Excellent Breweries in Little Rock – and a Distillery

A vibrant, thriving community, Little Rock is flourishing with its attractions, unique finds, excellent restaurants, a growing nightlife, and much to my delight, breweries. Not unlike other craft breweries across the U.S., the vibe in these Little Rock breweries exudes casual, warm hospitality. Not only a place for locals to get together and catch up with friends, but folks visiting the town can easily mix and mingle and create new friendships. Add to that the walkability of downtown and how easy it is to get to each of these breweries in Little Rock, and you have another destination to include in search of Beervana.

I am Joanne Galko, and although I live in Golden, Colorado, I travel for both business and pleasure. When I last spend a time in Little Rock, I make a point to try each of the Little Rock breweries, and its craft distillery. As a beer lover, I wanted to put together a guide for other beer lovers who may travel in Arkansas. I think of it as Loyal Little Rockers Love their Liquid – Five Great Breweries One Awesome Distillery.

If you have visited Little Rock before, Rebel Kettle may come to mind, with its distinctive logo. I am sorry to tell you they have permanently closed. No need to worry though. Little Rock will not leave you wanting for delicious craft beer. So let’s get out in the neighborhoods, and the breweries.

If you are spending the night in Little Rock, I recommend the Little Rock Marriott. The rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable, and the location is ideal.

If you are more of a bed and breakfast person, then I recommend The Empress of Little Rock. Located in the historic Quapaw Quarter, it is not as convenient to downtown attractions. However, it is very close to the trendy SoMa neighborhood, and it is an attraction itself.

The East Village

Lost Forty

A fifteen-minute walk from Little Rock’s downtown River Market area brings visitors to the East Village. Once an industrial area, now some of the finest Little Rock breweries and beer gardens peak out from between gravelly parking lots and empty warehouses.

Lost Forty Brewing, a resident since 2014, got its name from some 40 acres of forest that was supposedly the last frontier of Arkansas. No one knows the story, for sure. One thing that is for sure is the medal-winning quality of their beers. The Silver Medal winner, Easy Tiger Mexican-style lager, has way more depth than an average lager. The beer menu, which already includes a vast selection of IPAs, often features pilot batches. One such test trial released in early 2020 and hopped with sultana (a golden, plump, juicy raisin), columbus, and amarillo combines sweet and bitter flavors. 

Head straight back to the small bar or sit at one of the communal tables and grab some BBQ, salads, or sandwiches. As Lost Forty puts it, “…community, equality, and good beer—that’s our people.” Stop by for Beer Brunch Sundays, including mimosas and sweet treats (9 am to 9 pm). Considering they don’t currently sell out of Arkansas makes a stop at this Little Rock brewery a necessity.

Downtown Little Rock

Stone’s Throw

Continue walking over I-30. The MacArthur Park location of Stone’s Throw Brewing is less than ten minutes away. Arrive at just the right time of day, and you can sit on the picnic tables and enjoy the setting sun. 

Stone’s Throw Brewing is a small artisan brewery with a big heart. It’s the culmination and hard work of four friends–Brad, Ian, Shawn, and Theron. Having met each other through the local homebrewing club, their combined efforts (assisted via a Kickstarter program) renovated an old building in the Quapaw District. The brewpub is considered part of the neighborhood, hence a stone’s throw. The two rooms, decorated with local artwork, host yoga sessions, and other events. 

Although it is the smallest of the breweries in Little Rock, it is the only one with a second location. This second location of Stone’s Throw, Stifft Station, is in a progressive little neighborhood just west of downtown Little Rock that is reinventing itself. This working-class, family-oriented, historical location provides Stone’s Throw a larger space for 20 taps and ample seating.

While there are no distinct definitions for what constitutes craft, micro, nano, or pico breweries, generally, it is based on the amount of production a year. Stone’s Throw is considered a nano-brewery with a small production of three or four barrels or lower per year.

Beers include many tasty seasonal, limited editions, and ciders such as a Pear Guavara or the Plum Crazy, which adds plum puree. Dark beer lovers rejoice. Stone’s Throw has an excellent selection of dunkels and schwartz beer. Schwartz beer style is a German pilsner but with dark malt added to give it a darker color.  

The best part of Stone’s Throw, however, could be the cheerful staff who eagerly explain the day’s beer options. Their warmth welcomes visitors from afar and illustrates the Southern charm of Little Rockians. 

Rock Town Distillery

Rock Town Distillery, Little Rock’s first and only artisan distillery, is centrally located and just a short walk from Stone’s Throw. The vision of Little Rocker Phil Brandon, after being laid off from work in the mid-2000s, the distillery’s survival was a little shaky those first few years but is now hitting it out of the ballpark.

Award-winning whiskeys and gins are the highlights. However, Rock Town’s clean, pure vodka is just as popular with locals.

The spacious interior affords a separate tasting area opposite a large bar with seating in the middle. Classic cocktails compete with exotic libations using fruits and liquors. Community-oriented, Rock Town hosts many neighborhood get-togethers, corporate events, and holiday celebrations. 

North Little Rock

Two fun, neighborhood breweries grace the north shore of Little Rock. Easily accessible by the free trolley, the Argenta Arts District is worth a visit. 

Diamond Bear

Exit the trolley at Bishop Lindsey Avenue (West 7^th Street) and head west. The road curves around and becomes North Broadway Street, where you will quickly spot the fermentation tank of Diamond Bear Brewing. Diamond Bear, first opened in downtown in 2000, moved to the North Little Rock location in 2014 and is both a working brewhouse and a full restaurant.

While appearing to be a large production facility from the outside, its interior splits into three or four cozy rooms perfect for groups ready to settle in, play a game, and sample some brews. A bar area and outdoor picnic tables provide additional seating.

The colorful décor has a lot of, you guessed it, bears, as the name of the brewery combines two original nicknames for the state of Arkansas. Diamond Bear has been awarded gold medals from the Great American Beer Festival. Its success has expanded throughout Arkansas and into neighboring States so it has become more than one of the most popular breweries in Little Rock. Choose the Southern Blonde for a light, easy-drinking ale or the more complex Irish Red, which pairs well with just about everything on the menu. 

Flyway

From Diamond Bear, keep following the road and turn left on West 4^th Street. By the time you reach Maple Street, you will see Flyway Brewing. You may have seen Flyway when arriving on the trolley so you could visit these two breweries vice versa.

The one-room brewpub, accented with a grassy-green wall and modern duck paintings, provides plenty of stool seating and tables. Flyway takes its name from the migratory flight path of birds congregating over Arkansas on their way from Canada to Mexico.

The brewery prides itself on creating solid brews and usually has six year-rounds and six seasonals on tap. The brewers like to experiment, as shown by their “cake series” of beers such as the Carrot Cake Golden Ale in the summer and the Fruit Cake Belgian Dubbel in the winter. Flights are available for tasting as well as a full food menu.

Pettaway Neighborhood

Moody Brews

As of spring 2024, a newcomer among Little Rock breweries, Moody Brews opened its doors.  Located in the residential Pettaway neighborhood, it is a quiet location with an outdoor patio that allows space to contemplate the complexity of the brew, or just enjoy its deliciousness.  

Moody Brews starting line up features 6 inhouse creations and two “guest beers”.  The home brews include a coffee enhanced pilsner, a rice lager, and the almost NA Oatmeal Pale.  For those looking for a more sophisticated intermingling of flavors will appreciate the Earl Grey Extra Special Bitter, or Aria’s Bier, dashed with hibiscus and oranges.  

Last on Moody Brews menu is a cider, the Prickly Pear Perry, which is a light and refreshing summer evening brew that goes down easy.  Be careful though, this one packs a punch!

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Superior Bathhouse Brewery

Are you heading over to Hot Springs for a dip? It is just a short drive from Little Rock. If so, cool down with a brew at the Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery located in a National Park. The repurposed bathhouse, opened in 2013 after having been dormant for decades, is bright and airy and offers a full menu. SQZBX Brewery, while technically a pizza restaurant in Hot Springs, also has a great selection of inhouse-brewed ales.

Time to Head on Out to those Little Rock Breweries?

If all this talk of delicious ales, lagers and IPAs has you thirsty, perhaps it is time to plan a road trip. I don’t know. Maybe a few days in Memphis for some music and barbecue, then a few days in Little Rock for some history and brews, then on to Hot Springs for some good, relaxing soaks. That’s a trip that would satisfy a lot of urges! Just a thought.

Make sure and share this before you go.

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