Charleston is home to a booming craft brew industry. Microbreweries and brewpubs in Charleston have sprung up throughout the city, each offering a fare of delightful beverages to please any palate. Be sure to talk to your doctors at Southeastern Spine Institute before imbibing, since drinking alcohol while on pain medication can be dangerous.

But if you’ve come to Charleston with family or friends, they may be up for it. And they’ll be pleased to know that there’s been an emergence of nearly a dozen brewpubs in Charleston. Before you head out, however, you need to know what to expect so that you too can enjoy the adventure:

• Brewery. These are the big boys — the national breweries, like Budweiser, that brew and distribute more than six million barrels of beer per year.
• Craft brewery. This brewery produces up to six million barrels of beer per year.
• Microbreweries. These are much smaller breweries, which by U.S. regulations can brew no more than 15,000 barrels of beer per year.
• Nanobrewery. This refers to the brewing process as opposed to the amount of beer brewed. A nanobrewery uses four barrels or fewer when brewing.
• Brewpub. A brewery and restaurant that primarily brews its beer to be served in the restaurant. Once a brewpub sells more than 75 percent of its beer off-site, it becomes a microbrewery, according to the Brewer’s Association.

A Treat for Family or Friends

While in the Holy City for your spine or back treatment, discover the famed brewpubs in Charleston. Some of the more popular locations include:

• Edmund’s Oast. Brewer Cameron Read has developed a wide variety of compelling beers to garner a James Beard hot spot nomination. Top sellers include the PB&J, which tastes like the sandwich, and their tropical double IPA, the Viridi Rex.
• Holy City Brewing. A local favorite offering year-round classics like the German pilsner. Their seasonals include a Belgian Strong Pale Ale and a crowd favorite: bacon porter.
• Revelry Brewing Co. Award-winning brewpubs in Charleston don’t get more creative than this one. “Poke the Bear” is their American Pale Ale. Their Belgian IPA is called “Funkmaster Brett and the Furious Hops,” and their oatmeal stout is called the “Midnight Special.”
• Local 616. Home to comfort food and craft beer. Whether you’re into a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich or the ultimate grilled cheese, wash it down with one of many varieties of craft beer.
• Copper River Brewing. Founded by three men who met in St. Pleasant, this microbrewery opened in 2015 and has been gaining a glowing reputation since. Try their Watermelon Wheat or their Orange Infused Blonde Ale.
• Freehouse Brewery. A microbrewery with a conscience, as every beer is made with organic ingredients. They like to mix it up, too — from a dry Belgian-style saison to a coffee stout, you can taste sweet and sour in one sitting.
• Lagunitas Charleston Taproom and Beer Sanctuary. This national brewery has a production facility and taproom restaurant in Charleston, where you can regularly find live music, in addition to the food and beer.