A guide to St. Louis stouts this season

With Black Friday behind us and the Bourbon County Stout frenzy finally slowing, the bourbon-aged chase can take a breather. And while I’ll never turn down a great bourbon-aged stout, December is a good time to circle back to everything else the style can do, especially the St. Louis stouts that don’t need bourbon to make an impression. The nice thing about stout season is how many directions you can go. Dry Irish, oatmeal, milk, coffee, American, imperial… Each brings a different kind of winter comfort, and local breweries do all of them well. The following stouts should stick around all winter, but tap lists move fast. If you’re heading out for something specific, check online or call ahead.

Dry Irish Stouts

If there’s a “default” stout in most people’s minds, this is it. Dry Irish stouts keep things simple: roasted barley for that coffee-like bite, low ABV so you can enjoy more than one, and a creamy head if it’s poured on nitro. They’re built for pubs, cold days, and anyone who wants a stout without the weight of a dessert beer.

• 4 Hands Nitro Irish Stout (4.5%): A smooth, nitro-poured stout with roasted barley, light chocolate notes, and an easy, traditional pub-style finish.
• 4 Hands City Wide Stout (4.5%): A velvety take on the Irish stout with roasted malt, subtle cocoa, and balanced bitterness.
• Public House Revelation Stout (5.4%): A purely malt-driven dry stout that tones down sweetness and highlights chocolate and roasted coffee notes.
• Six Mile Bridge Dry Irish Stout (5%): A classic dry stout with toasted grain, hints of chocolate, and a crisp, satisfying finish.
• Square One Irish Stout (5.2%): A dark, drinkable stout that sticks close to tradition with roasted malt and a smooth, sessionable profile.
• Urban Chestnut O’Florians (4.2%): Nitrogenated and soft, this stout brings gentle chocolate and coffee notes with a clean, light body.

Oatmeal Stouts

Oatmeal stouts are proof that a handful of oats can change everything. The style keeps the roast of a traditional stout but adds a smooth, almost silky texture that makes it instantly comforting. Think of it as a winter sweater you can drink, warm, familiar, and quietly rich.

• Alpha Believers Brew (6%): A chocolaty and roasty oatmeal stout with mild hop presence and a dry, balanced finish.
• Civil Life Oatmeal Stout (5.7%): A silky, toasty stout with bready malt notes, soft chocolate, and a classic earthy hop touch.
• Crossroads Dragon Ass (5.25%): Smooth and slightly sweet with aromas of roasted coffee, cocoa, and a touch of raisin.
• Schlafly Oatmeal Stout (5.7%): A British-style oatmeal stout showcasing nutty roast, cocoa, and subtle dried fruit.

Milk and Sweet Stouts

Milk stouts, also called sweet stouts, get their signature roundness from lactose, which adds body without making things sugary. They’re fuller and softer than their dry counterparts, often leaning chocolatey or dessert-adjacent but never over the top. These are stouts for people who want flavor without the intensity.

• 4 Hands Chocolate Milk Stout (5.5%): A rich, velvety stout with baker’s chocolate, roasted barley, and a smooth creaminess from cacao nibs and milk sugar.
• Civil Life Milk Stout (4.4%): A low-ABV, silky stout with gentle sweetness and flavors of chocolate, coffee, and caramelized malt.
• Good News Hazelnut Coffee Milk Stout (5.3%): A creamy milk stout layered with hazelnut cold brew for a sweet, nutty lift.
• Narrow Gauge Galaphobia (6.1%): A smooth, dessert-leaning milk stout aged on vanilla beans for a soft, rounded sweetness.
• Old Bakery Cat Café (5.5%): A sweet stout brewed with Fuddle Duddle coffee that balances roast with a comforting creaminess.
• Square One Maple Stout (5.2%): A lightly sweet stout with warm maple character supported by roasted malt and chocolate.
• St. Nicholas Cocoa Milk Stout (5.3%): A silky milk stout with milk chocolate and coffee notes softened by lactose.

Coffee Stouts

Coffee stouts take the roasty base of a stout and turn the volume up with actual coffee. Depending on the roast, you can get anything from bright and fruity to deep and chocolate-forward. In St. Louis, where nearly every brewery has a favorite local roaster, this style feels especially at home.

• 4 Hands Devil’s Invention (7.2%): A full-bodied coffee stout with deep chocolate aroma, bold roast character, and a smooth, sweet finish.
• Charleville Late Night Karate Kicks (5.2%): A medium-bodied stout infused with Highlander Grog coffee for notes of maple, caramel, and light roast.
• Main & Mill Coffee Stout (5.2%): A blend of oatmeal stout and Mississippi Mud espresso that delivers rich roast and balanced smoothness.
• Narrow Gauge Kofe (11.5%): An imperial coffee stout aged on Blueprint beans, offering intense roast, dark chocolate, and a warming finish.
• Old Bakery Cat Café (5.7%): A sweet, roasty milk stout brewed with organic Kaldi’s dark roast coffee and lactose for a café au lait vibe with added richness.
• Old Bridgeview Déjà Vu Mocha Stout (7.5%): A mocha-style stout with layered coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and milk sugar.
• Perennial Sump (11.5%): A flagship imperial coffee stout built on rotating Sump Coffee beans for a deeply aromatic, complex profile.
• Perennial Shake the Frost (5%): A light, sessionable coffee stout with gentle roast and a smooth, easygoing sweetness.
• Schlafly Coffee Stout (5.7%): A cold-toddy coffee stout with earthy roast, chocolate notes, and a touch of sweetness from the base beer.

American Stouts

American stouts don’t follow as many rules as their Irish cousins. They can be hoppy, roasty, bold, or somewhere in between. What ties them together is balance, enough malt to give them depth, enough roast to keep them grounded, and just enough personality to stand apart from the traditional styles.

• Alpha Nutcracker Stout (8%): A winter stout with cinnamon, vanilla, espresso, and lactose that adds body and seasonal spice.
• Civil Life Extra Stout (7%): A high-roast stout with earthy notes, a dry finish, and a firm bitterness.
• Excel Southside Stout (6.5%): A roasty American stout featuring dark caramel malt and a citrus-forward hop profile.
• Mackenzie Sinful Adoration (8.6%): A foreign extra stout with toasted marshmallow aroma, soft fruitiness, and a roasty finish.
• Side Project Obscura (6%): A stout infused with Ugandan vanilla beans, adding depth to its roasted malt character.

Imperial Stouts (Non–Bourbon Barrel)

Imperial stouts are where things get big. Higher ABV, dense malt layers, and flavors that range from dark chocolate to dried fruit to warm roast. These versions skip bourbon barrels but still bring all the richness that stout lovers chase in winter. These are slow-sipper beers meant for cold nights and small pours.

• 2nd Shift Liquid Spiritual Delight (11.5%): A chewy, chocolate-driven imperial stout that remains one of St. Louis’ most reliable winter heavyweights.
• Crossroads Tall Order (13.1%): A massive, warming stout with bold roast and dense malt layers.
• Narrow Gauge Zavtrak (10%): A robust, roasty imperial stout emphasizing dark chocolate and malt richness without adjunct excess.
• Old Bridgeview King Moe (13.5%): A high-gravity stout with rich roasted malt, chocolate undertones, and a big, warming finish.
• Urban Chestnut Squirrelworks (8.4%): A strong but smooth imperial stout with chocolate, coffee-like roast, and moderate bitterness.