Carolina Bauernhaus

This was quite the little find. I visited here about three months ago. The lady friend and I were walking around West End and decided to stop here. We didn't know it was here until a quick search. Glad we came here. It was a little cold outside so we went inside. They had a bluegrass band and they also had like an art painting class. People could bring their canvas in and use the art supplies to paint and doodle while drinking some stellar beer. It was just after the holidays so they had some really nice peppermint stouts, a Carolina reaper porter, some really interesting stuff. They were all delicious as well. We had a pizza that was cooked on a little portable oven outside and it was tasty as well. Highly recommended.

 

I never post but need to in this case. Carolina Bauernhaus is a hidden treasure. I was here on a Saturday night in February with a good live band, awesome beer and only 10 other people. Are you kidding me? 2017 GABF experimental cat winner. Off the beaten path but worth it on many levels. Tremendous beer selection beyond the GABF winner.

 

 

The brewery and taproom share the same space, just off main street in downtown Anderson. Almost all their beers are barrel-fermented so the atmosphere is great (barrels everywhere). Small taproom but a very comfortable and welcoming environment. They typically have live music one or two nights a week as well. Great place to catch a ball game too (especially if you're a Clemson fan).

The servers are great. Very friendly. They don't just favor the regulars like most small-town places I've been. If its your first time they'll give you a rundown of what they have on tap. They'll let you pick your own beers for flights, or you can tell them what you like and they'll piece together a flight of comparable beers. Its also common to find the head brewer and/or their yeast guy behind the bar.

They have 16 taps on the wall, mostly their own brews which they rotate frequently. Lots of great sours and wild-fermented stuff. They also do some great dark strongs and an excellent rye pale ale. The taproom also carries other breweries (typically local to the Carolinas) which they change out often. They do craft sodas and kombucha as well. And they're supposed to start serving their own meads and ciders in the coming year.

Food selections are limited (charcuterie, pretzels with beer cheese, etc). If you want something more substantial they allow you to bring carry-out from other local restaurants if you wish.

I stopped at the Carolina Bauernhaus on the way home from a trip to Lake Hartwell right after they opened on Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend. All that I knew was that they are making Belgian style brews in Upstate South Carolina, which sets them apart from the other breweries in that area. The tap house is in an old brick commercial building across the street from the Anderson Arts Center. There's a growler store, an Irish pub, and a couple other restaurants nearby. The atmosphere early in the afternoon was very laid back. The server was very friendly and attentive. All the beers on their tap list were available in taster pours, full pours, or growlers. There was one guest tap with a local organic IPA. I had a Belgian strong ale, a sour cherry Wine barrel aged Kriek, and a whiskey sour Berliner. All very delicious and leaving me wanting to try more on my next visit.