Thirteen months ago, former wine-bar owner Jake Hafner announced he was going to build a brewery out of a former newspaper-distribution warehouse in Tower Grove South. Ten days later, a brewer named Phil Wymore said he was going to move from Chicago to start a brewery in south St. Louis' Carondelet-Patch neighborhood.

Today, Hafner's The Civil Life Brewing Co. and Wymore's Perennial Artisan Ales are opening their doors, the newest wave in a tidal surge of craft beer that has swept into St. Louis in recent years.

"It's been a long time coming, and it's hard to put into words everything that's going through my mind right now," Wymore says. "But I looked in the mirror earlier and saw a big grin on my face, if that's any indication of how I feel about today."

Adds Hafner: "I couldn't be more excited. I guess it's sort of like watching a kid walk for the first time. The first steps are going to be a little tough, but then you start running."

Both brewery owners clued in Hip Hops on what you should know about their soft openings and plans for the coming weeks (remember to bring cash -- their credit-card machines aren't yet installed):

• Perennial Artisan Ales (8125 Michigan Avenue) will open at 4 p.m. today with two of its beers on tap -- Hommel Bier, a Belgian-style pale ale, and South Side Blonde, a Belgian-style blonde ale -- as well as guest taps from Nebraska Brewing Co. (Hop God, a Belgian-style IPA) and 2nd Shift Brewing Co. (Cat Spit Stout). Starting at 5:30 p.m., chef John Perkins will be selling food from his Entre Mobile truck, including LouFest fan favorites poutine and an "80/20" burger (that's 80 percent beef, 20 percent bacon).

Wymore says he expects to have a third Perennial beer -- Strawberry Rhubarb Tart, a witbier with strawberries, rhubarb and Indian coriander -- on tap by Saturday. For non-beer-drinkers, Perennial is offering its first craft soda, Peach Tulsi, made with fresh local peaches and tulsi, an Indian herb sometimes called holy basil that was grown by YellowTree Farm.

Perennial plans to have its regular food menu -- including plates of local cheeses and salumi -- available by Oct. 12.

The brewery's hours are 4-10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday and noon-11 p.m. Saturday. More info: 314-631-7300 or perennialbeer.blogspot.com. 

---

• The Civil Life (3714 Holt Avenue) is having a very quiet two-week soft opening. Hafner wants to make sure he and his team get a feel for service and can make any necessary adjustments before a grand opening on Sept. 24.

Until the 24th, the Civil Life will have on tap its American Brown Ale, German Hefeweizen and British Gold, a light bitter. Its English ESB and American Rye Pale will be ready in the next several days, Hafner says.

For the grand opening, Hafner hopes to get a group together in Tower Grove Park to make the 1-mile walk south to the brewery. "The neighborhood has been so great and welcoming to us, and we want to be a community-oriented place, so we thought this would be a good way to get everyone around here together and say, 'Let's go have some beer and hang out,' " he says.

Hafner, head brewer Dylan Mosley and assistant brewer Mike Bianco will be adding a new element to the Civil Life's brewery and tasting room every day for the first 100 days after the grand opening. Things like paintings, signs, books and other trinkets will go on walls and shelves, allowing patrons to see the gradual decorating progess, and Hafner will explain each item's significance on the brewery's blog.

After Sept. 24, the Civil Life's hours will be 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Saturday nights and Sunday hours may be added starting next month. More info: TheCivilLifeBrewingCompany.com.

If you're interested in checking out the brewery during this soft-opening period, keep an eye on the Civil Life's Facebook page for information on how to make a reservation, which should be posted by Friday.