Work has me visiting Festus, MO in a month. I am looking for beer stores and/or good bars that I can hit in the vicinity. I know nothing of the area, and don't want to drive more than about 20 min in any direction if possible. Is St. Louis an option? If so, how easy is the drive and parking? Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!
Festus is about 35 miles from downtown St. Louis, so about 35-40 minutes. Jefferson County is not really a hotbed for craft beer, but Tanglefoot in Festus is supposed to be pretty good. I haven't been there personally though. Heading toward St. Louis you would drive through South County, which also pretty much sucks for beer. Once you hit the city you have more options. Perennial is the closest brewery and is right off the highway, about 30 minutes from Festus. If you absolutely must stay within 20 minutes you're not going to find much. The Schnucks (grocery store) in Arnold has a decent beer selection. There's a bar called Weber's right next to it that has some options. Just a bit north of there in Imperial there's a dive bar/restaurant Gator's South that has an ok selection (http://www.mygatorssouth.com/beer-menu). You're going to have to drive into St. Louis if you really want to do anything. There's a brewery being built in Festus, but they're still a little ways off unfortunately. As a whole, St. Louis has a great beer scene, but the area you are visiting is lagging behind pretty badly.
