If you drink beer—any beer—you're probably familiar with the craft beer explosion that began in the late 2010s, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there is no wrong side. Whatever your preference, cheers to you.
The brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew by 567% from 2003 to 2023—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining. For the first time since 1999, beer shipments fell below 200 million barrels in 2023, making it the lowest amount of beer consumed in the U.S. in a generation.
Like all revolutions, this began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. When combined, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 72% of total beer sales in the U.S. around 2013. A decade later, that share dropped to 65.7% in 2023, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share.
With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher-quality product—and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, between May 2014 and May 2024, beer prices have risen 21% overall.
But how can you determine the best craft beers in an increasingly crowded market? If you're curious about the most popular beers in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated beers in South Carolina using ratings from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of five beers per brewery were included.
Read on to plan your next local beer tour!
Note: Photos of each beer are included where available from BeerAdvocate; otherwise, stock images are shown.
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#23. Sour Blackberry Raspberry
- Rating: 4.12 (21 ratings)
- Type: Fruited Kettle Sour
- ABV: 6.50%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#22. Dirty Myrtle
- Rating: 4.1 (32 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.90%
- Brewery: New South Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#21. Park Circle Pale
- Rating: 4.13 (20 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.50%
- Brewery: Commonhouse Aleworks
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#20. Pixels
- Rating: 4.1 (35 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.20%
- Brewery: Seminar Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#19. Sip Sip Pass Pass IPA
- Rating: 4.11 (30 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.20%
- Brewery: Frothy Beard Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
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#18. Carnie Fire
- Rating: 4.09 (82 ratings)
- Type: American Amber / Red Ale
- ABV: 5.00%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#17. 32°/50° Kölsch
- Rating: 4.09 (383 ratings)
- Type: Kölsch
- ABV: 4.80%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#16. Double Dry Hopped Covercraft
- Rating: 4.23 (14 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.00%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#15. Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Rating: 4.13 (54 ratings)
- Type: American Brown Ale
- ABV: 5.50%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#14. Dead Arm Pale Ale
- Rating: 4.11 (167 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 6.00%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
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#13. Extra Sunny
- Rating: 4.18 (26 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.20%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#12. Mars Express
- Rating: 4.18 (39 ratings)
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 5.90%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#11. Pallet Rider
- Rating: 4.26 (19 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.20%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#10. Rye Knot Brown
- Rating: 4.17 (97 ratings)
- Type: American Brown Ale
- ABV: 6.20%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#9. Citrocity
- Rating: 4.22 (63 ratings)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.00%
- Brewery: Seminar Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
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#8. Gates of S'mordor
- Rating: 4.21 (105 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.00%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#7. Siberian Black Magic Panther
- Rating: 4.21 (243 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.00%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#6. Viridi Rex
- Rating: 4.28 (53 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.50%
- Brewery: Edmund's Oast Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#5. Key Lime Pie Gose
- Rating: 4.23 (548 ratings)
- Type: Gose
- ABV: 4.00%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#4. Sungazer
- Rating: 4.29 (111 ratings)
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.80%
- Brewery: Charles Towne Fermentory
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
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#3. Boy King
- Rating: 4.28 (550 ratings)
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.70%
- Brewery: COAST Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#2. Mexican Cake
- Rating: 4.4 (3,065 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.50%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#1. Mexican Coffee Cake
- Rating: 4.43 (339 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.50%
- Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.