Brew M Nation, South Carolina edition

This week's Brew M Nation is a little late, thanks to a week of travel and my consumption of one of the offerings mentioned in the article as I compose it.

For those of you in the other Columbia for today's game, River Rat Brewery looks worthy of your time. The tap room is open now, and they have live music as you get ready for the game. The Moncks Corner Abbey Ale looks like a solid dubbel, and the Hazelnut Brown Ale sounds like an interesting twist on the classic nut brown ale.

If you are looking for food with your beer, Conquest Brewing Company is another alternative. Today, they are offering Yellow Dog BBQ to go along with their array of beers.

I have been to metro Columbia many times on business, but I typically end up staying in the boonies. When I have been in the area near campus, I enjoyed getting some good Asian food at Miyo's/M-Vista.

For those of you looking for some South Carolina beer for tonight's game, there are some good alternatives out there that may have distribution in your area. The granddaddy of South Carolina breweries is Thomas Creek. I am a big fan of their Dockside Pilsner, which is an excellent example of the form. I've also had their Oktoberfest offering, but it was nothing special to me - just a run-of-the-mill amber ale. For IPA fans, the Up The Creek Extreme IPA sounds like a fun, but potentially dangerous offering, with 12.5% ABV and packing 143 IBU.

The other South Carolina brewery I am familiar with is Westbrook Brewing. They brew one of the more interesting beers I've had recently, White Thai. This is the beer that got me over my bottle prejudice and made me realize that good beers could come in cans. White Thai is a Belgian wheat with a twist. Instead of the traditional coriander and orange peel, it is spiced with lemongrass and ginger, for a refreshing and delicious alternative to the status quo. If that's not your thing, they brew many other styles.

Here's to responsible consumption of delicious beverages and a Mizzou victory! Cheers!