a ways. read more
My friend and I decided to come here based on the pop up restaurant--Matzo Y Masa. I'm not a beer drinker but my friend enjoyed the two she had. The bartenders were nice. Inside is spacious and bright. There were a few local vendors selling merchandise by the entrance. Parking in Avondale can be difficult. Luckily, we found spots behind the building. Overall, it's a cute spot to hang out with friends. read more
I love the Fermentory! My only complaint is that they waited until I moved out of Avondale to open. Their beers are always really fresh while still being approachable to craft beer lovers and non-craft beer lovers alike. I also love that some of my favorite food trucks / kitchens do pop ups in their mini kitchen in the back, so I get to enjoy beer, great food, and a fun atmosphere all at the same time! Was accidentally here for trivia last week, and it was really fun! I like that they included some visual elements, as well as the typical questions, as well. Always something fun to do at the Fermentory! read more
3 years ago
First visit, would make this a regular stop if I lived here. The beers are clean, full of body and flavor. The descriptions on the sheet are pretty accurate. Service was friendly and helpful. Nothing pushy, 2 bartenders on a Friday afternoon. Good ratio. I love how the place opens right to Savannah Hwy. A great place to watch Charleston go by whiling away a Friday afternoon. Update: after tasting the board...these are some of the best beers I've ever had. Don't miss this place. read more
3 years ago
Fermentory is the go to spot for good craft beer when in the Avondale area of Charleston. The staff is always great and attentive. The beers are awesome. My favorite is their flagstaff beer the Sungazer which is a hazy unfiltered IPA. Check it out if you are an IPA fan. While primarily known for their IPAs, they definitely make a good variety of beers such as porters, lagers, etc. something for everyone. My only complaint is the pop up kitchen. The food choices always seem to be very exotic kind of out there food options. Wish there was more simple good food at a reasonable price. The taproom is a great space especially when the weather is nice and they open the large garage door at the front. Can get a bit crowded though. read more
8 years ago
I noticed this great establishment on my way to dinner in the area. The inner voice told me I had to stop by here. After dinner, I grabbed one of the many street parking spots near the front entrance. They were having a paint and pint night that looked pretty fun. I approached the bar and was greeted with a great smile and asked if I would like to try something. I asked for a sample of the amazing Brews they had available. I have to say each sample was great. I chose an IPA in s small growler. It takes a little longer because they actually counter pressure the growlers! Finally! Someone that actually does that. I wish I lived closer. I would regularly visit here for sure. The whole process was very easy and the staff was very pleasant and helpful. Next time I'm in town, this will be at the top of my list! read more
10 years ago
Great spot for some brews! We stopped in to Charles Towne Fermentory for a beer and really enjoyed it! There are not too many beers on tap, but they were all great choices. I had the Mars Express and it was tasty. If you're a beer person, you'll love it here. There is a little food ordering area too with a few choices to snack on. We didn't order anything as we had just eaten but I saw other people's food and it looked pretty good! There is a foosball table and we had a little competition running through our group. I came out the champion, of course. Definitely a cool chill spot! Wish we had something similar in Orlando! read more
9 years ago
We have enjoyed Charles Towne Fermentory on our 3 recent visits. The location is ideal in West Ashely as you can check out other places before or after. Parking can be a challenge. The set up here is good, with a roll up garage door to let in the fresh air in warmer weather. There are tall pub tables, and a picnic table or 2, plus the bar. It gets busy here, and some times will be more packed than one would expect. What I like is they have an area for local pop ups to cook and sell their food while you then drink the beer. Check out their FB feed for info, we had the pleasure of 2Nixons one night and loved it. But you come here for the beer, and there are usually about 8 different ones to choose. From light, blonde to dark, stout...plus IPA in between, there is a beer for everyone. Not sure, ask for a sample. I like the Mudlark dry stout, and last time really enjoyed Dutchman's Breeches. It is a Belgian Dark Strong Ale with 9.6% ABV, sweet and delicious! Charles Towne Fermentory is another wonderful brewery in the Charleston area and worth checking out. read more
Excellent beers and excellent use of the English language (or clever marketing plot). The beers here are prime quality, I absolutely recommend you stop by. Also, the kitchen rotates every night, so you will be getting a different menu if you go two nights in a row. The area is also hip and cool, and the crowd is friendly and talkative. read more
Great local brewery located in Avondale. Open concept with a great beer selection. It was open and airy. We made our own flight and tried five different beers. They also had an Asian pop up restaurant with three appetizers and two noodle bowls. Kwei Fei was spicy and flavorful. Definitely packed a kick! A great neighborhood spot for a beer! read more
We finally got around to checking out the Fermentory (pronounced ferment-ory...I had to ask because I didn't know!) and we were not disappointed. I'm not a big beer drinker. I know nothing about the different types of brews and I'm probably a brewery's worst nightmare: "what's your sweetest beer?". But Nick took it in stride and directed me around their offerings. I really liked the Dutchman's Breeches IPA. My second favorite would be Livin La Vida Gosa. It's got a fun berry coloring and went down smoothly. The Infinite Yawn with the pineapple variant was on point too. I've been to a few breweries in my day because I'm usually in the minority since everyone seems to love beer, but my experience here was way better than most. I found three beers that I liked and I'm not into beer! They were all interesting and unusual combinations that work. The space is nothing more than what you'd expect for a brewery (I.e. the seating could be better and the stools were small and hurt after a while). 2 Nixon's were there the night we went and it was great. We sat at the bar and met several cool patrons and ended up having great conversations with them and the bartenders. We'll be back! read more
I really want to like this place but everytime we come, I just get a weird vibe. The bar tenders are never especially friendly and don't offer any insight into the beer. The beer is just ok. I have high expectations for craft beer in Charleston and they aren't meeting it. They do have a small kitchen with rotating chefs. They have The Castejons a few times a week. We will be returning just to indulge in Alfonso's paella as it looks amazing. read more
10 years ago
Best beer in Charleston hands down! Go and see the new spot for yourself. It's got tons of character from the reclaimed wood, barn door, pallet beer list and custom wood door table. The beers are superb! You can find the owners onsite talking to everyone about their vision and process. They opened up just this past weekend with 5 beers on tap and a special cask version of the Mudlark Stout with local Broom Wagon Coffee. The IPA and Pale were quintessential version of the NE style and straight up hazy juice bombs. I cant wait until they start cranking out single hop editions of these bad boys. If you not terribly adventurous and want a lighter beer definitely grab a pint of their RALF, which is a Zwickelbier and is about as clean and crisp as you could get in a beer. Good work gentleman! read more
Cool little spot tucked alongside busy Savannah Hwy. Place is low key and relaxing -- an excellent alternative if the blaring music from Roost or Voodoo doesn't suit your mood for that night. There's about 6 or so choices of beer so not a big selection, but they are all delicious and unique. Great prices. Staff is very friendly and engaging. Place is spacious and inviting, and the garage doors open for ventilation will be great during the summer. Great addition to Avondale! read more
7 years ago
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More info about Charles Towne Fermentory
809 Savannah Hwy
Charleston, SC 29407
West Ashley
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(843) 641-0431
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http://chsfermentory.com
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Ask the Community - Charles Towne Fermentory
Are you able to buy six packs from this location?
Hi! Thanks for the question. We do occasional can releases, the best way to keep up to date on when those happen would be to follow us on social media. We always have 32 oz Crowler cans available for beer to go. Thanks again!
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9 years ago
