Road Trip: San Diego to Santa Rosa<\/h2>\n
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San Diego is the \u201cBeer Capital of America\u201d and with more than 100 breweries serving up world class beers in the area, it\u2019s easy to see why this beer-soaked SoCal city is a must-visit for beer lovers.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re simply flying in and out of this craft beer destination, you\u2019re doing it wrong. Instead, pack up the car and cruise the wildflower-lined Pacific Coast Highway up to the breweries tucked into the lush, green vineyards of wine country. Carve out at least a week for this one. There are so many exceptional breweries to visit and sunsets to see, you\u2019ll want to take your time.<\/p>\n
Must Visit Breweries<\/h3>\n
There are so many along this route, it\u2019d be hard to make stops at them all. But be sure not to miss out on a trip to Green Flash Brewing Co.\u2019s<\/a> lively tasting room in the Mira Mesa neighborhood. And kill two birds with one stone with a stop at the Port Brewing Co. & Lost Abbey Brewing Joint Tasting Room<\/a> that features 40+ taps from both breweries. A stop at Stone Brewing Co.\u2019s <\/a>gorgeous Escondido headquarters and restaurant is a must, because \u2014 Stone \u2014 and bucket lists.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget about the up-and-coming breweries. Before leaving San Diego, be sure to visit Societe Brewing Company<\/a>. This young brewery is refreshingly true to themselves, and they make some darn tasty barrel-aged beers. And make the most of limited time in the city by heading straight to Ocean Beach where you\u2019ll find a mouth-watering Peanut Butter Milk Stout at Belching Beaver Brewery<\/a>, three giant tasters for $3 at Culture Brewing Company\u2019s<\/a> tasting room, and a killer rooftop view of the Ocean Beach pier at the Ocean Beach Brewery<\/a>.<\/p>\n As you make your way north through Los Angeles, veer off the beaten path and head to The Bruery<\/a> for all of the delicious barrel-aged brews. And a trip up the West Coast wouldn\u2019t be complete without stops at Firestone Walker Brewing Co.<\/a> and Russian River Brewing Co. Geek out at the mini empire Firestone Walker has created in Paso Robles and load up your car full of Pliny at Russian River<\/a>.<\/p>\n To safely explore San Diego\u2019s craft beer scene, book a ride on the Brew Hop Tour<\/a> \u2014 a five-hour custom guided Connoisseur Tour that make stops at three to four breweries, includes beer samples, brewery tours, and luxury transportation with a driver for $169 per person.<\/p>\n (MORE: Bed & Brew: 20 U.S. Breweries with Beer Hotels<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Start with a beer and a burger at Oregon\u2019s oldest craft brewery, the Bridgeport Brewery and Brewpub. Thoughtful beer and food pairings and a top-notch happy hour is what you\u2019ll find at Burnside Brewing Company. At The Commons Brewery<\/a>, enjoy classic European styles and some of the best mac \u2019n cheese in town.<\/p>\n For a truly unique Portland experience, pull up a stool at Old Town Pizza & Brewing<\/a>, the city\u2019s well-known haunted brewpub located just around the corner from the start of many of the city\u2019s ghost tours. Taste your way through Breakside Brewery\u2019s<\/a> vast draft lineup that includes fresh pours of rotating offerings from the brewery\u2019s 100+ unique recipes at their recently opened Portland location.<\/p>\n When you arrive in Bend, make your first stop the Crux Fermentation Project<\/a>. This family-friendly joint has an excellent outdoor patio with delicious food trucks, but people are flocking to this place for the clean, flavorful, interesting beers coming out of the brewery.<\/p>\n A stop in Bend wouldn\u2019t be complete without checking out Deschutes Brewery\u2019s<\/a> beautiful production facility. This beloved Oregon brewery also serves up free samples and a huge selection of bottles of specialty brews. If hopped-up big beers are your style, you\u2019ll find them at Boneyard Brewing<\/a>, a tiny hidden gem in downtown Bend. And don\u2019t miss out on the chance to visit Worthy Brewing\u2019s<\/a> newly opened Hopservatory \u2014 the first observatory operating inside of a brewery.<\/p>\n For a beer-themed place to rest your head in Bend, book a room at the Bunk + Brew Historic Lucas House<\/a>, a unique lodging option within walking distance of the majority of the breweries in Bend. They even have a cold beer waiting for you when you check in.<\/p>\n Great Divide Brewing Company recently opened The Great Divide Barrel Room in the heart of Denver\u2019s growing RiNo district, and the shiny, new facility is filled with mouth-watering barrel-aged brews. Also in RiNO, you can embrace traditional German lagers at the Bierstadt Lagerhaus<\/a>, and post up for a wood-fired pizza, live music and a refreshing Red IPA at Blackshirt Brewing Co.<\/a> Fan of sours? Visit Crooked Stave Artisan Ales\u2019 location at The Source. And for excellent views of Denver\u2019s skyline from one of the most inviting outdoor patios in town, pull up a\u00a0chair at Denver Beer Co.<\/a><\/p>\n Break up your road trip with a visit to Bristol Brewing Company<\/a>\u2019s historic school house-turned-brewery in Colorado Springs. Directly en route to Albuquerque, the delicious Nut Brown Ale at Santa Fe Brewing Co.<\/a> is worth a pit stop. For award-winning pub fare and handcrafted beers in Albuquerque, be sure to visit Boxing Bear Brewing Co.<\/a>\u2014the 2016 Great American Beer Festival Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year winner. Grab a handcrafted beer at Red Door Brewing Company\u2019s<\/a> lively downtown taproom. And don’t forget to schedule stops at ABQ\u2019s popular longtime breweries, Marble Brewery<\/a>, La Cumbre Brewing Co.<\/a>\u00a0and Nexus Brewery<\/a>.<\/p>\n Only an hour out from ABQ resides Santa Fe’s acclaimed contemporary art installation, Meow Wolf<\/a>. There you will find works from 100 artists across several disciplines including\u00a0painting, architecture, sculpture, video production, audio engineering, writing and more.<\/p>\n (READ: 7 Offbeat Places to Drink Craft Beer<\/a><\/strong>)<\/p>\n Nashville\u2019s beer scene<\/a> has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade, and is now home to a large selection of excellent breweries worthy of seeking out during your travels. For a delicious meal and a pint, head to Tennessee Brew Works<\/a>, located just outside of Nashville\u2019s vibrant downtown area. For a visit to one of the most happening taprooms in the city, make your way to Jackalope Brewing Company<\/a>. Marvel at the amount of clean and flavorful brews made in Czann\u2019s Brewing Company\u2019s<\/a> small brewery and cozy taproom. For an excellent brewery tour (with complimentary tasters!) and the scoop on Nashville\u2019s craft beer history, head to Yazoo Brewing Co.<\/a><\/p>\n While traversing the southern heat on your way to Asheville, be sure spend a day exploring Chattanooga. Stops at Big Frog Brewing Co.<\/a>, Big River Grille & Brewing <\/a>Works and the Chattanooga Brewing Co.<\/a> are a must.<\/p>\n Once you arrive in Asheville, head to the Asheville Brewing Company<\/a> where you can catch a movie and grab beer and pizza, too. Post up on the outdoor patio at Burial Beer Company<\/a> for refreshing Honey Saison. Try a Gaelic Ale, a Daycation IPA or a Black Mocha Stout at Highland Brewing Co.<\/a>, and don\u2019t miss out on the funky goodness at longtime Asheville watering hole \u2014 Green Man Brewery<\/a> (Green Man\u2019s new building is stunningly gorgeous, with a great view \u2013 particularly in the fall.) And if you’re looking for more great views, make the 15 minutes drive from downtown to Pisgah Brewing<\/a>, a brewery that doubles as a music venue, attracting up-and-coming acts and big names alike.<\/p>\n Perfectly positioned along your route is Blackberry Farms<\/a> in Walland, Tennessee. Book a night in one of the farm\u2019s charming cottages and finally taste what all of the buzz is about at this boutique brewery.<\/p>\n To truly begin an epic road trip in NYC, head to Brooklyn Brewery<\/a>. This legendary brewery offers Small Batch Tours for an all-access guided tasting of four Brooklyn Brewery beers. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the brewery\u2019s \u201cBefore You Visit\u201d instructions to stay-up-to-date on the tasting room\u2019s limited hours throughout the week, and guidelines for touring this popular NYC craft brewery.<\/p>\n Continue exploring Brooklyn with a stop at the Keg & Lantern Brewing Co.<\/a> where you\u2019ll find a long list of a variety of ales and lagers on draft, and a visit to Other Half Brewing Company<\/a>\u2014a hop-forward brewery revered for creative and exciting beers and brewery collaborations. Pull up one of the many bar stools at Threes Brewing<\/a> for a classic German lager or a traditional Belgian farmhouse ale before traveling back over the bridge to the Chelsea Craft Brewing Company<\/a>\u2014the oldest brewery in Manhattan.<\/p>\n (READ: New England Brewery Brews Beer with Fire and Hot Rocks<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n As you make your way out of the city to the beautiful state of Vermont, you\u2019d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn\u2019t plan a visit to The Alchemist<\/a> \u2014 one of the biggest cult breweries in the country. Pick up cans of Heady Topper IPA and taste for yourself why this beer is always at the top of best beers lists. Tradition and a focus on local ingredients is what you\u2019ll find at the Burlington Beer Company<\/a>. Enjoy a Q-shaped pretzel, cool atmosphere, and tasty beers and Queen City Brewery<\/a>, and sunshine and unfiltered ales and lagers on the patio at The Tap Room at Switchback Brewing Company<\/a>. And don’t miss out on a trip to Hill Farmstead Brewery<\/a>, one of the most buzzed about breweries in the country. This community-driven place is offering up weekly specialty bottle releases that you\u2019ll definitely want to plan your visit around.<\/p>\n The state of New York’s brewery count has exploded over recent years. One way to discover some real gems of the Empire State on your road trip is to lean heavily the brewers guild’s state beer trail.<\/p>\n Save<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This year, skip the traditional asphalt crawl for a few of these ultimate craft beer road trips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5455,"featured_media":85361,"sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sticky_collection":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4943],"tags":[241],"class_list":["post-84738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beercation-destination","tag-beer-travel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRoad Trip ProTip<\/h3>\n
Road Trip: Portland to Bend<\/h2>\n
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There\u2019s nothing quite like road tripping through the beautiful state of Oregon in summer. If you\u2019re the outdoorsy type, this drive is for you. Start by spending some time exploring the well-established craft beer scene in Portland, then head south for a more relaxed pace and a tour of Deschutes\u2019 original production facility in easy-going Bend.<\/p>\nMust Visit Breweries<\/h3>\n
Road Trip ProTip<\/h3>\n
Road Trip: Denver to Albuquerque<\/h2>\n
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Whichever direction you set out from the capital city of Colorado, you\u2019re likely to find patches of exceptional beer hubs. But we suggest you head southwest for a visit to the up-and-coming craft beer city of Albuquerque<\/a>. Spend some time exploring Denver, one of the country\u2019s most thriving independent beer cities, then hit the road for the New Mexico state line, saving time for a few mini craft beer adventures at small-but-mighty beer cities along the way.<\/p>\nMust Visit Breweries<\/h3>\n
Road Trip ProTip<\/h3>\n
Road Trip: Nashville to Asheville<\/h2>\n
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Explore some of the most adventurous and fun-loving cities in the South with a road trip from the Nashville to the sudsy, laid-back Asheville, North Carolina. Make stops in the adventure hub of Chattanooga, and to the charming fields and tables of Blackberry Farm\u00a0along the way.<\/p>\nMust Visit Breweries<\/h3>\n
Road Trip ProTip<\/h3>\n
Road Trip: New York City to Burlington, VT<\/h2>\n
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There isn\u2019t a better place for a fall road trip than the Northeast. The changing of the colors of the leaves paired with all things maple, and some of the most respected breweries in the country \u2014 it\u2019s truly the place to be. Start your journey in the city and make your way through the peaceful countrysides for visits to breweries making some of the top-rated beers in the nation.<\/p>\nMust Visit Breweries<\/h3>\n
Road Trip ProTip<\/h3>\n