The Civil Life Brewing Co.

American Brown Ale

Brown Ale - American

Long enough ago, all beer would’ve been brownish because of the difficulty of cooking the malted grain without darkening it. Our American Brown is no… Read More

Long enough ago, all beer would’ve been brownish because of the difficulty of cooking the malted grain without darkening it. Our American Brown is no doubt the Civil Life flagship beer. Malty, toasty, earthy and citrusy, with delicious hints of bitter chocolate and dark roasted coffee. Read Less

The Angel & The Sword

Bitter - Best

Angel and The Sword seems like an odd name for a peace offering, but hear us out. Sometimes you just have to blend cultures. Toledo, Spain is an UNESCO… Read More

Angel and The Sword seems like an odd name for a peace offering, but hear us out. Sometimes you just have to blend cultures. Toledo, Spain is an UNESCO World Heritage Site called “the city of three cultures” for the continuous coexistence of Jews, Christians, and Muslims since ancient times. They haven’t always gotten along, at times horrendously so, but they do their best. Iron sharpens iron, as their good books say. An area famed for sword production, our favorite monument remains Juan de Ávalos' "statue of peace" outside Alcázar fortress, representing a winged female holding up her sword to the sky. Here is a great craft beer which IS NOT IPA. A departure from true-to-style brewing, we put a little bit of everything we've learned into this uniquely inclusive expression. Biscuity and bittersweet, familiar and unfamiliar, way more going on than its light color and alcohol content would suggest. Let us raise our goblets to the sky in one accord.

ABV: 4.6%
IBU: 32
COLOUR: Clear golden amber with white foam
BJCP STYLE: Who knows? Maybe 23. Maybe 11C. It actually doesn't fit neatly into any one BJCP category. It's English Yeast, English Hops and our favorite malts from all over the world. It's a hybrid of sorts!
NOTABLE INGREDIENTS: Various malts sourced from Europe and North America; classic English Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops; English ale yeast​.
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Rye Pale Ale

Rye Beer

This isn't a little Pale Ale and it isn't the biggest of Pale Ales but it's our Pale Ale and it's big but grounded by a strong malt backbone. Familiar… Read More

This isn't a little Pale Ale and it isn't the biggest of Pale Ales but it's our Pale Ale and it's big but grounded by a strong malt backbone. Familiar pale ale traits plus rich graininess, subtle spice and crisp mouthfeel from the rye, lots of caramel, black pepper, pine cones, and grapefruit zest with a well-rounded bittersweet finish. Pick it up and run with it, act like you stole it... as long as you paid for it we don't care. Gold medal winner at 2014 Great American Beer Festival. Read Less

"British Bitter" English Pale Ale

Bitter - Session / Ordinary

Our look at British Pale Ale is a bit more opportunistic but still within the "Special/Best/Premium" style. We wanted a nice bright session beer with… Read More

Our look at British Pale Ale is a bit more opportunistic but still within the "Special/Best/Premium" style. We wanted a nice bright session beer with the Bitter concept (medium Gold, good clarity, low maltiness, dry finish, bitterness) and came up with one that incorporates North American Hops - Centennial - that keep the beer punchy. This is a newish trend within the style and one that we feel keeps the flavor bright and refreshing. Read Less

Oktoberfest

Märzen

Oktoberfest is a fall seasonal beer by design: a slow-fermented, relatively strong amber lager brewed and cellared each year in advance of the world's… Read More

Oktoberfest is a fall seasonal beer by design: a slow-fermented, relatively strong amber lager brewed and cellared each year in advance of the world's biggest beer festival. In true form, we brew ours annually for our big anniversary party. Though our turnout is a bit smaller than the Munich Oktoberfest (6 million people!), this remains our fastest selling beer. Brewed in strict accordance with the Reinheitsgebot with authentically German barley malt, hops, and yeast. Clean and classic. Rich malts but not too sweet, grainy, a little nutty and toasty, balanced bitterness from flowery German hops. Read Less

German Wheat

Wheat Beer - Hefeweizen

Classic hefeweizen traits make this an easy-drinker anytime of year. Hazy golden colour with dense white foam. Complimentary banana, clove, and black… Read More

Classic hefeweizen traits make this an easy-drinker anytime of year. Hazy golden colour with dense white foam. Complimentary banana, clove, and black pepper notes, with hints of lemongrass and orange blossom honey. Husky whole-wheat graininess, balanced sweetness with a smooth mouthfeel. Perfumey noble hops. Pairs perfectly with our soft pretzels and Dusseldorf brown mustard. Take home a growler so you can add some Civil Life German Wheat to your favourite banana bread recipe. Read Less

Porter

Porter - English

We think if the whole musician thing hadn't worked for Johnny Cash, he would've brewed darn good beer. It definitely would've been dressed in black. Tall… Read More

We think if the whole musician thing hadn't worked for Johnny Cash, he would've brewed darn good beer. It definitely would've been dressed in black. Tall and barrel-chested, warm, tart and toasty, with bittersweet coffee and chocolate notes. We find it very, very easy to be true-to-style. Just settle back and shout "Hey Porter!" A blend of classic English and American base malts, English crystal and roasted malts, English and American hops, authentic London Porter yeast. Read Less

Burton-On-Holt

Historical Beer - Burton Ale

Our first-ever holiday release is an allusion to world-renowned Burton Ale, brewed in 18th & 19th Century Burton-on-Trent, England. Ours is proudly brewed… Read More

Our first-ever holiday release is an allusion to world-renowned Burton Ale, brewed in 18th & 19th Century Burton-on-Trent, England. Ours is proudly brewed on Holt Avenue in St. Louis honouring the traditional brewing techniques and mineral-rich water which made the English malts and hops sing! Enjoy the rich caramel sweetness with a big bready mouthfeel which magically finishes dry. Somehow crisp and creamy, citrusy, with hints of almond butter and cacao nibs. Pairs magnificently with whatever you’re eating, whatever you’re doing, and wherever you’re going this holiday season. Export-strength so you can spread the good cheer far and wide! Read Less

ESB

Bitter - Extra Special / Strong (ESB)

This classic malt-forward take on a much-loved English style is medium bodied with caramel richness and a subtle woodsy hop note. This deep amber-colored… Read More

This classic malt-forward take on a much-loved English style is medium bodied with caramel richness and a subtle woodsy hop note. This deep amber-colored ale celebrates traditional English malts and classic Fuggles hops. Read Less

Cream Ale

Cream Ale

So, you're mowin' the green grass, working up a sweat. Wind is blowing, you can actually smell the hot hay and corn fields over there. The mulching blade… Read More

So, you're mowin' the green grass, working up a sweat. Wind is blowing, you can actually smell the hot hay and corn fields over there. The mulching blade chomps through the weedy dandelions, chicory, mint. Oops, you knicked the mustard greens and cedar chips, dang it. What now? This neighbor's grilling, that one's frying-up some tortillas and squeezing limes. C'mon man! That's it, time for a cold beer. Here you go: crisp and lively, deeply refreshing, hoppier than most with a mellow multigrain mouthfeel, a dry finish with a tangy citrus burst at the end. Not your granddad's lawnmower beer... or is it? It is now. Get back to work, Sonny-boy! Read Less

Milk Stout

Stout - Milk / Sweet

To make a Milk Stout, we start with a fairly standard stout recipe--pale malt plus caramelized and roasted malts--then add lactose sugar which standard… Read More

To make a Milk Stout, we start with a fairly standard stout recipe--pale malt plus caramelized and roasted malts--then add lactose sugar which standard ale yeast cannot ferment, thus leaving more silky sweetness in the final beer…its je ne sais quoi as Steve Martin would say. Some folks compare the taste to chocolate milk, but what are we, babies? No! Imagine if you will a well-made macchiato, or rich dark chocolate bar with actual toasted cacao nibs, crème brulee, maybe a shot of rum, and just a hint of honey-soaked tobacco smouldering in a knurled hardwood pipe. Now we’re drinking like grown-ups. And at a sessionable 4.4% alcohol, we can enjoy several pints while pondering the “what is the quoi?” question. Read Less

Vienna Lager

Lager - Vienna

This style is a lighter, drier cousin of Oktoberfest, an accessible amber lager with distinctive toasted grainy malt character with a crisp finish. German… Read More

This style is a lighter, drier cousin of Oktoberfest, an accessible amber lager with distinctive toasted grainy malt character with a crisp finish. German noble hops impart a pleasant spiciness. Read Less

Big Year Brown

Brown Ale - American

We decided it would be fun to make a big version of our American Brown Ale. Everything you know and love—malty, bready, chocolatey, tart and toasty, balanced… Read More

We decided it would be fun to make a big version of our American Brown Ale. Everything you know and love—malty, bready, chocolatey, tart and toasty, balanced by grapefruity American hops—but even more so. Read Less

Northern English Brown

Brown Ale - English

A bigger, browner Brown Ale. Treat yourself to this bready, balanced beer with hints of coffee, toast, tart fruits, toffee, molasses cookies. Smooth and… Read More

A bigger, browner Brown Ale. Treat yourself to this bready, balanced beer with hints of coffee, toast, tart fruits, toffee, molasses cookies. Smooth and complex. Real Ale poured on beer engine. Read Less

Big American Stout

Stout - American

A big, brown, bready stout reminiscent of dark stone fruit, walnut toffee, medium roasted coffee, and dark chocolate.

A big, brown, bready stout reminiscent of dark stone fruit, walnut toffee, medium roasted coffee, and dark chocolate. Read Less

Black Lager

Schwarzbier

Our Black Lager, or Schwarzbier in its native German, is easy to love. It's a crisp, clean, cold-fermented lager but darkly colored with a discreet, fragrant… Read More

Our Black Lager, or Schwarzbier in its native German, is easy to love. It's a crisp, clean, cold-fermented lager but darkly
colored with a discreet, fragrant roasty essence. Perfumy noble hops. Grainy and just a little toasty, with hints of coffee and chocolate. Light body and carbonation. Read Less

#Carlbock Helles Lager

Bock - Hell / Maibock / Lentebock

Crafted as an authentic Munich Helles, increased to Bock alcoholic strength, #Carlbock is a nice malty and hoppy golden lager, with lightly toasted notes,… Read More

Crafted as an authentic Munich Helles, increased to Bock alcoholic strength, #Carlbock is a nice malty and hoppy golden lager, with lightly toasted notes, a hint of spice, and a crisp finish. Read Less

Scottish Ale

Scottish Export Ale

Traditional Scottish ales are malt-focused with distinct caramel-sweetness, sometimes nutty, biscuity, with subtle earthy, roasty, even peat-smoky layers.… Read More

Traditional Scottish ales are malt-focused with distinct caramel-sweetness, sometimes nutty, biscuity, with subtle earthy, roasty, even peat-smoky layers. Ours is too thanks to authentic Scottish ingredients, but also hoppier than expected. We made the odd choice of American Cascade hops to add a unique citrus and black currant twist. You're gonna love this laid-back but deceptively delicious brew. Read Less

Wee Heavy Scottish

Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy

The Wee Heavy has a rich emphasis on malt, subtle sweetness, notes of caramel, dark fruits and toffee. It's a glorious beer. This Wee-bit heavy is a perfect… Read More

The Wee Heavy has a rich emphasis on malt, subtle sweetness, notes of caramel, dark fruits and toffee. It's a glorious beer. This Wee-bit heavy is a perfect transition for the spring as it still is full flavored yet so wonderfully smooth. But please be careful drinking this high octane beer as it may just kick your wee-bit ass. (Yes we are laughing at that last statement as well) But just to be fair, you've been warned. Read Less

India Pale Ale

IPA - American

A delicious double-dry-hopped American IPA with more malt complexity and body than most. Exactly what you’d expect from a Civil Life IPA, we just cranked… Read More

A delicious double-dry-hopped American IPA with more malt complexity and body than most. Exactly what you’d expect from a Civil Life IPA, we just cranked up the bitterness and alcohol knobs a bit. Bready and caramelly with bold juicy fruit flavours and aromas. Robust, warming, and hey-bartender-gimme-another-ish. Careful, stay civil.
NOTABLE INGREDIENTS: English Maris Otter and CaraStan malts, German Munich and CaraHell malts, malted and unmalted wheat. So many hops: Glacier, Chinook, Ahtanum, Cascade, Falconers Flight. American ale yeast. Read Less

Stl Best

Bitter - Session / Ordinary

British ales are truly among the best in the world, and of those, "Best Bitters" are among the…well, best of all. This one falls in the same broad category… Read More

British ales are truly among the best in the world, and of those, "Best Bitters" are among the…well, best of all. This one falls in the same broad category as our English Pale Ale, but is even more authentic and earthy. Bready and biscuity. Grassy, woodsy with hints of herbal tea. Some subtle peppery spice, orange peel and ripe stone fruit notes. Deep colour, deep flavour, deep satisfaction. Tame enough to drink a few, tasty enough you'll want to. Read Less

Oatmeal Stout

Stout - Oatmeal

Don't be afraid of the dark. Our Oatmeal Stout is a little shy but friendly, just like you. You two are gonna hit it off right away. Most beer is brewed… Read More

Don't be afraid of the dark. Our Oatmeal Stout is a little shy but friendly, just like you. You two are gonna hit it off right away. Most beer is brewed entirely with barley but this one includes some oats, a closely-related cereal grain which adds a silky mouthfeel with creamy, long-lasting foam and lace. No harsh burnt notes here, we prefer bready, toasty and rich chocolate notes with a nice soft earthy note from fuggle hops. Full-bodied, warming, and smoooooooth. Employees at the Civil Life have a long running joke with their doctors that tell them to eat oatmeal and they say, "What? Drink my oatmeal?" Then they immediately end the appointment and return to "work". Read Less

"The Great Hencini" Southern English Brown Ale

Brown Ale - English

South City or Southern England…what's the diff? Regardless of your geographical persuasion, you're gonna love this Brown Ale. Rich toffee-like sweetness… Read More

South City or Southern England…what's the diff? Regardless of your geographical persuasion, you're gonna love this Brown Ale. Rich toffee-like sweetness with a nice round bready mouthfeel. Reminiscent of chocolate, molasses, toasted almonds, ripe red berries, dried plums, orange zest, coffee and cream. Medium body and carbonation, with an everlasting dark malty aftertaste. Pour over your Weetabix cereal. Be civil and carry on. UPDATE: This beer has officially been re-named in honor of our good friend, the late Brian Hencel (the original Great Hencini). Read Less

Czech Pilsner

Pilsner - Czech / Bohemian

An authentic, uniquely flavourful pale lager. Malty, slightly bready, rich but not overly sweet. Hoppier than you’d expect too: great herbal and floral… Read More

An authentic, uniquely flavourful pale lager. Malty, slightly bready, rich but not overly sweet. Hoppier than you’d expect too: great herbal and floral notes, black pepper spice, with a nice long finish. Soft, round, clean, bitter but balanced. The differences are slight, but Czech Pilseners are considered a bit more complex than most German examples of style. Czech yourself before you wreck yourself.

FOR YOU FACT-CHECKING BOHEMIANS:
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 35
COLOUR: Clear golden with lacy white head
BJCP STYLE: 3B. Czech Premium Pale Lager
INGREDIENTS: Authentic Bohemian Pils malt and four different cara malts, Saaz hops, lager yeast. Read Less

American Pale Ale

Pale Ale - American

American Pale Ales hold a special place in the Halls o’ Beerdom. Immigrant brewers definitely broke with some Old World traditions, but after so many… Read More

American Pale Ales hold a special place in the Halls o’ Beerdom. Immigrant brewers definitely broke with some Old World traditions, but after so many generations, APA has become a tradition unto itself. Strong, smooth and elegantly simple, featuring pale malt, a dash of caramel, and pungent New World hops. Crisp grain sweetness balanced by fruity hops. Freshly-baked whole wheat bread, tall grass, wild flowers, ruby red grapefruit, black currant, cantaloupe. Enjoy our uniquely nuanced patriotic ale. Place your hand over your heart and recite: MY PINT TIS OF THEE! GREAT MALT OF LIBERTY! OF THEE I DRINK! Read Less