Guide to southern Illinois

Southern Illinois is a place with a very diverse place as far as environtment, music and drink. I am currently a student at southern Illinois University (Carbondale) and am never bored or out of options for any of them. Outside Carbondale there is a wine trail of about a dozen wineries throughout the region nestled between many state parks and the areas largest national forest which is the Shawnee national forests. About an hour and a half away from me in St. Louis is the Shalfly Brewery which conducts tours, but Carbondale itself has much to offer.

The region is full of places to go camping, climbing, kayaking, fishing, hunting, backpacking. or whatever your cup of tea in the outdoors is. some key places are Giant City, Panthers Den, Fern Clyff, and Jackson Falls.

Within town there are many bars, most as can be expected are grimy college bars with little on tap but keystone, miller, coors and budweiser and the music consiting of 80's hair metal cover bands. There are two bars however where one can enjoy music and delicious brew.

Hanger 9 which is a decent sized bar with a great atmosphere has smaller national touring bands. They pull everthing! you can expect to see mostly bluegrass, jam bands, country and blues and even have an open mic where the acts are ussally awesome! They have booked bands such as cornmeal, Split lip ray field, Greensky Bluegrass as well as the Schwag with Mealvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band. The Venue has a nice sized beer garden and on wedsday nights they have a special where you can sample 4 different 8oz microbrews for 4 bucks. they also have a wide selection of bottled beer and beer on tap. They also have a free pool table. This bar draws people of all ages from 19 to people in thier 70's.

Another great bar is Tres Hombres. It is a mexican restraunt with a beer garden and pulls acts such as the Werks, Hen House Prowlers as well as other bluegrass bands. Every monday night is Delta Blues night. They ussally have good specials. Last friday it was 3 bucks for a Rogue Chocolate stout pints! Again it has a diverse age range. With both these bars there is a strong sense of community between everyone there from old to young especially in the bluegrass scene.

The local Brewery is the Big Muddy Brewery in the next town over in Murphreysboro. I recently just tried the India Brown ale which I am now a big fan of. I also tried there wheat beer with a little diapointment but I am also not a wheat beer person so dont take my word for it. They have a line of about 6 beers.

Hope you make a trip down to Southern Illinois for some great expirences weather it's camping, checking out the wineries, or just grabbing a brew and a dance partner and listening to some tasty bluegrass

Thanks for the info. My wife and I have been down to southern a few times for the wine, and last time on the trail I saw a big muddy brew and tried it. It was good. I had the sasquatch one. (don't recall the name) I'll have to hit up hanger 9 next time!

I moved out of the Carbondale area a couple years ago. I visited about a year ago and picked up some Victory Golden Monkey, HopDevil and Duvel at the Warehouse Liquor Mart. I felt that place had the best beer selection while I was there. West Roads was ok.

Don't forget Quatros Pizza, and hands down one of the best bloodymarys I ever had at the Cellar.

If they still have the Sunset Concert Series during the summer, that is a great time to visit. Different music each week, and BYOB. Used to be a great laid back scene

I remember my first Sunset concert. Quite the culture shock for the Midwest farm kid.

wow lotta carbondale people here I'm preachin to the choir!

I had a SIUC shirt on at the Sturgis bike rally one year when I was in college and had 3 Hells Angles come up to me and tell me about partying in Carbondale back in the day and asking me about different places.

I haven't been there in several years but I can still remember the number for Quatros. I don't even remember my phone number from down there.

I used to go out to Mugsey's a lot, they had good bar food as well.

I put my wife through collage at SIU before we got married, 17 years ago. Yeah I have hit all those places a time or ten. It was great to come on the weekends and hang out.

I met my future wife while we went to SIU. Proud to say of all the people I met freshmen year, I was the only one to make it out in 4 years, without dropping out. When I was there Copper Dragon was the Carbondale brewery, unfortunately I didn't know enough about beer at the time to appreciate what it was. Haven't been a big fan of Big Muddy, but we still go back to Carbondale every year.