A hundred thousand welcomes.
How do I tell you that pubs are worth saving. That having community spaces to spend time with friends is truly important in our increasingly disconnected world. That sitting back and relaxing over a pint or glass of wine and having food with friends is vital to the foundations of camaraderie. Pubs are the great equalizer and one of the few places that can still bring together all walks of life. Time moves fast and for over 24 years I have remained a dedicated publican in St. Louis. Dylan, Mike, and I forged our friendship at 33 Wine Bar in Lafayette Square, which was the first wine and beer bar I owned. We founded the Civil Life Brewing Company together in 2011. But the Civil Life isn’t just the story of us, it’s the story of the many people that have supported and helped us along the way that are what we have become. We are a small family-owned business that puts community first and continues to defy odds. From my friend Tuan, that named the business, to Brian that designs and develops our labels, to Joe who drew our logo and continues drawing for the Civil Life today, to Justin that took over the web-site production from my team of drunk snails, to Truckey who painstakingly reviews excessively wordy copy with run-on sentences to prose with proper spaces and punctuation, to my close friend Margaret and mother that tend to the flowers, to our great staff and all of our customers that truly believe this little brewery deserves a prosperous future despite the incredibly difficult landscape that the craft beer world has become. Bring some friends down to the pub, break bread with them and have a few drinks. Say hello and stay for a while and of course, be part of the Civil Life. You will be glad you did.
Thank you for being part of our civil little world. Cheers!
— Jake, Dylan, Mike, Patrick, Chris, Dave, Dustin, Jeremy, Kenny and all our part-time staff, 3 Giraffes and 4 Dinosaurs
Our
History
The Civil Life Brewing Company was founded in 2011 in St. Louis’s Tower Grove South neighborhood by Jake Hafner, Dylan Mosley, and Mike Bianco as a cozy, community‑focused brewpub modeled on traditional old-world-inspired pubs.
Our brewing team (Dylan, Mike, Dustin, and Dave) put out between 35 and 40 beers a year. Many of our recipes date back to our opening year and all have gained admirers. The pub list changes just as seasons do—favoring heavier and fuller bodied beer during the colder months, and shifting to lighter and medium-bodied styles during the thick of our St. Louis summers. Our Rye Pale won Gold at the Great American Beer Fest in 2014, and our American Brown—long recognized as St. Louis’ best brown beer—was recognized in 2019 as one of the top 19 beers in America by Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine. You will always find 12 taps ranging from light to full, 2 cask beers, and a wine selection by the glass and bottle. We also stock a selection of NA drinks as well.
We have a long history of serving delicious pub-inspired food with our finely crafted ales and lagers. Jeremy and his team are always happy to prepare food for you.
During the pandemic we doubled our patio, added parking, and built a shipping‑container kitchen to elevate food service. We’ve had sustainable practices since our inception: solar panels supply roughly 30% of the brewery’s energy, spent grains feed local livestock, and native landscaping reflects a deep community commitment. Thanks to Justine, Teresa, and Margaret, customers notice the abundance of flowers and often take the long walk around our property on the way in.
We will always remain true to our roots believing that Civil Life beer is the perfect beer at your favorite local watering hole, in the confines of your home or best yet, in the comfort of the Civil Life in Tower Grove South. We always will remain true to our roots—serving sessionable, malt‑driven beers and a curated wine list, with great food in a pub setting renowned for its warmth, civility, and high standards. Come see us and see what the Civil Life is all about.