Dauphin Street Beer Festival returns to downtown Mobile for its 20th incarnation, drawing big crowds to LoDa bars this Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. More than 90 brews will be poured at over 30 participating venues — and with only three hours, no one will hit them all.
Where to start
Hayley’s Bar, at 278 Dauphin St., is a no-brainer: it’s one of the few spots still selling tickets (while they last) and sits near many other stops. Hayley’s is pouring Lonerider Saloon Style Pilsner, Ciderboys British Dry Cider, and Crazy Mountain’s Lawyers, Guns and Money Barleywine.
For a break from the street, duck down Joachim to Alchemy Tavern, a large bar with three areas and a back patio. Its selections include Goodwood Bourbon Barrel Ale and Crazy Mountain’s Horshoes and Hand Grenades ESB, with the band Venom on the upstairs stage at 7 p.m. Alchemy sits directly across from the Mobile Saenger, less than a block off Dauphin.
Soak it up
When hunger hits, The Blind Mule offers food and three areas to explore, pouring Blue Point Hoptical Illusion and Ely Space Dust, with Future Hate on the Attic Stage. The Blind Mule is down N. Claiborne Street from Cathedral Square, past the Scottish Rite Temple and The Bar.
With large crowds and kegs that can run dry, plan your route down Dauphin in advance and stick around after 9 p.m. — events like Beer Fest keep the downtown bar scene thriving, and new spots like Kazoola are worth exploring. Arrange a designated driver or ride home.