Local libations: A round of Columbia-centric craft beers

Columbia makes a lot of great craft beer.. Local brewers are constantly tapping their creative juices to drum up crafty collaborations, standout recipes, and fun names for their frothy masterpieces.

As we celebrate Drink Up Week, we’d like to raise a glass to five COLA-centric brews with names that draw inspiration from our city’s history, communities, and culture.


Bomb Island , Angry Fish Brewing Company
This Imperial Stout from the Lexington brewery is named for the island located on Lake Murray that served as a practice range for Doolittle’s Raiders’ B-17 bombers during WWII.

Style + flavor: You’ll first smell notes of coffee and chocolate followed by a sip that coats your mouth for a creamy, silky feel.

Carolina Light, Savage Craft Aleworks
When you see this six-pack for sale around town you’ll notice the can artwork by local artist Ernest Lee, aka The Chicken Man.

Style + flavor: This 4.7% ABV light brew has a slight malty sweetness with some effervescence and a crisp finish.

Carolinian , Columbia Craft
This beer’s name gets straight to the point — and we respect that .

Style + flavor : This 4.7% ABV blonde ale has low bitterness and a tad of honey malt sweetness. It’s crisp, light, and an easy drinking option for that trip to the mountains or beach.

Hop to Trot Cryo IPA , Columbia Craft
This beer name-checks the brewery’s annual Hop to Trot Beer Fest — running seven years strong in 2024. Fun fact : this crafty creation won a Gold medal in the New England/Juicy IPA category at the 2018 US Open Beer Championship.

Style + flavor : This 8% ABV IPA features peach, pineapple, and tropical citrus aromas. It’s full-bodied + intense, yet smooth.

Lettermen Lager , Columbia Craft
This crafty collaboration with USC’s Association of Lettermen is set to return during football season in August 2024. The “1965” on the Gamecocks garnet-colored can is a nod to the year the association was founded.

Style + flavor : This is a 4.8% ABV Helles lager with a clean + crisp profile.

Sandstorm Game Day Lager , Steel Hands Brewing
A nod to University of South Carolina fan culture , the little white towel on this can takes us straight to a Gamecocks game. Garnet Trust partnered with Steel Hands to craft this beer that helps benefit Gamecock student athletes through NIL opportunities.

Style + flavor : This triple-hopped, 4.5% ABV lager is brewed with South Carolina heirloom rice and is light + drinkable — especially on game day .

Soda City Pils , Iron Hill Brewery
A tribute to one of Columbia’s nicknames , the brewery says this beer is meant “to celebrate our beautiful city.” The best part: a portion of sales is donated to the local food bank.

Style + flavor : This dry, 5.8% ABV, German-style pilsner is crisp, clean + refreshing , with notes of honeycomb, biscuit, and flora.

Cheers to you, Soda City.