Blue Jay Brewing Company

Blue Jay Brewing Company is a St. Louis brewery opened in December 2023 by native St. Louisan Jay, who has brewed for more than 20 years in Los Angeles, the D.C. area and around Chicago before coming home to lead the brewing team at Urban Chestnut, and Nicole, who runs the front of house. Jay calls himself a malt and grain guy and aims for balanced, drinkable beer, especially lagers. New Roots, an American lager made with the perennial grain Kernza alongside partners including the Danforth Plant Science Center, reflects that thinking. Other beers have included a cassava Jamaican-style lager and a Märzen. Food comes from Farm Spirit, known for its smash burgers at a Tower Grove market. Blue Jay bought most of its equipment second-hand, uses LED lighting and sends spent grain to local farmers, and it was named a national Brewery of the Year in 2025.