Highest-rated beer in South Carolina

Written by:
June 20, 2024
Alexey Andr Tkachenko // Shutterstock

Highest-rated beer in South Carolina

After more than a decade of massive growth, the beer industry is experiencing a slowdown. According to the Brewers Association, in 2024, nationwide closings of brewpubs and taprooms outpaced openings for the first time in 14 years, and overall beer production volume decreased by 1.2%.

Changing consumer preferences factor into this decline. The convenience of ready-to-drink cocktails has increased spirits sales, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans plan to cut back on their drinking in 2025.

To achieve this goal, some people are shifting to non-alcoholic drinks, including NA beers. This has created demand for higher-quality NA beers, including non-alcoholic IPAs and stouts. Other consumers are opting for moderation, looking for session beers and light beers that are still full of flavor.

That said, hop-forward beers are still popular—for example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the 2025 World Beer Cup. Fruit beers are also having a moment, with cherry and raspberry leading the pack in a 2024 report from Research and Markets, while drinkers looking for sweeter options can find brewers experimenting with candy-infused beers. Many beer makers are revisiting regional flavors on traditional styles, such as Czech pilsners, Mexican lagers, and Vienna lagers. At the same time, craft brewers continue to push the envelope to find new ways to excite beer lovers, often using unusual ingredients like sage, peppercorn, watermelon, and garlic.

Among all these different options, certain beers still appeal to hopheads more than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best beers from South Carolina using data from BeerAdvocate and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only beers that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.

#30. Lefty Loosey

- Rating: 3.93 (49 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Revelry Brewing Co
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#29. Oyster Stout

- Rating: 3.94 (40 ratings)
- Type: Irish Dry Stout
- ABV: 5.8%
- Brewery: Holy City Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#28. Double Indemnity Double IPA

- Rating: 3.97 (27 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.6%
- Brewery: Legal Remedy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#27. Double Dry Hopped Covercraft

- Rating: 4.23 (14 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#26. Pro Bono Vanilla Porter

- Rating: 4.04 (29 ratings)
- Type: Imperial Porter
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Legal Remedy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#25. The Palmetto Trail Ale

- Rating: 4.07 (22 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.3%
- Brewery: RJ Rockers Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#24. Covercraft

- Rating: 4.07 (24 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. Park Circle Pale

- Rating: 4.07 (25 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Commonhouse Aleworks
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. World Court Mocha Blonde Stout

- Rating: 4.05 (69 ratings)
- Type: American Stout
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: Legal Remedy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Dirty Myrtle

- Rating: 4.10 (34 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.9%
- Brewery: New South Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. Fountain Drink

- Rating: 4.14 (24 ratings)
- Type: Milkshake IPA
- ABV: 5.8%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Bound By Time

- Rating: 4.05 (163 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. Peanut Butter & Jelly

- Rating: 4.13 (54 ratings)
- Type: American Brown Ale
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. Mars Express

- Rating: 4.17 (41 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.9%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. 32°/50° Kölsch

- Rating: 4.09 (386 ratings)
- Type: Kölsch
- ABV: 4.8%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Yeast Wrangler

- Rating: 4.14 (70 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Holy City Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Dead Arm Pale Ale

- Rating: 4.11 (168 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Whiskey Sour

- Rating: 4.30 (22 ratings)
- Type: Wild Ale
- ABV: 4.5%
- Brewery: Carolina Bauernhaus
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Rye Knot Brown

- Rating: 4.17 (97 ratings)
- Type: American Brown Ale
- ABV: 6.2%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Bulls Bay Oyster Stout

- Rating: 4.21 (64 ratings)
- Type: Foreign / Export Stout
- ABV: 5.8%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. Order of Magnitude

- Rating: 4.38 (21 ratings)
- Type: Fruited Kettle Sour
- ABV: 7.5%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Gates of S'mordor

- Rating: 4.21 (110 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Viridi Rex

- Rating: 4.28 (53 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Sungazer - Double Dry-Hopped

- Rating: 4.41 (26 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Siberian Black Magic Panther

- Rating: 4.21 (244 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Key Lime Pie Gose

- Rating: 4.24 (551 ratings)
- Type: Gose
- ABV: 4.0%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Sungazer

- Rating: 4.29 (117 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Boy King

- Rating: 4.28 (551 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.7%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Mexican Cake

- Rating: 4.40 (3,079 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.5%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Mexican Coffee Cake

- Rating: 4.43 (348 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.5%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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