When you think of cities with a high number of craft beers, places like Denver, Portland, and Asheville come to mind. What isn’t even on the radar is anywhere in Alabama, a state who, much like my own, had laws preventing sales of alcohol until recently. Some didn’t let you sell on Sunday while others prohibited breweries from selling directly to consumers instead of through distributors. So Huntsville, Alabama might be a surprise to visitors.
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But thanks in part to the tech-heavy industries that followed NASA here over the years, craft breweries have also popped up. Now there are beer trails for both Huntsville proper and North Alabama, encouraging visitors to this part of the state to visit them all. I finished the Huntsville trail and am now the proud owner of a bottle opener, which cost me the sum of 10 or so beers…
I was visiting Huntsville for the first time after passing through dozens of times, partially in preparation for the upcoming TBEX conference. After I saw the major sights like the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and other local museums, I buckled down into my “real” research: checking out Huntsville’s beer scene.
Thankfully, many breweries are located close together. I started at Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer, located just across a field from one another. Salty Nut is another block or so further. I later drove to some further out of town and in Madison, but you could easily take Lyft.
I couldn’t believe how great the breweries in Huntsville were. Straight to Ale is an institution in its own right, now set up in a former school. They have a full restaurant and taproom, offering their offbeat brews. I loved Yellowhammer’s sour gose and the smells wafting from the adjoining pizzeria.
I couldn’t get enough of Mad Malts’ homey vibe. But by the end of my trip, I couldn’t drink another pint. Maybe it was the fact that I was visiting all these places solo and felt like a weirdo or perhaps because I’d maxed myself out on the yeast.
Travelers should give Huntsville, and Alabama, a chance to show them what the South is all about. Beer fans might never leave.
Where to Drink in Huntsville
This is just a short list of Huntsville area breweries, but you can visit many more within an hour or so drive.
- Straight To Ale Brands
- Mad Malts Brewing
- Yellowhammer Brewing
- Green Bus Brewing
- Salty Nut Brewery
- Blue Pants Brewery and Tap Room
- Old Black Bear Brewing Company
- Rocket Republic Brewing Company
Hello- I stumbled across your blog and cannot stop looking at your posts… I am from a tiny town outside of Huntsville (while we are talking about alcohol in the area, my hometown is actually still dry but thankfully we aren’t far down the road from all of these places) but now I live in Oxford, MS. I have been fortunate enough to spend some time living overseas and it wasn’t until I moved to Mississippi a few years ago that I started truly noticing and appreciating all of the fun places and things there are here throughout the state to do. During this time, Huntsville has grown a LOT also and now there are so many things I am anxious to get back to my hometown to see. I’m in my twenties and have spent the better part of my life in the south, but still, I am creating this South US bucket list and will keep checking your blog for more ideas!
Campus 805 is a great place to hang out. Great article though informing people of what’s out there.
Bryan Johnson
High Johnson Internet Media
4030 Balmoral Drive SW b
Huntsville, AL 35801
http://www.highjohnson.com/
(256) 690-5112