If Anheuser-Busch (the giant looming over St. Louis) is the industrial empire of beer, Perennial is the small, candle-lit laboratory in the woods. Located in the Carondelet neighborhood of South St. Louis, they are the brewery for people who want their beer to taste like a five-course dessert or a forgotten Belgian farmhouse.

Founded in 2011 by Phil and Emily Wymore, Perennial was born from a high-pedigree DNA. Phil spent time at both Goose Island and Half Acre in Chicago, but he brought that expertise back to Missouri to prove that “Artisan” wasn’t just a word you put on a fancy cracker—it was a philosophy of patience.

The Abraxas Fever

You cannot discuss Perennial without discussing Abraxas. In the world of high-stakes beer trading, this bottle is a form of currency.

Abraxas is an Imperial Stout brewed with ancho chiles, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks. It is essentially a Mexican Hot Chocolate transformed into a 10% ABV liquid. When it drops once a year, the “nerds” descend. But the eccentric truth is that Perennial doesn’t just make it once; they age it in spirit barrels (Bourbon, Rye, etc.) to create “Barrel-Aged Abraxas,” a beer so thick and complex it feels like drinking a velvet rug.

The Seasonal Obsession

Perennial operates on a strict “Nature’s Schedule.” They don’t force beers to exist year-round if the ingredients aren’t right. This creates a rotating logbook of flavors:

• The Sump Coffee Stout: A collaboration with local St. Louis roasters that treats coffee like a delicate fruit rather than a bitter bean.
• The Belgian Influence: While everyone else was chasing hazy IPAs, Phil Wymore was perfecting the Saison. Beers like Saison de Lis (brewed with chamomile flowers) are light, floral, and arguably too sophisticated for a standard Tuesday night.
• The “Funk” Factor: They have a dedicated wild ale program where the beers sit in oak barrels for months or years, picking up “wild” yeasts and bacteria that create tart, sour, and “funky” flavors.

The Hidden Laboratory

The taproom itself is a bit of an eccentric trek. It’s tucked away in an old industrial space that feels like you’re in the wrong place until you smell the mash.

It is a low-key, family-friendly space where the staff talks about yeast strains with the same intensity that sports fans talk about batting averages. There is a total lack of pretension here, which is ironic considering they are making some of the most expensive and sought-after beer in the Midwest. It’s the kind of place where you can find a world-class brewer in a stained t-shirt explaining the nuances of Brettanomyces to someone who just walked in off the street.

The “Artisan” Reality

Ultimately, the personal comment for the logbook is this: Perennial is a reminder that patience is an ingredient. In a world of “fast-casual” everything, they are “slow-experimental.” They are willing to let a beer sit in a barrel for two years just to see what happens. Sometimes it’s a disaster; usually, it’s a masterpiece. They are the reason St. Louis remains a “Big Shoulders” beer city with a very refined, nerdy heart.