Day 1 Stops:
Choices range from near — Hotel Baker is right downtown St. Charles and is a historic property built in 1929 with 47 boutique room — to just a bit farther — is Courtyard by Marriott or Best Western.
Pollyanna Brewing should be your first stop on your beer excursion. Offering over 20 different beers, their beers never disappoint and offer brew styles others do not! When it comes to “something for everyone” Pollyanna brews it. Once you finish up your tasting at Pollyana take a walk along the scenic Fox River where you can also find your next stop!
Alter Brewing + Kitchen is St. Charles’ newest addition to the craft beer seen! Alter features creative, delicious and drinkable beers for everyone and a full kitchen. Check out the views from the industrial “Container Bar” that looks out on the banks of the fox River.
Day 2 Stops:
Recently celebrating 1 year in St. Charles, Riverlands Brewing is just outside the downtown. Their sours are some of the best around and they feature an assorted menu of different styles of beer.
D and G Brewing is a small local brewery located in a unique industrial area within walking distance from downtown. They are focused on true-to-style beers and brewing what they like.
Another brewery to visit is 93 Octane, they stay true to their roots as they focus on beer that provides a road trip of flavor.
Your last stop should be Broken Brix Homebrew Shop, which has everything you could ever want to know about home fermentation. You can taste different beers on tap while you browse among brew-making kits, kegs, bottling equipment, and more.
Change of Pace
If you’ve had enough beer and are looking for a change of pace, stop by Wine Exchange. Offering a selection of over 500 wines from across the world. The Wine Exchange offers samplings of their wines that range for those looking for low-cost, high quality wine to top shelf selections.
100 Grapes is an intimate tasting room right downtown. The high quality of grapes speaks for themselves, so stop in for a tasting, flight, glass or a bottle of their unique wine.
Vintage 53 puts the urban in suburban with a industrial-style venue featuring small plates and savory wine. Throw in some live music on Friday and Saturday nights and you have a weekend hangout where you can eat, drink and be merry.
Another great wine destination is Cooper’s Hawk, which features upscale dining and excellent, high quality wine. Stop in for wine tasting and fun shopping in their showroom.