There are some excellent examples you can visit throughout the country. The following list is not exhaustive but illustrates a few breweries and brewpubs that have sought to celebrate the brewing process through their architectural design.

Blackstone Brewing Co. | Nashville

The taproom at Blackstone Brewing Co. is a long, somewhat intimate space with clear glazing along two sides which allows dramatic and tantalizingly open views into the more bright and lofty manufacturing floor. It lends itself to a rewarding interaction and successfully affords a discerning beer lover a full appreciation of the beer they are sipping.

At Blackstone, they have always maintained that the brewery should be an interactive experience for the customer. “We began as a brewpub. Our brewery was up front behind large plate glass. The serving tanks were out in the bar; close enough for customers to touch them. We had an open brewhouse policy. People thought that we were crazy putting everything so accessible to customers but in 20 years we never had anyone bother any of the tanks.”

(Related: 12 More Breweries in Historic Buildings: Reviving and Restoring the Past)

Goldwater Brewing Co. | Scottsdale, AZ

Dillon McClelland at Goldwater Brewing Co. spoke about going to taprooms that felt “like an office with a door at the back into the brewery,” and how the place behind the door was where he wanted to go drinking. For Goldwater, they wanted to create a blended experience for patrons so that they felt they were in the brewery as soon as they entered the taproom.

“When we found the spot it was pretty tight,” Dillon says. “Our idea was to use half the space as the brewery with the other half for serving beers we make. The city made us put up the glass but at least it wasn’t a brick wall.”

The spaces still manage to flow, quite literally, between each other with one of the exciting and truly immersive elements being that the beer in the taproom is poured directly into the glass from the brite tanks behind the bar.

 4 Hands Brewing Co. | St. Louis

4 Hands Brewing Co. in St Louis has expanded over time to 20,000 square feet and has been conscious of maintaining an open view from its tasting room into the production area since its early days. The ground floor taproom, in particular, creates a coziness with its use of exposed brick, wood beams and ceramic textures while allowing the industrial tanks to subtly draw curious attention to them.

“We thought it was important for our customers to feel connected to the brewing process,” says Director of Operations, Martin Toft. “We’ve had a lot of the same customers coming in since the day we opened and they’ve been able to watch what was once a completely empty warehouse fill up with tanks over the years. As a result, I think a lot of those customers really feel like they’ve been a part of that growth.”

Bluejacket | Washington, D.C.

The entire taproom and brewing facility at Bluejacket in Washington, D.C. is a soaring and dramatic space. It uses a healthy measure of glass in its facade to flood the space with natural light and illuminate the tanks and the taproom. Everywhere in the triple-height space there are reminders and parts of the brewing process proudly displayed and functioning. It creates an elegance while remaining true to brewing’s industrial nature.

Beer Director at Bluejacket, Greg Engert, spoke about how they deliberately sought out a place with “high ceilings precisely because we wanted a strong connection between the brewhouse and taproom. The idea was to elevate the brewery and fermentation spaces above the taproom so that the guest could feel immersed in the brewing experience while drinking our beers. We were also inspired by the late Victorian Tower breweries of England, where the stages of the brewing process flow downward, by gravity, through multiple levels. By mimicking this setup above our taproom, we arrived at the immersive experience we were after.”

(More: Epic Craft Beer Road Trip: Breweries Along the Great River Road)

Almanac Beer Co. | Alameda, CA

Located on Alameda Island just a block away from the shores of San Francisco Bay, Almanac Beer Co. wanted their taproom to feel connected to the brewery itself so that guests could feel fully immersed in the Almanac ethos.

The repurposed warehouse building retains an industrial feel. Its exposed, clear span truss roof allows for an uncluttered sense of openness whereby you really start to feel you are on the brewhouse floor. In effect, you become the end-point of the artisan process while enjoying a beer in the beer hall.

Workhorse Brewing Co. | King of Prussia, PA

Workhorse Brewing’s slogan is “Beer Made Right.” It is a bold statement which they double down on with a brand and ethos that is all about creating “meaningful connections to their customers.” These concepts delightfully manifest themselves in the layout for their bright and airy taproom which feels like a genuine extension of the brewing process as the u-shaped bar extends proudly from the brewhouse behind.

“We didn’t want our slogan to just be a marketing gimmick,” says co-founder Dan Hershberg. “We didn’t want to open our doors and not showcase our work on the backside, as well as showing our commitment to the brand and the quality. Our goal was to make sure that the space was commensurate with that product. We had to make sure the experience would resonate with people and that it was a place they would feel comfortable in.”

Corridor Brewery & Provisions | Chicago

Where many venues on this list let the taproom become part of the manufacturing facility, Corridor Brewery & Provisions in Chicago feels more like the other way around. It looks and feels like a cozy bar or restaurant initially but reveals the secret of its operation pretty quickly on entry with the brewing equipment celebrated as a shining contrast, yet still an integral part of the otherwise rustic decor.

Greg Shuff is brainchild and proprietor behind Corridor and also Dryhop Brewing, both of which are in the Lakeview area of Chicago. He has been a homebrewer since his college years, and his vision for both breweries was for them to feel like “hanging out in a brewery; feeling connected to the craft brewing world; and most importantly, feeling a personal connection to a community of craftsmen.”

(Related: 7 Offbeat Places for People Who Like Craft Beer)

pFriem Family Brewers | Hood River, OR

Situated at the confluence of the Columbia, White Salmon and Hood Rivers in Oregon, pFriem Family Brewers (pronounced “freem”) take much of their influence from the beers of Belgium and their location in the Pacific Northwest.

For the layout of their brewery, they felt it was important that beer lovers were afforded the opportunity to “see, feel, and smell the craftsmanship that goes into pFriem beer.” They wanted to establish a strong connection between the customer and the brewing process.

Founder Josh fPriem spoke about the effort that went into making that vision happen: “I would say the biggest change in doing it the way we have is making sure that safety to the guest is our first priority. In the customer-facing part of the brewery, we do all the work in that area before guests arrive to the brewery. We have also had to put a great deal of work into our HVAC system. A brewing environment and a dining experience are very different when it comes to heating and cooling. This was no simple task to get this where we wanted it to be.”

Banded Brewing Co. | Kennebunkport, ME

Banded Brewing Co. features minimal separation between the brewhouse and taproom. Owner and Brewmaster Ian McConnell spoke about how he “personally finds industrial things beautiful, especially that a lot of the beauty is in their function.” Accordingly, he has always found brewing equipment interesting and believed others would too.

The brewery’s name comes from the sense of community it’s looking to evoke by “banding together.” This was an important idea that Ian wanted to foster by sharing the process through the design of the brewery and taproom so that the product could be enjoyed communally.

“It is about opening our space, our equipment, and our experiences to others,” he says.

Trillium Brewing Company | Boston and Canton, MA

The brewing facility sets the backdrop for the bar in Trillium Brewing Company in Boston and is very much the focal point for the taproom experience. Marketing Director Jonathan Tompkins spoke about how the team at Trillium is naturally curious. They expected others would feel the same way and would appreciate the exposure to their creative method. “If we can provide a glimpse into the process it helps us share our story and show the heart and soul of Trillium,” he says.

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“It’s pretty cool to watch beer being packaged that you’re drinking fresh in the taproom! Fans who visit our taprooms regularly comment that being able to see and smell the day’s brew makes for a memorable experience. We get a lot of great feedback from guests that love the sights and smells of an active brewery, which creates a memorable full sensory experience.”

Connecting with Craft Brewing Through Architecture

Visiting a brewery is, in effect, a visit to a factory. There is an innate satisfaction in seeing how things work, how a beer is crafted, and in enjoying a sample at the end of the production line. Being able to easily observe that operation from the taproom offers a special opportunity to celebrate and engage with the craft in a uniquely satisfying way.

The post Form & Function: Brewery Visits with an Architect appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Rooms with a Brew: Brewery Hotels and Inns

Beer lovers in Columbus, Ohio, loved the idea of a brewery hotel so much, they crowdfunded one. BrewDog’s DogHouse features 32 rooms that have their own draft beer on tap and beer fridges in the showers. You can wake up to a beer-paired breakfast and then learn all about brews at the Craft Beer Museum. It’s no wonder they met 70 percent of their funding goal in less than 24 hours!

The Dogfish Head Inn in Lewes, Delaware, gives the DogHouse a run for the money when it comes to carrying out the beer theme. From in-room growlers and barley coffee all the way to the beer-infused soap, they’ve covered every base. Guests can also get VIP tours of the brewery and VIP seating at two of the brewery’s restaurants.

(More: What to Expect When Your Spouse is Expecting a Brewery)

In Denver, a new hotel and brewery partnership is the stuff of beer lovers’ dreams. New Belgium has opened a brewery on the ground floor of the Source Hotel. We’re talking 2,000 square feet of brewery, including 50 oak barrels for on-site aging of delicious sour beers. And this brewery-plus-hotel combo is not the only one Colorado has to offer – just a couple hours’ drive from The Source Hotel, in Glenwood Springs, you can find Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co. at Hotel Denver.

In Oregon, McMenamins offers a number of hotels that have breweries on site. One of the most notable is the Edgefield Hotel, which has a golf course, movie theatre and quite the package for travelers who are looking to enjoy a few beers. Their Beer 101 Package includes lodging for two, two brewery taster trays to try out six McMenamins ales, and a growler of whichever of those you like best.

If you’re more the adventurous type, the Woodstock Inn Brewery in North Woodstock, New Hampshire, has seasonal events, zipline and ski packages. They also offer a memorable Brewer’s Weekend that includes a two-night stay, a collaboration with the brewers to brew a new beer, breakfast each morning, and more.

Turkey Hill Brewing Co. also offers a Brewer’s Weekend Experience. “It was the dream of the owner’s grandfather to have a brewery or distillery on the property, which has been in Andrew Pruden’s family since the early 1900s,” Nebel says. “There just so happened to be an old bank barn on the property. The two-story, 10,000-square-foot brewpub rests atop the footprint of the original 1839 bank barn, but an entirely new structure that does have some pieces and materials from the barn.”

Pruden met local homebrewer Donny Abraczinskas at a party, and the rest is history. Now, the inn offers beer packages and add-ons. “You can have our beer waiting in your room for when ya check in,” Nebel says. “The Brew Pub offers 13 different styles on tap including a beer engine for cask beer and two specialty taps for our barrel-aged and sour programs. There are year-round staples like our Revelation Pale Ale and Barn Dance Blonde, plus an always rotating selection of four-to-five different IPAs and a stout or porter on nitrogen.”

Bed, Breakfast and Beer

There are myriad bed-and-breakfast locations across the U.S. to give you a side of charm with your beer. Hopkins Ordinary Bed and Breakfast in Sperryville, Virginia, is a great example: the restored property from the 1820s is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts a nano-brewery in the cellar that uses local barley.

At Fredericksburg Brewing Company’s Bed & Brew, guests get a free pint for each night’s stay at the old, restored 1890s building. The brewery has 11 rooms above the restaurant and one on ground level, so there’s plenty of room (and beer!) to go around.

(More: Allagash Brewing Founder Rob Tod Wins James Beard Award)

And that’s not the only Bed & Brew – Pals Brewing Company in North Platte, Nebraska, offers not just a growler but discounted food as well to those staying at their bed-and-breakfast. “We will soon have an add-on option for private brewery tours and a brew with the brewers day where you brew a beer with us,” says Paul Oettinger, head of manufacturing and QA at Pals.

Beer-centric Airbnbs

Breweries across the country are tapping into the Airbnb trend with brilliant rentals just steps away from a pint glass full of bliss. The Brewers Quarters at Sandy Springs Brewing started as a way to make a space that was inviting for travelers. The studio-style room full of exposed brick harkens to the taproom – and best of all, visitors get a full growler of any Sandy Springs beer installed on a kegerator in their room.

Over in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Riff Raff Brewing Company’s “Got Beer?” Airbnb listing is right above the brewery. Flagstaff, Arizona’s Historic Brewing Company has a similar setup with their “Craft Beer Getaway,” where guests can enjoy over 20 craft beer options on tap as well as a full pub menu at the brewery below. T

The Stones Throw Brewery Guest House in Bellingham, Washington, is one of the more unique brewery Airbnbs. The house has a micro-brewery housed in shipping containers right in the back yard, while the detached garage houses the taproom.

(More: Thor and an IPA: How Craft Beer Caught Marvel’s Attention)

For a little more space, Oxbow Brewery’s 3-bedroom farmhouse is for rent in Newcastle, Maine. There you can explore the 18-acre property and top it all off with a farmhouse ale. And in Maurertown, Virginia, the Little Ridge Farmstead and Brewery also offers space to hang out on their farm in the Shenandoah Valley.

In the case of Stable Craft Brewing at Hermitage Hill Farm, the farm came first and the brewery later. Owner Craig Nargi recounts the story of how the Waynesboro, Virginia, farm went from horses to hops: “My career as a chef, restaurateur and now farmer was a crash course on agriculture. That crash course included witnessing the birth of one our horses, raising a Clydesdale stallion, learning everything about farm equipment, pasture management, water conservation and construction,” Nargi says. “But farming, tending to horses and generally operating the farm was too much. Someone came along and suggested we grow hops. We gave it shot with 100 plants for the first three years. Now we have upward of 800 hop plants and the growing season down to a science.”

In 2018, the farm opened its four renovated employee residences as Airbnb rentals for overnight guests. It’s a hop enthusiast’s dream to see all those hop plants in action. “AgriTourism is not only educational, it’s rewarding to share with people how we do it and why we do things the way do,” Nargi says.

(More: Seek the Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

“We could easily access the taproom from our two-bedroom suite,” Brittany Wilmoth, a recent guest at Stable Craft, says. “Not only was the food and beer amazing, but we were able to sit on the porch and see the luxurious Blue Ridge Mountains which included relaxing and breathtaking views.”

The list of Airbnb breweries doesn’t stop here. Check the map above for the full rundown!

Brewery Resorts Fit for Royalty

For a truly relaxing resort vacation, look no further than Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. An unforgettable food menu paired with a brewery tour is the ideal way for a craft beer-loving foodie to spend a weekend.

“Our farm and destination resort in the Foothills of the Smoky Mountain National Park have been in operation since 1976,” Blackberry Farm’s founder Roy Milner says. “Guests come from all over the world to experience our unique setting and brand of hospitality.” Blackberry Farm’s epic culinary and wine program laid the foundation for their brewery program, which makes a stay at this resort all the more appealing.

(More: Stories Behind 10 Strange Beer Names)

“We offer a full selection of our beers at both of our hotel properties, while also operating the original brewery for small batch projects and our production brewery in Maryville,” Milner says. “Our Barrel House & Taproom opened in January 2019 to offer a place for all to come experience our beers and purchase items to take home.”

Travel up the East Coast to the Von Trapp Family Lodge for a different kind of unforgettable family vacation. The lodge has its own brewery whose beers will have you hearing the sound of music – because, yes, it’s the same Von Trapp family that was featured in the classic movie!

At the Northern Outdoors Adventure Resort in The Forks, Maine, guests can enjoy craft beer on tap at the Kennebec River Pub & Brewery. “We launched our brewery in 1996 because a few of our river guides were beer fans crafting home brews, and we had the perfect setting for a microbrewery on site,” the brewery’s website reads. “Our handcrafted beers are extra tasty after a day rafting, hiking, ATVing or snowmobiling.”

Lagers at Lodges, Cabins & Cottages

Overlooking Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, family-friendly and dog-friendly Grist Iron Brewing Co. is centrally located on the Seneca Lake Wine and Beer Trails. The brewery purchased the land and the lodge with the goal to create the perfect vacation spot.

“Our team’s main goal was to create a relaxing, fun atmosphere and provide a little bit of everything our guests would need: beer, food, entertainment, and a place to sleep it all off. It just made total sense to have a lodging facility on property to help cater to the future guests of the brewery,”  Grist Iron’s guest relations and marketing manager Kate Fuller says. Both the brewery and the lodge have fueled the success of the other, but while the lodge offers a relaxing getaway, the real attraction is the beer.

(Learn: CraftBeer.com Beer Styles)

“We want people to love craft beer as much as we do, so we feature a 10-tap system and brew a variety of year-round, seasonal, and specialty small batch beers on site to appeal to every type of drinker,” Fuller says. “We have an in-house kitchen that turns out a seasonal menu of casual pub-style food that perfectly pairs with all our brews.”

And that’s not all. Grist Iron is 100 percent committed to becoming a beer lover’s paradise.

“We’re also excited to announce that we’re nearing the end of a major renovation of our onsite lodging facility and, once complete, will offer a ‘beer-centric’ lodge with nine modern rooms located less than 100 yards away from the brewery,” Fuller says. “Each guest will receive a free beer when they check in at our reception bar, enjoy a daily continental breakfast, and have canned Grist Iron beer available 24/7 in their in-room mini fridge.”

Boothbay Craft Brewery’s cottages are the essence of a Maine vacation.

Cheers to Camping & Glamping

If you’re looking to connect even more with nature, there are plenty of options for the outdoorsy beer lover, whether you prefer hammock camping or kicking back in a yurt.

“On the farm we have horses-winter greenhouses and a yurt,” says Paul Lorrain, co-founder of Funky Bow Brewing, just outside of Portland, Maine. The brewery is conveniently situated on local snowmobile trails, so it only made sense that they open a brewery. “My wife and I came up with the idea for the yurt together as we have four bands [playing] every weekend and people were always asking if we had campsites. We have been renting the yurt for three years now and are very busy on the weekends. We have guests from all corners of the earth,” Lorrain says.

(Near Me: US Brewery Finder)

“We had a wonderful time in the yurt,” recent guests Clare and Alissa wrote in the guestbook. “We especially enjoyed sitting by the fire and enjoying a few of your delicious brews!”

If you want to completely unplug and go off the grid, pack up your camping gear and head over to the Lilly Pad campground in the woods of Morgan County, Tennessee. There you’ll find log cabins, campsites and plenty of beer.

“Hiking, primitive camping, climbing, whitewater boating, photo opportunities, the peace that comes from being in nature – almost all the encouragement an outdoor enthusiast would need to find themselves in the woods,” Suzi Sutton, manager for the Lilly Pad Hopyard Brewery, says. “The twist in this story is that not only can you find those things but there is also a micro-craft brewery as well!”

Before it was a campsite, the Lilly Pad was a little house in the middle of nowhere owned by Del and Marte Scruggs, next to the Obed Wild & Scenic River National Park. A college friend of theirs needed a place to stay after climbing at the Obed. Twenty years later, this diamond in the rough is becoming ever more popular, especially since it started serving craft beer in 2016.

“Del had always enjoyed brewing his own beer and decided to turn one of the rooms in the newly acquired house trailer into a brew room,” Sutton says. “He only did it for the love of the process and the final product, he was just so good at it that his friends and guests kept drinking all the beer!”

A community fire pit, lawn games and a food trailer that serves pulled pork that Del smokes himself make this campsite more like a home than a place to string a hammock. Last year, they built a stage for monthly live music events, and the campground has hosted “craft-ivity” nights and fundraisers. Even more incredible, the Lilly Pad will soon have its first bath house, complete with three flushing toilets.

“The beers are always good, with eight rotating taps it is hard for a beer lover to not find one they like,” Sutton says. “Blondes to browns and wheats to stouts, always a good IPA or APA on tap, every now and then we get a seasonal surprise brew like a shandy or honey rye ale. The brewers are having fun; it shows in the product and they are always happy to talk brewing with people.”

(More: A Beer Geek’s Travel Checklist)

Can’t decide between a campsite or an inn? Whetstone Station in Brattleboro, Vermont, offers it all: an inn, campground and even an Airstream with a shuttle to take guests to the brewery a few miles down the road. All of these options come to no surprise to anyone who knows the owners.

“We started our hospitality and beer career in lodging,” owner Tim Brady says. “My wife and I purchased an old home in Brattleboro in 2006 and built out a hip boutique inn with a small craft beer bar. Ultimately the success of that small beer bar led to our bier garten, then the restaurant and finally the brewery!”

We know a lot of love goes into crafting a tasty beer, but just as much love goes into the temporary homes these breweries have created for their guests. We can write about them all day, but the best way to truly experience the hops and hospitality at these brewery hotels is to pack your bags and see for yourself. You can download and save the entire guide below to help you plan your brewery getaway.

The post AirbnBeers: Breweries with Hotels, Inns, Camping and More appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

WASHINGTON

Bale Breaker Brewing

1801 Birchfield Rd., Yakima (Brewery Taproom)

826 NW 49th St., Seattle (Bale Breaker & Yonder Cider Taproom)

The best way to get to know a brewing interest’s beers is by venturing to the source. Perhaps no brewery offers such comprehensive insight into its liquid wares as Bale Breaker, a brewery situated smack dab in the middle of a fully operational, fourth-generation hop farm. It’s from this fertile acreage that 100 percent of the hops for the company’s beers are grown.

Hops are in this nine-year-old operation’s DNA, and its portfolio reflects that. In addition to a septet of flagship beers highlighted by the Simcoe-, Citra-, Loral- and Mosaic-laced Topcutter IPA, Bale Breaker offers a Clarity Rarity series of experimental hazy IPAs and Homegrown Beers made with 100 percent estate hops and barley. Increased stylistic variety comes in the form of a year-round Pilsner and breakfast stout, plus collaboration beers released as part of Bale Breaker’s Frenz Series.

Any time of year is ideal for enjoying a Field 41 Pale Ale in the middle of the hop-saturated plot it’s named for, but Bale Breaker recommends visiting during the September hop harvest. That’s when guests can learn the most about the company’s unique farm-to-glass methodology from the comfort of a kid- and dog-friendly tasting room adjacent to a grassy outdoor area. Al fresco imbibing is also encouraged at Bale Breaker’s fire pit-equipped Seattle taproom, which it shares with Yonder Cider. That partnership is another first-of-its-kind setup from a truly one-of-a-kind business.

Pro Tip: Ask your bartender for the freshest beer from Bale Breaker’s Imagination Station five-barrel pilot brewhouse. These beers are unique and often unavailable anywhere else.

Hours of Operation

Yakima: Tu.-Th., 3-9PM; F-Sa., 12-9PM; Su., 12-6PM

Seattle: Tu.-Th., 12-9PM; F-Sa., 12-10PM; Su., 12-9PM

Reuben’s Brews

5010 14th Ave NW, Seattle

Variety is the spice of life at Reuben’s Brews. Located in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, this family-owned brewery fashioned 150 different beers in 2021 alone, 87 of which were available in cans or bottles. That awe-inspiring quantity was marked by verifiable quality, with 30 of those beers—ranging from English to Belgian to German styles—medaling at numerous brewing competitions, including

the prestigious Great American Beer Festival (GABF).

Reuben’s Brews refers to its recipe-composition MO as “glass backwards,” meaning the brewing team first focuses on the desired result, then works its way backward. The process is different from brew to brew and style to style, but the excellence across vastly different styles is a constant. The most challenging aspect of a visit to Reuben’s Brews’ tasting room is taking in the massive, 26-tap beer list, but friendly staffers guide guests through menu subsections—wild, sour, lager, pale, West Coast IPA, hazy IPA, Belgian, dark—to find beers (some served via beer engine or lager faucet) to match their palates.

The term “something for everyone” is often thrown around, but here popular hoppy ales, quaffable lagers, and high-octane barrel-aged stouts share space with Brett saisons, roggenbiers, and even the occasional house-made cider. Monthly “Thank You Thursday” events supporting local non-profits and beer releases benefitting charities through the Reuben’s Brews Foundation provide more reasons to pay this insatiably creative suds spot a visit.

Pro Tip: This August, Reuben’s Brews will celebrate its 10th anniversary, but throughout 2022, 10 special collaborations beers will be released to help keep the party going all year long.

Hours of Operation

Daily, 11AM-10PM

OREGON

Little Beast Brewing

3412 SE Division St., Portland (Beer Garden)

11517 SE Hwy 212, Clackamas (Brewery Tasting Room)

After decades spent plying his trade at Oregon ops Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Full Sail Brewing, and Deschutes Brewery, brewer Charles Porter and his wife, Brenda Crow, established a PDX mom-and-pop in 2017. Dubbed Little Beast, it draws on Porter’s multifarious experience with craft beers—both clean and funky—and offers them at a tasting room installed within a quaint, Craftsman-style home complete with a lawn, shaded porch, patios galore, and Kansas City-style BBQ produced in-house.

Little Beast’s sours have proven to be a source of particular acclaim, and Porter splits them into two categories: long-fermented barrel-aged beers, and “quicker-turn beers.” The latter differ from traditional kettle sours due to a proprietary process and exhibit a more balanced tartness that makes for more approachable beers, such as the passionfruit-infused Mr. Nice and strawberry-lemon summertime sipper Electric Sunshine. Standout examples of Porter’s slower-burn creations include fruited (peach, nectarine, apricot) mixed-culture Golden Stone and the 100-percent Brett-fermented Fera saison.

Little Beast’s clean beers include its bestselling West Coast IPA and American premium Pilsner, as well as a wide breadth of lagers (helles, dark, German, and Czech Pilsners), Belgian-style ales, and hazy IPAs. It also offers confection-inspired beers from the Maker’s Series, in which Porter mimics local artisans’ creations in beer form as he did with Salt & Straw’s salted, malted, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. It’s another example of this seasoned vet continuing to innovate.

Pro Tip: Visitors to Little Beast’s brewery may get to sample rare offerings from the Guardians of Funk bottle club, including spontaneous beer and bold barrel-aged strong ales.

Hours of Operation

Portland: M-Th., 1:30-9PM; F, 1:30-10PM; Sa., 12-10PM; Su., 12-9PM

Clackamas: Th.-F, 3-8PM; Sa., 12-8PM

pFriem Family Brewers

707 Portway Ave., Ste 101, Hood River

Old World inspiration drove the establishment of pFriem Family Brewers. A decade ago, long before the American Pilsner renaissance, founder Josh Pfriem designed a brewery ideally suited for crafting that style. It has gone on to become the company’s biggest award winner (right behind its GABF silver medal-winning IPA) and fits in perfectly with pFriem’s similarly to-style German, Belgian, English, and American beers, all of which are served in proper glassware at this cut-above brewpub. A four-time winner for Best Brewpub at the Oregon Beer Awards, pFriem Family Brewers has a choose-your-own-adventure appeal.

Replete with reclaimed wood from the Columbia River Gorge, the main dining room gives way to The Bear’s Den with its underground Belgian beer bar décor. From there, guests can gravitate toward an open-air patio or ascend to the Library space to enjoy views of Hood River’s waterfront. No matter one’s seating choice, a menu stocked with seasonally driven, European, and PNW-inspired fare such as moules frites, Flemish beef stew, and a pimento cheeseburger awaits, along with an eclectic draft list more than 20 taps strong.

To date, pFriem has brewed nearly 150 different offerings, from hop-forward ales to balanced lagers, farmhouse and mixed-fermentation beers, spirit- and wine-barrel-aged specialties, and just about everything in between. They also delve into trendy styles, but at the heart of it all this is a brewer’s brewery honoring time-tested styles and techniques of the Old World from an inspired New World locale.

Pro Tip: Often (especially on the weekends) pFriem is at capacity, but there are numerous spots to have a beer while you wait, including a family-friendly park across the street.

Hours of Operation

Normal Hours: Daily, 11:30AM-9PM

Summer Hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day): Daily, 11AM-10PM

Boss Rambler Beer Club

1009 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

It takes a lot to draw a consistent crowd with the original 10 Barrel brewpub just a block away and Bend favorite Sunriver Brewing next door, but such is the allure of Boss Rambler Beer Club. Established in 2019, this newcomer has built a fast following behind a portfolio of beers reflective of modern-day tastes, particularly those of younger beer drinkers. That of-the-moment appeal extends to its tasting room, which is naturally lit, accented by pastels, and flush with old-is-new artistic appeal.

Until this year, Boss Rambler’s beers were contract-brewed, but husband-and-wife owners Matt and Kate Molletta recently acquired their own brewery. Now that facility supplies the company’s après ski-ready taproom with heavily dry-hopped IPAs both hazy and clear, lagers (including hoppy and Mexican varieties), pastry stouts, and super-fruited quick sours. The latter are split into two lines—the cocktail-inspired Chill’r series and the Purée Vida family of extra-thick delights—and released throughout the year.

While beer traditionalists (read: older drinkers) could mistake Boss Rambler as exclusively Gen-Z, its inviting indoor-outdoor space draws drinkers of all demographics. Part of that phenomenon likely has to do with the openness and non-conformity of Bend’s populace, but beers with wider appeal like those of the Stokes classic lager series and IPAs with brilliant tropical, citrus, and stone-fruit bouquets and flavor profiles to match are the primary attraction for all who frequent this impressive up-and-comer.

Pro Tip: In addition to beer, Boss Rambler offers “boozy slushies” such as a POG (passionfruit, orange, guava) Rosé cooler, scoring major points with fans, especially on hot days.

Hours of Operation

M-Th., 1-8PM; F-Su., 12-9PM

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10. Topcutter IPA, Bale Breaker Brewing (Yakima, Wash.)

Washington is the top hop-producing state in the U.S. and no time of year quite matches the excitement and anticipation of the fall hop harvest. For IPA lovers, fresh-hop and wet-hop versions are some of the most intense in the beer world. Short of drinking straight from the fermenter, there is no way to get a fresher hop experience than sipping the award-winning Topcutter IPA in the heart of hop country.

9. Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, Maine)

The beer that helped establish the Belgian white ale style in the United States comes from one of the many fine breweries in the Pine Tree State, but whether it’s the nostalgia (it was the only style the brewery made for years after its founding, was recently awarded a GABF silver medal, and pairs wonderfully with any kind of weather) or the tranquil photos of Maine that Allagash shared with followers during the stress of the pandemic, White seems to taste even better off the taps at its birthplace.

8. Kellerweis, Sierra Nevada (Mills River, N.C)

While Sierra Nevada’s calling card is undoubtedly its Pale Ale, the brewery’s open-fermented Kellerweis wheat beer stands as a testament to traditional brewing methods. The brewery has showcased the mammoth head the beer develops during fermentation and the spectacle was even part of the advertising campaign when Kellerweis made its debut. While the beer is no longer part of Sierra Nevada’s year-round lineup, savvy enthusiasts can enjoy it in the brewery’s Mills River restaurant overlooking the French Broad River at the facility many fittingly refer to as Malt Disney World.

7. Noble King, Jester King Brewery (Austin, Texas)

Jester King is nestled in the Hill Country outside of Austin, and during COVID, this 165-acre brewery, farm, and event hall opened up walking trails on its property that were previously inaccessible. Strolling the trails or simply enjoying the quietude of this part of the Lone Star State with a spontaneously fermented beer in hand is an experience not to be missed. To enjoy this rustic saison in the heart of Texas Hill Country is to understand the spirit that helped craft it.

6. Stone Enjoy By IPA, Stone Brewing (Escondido, Calif.)

While many brewers set up their tasting rooms in industrial plazas and off-the-beaten-path warehouses out of necessity, Stone Brewing went the extra mile to establish an upscale brewery-restaurant in a tranquil, aesthetically pleasing setting. To drink the groundbreaking Enjoy By IPA at the place where it was brewed is to experience the passion and ambition that led Stone to challenge its distributors and retailers to get the beer into consumers’ hands as quickly as possible. It doesn’t get much fresher than this.

5. Smoked Porter, Alaskan Brewing Co. (Juneau, Alaska)

The Last Frontier’s first brewery has soldiered on and flourished with its signature smoked porter long after many brewers had abandoned the style. This world-class version of a German rauchbier is made with local alder wood that is smoked under carefully controlled conditions at the brewery, then released in limited amounts on November 1 each year. To enjoy this beer at the source is to appreciate the devotion and appeal of warming up with a pleasantly smoky beer on a cold Alaska evening.

4. Brewer’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine, Central Waters Brewing (Amherst, Wis.)

Central Waters Brewing Company is one of the best kept secrets in Wisconsin (and maybe the entire U.S.) thanks in part to its coveted Brewer’s Reserve Series. While the series has innovated over the years, the over-the-top caramel, vanilla, and bourbon notes permeate this wintertime sipper that beer lovers keep coming back to. Drinking the beer at the source means enjoying a unique version of BBBW when it is fresh, somewhat boozy, and full of vibrant flavor that will mellow out over time in the bottle.

3. Slow Pour Pils, Bierstadt Lagerhaus (Denver, Colo.)

For those who seek a great beer with no “added things,” Bierstadt Lagerhaus in downtown Denver is a destination. Chosen by their peers as Denver Metro Brewery of the Year in 2021, and sought out by many of the brewers who come for the Great American Beer Festival and other beer-centric events, Bierstadt’s beautiful, copper-clad Old World-inspired brewery shines through in every pint. Drinking Slow Pour Pils in the Bierhalle provides a pleasing glimpse into Pilsner history as a social beverage and one that will reveal its flavorful secrets if a drinker has the time and patience.

2. DFPF, J. Wakefield Brewing Company (Miami, Fla.)

A Miami original founded by homebrewer Johnathan Wakefield in the Wynwood Arts District, this brewery is on the must-stop list, and if visitors arrive on a fortuitous release day, J. Wakefield’s Dragonfruit Passionfruit Florida Weisse might just be the prize. DFPF’s deep pink color and massive fruit addition highlight one of the beers that earned J. Wakefield its stellar reputation. And if this beer’s not on the menu, drinkers can be consoled by 16 other offerings on tap served in the Star Wars-muraled tasting room, an area as unique as Miami itself.

1. Pliny the Younger, Russian River Brewing (Windsor and Santa Rosa, Calif.).

A pilgrimage to Sonoma County is one of the only ways to sample this mammoth triple IPA. Pliny the Younger is released from Russian River’s facilities in very limited amounts each year and the lion’s share is consumed onsite once the beer is tapped (March 25–April 7 in 2022). Once you get a taste of flagship Pliny the Elder’s alter ego, you’ll quickly understand why it’s one of the most anticipated and highly regarded beers in the world, and why it’s on almost every beer lover’s bucket list.

Whatever 2022 holds, hopefully this year is remembered as one when life returned to some semblance of normalcy and when sharing beers in person became possible again.

The post 10 Beers Best Enjoyed at the Source appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

The city’s otherworldliness helps explain the often-quoted slogan of Silver Gulch, the region’s oldest brewery: “Fairbanks, where the people are unusual and the beer is unusually good.”

Fairbanksans are also unusually hospitable, which is fortunate for tourists mystified by the quirks of subzero extremes and miniscule daylight spans. Locals seem to revel in taking visitors under their flannel-clad wings and patiently explaining the wondrous ways in which the laws of physics manifest differently in the Golden Heart City.

“Oh yeah, when you leave your car parked in 20 below zero, the air inside the tires compresses and the rubber hardens on the flat side,” I overheard a cheery auto rental clerk explain to a confused customer. “We call it ‘square tire.’ That’s why your drive might start off kind of bumpy, but the tires round off when they warm up a bit. You’ll get used to it.”

(MORE: Breweries with Hotels, Inns, Campgrounds and More)

Other wintry adaptations include the ubiquitous electric prongs on the front of people’s bumpers, which serve as a not-so-subtle reminder that things are just different this far north. The plugs hook up to widely available outlets around town in order to keep the car’s engine block toasty and operational.

For beer lovers, perhaps the most practical advent of all is the repurposed coozie, which acts as a pint mini-parka to ensure beer does not freeze while enjoying it outside near the glow of a patio “pallet bonfire.” The locals are really enthusiastic about pallet bonfires, and since so much materia prima gets shipped to Alaska, pallets are never in short supply.

But the main winter peculiarity people from all over the world come to experience in Fairbanks is the inky black skies spontaneously erupting into dazzling, undulating curtains of colorful light. The aurora borealis is the obvious star of the show in these parts, and since the city provides access to many recreational amenities well within the auroral oval, it has become one of the world’s prime northern lights viewing locations.

Hunting Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks

If seeing the aurora borealis is on your bucket list, you are in good company. It has been at the top of many people’s bucket lists since before there were bucket lists, or even buckets.

Ancient Algonquin indigenous people of North America believed the auroras were the light given off from the flames of a fire kindled by Nanabozho, their creator. Early Chinese cultures also turned to the power of story to explain this celestial phenomenon; their aurora lore likely gave birth to some of the mythical imagery we now associate with dragons. There are even legends falsely attributed to foreign tourists; the most popular being that some cultures believe conceiving a child underneath the auroras imparts special wisdom to the child. That belief is not prevalently held by any culture, but just in case, if the yurt’s a rockin’… don’t come a knockin’. Do stay in an ultra-cozy yurt, if you can, though. Staying in glamping yurts is an extraordinary way to chase the auroras, even if you do not plan on conceiving children in the near future.

Besides a cosmopolitan gathering of visitors, what should craft beer lovers expect to encounter while aurora hunting in Fairbanks?

(VISIT: Craft Breweries on U.S. Islands)

A Lively Fairbanks Craft Brewery Scene

At first, worldly beer enthusiasts might be surprised by Alaska’s legal restrictions on the local craft beer scene. The tight regulations are designed to ensure that breweries are primarily manufacturing businesses instead of retailers, which is why under a brewer’s license, taprooms are limited to serving 36-ounces of beer per customer per day and must close by 8 p.m. However, that does not mean beer lovers have to forego having a delicious craft beer in hand when aurora searching into the wee hours; enjoying to-go growlers or crowlers from the comfort of one’s yurt, cabin, or lodge is very much a legal part of the brewing landscape in Alaska.

Other mainstays of breweries in other parts of the United States, however, such as live bands, games, big screens, and late-night closures, are not a legal given in Fairbanks’ taprooms, but this is far from being a shortcoming. Stripped of modern inconveniences and distractions, patrons are left to engage in the throwback exercise of socializing with friends and strangers without artificial diversions.

And socialize they do!

Even though Fairbanks’ craft breweries are the northernmost breweries in the country, they remain lively gathering places for both locals and tourists throughout the winter months. It is common to see food trucks serving up hot fare in frigid temperatures and beer enthusiasts enjoying their beers on outdoor patios, even when temperatures dip far below what most of us warmer-blooded weaklings would consider “patio weather.”

As for the brewing standards in this city of only 31,000, the people-to-beer ratio is through the roof, so your chances of encountering high-quality beer are all but guaranteed, and unlike the auroras, clear skies are not required.

America’s Northernmost Brewery

Silver Gulch Brewery is the northernmost brewery in America. It is about 12 miles north of Fairbanks in the town of Fox, Alaska, which is just a few degrees shy of being within the Arctic Circle. Its distance from city light pollution makes it an ideal spot for aurora hunters to enjoy a gourmet meal and craft beer while keeping an eye out for any sign of the auroras.

Some local delicacies you will find here include the moose barbecue bacon burger, blackened Alaskan halibut and a dozen craft beers on tap. The brewery’s most popular beer is the Old 55 Pale Ale, a citric, malty delight brewed with American malt and Pacific Northwest hops.

This Fairbanks brewery stays open past the typical 8 p.m. closing time for taprooms, so aurora chasers can keep sipping well into aurora prime viewing time. If really lucky, the auroras can be viewed from the windows or decks on a clear night.

(MORE: Remarkable Brewery Taprooms)

HooDoo Brewing’s ‘4-Ounce Bounce’

As the first brewery within Fairbanks’ city limits, HooDoo Brewing is quickly becoming part of local Fairbanks folklore. Since HooDoo Brewing‘s owner, Bobby Wilken, is committed to preventing a single drop of customers’ daily craft beer legal entitlement from being squandered on technicalities, a quirky 4-ounce pour glass is used to bridge the gap between pint glasses.

“We’re legally capped at 36 ounces, but it’s funny that our 4-ounce glass has sort of become part of the culture here in Fairbanks,” says Wilken. “We think of ourselves here as a large home brewery serving high-quality beer to our friends, which means we want to be as generous as possible within the legal limits, and that means we don’t do semi-filled pint glasses. We are the only brewery in town to provide two 16-ounce pours in a glass designed to accommodate a true 16-ounces with head and a real 4-ounce pour with head.”

If you see someone holding the small glass, it is a likely sign that they are about to wrap up their beer drinking. Locals call the tiny pour the “4-ounce bounce,” “penalty shot,'” and the cheekier ones refer to it as “the happy ending.”

The selection of beer on tap changes frequently and Wilken is always tweaking his recipes so they stay fresh. If you are fortunate enough to be in town when the pumpkin spice beer is available, it is pretty much a delicious pumpkin pie slice in a glass. Also, the surprisingly tasty Roasted Garlic Stout is so much more than most of us ever thought a beer could be.

This Fairbanks craft brewery is a perfect place to meet locals. If you decide to keep the calories in check while vacationing, there is a running group that meets here every Thursday at 6 p.m. to start their weekly 5k run. Yes, even in winter.

The Solstice and Smoky Beers at Black Spruce Brewing Company

Something that becomes immediately apparent when exploring Fairbanks and interacting with locals is that everyone seems to be hyperaware of how many minutes of daylight were lost or gained on any given day and how far in the future or past the solstices and equinoxes are from the present. You get the sense it must be what it would have been like to hang out with Mayans or Incas. This helps explain Black Spruce Brewing Company‘s origin story.

The brewery was opened on the winter solstice of 2018–which, for those of us who cannot tell an equinox from a musk ox, happens on December 21. That was six months after co-owners Stephanie Haskins and Carey Fristoe tied the knot on the summer solstice of the same year. So if you are in town for any solstice, there will definitely be an anniversary party at Black Spruce Brewing Company.

A unique aspect of Black Spruce Brewing Company is that it is a “dry brewery,” which sounds like a contradiction in terms but essentially means that it is not connected to the municipal water system.

“In Alaska, we have to be especially aware of our environmental impact and in operating a brewery we have special circumstances that make us extra cautious of wasting valuable resources like water and electricity,” says Haskins. “At the brewery, our municipal water gets delivered to us in big trucks, which sounds like an extra hurdle but we’ve managed and it has made us more aware of how much water we use.”

As for what is brewed with all that Alaskan water, Fristoe early on noticed that locals tend to appreciate smoky flavors more than tourists, so several of their beers honor that homegrown taste.

“Here in Fairbanks, smoky flavors aren’t at all exotic because we’re used to eating smoked foods, like salmon,” Fristoe says. “We sometimes have to convince tourists to give smoky beers a try, but we never have to sell it much to a local.”

For some of that local smoky flavor, try the PM 2.5 Rauchweiss, which is a smoked hefeweizen, and then ask about the name to get a very interesting story about the clash between nature and man.

If you are visiting at the beginning of any month, Fairbanks hosts a monthly First Friday Art Walk in which Black Spruce Brewing Company participates by showcasing local artists’ work. A portion of all art sales goes to non-profit organizations, including the Fairbanks Rescue Mission, Fairbanks Animal Shelter and the Fairbanks Arts Association.

(EPIC ROAD TRIP: New England Breweries Off the Beaten Path)

Fairbanks Brewery Keeps the Dive in ‘Dive Bar’

Midnite Mine Brewing Company has been open for less than a year in the city’s revitalized downtown. This newest Fairbanks craft brewery is the brainchild of Talon Mensik and his family. His grandparents bought the building in 2017 to take over the bar downstairs, while Mensik opted for launching his nanobrewery and taproom upstairs.

As a perennial watering hole, the old Midnite Mine bar catered to the clientele of the 1970s waning gold rush as well as the pipeline workers and coal miners that followed. Later, the bar served as a popular community gathering spot. Locals were happy to see it infused with new energy and a slightly new look under new ownership.

“We’re protective of our dive bars in Fairbanks and this is basically a home brewery on not-so-powerful-steroids tucked away into one of Fairbanks well-known dive bars,” says Mensik.

The relaxed vibe comes with some pretty amusing trappings, like rumors of a resident dog named Cleo being able to pick up customers’ beer money and tips and deliver them to the register. “Cleo is like a friendly strip club bouncer,” laughs Mensik. “She takes pride in nudging people to tip.”

Patrons are able to sample not just the craft beers Mensik is cranking out on the one-barrel operation, but also other Alaskan brewers’ creations. He says they do not offer growlers because “our beer is way too precious to sell in those quantities.” Instead, they have some options of pre-filled 16-ounce crowlers available.

Parting Tips on Aurora Hunting

It is important to keep in mind that the northern lights are unpredictable and can appear any time during the night, or not at all. Generally, the best time to try to catch glimpses of the auroras is from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. from August to April. Many hotels offer “aurora call” options, so the front desk can call your room if the auroras appear while you are sleeping off a night of brewery exploration. The duration of the auroras is also unpredictable, they can last just a few moments or long enough to give you time to drive away from light pollution for a better view.

Thankfully, there are so many amazing activities in the Fairbanks region besides aurora hunting, that even if the auroras do not cooperate during your visit, you can leave with amazing memories of exotic adventures. There are so many to list! There’s dog mushing, ice fishing, snowmobiling (called “snow machining” in these parts), yoga with reindeer. If you head to the nearby Chena Hot Springs Resort, you can have a martini served up in a hand-sculpted ice glass at the ice museum and memorialize your time in the Last Frontier with a selfie of your elaborately frozen hairstyle.

With or without auroras, you will be in a stunningly beautiful region of the world, so sit back, take a long sip of your delicious Fairbanks craft beer and, once in a while, ease off from desperately scanning the gorgeous heavens in order to appreciate the remarkable wonders beneath it.

The post Aurora Hunting and Craft Beering in Fairbanks, Alaska appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Pliny the Younger Release, March 25–April 7 (Santa Rosa & Windsor, Calif.)

Beer enthusiasts have made a tradition of descending on Russian River Brewing Company each year for the release of Pliny the Younger ever since head brewer and co-owner Vinnie Cilurzo first tapped it. The beer, a triple IPA weighing in at 10.25% ABV, is celebrated throughout the beer world for its huge malt and hop presence. Tasting is believing when it comes to Pliny the Younger, and many repeat the pilgrimage to Sonoma County year after year.

SAVOR, June 24 (Washington, D.C.)

The Brewers Association’s upscale event features a wide assortment of craft beers paired with small plates to dazzle the palate. SAVOR showcases 100 craft breweries from around the United States, with Brewers Association Chef Adam Dulye assembling a culinary team to mastermind pairings for enthusiasts to muse over for the evening. Unlike festivals where the star of the show is beer, SAVOR showcases the magic and versatility of beer when thoughtfully paired with food.

Barrel & Flow Festival, August 13 (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

The Barrel & Flow Festival bills itself as “Black Arts on Tap” and aims to “continue to utilize the brewing industry to connect opportunity, accessibility, and artistry in ways that empower the Black community.” Barrel & Flow started off as a festival celebrating Black-owned breweries and has morphed into an event that melds music, visual art, and culinary arts. The result is a festival that is a “story of celebration, collaboration, and community.”

Great Taste of the Midwest, August 13 (Madison, Wis.)

Organized by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild, Great Taste of the Midwest assembles some of the best breweries in the American Midwest to pour their beer in one spot. 2020’s event saw 190 breweries and brewpubs pour more than 1,400 beers for attendees. Vintage beers, special releases, and stalwart core lineups will be on tap from 2nd Shift Brewing to Working Draft Brewing and 188 breweries in between.

Great American Beer Festival, October 6–8 (Denver, Colo.)

2022 marks the 40th anniversary of this landmark beer festival, so it’s a great opportunity to attend for the first (or next) time! With brewers flying in from around the country to share their latest creations with eager beer enthusiasts, the entire city of Denver and surrounding areas join in the fun to entertain guests attending the granddaddy of American craft beer festivals. Beer events, tappings, meet the brewer appearances, tap spotlights, bottle drops, and surprise events all take place during a few bustling days when the festival is in town.

Jester King’s SPON Day, TBA (Austin, Texas)

SPON Day is when Austin’s Jester King Brewery releases its three-year blend of spontaneously fermented beer and celebrates other favorite spontaneously fermented beers and wines. SPON Day 2021 featured a Barrel Room tour, special events with featured spontaneous beers, and panel talks about these uncommon styles of beer all set against the backdrop of Jester King’s Texas Hill Country brewery. SPON Day is accessible for enthusiasts who want to grab bottles to go as well as those who want to stay a while and hear talks, have a meal, or simply enjoy SPON in its natural setting.

Yazoo Brewing’s Funk Fest, TBA (Nashville, Tenn.)

Funk Fest founder Brandon Jones prides himself on an unconventional and all-inclusive beer festival, and Funk Fest is one of a kind. After attending many “lemonade-stand”-type festivals, Jones wanted to create an event that utilizes an entire festival ground and does not have a set schedule and pouring list. What this leads to is an intimate event with food and beer pairings, inspired brewers of sour, wild, and spontaneously fermented beers, and lots of surprises for attendees. Imagine Jones sitting on the back of a truck pouring beer from Brasserie Cantillon, Jester King founder Jeffrey Stuffings sharing a sought-after sour beer in Yazoo’s warehouse, or Side Project unveiling its limited sour beers when the spirit moves. Jones feels that this format rewards curiosity and doesn’t limit festivalgoers to doing laps or standing in long lines to find one particular beer.

Dark Lord Day, TBA (Munster, Ind.)

One of the first limited-release beer festivals in the United States, Dark Lord Day celebrates Three Floyds Brewing’s massive imperial stout that previously was only available one day each year. In order to try it, beer enthusiasts had to go to the event or know someone who went. As the event grew, so too did the beers and expectations. Three Floyds began releasing barrel-aged variants of Dark Lord and then versions of the beer with adjuncts like vanilla beans, cinnamon, espresso, and cacao nibs. While COVID forced Dark Lord Day into an online ordering and curbside pickup format, beer enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the return of the festive event, or at least picking up an allotment of the coveted Dark Lord.

Festival of Wood- & Barrel-aged Beer, TBA (Chicago, Ill.)

Hosted by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, FOBAB is the festival for lovers of spirit barrel-aged beers. FOBAB’s beer list combines strong ales aged in spirit barrels with wild beers, Brettanomyces beers, and wild/mixed fermentation beers. Set against the backdrop of the Windy City in November, FOBAB sees some of the country’s most avant-garde brewers tapping some of their most experimental beers. Since 2003, FOBAB has delighted beer lovers with an evening of all wood- and barrel-aged offerings, growing in 2021 when more than 160 breweries from across the United States poured their liquid art for attendees.

Brasserie Cantillon’s Zwanze Day, TBA (locations throughout the U.S.)

One of Belgium’s finest producers of fruit lambic, Brasserie Cantillon used to release bottles of a limited beer called Zwanze each year on a specific day. When Cantillon owner Jean Van Roy discovered bottles of Zwanze being sold for outlandish prices on the secondary market, he transitioned Zwanze Day to a worldwide event and limited the beer to kegs tapped on one day around the world. Since lambic is a coveted style of sour beer, most host breweries and beer bars take this day as one to celebrate all manner of sours. The list of host breweries changes each year, so every Zwanze Day is unique.

Beer Weeks (around the U.S.)

There are so many beer weeks taking place across the country it would be impossible to name them all, but these events are the best way to get to know local and regional breweries and sample the best of their beers. From larger events like Philly Beer Week, San Francisco Beer Week, and Tampa Bay Beer Week, beer weeks have popped up all over the country with one aim: to promote the local beer community. Check to see if your local brewery is promoting American Craft Beer Week (May 16–22), an annual springtime salute to local beer and breweries.

The post Traveling the Beer World in 2022 appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Like beer styles, each brewery has its own unique recipe, and the personalities have grown increasingly diversified in their appearances over the years. Here, we celebrate a few of these remarkable taprooms.

Central Standard Brewing | Wichita, KS

The small craft breweries of America’s past were simply neighborhood pubs, and so there must be such an X-factor in brewery design. Central Standard in Wichita, with its communal, share-a-table patio setup on a side road across from a quiet park, has achieved that rare backyard buzz. The inside carries a retro vibe, with an old red marquee displaying the beer list, avocado-green walls and horizontal design lines. The V-shaped bar allows for more socialization between guests, and the brewers play their role, too, working in the same space at the tanks right next to the bar.

The Depot | Reno, NV

This old train station built in 1910 was once home to the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway headquarters. It mainly served cattle ranchers and farmers, transporting livestock and grain. Now, it’s home to The Depot, a craft brewery and distillery, where agricultural products go to different uses. But the station is very much intact and arguably looking the best it ever has. The exterior of the building is magnificent. It’s three stories high with rounded entryways and white buttresses. The inside is modern and shiny, with just enough red brick to keep things honest. And there’s one very important archway, placed directly behind the bar, that lets you see back into the production room.

(READ: Breweries Take Residence in Historic Spots)

Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten | San Diego

Eppig Brewery’s second location along the waterfront will make you forget all about its first location in North Park. Open-aired and smack-dab in the harbor, the view is dominated by all kinds of boats in the foreground and the San Diego skyline in the background. The taproom itself is shaped like a sail, filled with wind thanks to large garage doors that let the salty-breeze sweep through. Though it resides in IPA-heavy San Diego, Eppig specializes in easy-drinking German lagers, which pair well with boat life and the sunset.

Salt Springs Brewery | Saline, MI

There might be some truth to the idea of beer being a religion, because over the years we’ve seen a number of breweries open up inside former churches. In Michigan, props to Salt Springs Brewery for doing a little redecorating along the way while retaining the beauty of the church. The exterior of the brewery takes you back to a different time — the church was built more than 115 years ago. And the original stained-glass windows are intact. Contrasting that history is the local flavor and modern touches, such as the antler chandelier and Vegan Wednesdays.

(READ: 12 Breweries Restoring the Past)

Love City Brewing | Philadelphia

Did someone say something about the wear and tear of history? Love City‘s warehouse vibe is in full force. It’s a great example of the balance that so many breweries seek to accomplish when they refurbish old buildings. Once a manufacturing plant for trains on the Reading Railroad, the brewery has revived the space — sort of. Old machinery, patchy paint, big worn columns, tattered brick walls and scuffed tables reinforce the fact you’re in an old space. Even though it’s intentional, it feels authentic, an intangible to which you must tip your cap.

Mission Brewery | San Diego

It’s fitting that one of the most historic craft breweries in San Diego, Mission Brewery, makes its home in a space once occupied by Wonder Bread, perhaps the country’s most-recognizable white bread. With the exterior still donning the Wonder Bread logo and run-down factory appearance, the interior explodes with a combination of early 20th century nostalgia and modern ingenuity. A high-beamed warehouse ceiling, metal chandeliers and manhole covers go along with the state-of-the-art brewing equipment, a long wooden bar and tables made of beer barrels.

(READ: 8 More Awesome Places to Plan a Brewery Wedding)

Toro Creek | Paso Robles, CA

Owner Brendan Cosgrove is from rural Paso Robles, a region that is typically known for its wine. So it’s no surprise that we see influences of wine culture at his taproom in downtown Paso. In a beer world where “no-frills” is the mantra of many, Toro Creek’s taproom feels warm. It is one of grace, described by Cosgrove as an “elegant farm” atmosphere. Soft colors, antique furniture, a record player, air plants and dried hops are signature pieces in the décor. The dried hops are strung up overhead to complete the harvest vibe. But it’s not all talk — it’s also in the beer. Toro Creek grows its own hops on a farm and uses them in pale ales and IPAs.

Magnolia Brewing | San Francisco

These days, garage-door and industrial style breweries are in abundance, so it’s fun to appreciate the other end of the spectrum. Toro Creek is an example of a simple and soft, perhaps even traditional, method of sprucing things up. Magnolia Brewing’s Dogpatch location is an example of what happens when you back off the rural traditions and push forward with the modern city in mind. It’s not often you find a craft brewery with plush leather booths (that aren’t ripped), with a style that makes a shirt and tie feel more appropriate than shorts and a T-shirt. Hey — businesspeople need beer, too, and if you’re going to get dressed up, you might as well drink the good stuff from Magnolia.

Engine House No. 9 Brewery | Tacoma, WA

Engine House No. 9 in Tacoma was built in 1907 and served its community as a horse-drawn carriage firehouse for decades before being turned into a tavern in the early 1970s. That set the stage for it to become the home of Tacoma’s first craft brewery in 1995, Engine Brewery. The beautiful brick building has two large firehouse-style doors in the front, big windows that give off a Victorian vibe, and a huge chestnut tree that shades the patio. The interior feels like a sports bar. But it carries on the firehouse legend with historic items and décor, like track lighting attached to old ladders.

Brewery taprooms come in all shapes and sizes, and you must try them in bunches to see what fits. Have a favorite brewery taproom of your own? Let us know.

The post 9 Remarkable Brewery Taprooms appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

First Stop: Indianapolis, IN: Metazoa Brewing Co.

“’Metazoa’ is the scientific word referring to the whole animal kingdom,” explains Sarah Silcox, Metazoa Brewing Co. Marketing and Events Manager. “Since day one we‘ve donated 5% of our profits to animal and wildlife organizations to give back to the planet that gives us beer. Drink beer. Help animals.”

Metazoa is nestled in the heart of downtown Indianapolis with 18+beers on tap and a dog park on-site. While our four-legged friends are always welcome, one thing that does set Metazoa apart is their brewery is ages 21+ only.

“Our best-seller is typically our house IPA called Hoppopotamus that features a bright, citrus aroma from Citra and Mosaic hops balanced by a light sweetness from Vienna malt,” says Silcox.

Metazoa is experimenting with some seasonal fruit beers this summer.

“Flaming Juice (Cherry Blonde Ale) and Blueberry Bandit (Blueberry Wheat Beer) along with the debut of our new Pander Bear hard seltzer series and our rotating DDH Hoppopotamus series featuring double dry-hopped versions of our house IPA, Hoppopotamus,” says Silcox.

Metazoa’s brewing philosophy is all about balanace. From traditional ales to quirky experiement styles, they focus on balanced flavor.

Second Stop: Louisville, KY: Monnik Beer Co.

Brian Holton was working as an emergency room nurse three days a week when he decided he wanted to make it big with a brewery. He opened up Monnik in 2011.

“That little spot opened in 2011 and was successful so I looked to open another bigger spot in Louisville. My Dutch contractor friend, Ian, came on board as a partner and we opened our brewpub, Monnik Beer Co., in Louisville in November 2015,” Holton told craftbeer.com.

Holton says Monnik’s beer is a mix of classic styles and new American creations and their food is locally sourced.

“The summer beers you must try this year are both session ales. Ginger Saison has been around since the beginning and is a bright and refreshing take on a classic style. We also will have a low-cal session ale coming out in July called Nite Life Lite.  Coming in at 4.6% ABV and only 100 calories, it’s a unique take on a low-calorie beer in that it’s lightly dry hopped and is 100% malted barley.”

Saisons have always been popular at Monnik, which usually has several available at any given time.

“Our biggest seller has always been our flagship IPA, but lately we’ve been selling a ton of Italian Disco, our Italian pilsner.”

Monnik also has a new location in New Albany, Indiana.

Third Stop: Elizabethtown, KY: Flywheel Brewing

“We’re not unlike most small breweries,” said Aaron Hawkins, co-owner of Flywheel Brewing in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. “We started as three homebrewers with a passion (for) beer who wanted to bring that passion to our hometown that desperately needed something craft that promoted a responsible beer culture.”

The spinning wheel, or flywheel, inspired the name of the brewery.

“From printing presses to the mechanics of manufacturing, the flywheel fostered our intellect and enabled our industry,” explains Hawkins. “We honor that simple machine and simpler time by bringing brewing back to the heartland of Kentucky. We believe in the power of a good beer to break down social barriers, and that a community needs a relaxing space where neighbors can gather to form bonds and lasting friendships.”

Flywheel’s taproom has a fully functional letter press from the early 1900s. They use it to print promotional materials and other items.

Flywheel is known for its IPA’s but also its cream ale.

“We pitched a Belgian yeast strain in a cream ale to give it a little different taste and people love it,” says Hawkins. “We call it Decapitated Monkey it’s by far been our best seller.”

Their summer seasonal is a sour ale called Updog. Made with dragonfruit, organic rose petal and guave sour, Hawkins said it’s a perfectly balanced blend of tart.

Fourth Stop: Nashville, TN: Jackalope Brewing Co.

Jackalope is one of the first female founded breweries in America. Founded by Bailey Spaulding and Robyn Virball, it’s been brewing since 2011. Steve Wright joined shortly after that as President and now business partner.

Jackalope’s trademark beer is Bearwalker, a maple brown ale.

“It was inspired by Bailey’s roots in Vermont,” explains Lisa Peterson, Jackalope’s Marketing Director. “Pure maple syrup is infused during the conditioning phase and is noticeable from start to finish. Chocolate malts add roasted notes to the flavor and aroma. It is also more highly hopped than most browns to create a balanced, yet complex brew.”

Thunder Ann American Pale Ale became the first Jackalope beer to be canned in 2013. In fact, it was the first beer to be canned of any Nashville craft brewery.

“Thunder Ann is named after Davy Crockett’s mythical wife – Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett, and is brewed with biscuit and honey malts that complement the citrusy American hops,” explains Peterson.

If your road trip takes you through Nashville this summer or fall, you can enjoy Lovebird. It’s a strawberry raspberry wheat beer that’s available through October.

Jackalope outgrew its original brewery in 2018 and opened a new location in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood. Affectionately called “The Ranch,” it’s open Wednesday to Sunday and has a private events space as well as a dog-friendly patio.

Fifth Stop: Decatur, AL: Cross-Eyed Owl Brewing Co.

Founded by the Atwood family in 2018, Cross-Eyed Owl Brewing Company’s name is a nod to British beer culture and their formula for naming pubs like The White Lion, The Drunken Duck or The Green Harpy.

“There are multiple members of the Atwood household who are in love with owls, so that part of the name was an easy choice,” explains Shane Sieweke, who works sales at the brewery. “’Cross Eyed’ seemed a good fit to give us the fun, whimsical, light-hearted name we were looking for.”

Cross-Eyed Owl began as a home brew project. Erin Atwood hosted a BBQ and a Brew Day for her husband, Trey’s, birthday.

“After several brew sessions, Trey became hooked on his newfound hobby,” said Sieweke. “A few years later, Trey was diagnosed with colon cancer. During his chemo treatment, as Trey reflected on the shortness of life he told Erin he wanted to start a brewery to really do something with life for their family.”

Trey survived his bout with colon cancer and is doing well.

Cross-Eyed Owl’s Cream Ale is their top-selling beer. They also have a popular Berliner Weiss and summer beer, Sassymouth. But beer’s not the only thing they sell.

“Unlike any other local brewery, we make craft soda,” explains Sieweke. “In the tap room, we always offer four of our rotational beers. This is one of the family friendly things we offer. We also make shandies as a combination of our soda and beer.”

Sixth Stop: Mobile, AL: Braided River

Braided River has several year-round beers including Hoppy by Nature, Hang Out and Beer Here Now.

Barely a year old, Braided River aims to produce drinkable, refreshing beer that works with the Gulf Coast lifestyle.

“The term ‘braided river’ describes the way multiple rivers come together in the Delta,” explains David Nelson, founder of Braided River. “They slow down, spread out, and criss-cross with one another, before making their way to the Bay. We know life is at its best when we slow down and connect with one another. By brewing great beer, we provide a point of connection, bringing people together to savor life’s moments and celebrate the natural world in Mobile’s backyard.”

Braided River’s facility is in downtown Mobile in an historic brick building with huge windows. The downtown is easily walkable and the brewery keeps several beer on draft year-round.

“We do a run of limited release beers every 3-4 weeks that show a range of styles we’re interested in,” says Nelson. “We’ve recently released both a hazy IPA with mango and a New Zealand hopped pilsner. Coming this fall we’ll have a white stout and the return of our sour brown ale with raspberries.”

Once you hit the end of Interstate 65, you can go east towards Panama City or west towards the beach of Mississippi and the excitement of New Orleans. Regardless of which direction you choose, you can continue your travels with some great cities, stops and craft breweries in either direction.

The post The I-65 Craft Beer Route appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Finding a perfectly hopped IPA or a deliciously smooth stout during my journey from Minnesota to California and back was marvelous. But more often than not, the people inside the taproom — not the beer — were what made the breweries so impactful. Whether I was with friends, strangers at the bar or chatting with the beertender, breweries were a steady source of community during my month on the road.

North Platte, Nebraska

On the first day of my trip I drove 10 hours by cornfields, billboards and a Klown Doll Museum. The lack of compelling topography allowed my mind to wander to the “what ifs.” What if I run out of gas? What if I got lost? What if I shouldn’t have done this alone?

I stopped in North Platte, Nebraska, to spend the night. Before hitting the hay, I went to Pal’s Brewing Company in hopes of silencing the “what ifs.”

When I opened the door to the brewery, laughter, voices and music spilled out. I walked in and grabbed a spot at the almost-full bar. I noticed the beertender was addressing most of the customers by name. I was in a room full of regulars. The beertender said, “Minnesota, huh?” After checking my ID. I told him about my solo road trip and that Pal’s was my first stop.

While serving the other customers, the beertender continued to keep me company. After an Irish stout on nitro and an apricot wheat, I got up, thanked the beertender and he said, “Come as strangers, leave as pals” as I walked out the door, head free of “what-ifs.”

Durango, Colorado

The next morning I left bright and early for Durango, Colorado. I was on my way to stay with my friends Kristina and Jared. The three of us had met while working at a brewery in Minnesota. Kristina and Jared had fallen in love and moved to the mountain town in Colorado.

Catching up is best paired with a cold beer,  And we had a lot of catching up to do. The three of us reconnected over what had brought us together in the first place. During my three days in Durango, we went to five breweries: Steamworks, Carver, Animas, Chainless and Ska Brewing Company.

San Diego

It was tough tearing myself away from Colorado, but I had trails to hike, beer to drink and miles of driving to tackle on this solo road trip. With a few days of camping in Arizona thrown in between, my next destination was San Diego.

When I got there, I met up with my friend Kathryn at Ocean Beach Brewing Company. She moved to California earlier in the year for no reason other than she wanted to. I’ve always had a fear of being timid and settling for complacency, so I admired her bravery moving to a new state on her own.

Sharing pints and stories at the brewery with Kathryn, complacency was nowhere to be found. We were actively participating in life, 2,000 miles away from home, out of our comfort zones, together. And it felt really good.

The next day, I went to Stone Brewing Company in Kettner. I read a couple chapters of Stephen King’s “Outsider” by the fire while a group of men at the table next to me complained about their jobs. Then, for the last brewery in San Diego, I went to Fall Brewing Company with Kathryn’s friend Fletcher whom I had met the day before. We talked about music, our jobs and politics, and as we parted ways, we vowed to stay in touch.

San Clemente, California

As I made my way from San Diego to Los Angeles, I decided to stop in San Clemente to have dinner and a couple of beers at Pizza Port Brewing Company. I found a place at the bar and started to read my book.

“Must be tough to read in here,” a middle-aged man said as he sat down next to me. “It’s so loud.”

He seemed like he just wanted somebody to talk to. I was happy to be that person, so I closed my book.

As we drank our beer, he showed me pictures of his new dog and complained about his commute from the University of Southern California where he was a professor. When he finished his second beer, he stood up and said, “Well, I’m off to play Dungeons and Dragons.”

The professor left to fulfill his role as dungeon master and I left for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles

I was sitting at the bar, reading my book at Trustworthy Brewing Company when an older man said, “You don’t see that much anymore.”

I looked up, smiled, and asked, “See what?”

“People your age reading.” He was in his late 60s, and wearing a flannel. He tilted his head to the side to read the spine of my book. “My wife likes Stephen King, too.”

He told me that they had been married for 38 years.

“I’ve never seen your wife in here,” the beertender interrupted.

“She doesn’t like good beer!” The man said. He raised his glass, looked at me, and said,” Cheers to love! Even if love has bad taste in beverages.”

We clinked glasses.

Salt Lake City

As I left California and began to make my way through Utah, I was officially homeward bound after my solo road trip. I stayed the night in Salt Lake City where I went to the last brewery of the trip: Uinta Brewing Company.

As I sipped on my Grapefruit Hop Nosh IPA, I told the beertender that in the last 30 days, I had spent more on beer than I did in lodging. I slept in my car, my tent, at friends’ houses, a motel, and in a trailer on a goat farm. I had a limited budget… and my priority wasn’t luxury. My priority was good beer. Good beer led me to breweries, which provided me with a sense of community.

The breweries on my solo road trip held new friends, beertenders that mend loneliness, stories told by strangers, and overheard conversations. They held the substance of my invigorating journey and the realization that sometimes, adventure is best shared over a beer.

The post Finding Community in Craft Beer During My Solo Road Trip appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

One whiff of the thick two fingers of foam and you think to yourself, “Why does this IPA smell like bananas, cloves, and lemons?” 

You then quickly snap to reality. 

Brewpubs of the 90s, with their blonde, red, hefeweizen, pale ale and porter tap lists have vastly vanished across America, along with their standard menu of burgers, steak fries and chicken strips. Today, a new breed of brewpubs have taken root, places that have the same heart and soul as the brewpubs of yesteryear, but are more hubs of diversity, not only in the food and beer styles being served but the people that work and dine there.  

(More: Breweries and Brewpubs with Impressive Menus)

In Orange County, California, for example, several breweries have opened with kitchens or dedicated, self-run food trucks that serve a menu of epic chef-driven fusion bites that are just as tantalizing as the craft beers being brewed.

TAPS Brewery & Barrel Room, Tustin

TAPS is no stranger to the classic brewpub, opening its first location in 1999 and winning Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival. Co-Owner Joe Manzella saw the trend of smaller breweries and evolved his business into a large format brewery with a cozy tasting room and a dedicated TAPS food truck. 

“At the original brewpub location, guests still drink beers, but dining is the focus,” Manzella says. “At the new location it’s the opposite.”

The food truck menu has everything from a Hot’Lanta chicken sandwich with house-made pickles, to beef fat fries and even a banh mi-style hot dog topped with jalapeño, cilantro and ginger-lemongrass aioli. TAPS has recently announced two locations with smaller, beer-first kitchen concepts opening in 2020.

GameCraft Brewing, Laguna Hills

When Owner Scott Cebula was looking for a craft brewery location, both the landlord and city pushed him to open with food. 

“I see breweries with kitchens as the 2.0 model,” Cebula says. “I’d rather be the first guy with brewery 2.0 than the last guy opening without a kitchen.”

Along with his game-centric tasting room, the menu is inspired by his travels and his wife Kanda’s Thai background. 

“When designing the menu, we were implicit on not requiring cutlery,” notes Scott, who offers a traditional Japanese karaage chicken served with different spice levels (like hyperspice!), barbecue carnitas sliders, and even fresh hot pretzel bits with gruyère-butter dipping sauce.

Green Cheek Beer Co. Too!, Costa Mesa

Early on, Owner and Brewer Evan Price once said, “I would absolutely love to open a British-style pub complete with shepherd’s pies.” 

When the opportunity came to take over a turnkey spot in Costa Mesa, bank loans were opened, nerves were rattled and Green Cheek’s second location turned into a reality. Although there aren’t any shepherd’s pies on the menu, their smash burger went through more research and development than they do for the hop selection on their award-winning IPAs. 

(More: Chicago Brewpubs Buck the Deep Dish Pizza Tradition)

“We did patty blends side-by-side to figure out what beef cuts we were going to grind in-house,” Price says. 

One of the hottest new menu items is their pad Thai cauliflower, which also happens to be vegan. It’s served without noodles, but still has that same peanutty-pad Thai essence with plenty of cilantro, scallions and lime squeezed on top. 

Docent Brewing, San Juan Capistrano

Pepperoni rolls are the last thing one would expect to see near the beach in California. After all, the sweet doughy roll bites stuffed with pizza-like fillings originated in West Virginia. 

“It’s cool when someone from that area comes in and sees we have mountaineer rolls,” Docent Brewing Co-Owner Brian Hendon says. 

(Find Breweries: Near Me)

Fusion kicks into high gear with a Korean-style Reuben sandwich oozing with character from house-fermented kimchi. Pair it with The Rube, Docent’s 7.5% ABV red ale that drinks like a midday Manhattan. 

Bottle Logic, Anaheim

Bottle Logic’s Epicurean 1 mobile culinary program is a rolling kitchen, a temporary alternative until their full kitchen is built. 

“We’re using it as a means of developing our brand identity and running a live test – adjusting research and development with our guests,” says in-house Chef Patrick Whittaker. 

But Whittaker hasn’t always been behind the spatula; he started in the tasting room pouring beer. It didn’t take long for the team to put his culinary degree to work on beer dinners. Expect seasonal bites, like a steaming Toshikoshi bowl with tempura shrimp, soba noodles and Japanese sweet potato. Paired with Hanamachi, Bottle Logic’s Japanese rice lager, it’s easily an industrial-area brewery experience worth having. 

Do you have an exciting brewery in your neck of the woods that has bites? Let us know!

The post Brewpub 2.0: Small Kitchens Redefine a New Breed of California Brewpubs appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Farm brewery destinations are good news for the rural communities where these breweries put down roots. As South Dakota State University’s Community Vitality Field Specialist Paul Thares reported in December 2018, “All across the country in rural areas and within downtrodden neighborhoods, craft breweries are helping communities overcome economic hurdles.” And NPR shared that “the idea of a craft brewery as a model for small-town revitalization is being tested across the Midwest.”

Grab your fellow beer lovers and hit the country roads to visit these farm brewery destinations.

Trillium Brewing Company | Connecticut

With a stated mission “to create a lifestyle through craft beer,” Trillium has grown to five locations, with Trillium Farm serving as its New England farmhouse destination in North Stonington, Connecticut, which will feature beers made with estate-grown ingredients. “The farm coexists with our other breweries in a symbiotic and sustainable relationship as an agricultural resource and value-added outlet for our organic waste streams, which include spent brewers grain and kitchen scraps. Ultimately our farm is an extension of our supply chain that helps clearly articulate our values to our customers while contributing to the Northeast grain shed and local food supply chain,” says owner JC Tetreault. He’s practicing a lesson in patience as his team completes a rigorous multi-year master planning process “while using this interim time to restore the soil ecology. We have a ‘forever’ time horizon for both Trillium and the farm, and while it will take further years to reap significant harvests, if you have the perspective of what we are trying to achieve in our lifetimes and beyond, its helps to set the perspective that it’s really not so long to wait.”

(More: New York Farm Breweries are About Local Agriculture, Not Location)

Bad Martha Brewing | Massachusetts

General Manager Joshua Flanders says that owner Jonathan Blum dreamed of opening a grain-to-glass brewery during his corporate years as an executive at Yum Brands. When he retired, he did just that with a “focus on an artisanal craft process and utilizing as many local and special ingredients as possible.” They decided to open their East Falmouth Farmer’s Brewery & Tasting Room five years after the grand opening of their Edgartown location located on Martha’s Vineyard. Flanders says strategic expansion came about because “being in Falmouth allows us to stay open year-round and have easy access to the mainland while keeping with the people and culture we know so well here on Cape Cod and the islands. It was a natural next step for us.” Their neighbors are Mahoney’s Garden Center, which has been growing hops, herbs, and other ingredients for the brewery, but Bad Martha will grow its own hops this year.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | North Carolina

At its second location near Asheville, North Carolina, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. likes to say they’re “pouring from the garden.” The back deck overlooks a large garden you can stroll through filled with flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables that go directly into their batches of beer that sit in stunning copper pots. “What we primarily focus on in Mills River is ‘farm to table’ by supporting the taproom. That being said, we do grow ingredients for brewing from time to time and are looking for ways to increase this down the road,” explains Sierra Nevada’s Natural Resource Team. They made a huge investment in sustainability, becoming the first U.S. production brewery to be certified LEED® Platinum, and employ an Estate Garden Technician.

Tree House Brewing Company | Massachusetts

The team behind Tree House added what it dubbed as “the third vertex to complete the Tree House Triangle: Tree House Orchard & Farm Fermentory!” This 100-acre working farm in Charlton provides grass-fed cattle, a produce and flower program, apple trees, and plenty of prime soil so they can play with adding ingredients to their innovative, ever-changing 25 craft beers on tap and is slated to open this spring.

Fonta Flora | North Carolina

Fonta Flora’s Todd Boera says going plow-to-pint was part of their concept “from the jump. Our concept and guiding compass was creating beers with a sense of place and agricultural purpose. Even at our original location in downtown Morganton, North Carolina, we brewed all of our beers with local malt and a wide variety of different local farmed and foraged ingredients. From that, building our second location and production facility on a farm seemed like a natural progression that would allow us to cultivate our own ingredients and truly represent what it means to be an agriculturally focused brewery.” They revived the idyllic 53-acre, historic Whippoorwill Dairy Farm in 2019 by combining forces with the Foothills Land Conservancy, who acquired 44 of the acres and immediately donated them to Lake James State Park, which borders the property.

(Related: Their Illinois Farm Brewery is Totally Off-the-Grid)

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | Virginia

Hardywood Park’s owners snapped up a 22-acre parcel in West Creek about 20 miles from the brewery’s first location near downtown Richmond, Virginia. The team invested about $30 million to include a taproom, beer garden, orchard, and natural amphitheater. They actually scouted more than 100 locations before finding this beauty.

Oskar Blues Brewery | North Carolina

After riding his bike in Pisgah, North Carolina, owner Dale Katechis knew that Brevard was the place for his East Coast operations, which opened in 2012. Then in 2014, he purchased a 145-acre historic farm eight miles away in Hendersonville that butts up to the Pisgah National Forest. They aren’t utilizing the property as a production farm; instead, they’ve transformed it into a biking destination and event venue, hosting the brewery’s Burning CAN Festival there every August. Aaron Baker, Oskar Blues’ senior marketing manager, says that the setup has been a challenge: “For the REEB Ranch, the most challenging aspect is simply communicating to folks about what it’s all about. It doesn’t fit into any established categories so it can be tough to describe,” Baker says. The venture has led to the company also launching a mountain bike brand, REEB Cycles.

Burial Beer Co. | North Carolina

Burial Beer out of Asheville, North Carolina, also purchased an historic slice of land–formerly barracks for Civilian Conservation Corps under FDR’s presidency–a few miles from their original taproom in Asheville’s South Slope beer district. Although the six buildings on the 2-acre tract look like barns and the property has a farm vibe, owners Jess and Doug Reiser and Tim Gromley aren’t growing their own goods. They opened this destination and production brewery to show off other local farmers, potters, and artisans, as well as “showcasing breweries from around the country and world, winemakers, and craft distillers” at their on-site farm-to-table restaurant, Forestry Camp Bar and Restaurant, explains Jess. She says they chose Asheville because, “It’s a place where people want to live, they care so deeply about this city and it shows through their interactions with one another and the intention behind their daily lives. This city is very inspirational and while we loved Seattle, we were looking for a place that we could really impact and vice versa, and feel supported by.”

(More: There’s No Taste Like Home: Booming Beer Agriculture Supports Local Brewers)

Ever Grain Brewing | Pennsylvania

Ever Grain Brewing in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, announced in late 2019 that it is also venturing into the farm brewery world. The brewery’s founders were inspired by “the owners’ love of funky farmhouse beers they drank from Jester King and Forest and Main,” head brewer Derek Testerman tells BreweriesInPennsylvania.com. The second location will feature oak fermented, bottle conditioned, mixed-culture beers, experimental ales, and native ales.

Rogue Farms | Oregon

Rogue has built quite the empire, with a total of nine “Rogue-ries” located throughout Oregon and a brewhouse in Issaquah, Washington. Their farm brewery also has a taproom featuring a limited menu and 12 beers on draft, many created using the farm’s bounty. Communication and Marketing Manager Amanda Zessin shares that the global hop shortage in the mid-2000s–due to poor weather and a storage facility catching fire in Washington–prompted Rogue to open the farm in 2008. “To prevent ever having to tell our brewmaster at the time, John ‘More Hops’ Maier that we couldn’t get enough hops for him to brew with, we decided to grow our own. We went through the yellow pages to call every hop farmer we could find and Coleman Agriculture in Independence, Oregon, called us back.”

So pack a picnic, load your favorite road trip playlist, and make your next beercation plans to visit a farm brewery this year.

The post Established Craft Breweries Plant Rural Roots appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

You can easily visit Chicago brewpubs to find evidence that debunks the pan-style stereotype. Throughout the metro area, pizza and brewing artisans have come together to create pizzas with a wide variety of thin crust dough, sauces and ingredients — all paired with craft beer.

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria

The first place that probably comes to mind in Chicago when it comes to craft beer and pizza is Piece, whose pizza has become as legendary as its multi-GABF-winning beers. You won’t find deep dish at Piece. Heck, you won’t find any kind of stereotypical Chicago (or New York) pizza there.

Bill Jacobs, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, has always been adamant that neither Chicago nor New York can claim pizza superiority. Instead, he says it’s New Haven — and maybe he’s on to something. Piece enjoyed almost immediate success when it opened in the early 2000s. Then Pizza Today Magazine named Piece the top independent pizzeria of the year in 2011, besting roughly 35,000 nominees.

But, Piece isn’t only about pizza. Jonathan Cutler, brewmaster/owner of Piece Brewing in Chicago, has more than 15 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) medals to his name, and that’s only a fraction of the awards Piece has earned.

Open Outcry Brewing Company

John Brand, Open Outcry Brewing founder, was born and raised in Chicago. So he knows a thing or two about the city’s pizza scene.

“Pizza is more than an occasional meal; it’s part of the city’s cultural fabric.” He adds, “People argue over it. I’ve seen conversations escalate into real arguments.”

The man behind the pizza at Open Outcry Brewing Company is Chef Cesar Lopez, who met Brand while working at a different wood-fired pizza establishment. “His wood-fired pizza was absolutely divine. He hit all the marks: charred and crispy crust, yet chewy inside; sweet and savory balance in the sauce and fresh mozzarella.”

(Chart: Easy Tips for Beer and Pizza Style Pairings)

One of Brand’s favorite pairings involves margherita pizza with its best selling beer: Speculator Cream Ale. “Crisp, clear, clean, semi-sweet and moderately bittered with spicy, herbal noble hops. It’s higher carbonation level adds a pleasant carbonic bite that acts as the perfect palate cleanser when paired with a savory, salty wood-fired pizza crust and sauce.”

What could be better, right?

“Sometimes, the greatest pleasures in life are the simple ones,” says Brand. “Give me a pizza, a clean, crisp, cold Speculator, a Bulls game on the tube and I’m the go**amn king of Chicago for a few hours.”

Corridor Brewing & Provisions and Roebuck Pizza

Greg Shuff  owns and operates Corridor Brewery & Provisions and the new Roebuck Pizza in Chicago (located next to DryHop brewing, which he also owns). The GABF medal-winning Brant Dubovick serves as the franchise’s brewmaster.

Corridor has already grown into a well-known spot for great food, which includes artisanal pizza, served alongside its wide selection of acclaimed beer. But Shuff and Dubovick decided to go one step further with their love for pizza and open a brewpub fully focused with pizza. That’s how Roebuck opened in 2019 (located next door to DryHop Brewing).

In addition to the pizza, Roebuck lets lager beers shine.

“In my opinion, nothing pairs better with pizza than a well-executed lager. Roebuck afforded us an opportunity as brewers to show that we are really, really accomplished at crafting lagers,” Dubovick adds.

Ike & Oak Brewing Company

At Ike & Oak Brewing Company in Chicago’s western suburbs, you can enjoy pizza with crust made with ale yeast when you order a Neapolitan-style pizza. “It gives the crust a very unique flavor and crunch,” says the brewpub’s owner and operator Ed Ranquisk.

“Craft beer is all about taking chances with styles and ingredients. Daring to be different is what makes independent breweries successful. I wanted to carry that theme into our kitchen and onto our menu,” Ranquisk explains.

(Recipe: Beer Pizza Dough and Breakfast Pizza)

He modeled Ike & Oak on his passion for the great outdoors, so you’ll also find a whimsical campfire pizza on the brewpub’s menu. “We cook it in cast iron pans and add toppings to create a crispy cheese crust, reminiscent of cooking over a campfire. We have used wild boar, braised rabbit, chorizo sausage, spam, jambalaya mix, unique wild mushroom medley, and many other pizza toppings,” he says.

Half Acre Beer Company

Half Acre has evolved from a brewery without a home when it started production in 2006 to one of Chicago’s most recognizable breweries with two locations. Half Acre started serving food at its original Lincoln Square spot in 2016 and followed suit when it recently opened its second location, the Half Acre Balmoral Tap Room & Garden on the city’s north side. And of course, there’s pizza.

“Our guests are there to relax and have a good time. We take that same approach to our pizza,” says Tommy Sheean, executive chef at Half Acre Beer Co. taprooms.

“We try to come up with interesting, approachable and fun flavor combinations, using pizza as a vehicle to express them. A bowl of caramelized Brussels sprouts with pine nuts and parmesan is simple, elegant and delicious, so why not have it on a pizza with a good beer?” he says.

Half Acre possesses an expansive brewing portfolio that includes almost every beer style you can imagine. “While beers like Bodem IPA and Fader Lager will fit seamlessly into pizza eating, it can be refreshing to pair a potato and bacon pizza with [a] mixed culture saison, like Geraldine.”

Haymarket Pub & Brewery

Few breweries celebrate the essence of Chicago more than Haymarket Brewing: the brewery’s name pays homage to the infamous 1886 Haymarket Affair and its beer names are tied to various aspects of the city’s history and culture. So it is no surprise that Haymarket fully grasps the Windy City’s mutual love for pizza and beer.

(Related: Chicago Brewery’s Wild Trip Down a Hazy IPA Rabbit Hole to GABF Gold)

The handmade pizza at Haymarket begins with dough similar to West Coast sourdough. Haymarket’s chef Christopher McCoy says: “We already had a gas oven at our pub in Chicago, and we were installing the wood-fired ovens at our taproom in Bridgman [Michigan]. We had to come up with a dough or crust that would be attainable for both cooking techniques. We prep all of the dough in Chicago, so fermentation, ingredients and style were all considered.”

Middle Brow Beer Co.

Middle Brow is the quintessential community-minded brewery, and now it has a new home in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood called the Bungalow. They describe the new place as an “Appalachian-post-punk-queer-Scandi-Nadian-Belgo-French-countryside-city-farmer beer, bread and pizza den.” Got all that?

This Festival of Barrel Aged Beers medal-winning brewery surely loves its beer, but “pizza is one of those things. In fact, dare I say it, we might like pizza more than we like beer,” admits co-founder Pete Ternes.

“We had never been deep dish fans. We like it fine, but we rarely choose to eat it,” he says. When the founders started planning the brewpub five years ago, only a handful of excellent Neapolitan-style pizza places operated in Chicago, much to their chagrin: “The ratio should be, like, 100:1 or something,” he says.

The idea of opening a neighborhood joint where people bond over pizza and beer is only a tiny part of what makes Middle Brow such a community-minded brewery. Since 2012, Middlebrow has donated more than half its profits to local social-justice organizations. And now with the Bungalow space available, “We’ll be hosting free breakfast for Chicago Public School students on the weekends. We’ll also be instituting a work-training program in several months, which will provide employment and on-site social work to men and women from at-risk populations on the west side,” explains Ternes.

Flapjack Brewery

Located in Berwyn, a small suburb located a few miles west of Chicago proper, Flapjack will soon celebrate its third anniversary. Flapjack offers Neapolitan-style (with a few adjustments to suit their liking) along with some of the freshest ingredients you can imagine. The brewery imports D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil from Italy. Co-owner James Macchione tells us Flapjack’s pizza dough “only contains “00” flour imported from Italy, filtered water, sea salt and fresh yeast.” In the end, the process results in a pizza that is “thin in the center with a nice cornicione that requires the triangle-cut slice to be folded or eaten with a knife and fork.”

“When we decided to add a kitchen to our taproom, we knew that it had to be pizza. There are so many excellent pizzerias in the Berwyn area offering thin crust and stuffed pizza, so we wanted to do something unique to the area,” Macchione says.

Fans can enjoy everything from Ndjua, Danger pizza to Truffle pizza, as well as traditional Neapolitan-style staples such as the margherita and marinara Pizzas. “Creating new pizzas is my favorite part of the job. I am always on the hunt for exciting new pizza ingredients and combinations,” says Macchione.

More Chicago Brewpubs for the Pizza Curious

Revolution Brewing Brewpub

Illinois’ largest independent brewery offers plenty of multi-award-winning beers at its brewpub location and several pizza choices. Included alongside the usual suspects are an arugula pizza and a white-sauced pizza with bacon and spinach.

(Seek the Seal: Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

Smylie Brothers

The GABF and FoBAB award-winning brewery offers a highly-regarded menu, including an array of wood-fired pizza. Selections include a 14-hour smoked brisket pizza, and a Cuban with ham and pulled pork on beer mustard cream sauce.

Ten Ninety Brewing Co.

The brewery known for its Belgian beers and tasty seasonals like Zen Ale with Green Tea and Lemongrass, also serves delicious artisan pizza with house-made dough from its 1916 Lager. A wide range of ingredients includes buffalo chicken, pork belly, drunken onions (soaked in Ten Ninety beer) and even a combination of pepperoni and fresh bananas.

The same dedication found by America’s craft brewers, who helped made the U.S. the most exciting beer culture in the world during the 20th century, can now be found in its brewpub pizza chefs. From New Haven and Neapolitan crusts to white sauce and brisket, Chicago’s brewpubs are demonstrating that Chicago’s famous deep dish isn’t the only pie in town. Lucky for us, pizza makers and brewers are finding that the best option of all is to serve them together.

Cheers and bon appetit!

The post Chicago Brewpubs Buck the Deep Dish Pizza Tradition appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Highway 49 is numbered after the 49ers, the migrants and immigrants who came to the area expecting to strike it rich. The route passes through many historic mining communities established during the 1849 California Gold Rush. Splitting off State Route 41 in the community of Oakhurst in Madera County, it traverses south to north through the counties of Mariposa, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Yuba, Sierra, and Plumas, reaching its northern end at State Route 70 in Vinton.

Today, gold can be found in the various hues of craft beer brewed along this historic route. If you’re planning to trace the steps of the migrants and immigrants who made the hopeful journey in search of riches, be sure to include stops at craft breweries along the Golden Chain Highway. Here’s a look at some of the craft breweries along the route, starting in Madera County.

South Gate Brewing Company | Madera County, CA

Less than half a mile north of the Golden Chain Highway’s southern terminus at CA-41 in Oakhurst, this brewpub produces handcrafted beer and remarkably good pub food.

Brewer Rick Boucke creates pale ales and lagers to barley wines and imperial stouts. Draft offerings change often, so returning visitors are often met with new creations.

Rick entered beers in the 2019 NorCal Brew Fest Competition. South Gate Brewing Co. came home with two golds, two silvers, two bronze, and one honorable mention.

Chef Mike Farr is given the same freedom to devise the pub meals. He makes sure that the food is made from the finest and freshest of meats, cheeses and local produce. As owner Casey Hawkins says, “The only things in the freezer are French Fries and ice cream. Everything else is fresh and locally sourced.”

1850 Brewing Company | Mariposa County, CA

Jake Wackerman grew up in a restaurant owning family; his mother also owns a restaurant in Mariposa. Beginning at age 13, he was introduced to the industry washing dishes in a local steakhouse. By age 16, he informed his family and friends that he, too, dreamed of owning his own restaurant someday.

Encouraged by family and friends, Jake and his girlfriend Hanna Dutra opened 1850 Restaurant on May 1, 2013. Ever the entrepreneurs, Jake and Hanna (now married — in the restaurant) expanded the business to include the Loft at 1850, a two-bedroom loft above the restaurant that sleeps up to six.

After brewing science and brewery training at UC Davis in 2016, Jake and fellow brewmaster Dan McMonegal began brewing beers in a 1.5-barrel system.

Jake says his unique selling points include the brewpub’s “proximity to Yosemite National Park, catering to a small market, reinvesting restaurant profits into the brewery, and doing the small things right.”

Demand has outpaced the limits of the 1.5-barrel brewing system necessitating the purchase of a new seven-barrel brewing system. By April 2020, they expect to have it installed in a new location featuring an on-site tasting room, retail merchandise store and live music.

(TRAVEL: Pacific Coast Breweries)

Bear Tent Brewing Company | Tuolumne County, CA

In 2008, high school friends John McGettigan and Ben Deutsch were trekking in New Zealand. At the end of a day traipsing the Kiwi island, they pondered their futures over a 6-pack of local beer and hit on the idea of becoming brewery owners, although they had never brewed before.

After nine years of homebrewing, John and Ben used their construction job skills to build out a small production facility in Jamestown. Two-and-a-half years ago they opened Bear Tent Brewing Company with two three-barrel and one seven-barrel brewing system. The brewery revolves around locally sustainable ingredients and is developing into a farm brewery. They grow their own Cascade and Chinook hops and hope to expand. “We prefer to brew traditional beers but sometimes get wild with some juniper berry additions,” John says.

The founders plan to stay small and serve only the local area (and friends, of course). So far, the only advertising they do is by word-of-mouth and an Instagram presence.

Highway 49 Trip Notes: You can also stop in at Sonora Brewing Co. It’s just a few miles north of Bear Tent along the Golden Chain Highway.

Snowshoe Brewing Company | Calaveras County, CA

Originally founded by Al O’Brien and Jeff Yarnell, two longtime friends and local business associates, Snowshoe Brewing Company opened in 1995 in the Meadowmont Lodge that overlooks the local golf course. It is the first craft brewery in Calaveras County.

The brewery is named after a local Gold Rush pioneer, John “Snowshoe” Thompson, who is honored with the brewery’s signature Thompson Pale Ale. Well known during the California Gold Rush era of the mid-1800s, Thompson delivered mail while frequently crossing the often perilous Sierra Nevada Mountains, even in the dead of winter on his sturdy homemade snowshoes.

Al and Jeff retired in November 2019 and Joe Sunburg and Sheri Chanell took over ownership. Joe and Sheri are planning to remodel Snowshoe in a more contemporary decor. Keeping to the woodsy and kid-friendly atmosphere, patrons of all ages with young minds will continue to be fascinated by watching the brewery process through protective glass, playing in the arcades games section, and sampling the listings in the kids’ and family-friendly menus.

Brewmaster Tom Schuermann uses a 15-barrel brewhouse, three 15-barrel fermenters, and three 30-barrel fermenters to give a nod to the local environs, brewing the likes of Snowshoe’s year-round beers such as Snoweizen, Grizzly Brown and Thompson Pale Ale.

Amador Brewing Company | Amador County, CA

Will Pritchard began homebrewing in 2008 with the intention of owning a microbrewery. Amador Brewing Company opened its doors on Tax Day in April 2015.

Relying on his construction management and mechanical engineering background, Will designed a big 20-barrel system and brews several batches a week from Monday through Thursday. “Brew days are my favorite days of the week,” he says.

Co-owner and brewer Matt Johnson and Will have limited their tap number to eight at any particular time. Their offerings emphasize a few IPAs for hopheads as well as more traditional German-style beers.

The brewery distributes from the Gold Country counties into Northern California.

(TRAVEL: Epic Route 66 Craft Brewery Road Trip)

Placerville Brewing Co | El Dorado County, CA

Echoing the worldwide cry of “gold in them thar the hills” (referring to the Sierra foothills grubstakes that originated in nearby Coloma), Placerville Brewing Company draws on a 1800s heritage as the original Hangtown Brewery. A repository of historical artifacts, the brewpub’s decor features an old wooden beer cask, beer shipping crates, photos, and more from past area breweries.

Addressing 21st-century tastes, co-owner and brewmaster Steve Meylo concocts various craft brews. Always on tap are Strong Blonde Ale, Golden Ale, Pale Ale, Stout, Tangerine Ale, Boysenberry Ale and Vanilla Stout. Steve makes sure seasonal ales are timely on tap as well, such as Copper Ale, Bell Tower Brown, Platinum Ale, Pumpkin Ale, and the (530) IPA, and Ale Dorado IPA.

With a touch of whimsy, Steve and co-owner Allen Vickers offer mixed drink combinations like the Dirty Vanilla (a mix of the brewery’s Strong Blonde and Vanilla Stout beers), Snake Bite (Two Rivers cider mixed with the Chocolate Stout), Real Beer Float (a scoop of vanilla ice cream floating in a cold pint of Chocolate Stout or the Boysenberry Ale), and others.

On the food side, true Texan Vickers draws on his 40 years of barbecuing expertise and award-winning sauces in preparing Texas-style BBQ food.

The brewpub’s woodsy interior is highlighted by wood beams, a classic wrap-around wood bar stationed between the restaurant and bar areas, lots of interesting signs and bottles and scrimshaw, flat-screen TVs, and a large outdoor patio. You can find live music at Placerville almost every night.

Highway 49 Trip Notes: There are several brewery stops along this part of the Golden Chain Highway. Outbreak Brewing is also in Placerville, along with the Jack Russell Brewery Restaurant. A little south are El Dorado Brewing and Solid Ground in Diamond Springs; to the north, you’ll find BarmHaus in Garden Valley and Cool Beerwerks in Cool.

Moonraker Brewing Company | Placer County, CA

Minimizing their carbon footprint is priority at Moonraker Brewing Company. Co-founder Karen Powell wanted to build a sustainable brewhouse that reduced typical energy levels and conserved water. “Every bit of production and onsite customer facility is energized by solar-powered electricity,” Karen says. Using over 1,100 solar panels powering an electric boiler, Moonraker’s system “provides enough electricity to make beer, operate the taproom, and still continue to bank power.” They have a 10-barrel brew system in the taproom and a 20-barrel system for wholesaling.

Fittingly, Moonraker opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2016. Catering to the ever-changing tastes of local hopheads, Moonraker’s brewers, Aaron Copelin and Brad Johnson, use innovative techniques and ingredients to create new recipes. His talents were recognized when Moonraker was awarded the Best New Brewery in California and No. 9 in the World by Rate Beer in 2017.

Moonraker has earned its fair share of competition awards, including medals at the Great American Beer Fest in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Highway 49 Trip Notes: Knee Deep Brewing is right around the corner from Moonraker. If you’re traveling the Golden Chain Highway, Crooked Lane Brewing Co. and Tap and Vine are also in Placer County, about 25 miles south in Auburn.

(VISIT: Find a Brewery)

Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Company | Nevada County, CA

Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co. is a unique combination whose name says it all. Owners Dave Cowie and Shana Maziarz concocted an intriguing business plan in 2011 by marrying a true bakery with a small craft brewery. Drawing on Dave’s 23 years as a homebrewer and Shana’s restaurant experience, Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Company opened its doors in 2014.

Three Forks serves an eclectic mixture of wood-fired pizza, craft beer brewed in a seven-barrel brewhouse, artisan breads, baked goods, soup, salad, sandwiches, fresh drinks, loose-leaf tea, espresso and coffee … whew! Committed to using fresh, organic and local ingredients, much of the produce and meats are sourced from farms and ranches within a 30-minute-drive time from the brewery. Three Forks intends to be as close to zero waste as possible. Coffee grounds, food waste and spent beer grain are used by local farmers to feed their animals.

As brewer Dave says he favors “classic beers that are clean and fresh.” Their beers medaled at each of the California State Fair Commercial Beer Competitions from 2016 to 2019.

Highway 49 Trip Notes: Here near the northern end of the route, you’ll find three more craft breweries less than 10 miles from Three Forks. Ol’ Republic Brewery is just a mile south in Nevada City. Grass Valley Brewing Co. and 1849 Brewery are located in nearby Grass Valley.

These craft breweries along California’s Golden Chain Highway reflect the indomitable spirit of the 49ers and pioneering enterprise of innovative entrepreneurs. Concocting unique offerings of craft beer and pub food amidst the gently undulating and steeply sloping terrain of the Sierra foothills, the brewers and chefs of these craft breweries indeed bring “gold” back into prominence.

The post Craft Breweries Along California’s Golden Chain Highway appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

“Bowling and beer have always gone hand-in-hand, and if you’re drinking beer, it should be fresh, local craft,” says Brian Bailey, accounts manager at Southern Brewing Company in Athens, Georgia.

From the South to the Rockies to the Great Lakes, we found a handful of bowling alleys who are offering a notable selection of beers from small and independent craft breweries. In fact, a few are even brewery/bowling alley combos!

Showtime Bowl | Athens, GA

With 32 lanes, Showtime doesn’t mess around when it comes to bowling. Not only is this a bowler’s paradise, it’s also a treasure for beer lovers. It offers libations from the 11^th Pin, a restaurant inside the bowling alley, which boasts an extensive craft beer menu, including those from local breweries like Southern Brewing Co. and Creature Comforts Brewing Co. From Southern Brewing’s perspective, being available at the bowling alley has been an effective way to introduce its beer to people in the community who haven’t heard of the brewery, Bailey says. Meanwhile, “We believe our beers should be enjoyed anywhere folks are wanting to deepen their experience or their connection to one another through beer,” says Dan Reingold, director of field marketing for Creature Comforts, adding that its Classic City Lager is always a huge hit with the bowling crowd.

(More: How Art Helped Convince Post-WWII America That ‘Beer Belongs’)

Town Hall Lanes | Minneapolis

Town Hall Brewery prides itself on being the most winning brewery in Minnesota, picking up more medals at the Great American Beer Festival than any other brewery in the state. Sip one of its beers and perhaps that luck will rub off on you when you take to its 10-lane bowling alley. “The brewery’s owner was an avid bowler and saw things he believed he could do better, especially with service at a bowling alley, and decided to buy one when it was the right place,” says Mehtab Taylor, Town Hall Lanes’ general manager. Along with 11 guest taps, Town Hall features 14 of its own taps, including the Super Strike Lager, created specifically for bowlers and the only beer at the alley served in pitchers (with its own special glass).

Stardust Lanes | Saginaw, MI

Cosmic bowling, anyone? With its black lights and light show, not to mention jumbo projection screens for its music videos, Stardust delivers a high-energy bowling experience. Suffice to say that its 31 lanes aren’t the only thing that will blow you away. So, too, will its tap list with more than 40 craft beers on the menu, most of them from Michigan.

(More: Superstar Craft Brewing Founders Talk Shared Memories at Smithsonian’s ‘Last Call’)

URGE | San Marcos, CA

When you get the urge for beer, burgers and bowling, there’s only one place to go in San Marcos. While bowling is the main attraction here, URGE also houses Mason Ale Works. The beer list features five of the brewery’s creations, as well as six guest beers on draft.

Enix Beer | Homestead, PA

Enix Beer is a brewpub and bowling alley combo in the Pittsburgh area. You can sip beer at the brewery four days a week and its eight-lane bowling alley is open only on Fridays and Saturdays.

Southport Lanes & Billiards | Chicago

This bowling alley may not be a brewery itself, but it’s housed in a building that Schlitz Brewing erected around 1900, and it has a colorful history. This popular entertainment venue features four hand-set lanes — that means there are two pin-setters in back putting the pins back up every turn  — and 30 draft taps with favorite Chicago breweries like Half Acre Beer Co. and Burnt City Brewing. “Southport Lanes isn’t just a great vintage bowling alley but also a neighborhood bar,” says Amy Jones, marketing director for Burnt City. “If people discover our beer at Southport and then buy in their corner store or visit the beer hall, that’s fantastic.”

Snow Bowl Steamboat | Steamboat Springs, CO

There’s no better reward after a day on the slopes than a beer. Why not make it a unique experience and pair it with bowling? Since the mid 1970s, Snow Bowl has been a Steamboat Springs favorite, but it’s been recently renovated and features 12 new lanes, outdoor beer garden, large screen TVs (including Steamboat’s biggest at 180 inches) and happy hour. Its draft beer list includes two beers each from Butcherknife Brewing and Storm Peak Brewing, two breweries less than a mile away. “Because of these renovations and the great new menu that pairs well with locally crafted beer, it was a no brainer to be part of Snow Bowl,” says Zach Patterson, co-owner of Storm Peak. One of the favorites there? Storm Peak’s Maestro IPA.

Craft beer and bowling? It sounds like a winning combination to us, especially if you’re a brewery looking to expand your reach.

The post Pin Pals: Bowling Alleys Keep Rolling with Beer from Craft Brewers appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

On top of all that, Ohio is beautiful. Rows of crops hem in country roads in the summer months, and in fall and winter, the harvested fields open up views that stretch to the horizon. One entire border runs along Lake Erie, and another runs along the Ohio River, the second largest river in the country by volume. Our streams, forests, and state parks provide varied and beautiful scenery for a driving tour.

Combining Ohio’s brewed treasures with its natural wonders makes for a fantastic road trip (with a designated driver, of course). I’ve lived in Ohio for nearly 30 years and been drinking beer for half of them, and I am still discovering new things to love about this state. Hop in the car, pick some tunes, and take in Ohio through these 18 craft beers.

Dayton

I live near Dayton in southwest Ohio, and I firmly believe we have one of the most underrated beer scenes in the country. The Dayton metro area of about 900,000 people has around 20 breweries with more in planning, and the best beer coming out of the Gem City is awesome. We’ll start our Ohio tour with one of Dayton’s newest and most exciting breweries.

Branch & Bone Artisan Ales | Violet Perception

Branch & Bone burst onto the Dayton scene in June 2018, and are already brewing some of the best and most exciting beers in the state. They specialize in new wave IPAs, mixed-fermentation barrel- or foeder-aged sours, fruited session sours, and silky smooth stouts and coffee beers. One of the first beers they offered when they opened but the visually stunning Violet Perception, a Berliner-style weisse made with butterfly pea blossoms, ginger, and lime. This purple brew is tart, tropical, and crisp, and offers the perfect way to ease into the brewery’s esoteric but impeccable lineup. Grab a table in the small but smart taproom (they fill up quickly on weekends) and enjoy these beers in perfect tasting glassware (even flights come in tall, fluted tulips).

Warped Wing Brewing Company | 10 Ton Oatmeal Stout

Dayton’s biggest brewery is also one of its best, with seasoned brewmaster John Haggerty turning out a mix of standards that disappear by the pint and barrel-aged rarities to be savored in snifters. While the latter might garner more buzz (and are certainly excellent), one of Warped Wing’s finest beers is available year round. 10 Ton Oatmeal Stout is named for the gigantic industrial crane that still spans the brewery interior from the building’s former life as an iron foundry. This 7% ABV seducer is bigger than old school oatmeal stouts, but soft and gentle, with subtle fruitiness from the English ale yeast and golden naked oats.

Yellow Springs Brewery | Handsome Brown Ale

Just east of Dayton is the eclectic small town of Yellow Springs, and the eponymous brewery produces an array of unique and worthwhile beers. Brown ales don’t get a lot of buzz these days, but Handsome is just about a perfect offering in the style. Roast and hoppiness are slightly elevated, but balance each other out. The smoked version of this beer earned the brewery a Great American Beer Festival medal in their first year of operation, and if you’re lucky enough to find it on tap while you’re there, certainly grab it. Take your pint to the leafy back patio along the Little Miami Scenic Trail and enjoy the Ohio weather (which will likely change while you’re sitting there).

Other Dayton-area beers to try: Carillon Coriander Ale, Mother Stewart’s Witbier, Dayton Beer Company Jalapeño Face, Eudora Le Cheval Magique, Fifth Street Jo Jo’s Midnight Stout

(Related: 12 Craft Beers That Taste Like … Beer!)

Columbus

A one-hour car ride east from Dayton along I-70 will land you in the state’s capital. The bustling city has more than 50 breweries and numerous fun little neighborhoods. Here are the highlights.

Columbus Brewing Company | Bodhi

Did you know some of the best double IPAs in the country come out of a 30-year-old brewery in central Ohio? Columbus Bodhi won bronze at the Great American Beer Festival in 2014, and its big brother Creeper won gold the same year. Bodhi is likely the better known of the two, appearing on numerous national best-of lists over the years. The Citra-hopped wonder is big, juicy, and smooth, belying its hefty strength. After being a production brewery decades, CBC recently opened a taproom just west of downtown. Head in and try these amazing IPAs.

Wolf’s Ridge Brewing | Clear Sky Daybreak

Thankfully, the days of coffee beers all being 10% ABV stouts are over. Wolf’s Ridge makes one of the best pale, lower-alcohol coffee beers to be found with Clear Sky Daybreak. Based on the cream ale style popular as a gateway beer for craft brewers around the state, Clear Sky Daybreak uses coffee from Columbus roaster One Line, and has an incredibly fresh coffee aroma in a light, 5% ABV package. While you’re there, be sure to dine in their wonderful restaurant, and try their elegant Red Legacy Flanders red ale.

Pretentious Barrel House | Magnanimous

Pretentious Barrel House exclusively produces barrel-aged sour ales, and they do a damn fine job of it. Founder Joshua Martinez has a gift for blending, and Magnanimous is a masterpiece. This beer won Best In Show at the Ohio Craft Brewers Cup in 2019. The brewery’s base dark sour ale spends 13 months in red wine barrels and has a fascinating balance of bright citrus, cherry, oak, chocolate, red wine, and perfectly calibrated acidity. If you make beer this good, you’re allowed to be a little pretentious.

Other Columbus-area beers to try: North High Cover Crop Beer, Land-Grant 1862 Kölsch, Seventh Son Humulus Nimbus

(Related: Feel at Home In This Ohio Brewery’s Airbnb)

Southeast & East

The rolling hills of rural eastern and southeastern Ohio serve as the western gateway of the Appalachian mountains. Tucked into the valleys and draped over the rises of this vibrant stretch of land are numerous small town and rural breweries producing beers both rustic and refined. While you’re in the area, be sure to do some hiking in Hocking Hills State Park and enjoy the region’s natural beauty.

Rockmill Brewery | Petite Saison

Rockmill Brewery brews what I hold to be among the best Belgian-style beers this side of the Atlantic, and they brew them in one of the most gorgeous brewery settings I’ve ever seen. A half-hour southeast of Columbus, their restored 18th century horse farm draped over a hilly property outside Lancaster is as idyllic as they come, with ample shade, a pond, and plenty of grassy spots to lay out a picnic blanket and drink their incredible beers. The brewery’s Petite Saison is the platonic ideal of a table saison; it’s dry, spritzy, and peppery, with subtle stone fruit esters. Drink glass after glass and watch the Ohio sun cross the sky. Just be sure to be down by the pond for sunset, with beer in hand.

Jackie O’s Brewery | Who Cooks For You?

Name a beer style, and Jackie O’s probably brews it. This incredibly prolific Ohio brewery in the charming college town of Athens makes IPAs, mixed-fermentation sours, barrel-aged behemoths, sessionable craft classics, and just about everything else, and does them all well. Who Cooks For You? (named after the onomatopoeia for the call of the barred owl) proves an established brewery can beat the new kids at their own game. This hazy pale ale is…well, it’s perfect. The body is soft and fluffy but defined, and the citrus and tropical hop flavor is held in the ideal center by malt sweetness and hop bitterness. Try this beauty and countless others at either of Jackie O’s three pub locations around Athens.

(More: How Do You Build a Strong Brewery? Jackie O’s Focuses on Home)

Little Fish Brewing Company | Smoked Helles

On a hillside property along the frayed, green hem of Athens sits one of the best brewers of mixed-fermentation beers in the country. Little Fish makes more excellent foeder-aged beers than I can list, and they’ve installed a koelschip as well. My favorite beer from them, however, couldn’t be farther from those flavor profiles. Their Smoked Helles is one of the best smoke beers I’ve ever tasted. It’s like a late summer campfire on the beach, the cool sand beneath you, the kiss of dry driftwood smoke in the air. Get a pint, settle in on the brewery’s beer garden overlooking the Kanawha River Railroad and a verdant pond, and enjoy the perfect August night inside your glass.

Wooly Pig Farm Brewery | Rustic Helles

Nestled on a ragged hillside near the Tuscarawas River, Wooly Pig Farm Brewery is modeled after the rural lager breweries of Franconia and northern Bavaria in Germany, where founder and brewmaster Kevin Ely has spent time. His rustic lagers are some of the best you’ll ever taste without a plane ticket to Germany, and sipping on large mugs of unfiltered helles, schwarzbier, or Pilsner straight from the lagering tanks while wandering the working farm property is like being transported to the Continent without leaving the state. Be sure to say hello to the namesake Mangalitsa pigs while you’re there!

Other eastern and southeastern Ohio beers to try: Portsmouth Brewing Company Red Bird Ale, Sandy Springs Meet Virginia, Lockport Gateway Cream Ale, JAFB Wooster New Stout

(More: Change is a Constant for Breweries That Stand the Test of Time)

Cleveland

This industrial powerhouse on the shore of Lake Erie hosts Ohio’s oldest and largest independent craft brewery (more on that below) and dozens of more recent additions pumping out fantastic beer. You’ll start your tour just southwest of the city, and then head to the historic Ohio City neighborhood in the heart of Cleveland.

Fat Head’s Brewery | Alpenglow

The most award-winning brewery in Ohio just can’t seem to do anything wrong. Fat Head’s continued their medal-grabbing ways at the Great American Beer Festival in October, winning three medals. You should definitely try those beers, along with their legendary Head Hunter IPA and Hop JuJu Imperial IPA, but my favorite of their beers didn’t win at GABF in 2019. That’s okay, because it won GABF gold in 2017, 2016, and 2014, and silver in 2012, along with World Beer Cup gold in 2018. Alpenglow just might be the best weizenbock out there, with a big banana and clove character, a rich malt foundation and a dry enough finish to keep it drinkable.

Great Lakes Brewing Company | Edmund Fitzgerald

One of the best and most decorated robust porters in American craft beer needs little introduction. Named for the ill-fated steel freighter that dove for the bottom of Lake Superior in 1975, Edmund Fitzgerald’s namesake was closely tied to Cleveland’s history. After being brewed for nearly 30 years, the beer is pretty tied to the city now as well. The Great Lakes brewpub in the historic Ohio City neighborhood has a beautiful mahogany bar where Eliot Ness once sat (and, if legends are true, was once shot at) and a fantastic food menu. Just be sure to save room for plenty of Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, as well as some taproom-only rarities.

Market Garden Brewery | Prosperity Wheat

Right around the block from Great Lakes sits Market Garden Brewery, who has seen several beers decorated at GABF, most recently their Prosperity Wheat. This hefeweizen is pretty much perfect, with assertive weizen yeast and a delicate balance between the lightly sweet wheat and pale malt and the dry, delicate finish. This beer also won Best In Show at the inaugural Ohio Craft Brewers Cup in 2018.

Other Cleveland-area beers to try: Noble Beast Murder Ballads Baltic Porter, Saucy Brew Works B.F. Hefe, Collision Bend Sixth City Alt, Willoughby Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter

Northern & Northwest

Heading west from Cleveland, skip the Ohio Turnpike and drive west along Lake Erie on Route 20 and Route 6 toward Toledo – it is one of the most scenic drives in the state. You can stop along the way to admire Ohio’s own Great Lake and watch freighters crossing the expanse from Detroit to ports east. Before you reach Toledo, you’ll cross a bridge across Sandusky Bay to your first northwest Ohio brewery.

(More: Form & Function: Brewery Visits with an Architect)

Twin Oast Brewing | Red Sun Saison

Twin Oast Brewing has one of the most idyllic properties of any brewery in the state. Located on a rural spread on Catawba Island (it’s actually a peninsula, but was once an island) jutting out into Lake Erie, Twin Oast Brewing is part of an active fruit farm, and much of the produce makes it into their beers. Enjoy the beautiful pastoral property with a Red Sun Saison in hand. This visually and aromatically lovely beer is the perfect match for the agrarian surroundings.

Father John’s Microbrewery | Dark Night of the Soul American Stout

Dr. John Trippy just wanted to save an old Methodist church built in 1867 in the small town and Bryan southwest of Toledo, as the building was falling into ruin. A brewery was never in the plans. But once he’d restored the stately structure, he had to find something to do with it. In 2012, he opened a brewery and restaurant in the former house of worship that now nourishes the body along with the spirit. Check out this gorgeous building filled with relics from all faiths, enjoy a hearty meal, and contemplate the eternal over a pint of Dark Night of the Soul. At the end of the night, you can stay in at the Stoned Goat Inn, an Airbnb lodging Father John’s operates in the former church parsonage.

Other northern or northwest Ohio beers to try: Laxton Hollow Lord Badger Bitter, Moeller Brew Barn Frogtown IPA, Maumee Bay Total Eclipse Breakfast Stout, Earnest Brew Works Crunchy Hippie

Cincinnati

Take a three-hour drive down I-75, or a more scenic and leisurely one down U.S. 127, and conclude your Ohio tour in the state’s largest metro area. Cincinnati might have the most robust and varied craft beer scene in the state, with over sixty breweries in its expansive and eclectic urban enclaves.

Urban Artifact | Paperweight

You’re not done with churches yet! Urban Artifact occupies a beautiful former Catholic church built in 1873, and their beers are among the more unique in the state. They’ve carved out a niche for themselves by specializing in shelf-stable, heavily-fruited sour ales. Their flagship line is the Midwest Fruit Tart series, which utilizes a rotating cast of fruits to create approachable sour ales that offer bridges to fans of wine and mixed drinks while still satisfying the palates of sour beer fans. Paperweight is brewed with an obscene amount of apricots and offers a remarkable fresh fruit flavor balanced out by the beer’s moderate acidity and 7.7% ABV strength.

MadTree Brewing | Happy Amber

Amber ales never get any love, but a well-made example can really be perfect in the right moment. MadTree’s 2.0 taproom is big and has the beer list to prove it, with 32 of their beers on at all times. There are plenty of great options at one of Cincinnati’s showcase brewery destinations, and you should definitely get a flight to try some of them. But don’t sleep on Happy Amber, a beer that won gold at GABF in 2018 as the top Extra Special Bitter in the country (albeit one with a distinctly American hop character). It’s endlessly drinkable and shows what this style can be in the right hands.

Brink Brewing | Hold the Reins

From one of Cincinnati’s largest breweries, we head to one of its smallest, but one whose stature far exceeds its barrelage. Brink Brewing in the College Hill neighborhood on the north side has won back-to-back Very Small Brewery of the Year awards at GABF, and has never failed to medal in its three years of existence. You won’t go wrong with Moozie Milk Stout, which has casually won consecutive golds at GABF, but I recommend the 4.6% ABV Hold the Reins English Mild. The beer has won three straight GABF medals, including two golds, and it’s just…well, perfect. A small beer from a small brewery, but it’s one of the best in Ohio, and the perfect way to finish out your beer tour of the state.

Other Cincinnati-area beers to try: Fretboard Vlad Pilsner, Fifty West 10&2 Barleywine, Listerman Team Fiona, Taft’s Gustav Vienna Lager, Christian Moerlein OTR Ale, Rhinegeist Café Ink

The post Around Ohio in 18 Beers appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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The answer is regional rail, and New York City is the perfect example. Numerous train lines radiate out from Penn Station and Grand Central Station in Manhattan, none more scenic or well suited for beer travel than the Hudson Line, which parallels its namesake river.

Between the cities of Yonkers and Poughkeepsie (the terminus), no less than a dozen breweries can be found in the small towns dotting this historic river valley, almost all of them a fairly short walk from the corresponding Metro North railroad station. So whether it’s one more hurrah to cap off summer travel, or a trip meant to dovetail with the Hudson Valley’s colorful peak fall foliage, here’s your guide to breweries near the Metro North train line from Westchester to Dutchess County.

NY Breweries Near the Metro North Train Line

Metro North Train Stop: Yonkers

From Grand Central, Yonkers is the first opportunity you’ll have to hop off Metro North to sample beers. Yonkers Brewing Company is a mere 400 feet from the train station, and its taproom opens at 11:30 am daily, earlier than many of the others farther up the line. With a full-service restaurant and 12 taps that run the gamut from a rye brown ale to a classic Bavarian-style hefeweizen, you might find it hard to move on from this early waypoint. Don’t give in to inertia. Instead, take a deep breath, finish that deep-fried hot dog you ordered for lunch, and check the timetable for the next train. Ray’s IPA, 914 Vienna lager, Honey Blonde, and Hop Runner IPA are all available by the six-pack, if you’re the type to buy liquid souvenirs.

Metro North Train Stop: Ossining

Perhaps best known for its maximum-security correctional facility, your next potential stop out of Manhattan is Ossining. A short 10 minute walk uphill from the station, you’ll find Sing Sing Kill Brewery. If you can’t decide what to order, try Killer Cream Ale, made with New York-grown Cascade hops and Pilsner malt from New York Craft Malt in the northwestern part of the state. At 10.25% ABV, the Triple Double IPA might be better suited for a sampler glass this early in the day. Those who skipped the food at Yonkers might want to order a locally-baked pretzel, savory tart or empanada here. Again, should you happen to sample something you really like on tap, look for it by the crowler in the to-go cooler.

Metro North Train Stop: Peekskill

From Ossining, ride north to Peekskill, a town that hugs the shoreline at a bend in the Hudson opposite Bear Mountain State Park. A stone’s throw from the train station on South Water Street, the family-owned Peekskill Brewery has been cranking out a steady variety of styles since 2008. A move from a cramped location a block away to its current four-story space has enabled the business to distribute beer more widely while also attracting plenty of urbanites to a more spacious restaurant with an expanded menu. Its pale ale, Amazeballs, picked up a silver medal in the International-style Pale Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival competition in 2013, but the margherita pizza with smoked mozzarella and basil practically begs for a glass of crisp, clean Skills Pils. And Peekskill is no longer the only game in town. Last year River Outpost Brewing Company opened in the waterfront entertainment complex called Factoria at Charles Point. Order a flight of four 4-ounce pours and admire the river views.

(VISIT: Epic Craft Beer Road Trip Along Route 66)

Metro North Train Stop: Beacon

To reach the next cluster of breweries, you’ll speed through Putnam County–its lone brewery is well out of striking distance from the train stop–and detrain in Beacon, home of Dia:Beacon, a large art museum that occupies an old factory building. Once again, beer is not far from the railroad in this river town. Follow West Main Street about three blocks north to reach 2 Way Brewing Company, complete with outdoor seating for sun seeking beer hunters. Eight taps offer just enough variety for a fleeting visit, and Confusion, a farmhouse ale fermented with a yeast strain isolated from a nearby farm’s black raspberry bush, is the pint to order if you’re only going to have one. The other beer company in town sits at the eastern end of Main Street on Fishkill Creek, a good half-hour walk from the Beacon station or a 10-minute ride on the free Beacon loop shuttle bus. Although only open four days a week, Hudson Valley Brewery has made a name for itself with variations on sour IPAs and double IPAs like Silhouette (brewed with raw wheat and hopped with Mosaic and Citra) or Glycerin (fruited and brewed with raw wheat, lactose, and malted oats).

Metro North Train Stop: New Hamburg

Without a sidewalk or multi-use trail to rely on, getting to Obercreek Brewing Company in the village of Wappinger Falls isn’t the easiest thing to do on foot. It’s also only open on Fridays and Saturdays. But if sipping heavily dry-hopped double IPAs and oak fermented wild ales conditioned on local fruit at a working farm sounds like your idea of a great afternoon, make time to visit. For those who decide to leave the train here, note that Wappingers Falls gained another brewery, Cousins Ale Works in 2018. Find it behind the Imperial Shopping Center on Route 9 and try the smoked stout.

Metro North Train Stop: Poughkeepsie

The Metro North’s Hudson Line ends in Poughkeepsie, where you’d need to switch to Amtrak if you somehow had the stamina to continue your ale trail by rail. Fortunately, there’s plenty to see and taste in the county seat of Dutchess County, starting with Mill House Brewing Company, a 15-minute walk from the station through Wheaton Park and down Mill Street. Year-round offerings like the German-style Kölsch called Köld One, and seasonal beers like Pandamonium imperial stout have helped Mill House expand production from its brewpub beginnings to a larger 20-barrel facility a few blocks away. Using the ground floor of an old hotel downtown, Poughkeepsie’s newest beer business, King’s Court Brewing Company opens its taproom four days a week to thirsty travelers and neighborhood regulars alike. The draft list typically includes juicy, hazy IPAs like Spiritual Affair, but King’s Court also makes Bat Exodus, a nitro coffee milk stout, a number of fruited sours, and a German-style Pilsner dubbed Chill Pill. Slightly farther from your public transportation back to Manhattan, Blue Collar Brewery sits on a quiet side street near College Hill Park. Don’t expect any trend chasing at this unassuming spot. Instead, count on tried and true styles like Irish Red Ale, Dry Irish Stout and IPA–of course. Finally, about two miles from town (call a cab for this one), Plan Bee Farm Brewery uses heritage grains, estate-grown hops, wild cultivated yeasts, and homegrown fruits and herbs to make beer with an Empire State of mind.

(VISIT: 9 Remarkable Brewery Taprooms to Visit)

If you made it all the way to Poughkeepsie, you’ve got a two-hour ride back to Manhattan, and the last train south isn’t going to wait for stragglers. Then again, a hotel room might sound better than a passenger car after a day of beer touring. And with so many Hudson Valley breweries to visit, you could always save a few for a return trip.

The post Riding the Rails: NY Hudson Valley Breweries Near the Metro North Train Line appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Exploring the Great River Road

The first documented Europeans to see the Mississippi River were Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto and his entourage in 1541. Then in 1673, Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Jolliet paddled canoes from Wisconsin as far south as present-day Arkansas. The former came for gold, the latter for souls.

But the truth is for several centuries an entire people, known to archaeologists as the Mississippians, settled along the river. They built earthen pyramids and used the waterway to trade with communities north and south.

The river remained a highway, and even today barges move freight and cruise boats carry travelers up and down its length. Things have changed in the age of the automobile, but people still love the river and tour along it on what is known as the Great River Road.

Developed in 1938, this system of connecting highways–some national, some state and even a few county roads–runs the length of the 2,348-mile Mississippi River through 10 states.

Along this National Scenic Byway, you’ll find more than 70 museums and historic sites chronicle fascinating stories of the Mississippi River Valley, from the birthplace of Mark Twain to Civil War battles to the roots of blues music. State and national parks and wildlife refuges abound. Experience friendly small-town America at one stop and the bright lights of the big city at the next. Minneapolis/St. Paul, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans anchor the road trip, from north to south.

Remember that the route changes highways many times, so watch the signs. You can get a free map that provides all the major cities, towns and highway numbers on the Great River Road’s website. The Federal Highway Commission also breaks the route down by state with even clearer directions.

Pack some empty growlers and a good cooler and discover craft breweries along the Great River Road.

(VISIT: Breweries and Brewpubs in Historic U.S. Locations)

Breweries Along the Great River Road

Minnesota Breweries

The headwaters of the Mississippi gather inside the glacially formed Lake Itasca in Itasca State Park. Here the mighty river is a modest stream. You can wade across without getting your knees wet. Ironically, the river first heads north from here on its journey to the Gulf. That first stretch from Itasca to Minneapolis/St. Paul runs about 380 miles, crossing the river 18 times on single route, before becoming two routes on either side of the wider river.

After you’ve wet your toes at the source, the first place to wet your whistle is at Bemidji Brewing. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign, the brewery opened in 2013 in a former drugstore and has had incremental expansions since. The beers switch up constantly with a robust porter and IPA typically among the 12 on tap. Its ample taproom menu of burgers, flatbreads and gyros pairs nicely with them. Bemidji Brewing does fill other branded growlers–not always a given in Minnesota.

After Bemidji, you’ll find craft beer in Grand Rapids at Klockow Brewing, in Crosby at Cuyuna Brewing, on either side of the river in Brainerd (Roundhouse Brewery) to the east and Baxter (Jack Pine Brewery) to the west as you come down out of the Northwoods.

Then stop at Starry Eyed Brewing in Little Falls, a big pole barn with a picnic-table taproom insight of the brewhouse. Play a little cribbage or other board games with your sample flight. Along with some well-received standard beers, try the Tapfoolery and Hopfoolery beers, weekly changing small batches. There’s free popcorn and bonfires in the beer garden at night.

You’re on Minnesota 15 as you roll into St. Cloud, which puts you a block away from Pantown Brewing. If you want to head downtown before continuing south, Beaver Island is three blocks from the river on Minnesota 23. County Road 75 runs through Monticello, right past Rustech Brewing, then on to Anoka for 10K Brewing and Coon Rapids, home of Alloy Brewing.

(PHOTOS: Breweries and Brewpubs in Historic Buildings)

Minneapolis/St. Paul

The Twin Cities represent the first metropolis of brewing on this road trip, and you could spend a couple weeks here. The National Park Service’s Mississippi River Visitor Center is in St. Paul within the Science Museum of Minnesota. If you can’t decide on which of the dozens of breweries to visit, start in the brewery-dense northeast Minneapolis neighborhood with a number of great options including Dangerous Man, Indeed and Fair State. The entire area is walkable.

The veteran Summit Brewing in St. Paul overlooks the river. Edgy Surly Brewing and its production brewery and beer hall opened in 2014 as a destination brewery. Mission accomplished. The brewery’s Furious IPA is quite popular and crosses state lines, and the creamy Coffee Bender ale is smooth enough for breakfast.

Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery is one of the “old guard” here dating back to 1997. They produce more than 50 beers each year and there are 17 on tap plus some casks. And the food is good. Pryes Brewing sits along the riverbank with a large taproom and a patio with water views. Citrusy Miraculum IPA and a raspberry Berliner Weisse are staples on the 12-tap menu, which includes cask ales and a bit of barrel-aged beers. Only pre-filled growlers and cans are for sale.

South of the Twin Cities, at Hastings, the route splits so you can travel on either side of the river from that point on. Stop in at the family-run, community-focused Spiral Brewery, named for a historical bridge that once crossed the river. The brewery is steps from the modern bridge and two miles from where the river meets the St. Croix and becomes the state line. For Wisconsin, you could cross the Mississippi on U.S. 61 and follow U.S. 10 east to pick up Wisconsin 35 to continue south.

But consider staying on U.S. 61 south to Red Wing on the river, home to the factory of the famous shoe brand and, of course, Red Wing Brewing for a draft and a house pizza. Before and after Red Wing, the highway deviates from the river, but 10 miles south of town it follows closely along the edge with rising bluffs to your right.

Reads Landing Brewing in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of the same name occupies an 1869 dry goods store. Cremona Cream Ale is the staple with a rotation of others, and the river is steps away with river and rail traffic frequently passes. The brewery has a full menu and the shrimp and grits is a nice foreshadowing of where this trip is heading. Winona is the last beer stop in Minnesota. Island City Brewing has reliable core beers and some well regarded rotating brews.

(VISIT: Great Brewery Rooftops)

Wisconsin Breweries

From Winona you can continue south to cross into Wisconsin at La Crosse on the U.S. 14 Bridge that takes you right into downtown. La Crosse is a pleasant stop, with Turtle Stack Brewing in the historic downtown a block off the river, 608 Brewing, the newest addition, and Pearl Street Brewery, a brewing powerhouse in a converted shoe factory. They brew Linalool, an American-style IPA that uses Northern Discovery hops, a recently discovered Wisconsin variety. Riverboat tours are available in season from the park downtown. As you head south out of La Crosse, pass the former G. Heileman Brewery (now City Brewery, not open to the public) to see the world’s largest six-pack. Get a selfie with their statue of King Gambrinus, a legendary beer hero of Europe, often erroneously referred to as brewing’s patron saint.

Wisconsin 35 follows close along the river. The towering bluffs continue from here. You can expect eagle sightings, and a few small towns here and there looking west across the river at Minnesota, and then Iowa 5 miles south of Genoa. After Prairie du Chien, cross the Wisconsin River and at Bloomington, the Great River Road hops to Wisconsin 133 as it heads closer to the river again.

The next stop is an historical one and you won’t want to miss it. Potosi, Wisconsin, was home to its namesake Potosi Brewing from 1852 to 1972. The maker of Good Old Potosi Beer occupied a four-story brick building just off the big river, and for years after its closing–despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places–the property gradually deteriorated to the point where a tree actually grew out of the rooftop. But town members had a plan to bring it back to life and formed the Potosi Brewery Foundation.

In 2003, the American Breweriana Association was looking for a home for a proposed museum that would feature members’ collections. This town of just over 700 residents made a proposal and won, beating out Milwaukee and St. Louis. The foundation managed to raise enough money in grants and donations to fund this $7.5 million project, and in 2008, the museum, with more than 70 exhibits of historical items from breweries all across the United States, opened its doors. The Great River Road Interpretive Center and Transportation Museum also took up residence here. But most importantly, Potosi Brewing fired up its brew kettles once again.

The brewery has since added a larger production facility and distributes in bottles and cans throughout Wisconsin. The onsite restaurant serves great food and features 14 beers on tap, including some barrel-aged beers and other rare varieties.

(BEERCATION: Breweries Along the California Zephyr Train Route)

Iowa & Illinois Breweries

Once you leave Wisconsin, the beer-focused route is going to hop back and forth between these two states. Past Potosi, breweries along the Great River Road continue on U.S. 61 and it crosses to Iowa at Dubuque, home of the National Mississippi River Museum. Halfway across the river is Hamm Island where you can stop in at Catfish Charlie’s Brew Pub for Catfish Creek beers off their two-barrel system. The restaurant is known for its southern-style seafood. The river is right outside. 7 Hills Brewery is located in an old warehouse in the historic mill district. Beers range from pilsner and session pale ales to something a bit less common such as sours and a smoked stout. The food menu includes burgers, pizzas and other pub fare. Throw Dimensional Brewing and the highly regarded Jubeck New World Brewing in there, and Dubuque becomes a great stop for the night.

At this point along the Great River Road, you need to choose a side of the river. That is unless you decide to backtrack and hit everything all the way down to the Gulf. Here, you can cross into Illinois, and Galena is the first beer town and is a tourist attraction in itself; the city has an impressive collection of preserved 19th-century buildings amid picturesque rolling hills. From Dubuque take U.S. 20 into Illinois and its 14 miles to Galena Brewing Co. You could cut back to the Iowa side at the Quad Cities.

Continuing south, find Bellevue with the family-run nanobrewery, River Ridge Brewing, then Le Claire, home of Green Tree Brewery and the Mississippi Valley Welcome Center.

Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline make up the Quad Cities. Yes, we realize that is actually five. Davenport features Front Street Brewery. It was founded in 1992 and now occupies two locations four blocks apart on Front Street: the brewery and taproom and the brewpub with a full food menu. They tap weekly firkins. Great River Brewing, also just off the river, provides seasonal outdoor seating and has a reputation for a steady production of experimental brews.

On the Illinois side, Bent River Brewing has brewpub locations in both Rock Island and Moline. Continuing south on the Great River Road on the Iowa side, it’s a 40-minute drive to Muscatine and Contrary Brewing, where you can find 20 small-batch beers on tap, with the menu constantly changing. Drive another hour to Burlington for Parkside Brewing and yet another Bent River location if you missed the other two.

Fort Madison is another 20 minutes south, with Lost Duck Brewery, housed in a couple 1864 brick buildings right on the river. Last call in Iowa is another half-hour south in Keokuk at V’s Restaurant and Brewpub. The beer list balances between lighter, easy-drinking brews and bolder styles. Try the spicy fried pickles as an appetizer. From Keokuk cross the Des Moines River and enter Missouri south of town.

(READ: Finding Craft Beer at Amusement Parks)

Missouri Breweries

Hannibal is the birthplace of Samuel Clemens, the Mississippi River’s biggest writer, and has a brewery honoring him, within sight of the … well, not the water, but the earthen dike that keeps it out of town. Mark Twain Brewing offers Twain-themed brews (Jumping Frog IPA, Huck Finn’s Habanero Apricot Wheat) and sits across the street from his childhood home, which is now a museum.

Heading south on the west side of the river following Missouri 79, the Great River Road takes you two hours to another brewery mecca: St. Louis. Stop in and see (or go up in) the 630-foot Gateway Arch on the banks of the Mississippi. The water runs south, but American music moved north. Blues came up out of the Mississippi Delta, putting down roots here and in Memphis. Beyond the Arch National Park, head west to visit the National Blues Museum.

Notable for their wild and sour beers, Perennial Artisan Ales maintains separate brewery spaces for the funky and non-funky brewing. The adjacent Taproom is in a converted industrial space. It has an ever-changing short menu and is both family-friendly and open to dogs. Along with the 12 beers on tap, there are typically as many or more in bottles, most of which are for carryout.

Head toward downtown and you will cross the Historic Route 66 (another great craft beer road trip, by the way) and find 4 Hands Brewery with 14 on tap, with a good mix of standards and seasonals and a bit of barrel-aging and a sour program.

Urban Chestnut Brewing has a location with a beer garden in the heart of downtown, but its first location farther west has a separate area for trying test batches. The brewery is best known for its excellent treatment of German-style beers.

If history appeals to you, cross the river and the east-side Great River Road passes by Cahokia, a National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It reveals the history of the Mississippian people who built earthen pyramids here long before Europeans arrived.

Otherwise, stay on U.S. 61 heading south from St. Louis, and your next stop is 30 miles away in Festus, home of Main & Mill Brewing. The ground floor is a family restaurant but there’s also a taproom upstairs with a covered deck.

After that, you’ll do a little state-line zig-zag as you cross the river into Illinois twice. First stop is 50 miles south of Festus where you take the Missouri 51 bridge back over to Chester, Illinois to visit St. Nicholas Landmark Brewpub. Located in an 1830 landmark building (get it?) this is the second location of the Du Quoin-based brewpub (which also occupies an historic building). In Chester, the brewpub stands on the banks of the Mississippi, offers 12 St. Nicholas beers on tap, and serves burgers, sandwiches and appetizers such as Pint of Bacon and St. Nick Fries (beer cheese, buffalo sauce and bacon bits).

Drive back over the bridge and stay on Missouri 51 south 13 miles to Perryville for Jackson Street BrewCo, a three-barrel operation making some impressive beers that go well with its brick-oven pizzas. New small and experimental batches pop up every two weeks.

From here the route connects down to Cape Girardeau, where you find a twofer: Minglewood Brewery and Ebb and Flow Fermentations. Then it’s back into Illinois one more time, heading south to Cairo, Illinois. From there you cross the Ohio River into Kentucky and head south where that river gives up its water to the Mississippi.

Kentucky

And here’s where breweries along the Great River Road run dry, so to speak. It’s not a surprise, given the state’s patchwork of dry counties, but at the time of writing, there was not a single brewery along this stretch. But the territory does have plenty of natural beauty. U.S. 51 takes you through Kentucky connecting to Kentucky 94 to bring you back toward the river and cross into Tennessee (Kentucky 94 becomes Tennessee 78). Just before the border, check out Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge. Feast or famine. Your next stop more than makes up for it.

(VISIT: Breweries with Hotels, Inn, Campgrounds and More)

Tennessee Breweries

The Tennessee selection of breweries along the Great River Road perks up with you reach the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Memphis. With plenty of blues and barbecue to pair with your beers, you also have a bevy of attractions to explore: Graceland, Memphis Rock’n’Soul Museum, Sun Studios, the National Civil Rights Museum and more.

If you plan to stroll Beale Street, the closest brewery is High Cotton Brewing, with up to 10 beers on tap. Ghost River Brewing is closer to the river itself, and a 20-minute walk off of the west end of Beale. Its mainstays are very approachable with a cream ale, golden ale and Irish-style red which are also bottled, and the brewery brings out Oktoberfest and other seasonals. Brewers’ Series beers go experimental. No food here but food trucks often serve and so do other local vendors.

While Memphis is not as beer-sodden as St. Louis or the Twin Cities, there are enough breweries to easily fill two or three days if you take in some of the sights.

(VISIT: Craft Breweries in Beach Towns)

Mississippi Breweries

Rest up in Memphis — it’s about a four-hour drive to Vicksburg and Key City Brewing. It was founded in 2018 by a brewer who cut his teeth in the San Diego beer community. The brewery quickly made a name for itself with the easy-drinking blonde ale Mississippi Queen. Other styles include IPAs, stouts, sours and more, but Belgian-style beer is where the brewer and his wife got their inspiration to open a brewery. Expect to see some on the tap list. And as they share the address with Cottonwood Public House, you have craft cocktails and artisanal pizza as well.

Continuing south on U.S. 61, you arrive in Natchez and Natchez Brewing.

Owner and founder Lisa Miller hails from Plymouth, United Kingdom. She met her future husband and brewer, Patrick, while he served in the U.S. Marines. They settled here, in Patrick’s birthplace. The beers are available also in bottles and their Wild Ale Series is notable. Pizza Lab serves wood-fired pies in the taproom.

Cross the Mississippi here and continue on the west side track. It’s closer to the river and more scenic. Plus, another 45 miles south, the Mississippi River, which initially forms the border between Mississippi and Louisiana, passes fully into the latter. After that, Louisiana owns this journey to the last pint.

(READ: 9 Remarkable Brewery Taprooms)

Louisiana Breweries

A couple hours south of Natchez is Baton Rouge where Tin Roof Brewing is on the east side of the river just south of U.S. 10. Voodoo, a hazy, dry-hopped American pale ale is a mainstay. Ten taps include a nitro line and many of their beers are canned. Watch for scheduled free tours.

After Baton Rouge, the river and route make their bend to the east, which brings you to the Big Easy. New Orleans seems to have lined up most of its breweries along the river. Take your pick. Just off Frenchmen Street, the city’s popular stretch of music venues, Brieux Carre Brewing runs a seven-barrel system to keep a dozen rotating beers on tap. The brewery name is a play on Vieux Carré, the French Quarter.

Parleaux Beer Lab, as the name suggests, plays around with its beers putting an emphasis on creativity rather than devotion to style. The taproom opens to the street and a pebbled beer garden has ample seating with a bit of shade.

NOLA Brewing founder Kurt Coco was stunned to find that an old standard, Dixie Beer, was no longer brewed locally. So he opened a brewery and brought in one of Dixie’s former brewers and as a result fixed it. They started with a blonde and a brown ale, and now produce eight staples year-round, plus some seasonals. They’re all available in cans. NOLA Brewing has some rooftop seating at their taproom and serves good barbecue to go with their 20 taps. Most of those beers are available in cans as four-packs and six-packs, and some come in crowlers. Tours are available at the brewery.

Fortunately for beer lovers, the Big Easy lies near the finish line and you could lose a few days here celebrating. But if you really want to be precise, pack a couple growlers and follow Louisiana 23 the last 75 miles to Venice, where the Great River Road officially ends.

The post Epic Craft Beer Road Trip: Breweries Along the Great River Road appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

From coast to coast, and from mountain views to wooded forests, disc golfers love to pair their sport with the culture of craft beer. Combining the two offers a way to step into the great outdoors, be a part of a community and experience the local vibes.

Anderson Valley Brewing’s Big Idea: Disc Golf

Almost 20 years ago, current brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in northern California, Fal Allen, remembers playing different outdoor games with his co-workers after the workday. Eventually someone said: how about disc golf?

The owners agreed. And four baskets were initially installed on the way to an 18-hole course that would become the nation’s first disc golf course at a brewery.

“A lot of craft breweries are outdoors and support outdoor lifestyle,” said Allen. “Disc golf is a way to get out and walk around and enjoy yourself.”

The structure of disc golf is similar to ball golf, in which courses are composed of nine or 18 holes that have designated pars. Discs are designed with different purposes in mind – such as drivers, mid-ranges, and putters – and are thrown toward metal baskets to complete the round.

Visitors heading to the Anderson Valley Brewing course can purchase a special beer for disc golfers — a light pale ale called Hop Hyzer Ale — to pair with a free game on the tranquil par 3 course. Or for more serious disc golfers, sign up for the brewery’s annual Boontfling Disc Golf Tournament, and enjoy the camaraderie with world-class disc golfers.

The sport helps beer-drinkers get outside, especially at courses such as Dry Dock Brewing Co.’s 9-hole track in Aurora, Colorado. Golfers there play in view of the Rocky Mountains.

And disc golf is not just for blue-bird weather. Some breweries support the local disc golf community stay active in the winter.

Dry Dock organizes an indoor putting league during the snowy months, in which members play in the open space of the brewery’s 30,000-square-foot warehouse. As they putt for prizes, they can enjoy beers such as Dry Dock’s Hazy IPA or a Sour Apricot brew.

(READ: Beach Town Breweries)

A Part of Something Bigger

One reason Dry Dock’s disc golf course begins right outside the tasting room (where visitors can pick up a scorecard or borrow a loaner disc), is to really be a part of a community.

“We have all this space, so why not do it,” said Gabe Masry, assistant tap room manager. “It’s been a good thing — we all support each other pretty well.”

Bevel Craft Brewing in Bend, Oregon, focuses on community and creating a place that feels like home for both advanced disc golfers and those curious about the sport (or curious about the brewery’s specialty hop-forward beers). Colorful discs line the walls of the tasting room, and the TV behind the bar almost always airs coverage of disc golf tournaments across stunning landscapes.

Nate and Valarie Doss, husband and wife owners of the brewery, opened a tasting room earlier this year. The couple each grew up in disc golfing families — Valarie in northeastern Ohio and Nate in Santa Cruz, California. They both earned multiple professional world champion disc golf titles. Valarie says that when creating a community through beer and disc golf, it’s great because you never know who will walk through the doors.

“In disc golf, you meet so many new people and that is what every encounter is,” she said. “You learn about the community through these people.”

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

Disc Golf and Craft Beer Share Local Experience

While the disc golf and craft beer communities both operate on national and international levels, there is a joy of visiting different locales to experience what’s special in each destination.

“What got us to this point is traveling through disc golf. We got to the smallest corner of the states, and there would be a craft brewery. They would have local flavors and local culture and always had the best beer. That grew our passion for craft beer and staying local,” Valarie said.

Valarie mentions that disc golfers will go across the country to play a course, and the same with beer lovers to find a beer. Husband Nate adds that what is most important for them is the community, the traveling, the excitement of a new course, and, of course, meeting people.

It all adds up to learning, enjoying and being a part of the local land and its community.

“The correlation comes in the concept of when you play a course you want to drink the local beer, and a lot of disc golfers want to do that. You play a new course and you want to drink a new beer. It’s great that they want to support local in that way,” Allen said.

Grassroots Cultures Connecting People

Anderson Valley’s brewmaster, along with many others in the brewing industry, see disc golf and craft beer both as growing countercultures. They are set apart from the mainstream and provide a certain type of enjoyment.

The Dosses agree that both passions are of a grassroots origin, and connect with people on a similar wavelength. Masry says that both still fly under the radar for many people.

“Disc golf is to golf, as craft beer is to wine,” Nate Doss says.

The intricacies and elements that contribute to both pursuits are varied in the creation of experience. If you enjoy craft beer, Valarie said, you can step back and understand what it takes to produce that — just like disc golf.

(READ: Ice Cream and Craft Beer Flights in Boise)

“Like any sport, disc golf can be competitive and frustrating — a real trial of creativity and wills, where sometimes those two things align perfectly and others they don’t align at all,” explained Alex Weaver, communications director of Smuttynose Brewing Co. in Hampton, New Hampshire. It established a 9-hole course in 2016 around its brewery grounds.

“In that way, it can be a lot like brewing beer: innovation, creativity, consistency and attention to detail are championed above all else, but sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.”

So whether a seasoned disc golfer, or seasoned beer-drinker, hitting the course this summer at regional breweries is an experience of surprise, connection and being a part of community — and raising a pint over the sound of ringing chains.

The post Disc Golf and Craft Beer Score a Win Combining Grassroots Movements appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

New Glarus Brewing Co. at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark | Lake Geneva, WI

You can’t buy New Glarus anywhere but in Wisconsin, and the one beer you shouldn’t miss is the Spotted Cow, an American cream ale that many refer to as the state’s beer. This is one reason Timber Ridge made it the main craft beer it carries. “We’re always looking to support local businesses, and it’s a win-win for us, as our guests love the ‘only sold in Wisconsin’ Spotted Cow,” says Jesse Kearns, resort manager of Timber Ridge. But that’s not your only choice here. After a long day at the Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark, you can also kick back with a Bits & Pieces Mosaic IPA from Public Craft Brewing Co. or a Fresh Haze IPA from Deschutes Brewery.

Grove Roots Brewing Co. at LEGOLAND Florida Resort | Winter Haven, FL

Travelers are always looking for local connections in food, drinks and activities, which is why LEGOLAND, a major Florida tourism destination, reached out to Grove Roots. “They wanted to partner with their hometown brewery, and we’re excited to bring in artisanal beers inspired by central Florida,” says Joe Dunham, owner and founder of Grove Roots. Three areas of the park currently offer its beers – the Water Park, Fun Town Pizza and Pasta Buffet, and Dragon’s Den in the Lego Kingdoms – and among those locations, guests can always find three flagship beers (Wakes of Grain American Amber Ale, Slanted Ladders White Pale Ale and Rind & Shine Citrus Witbier) and one seasonal. Since September 2018, Grove Roots’ beer has been well received by beer-loving guests who not only get a local experience but a tasty one at that. “Because the brewery is right down the road, the beer is always fresh,” Dunham adds.

Yuengling Brewery at Hersheypark | Hershey, PA

Pennsylvania takes a lot of pride in Yuengling, one of America’s oldest breweries, and one that’s still independently operated by the family today. Ten years ago when Hersheypark–another name synonymous with Pennsylvania–began selling Yuengling Traditional Lager on draft, the relationship couldn’t have been any more ideal. “As two iconic Pennsylvania brands, it felt like a natural fit to partner with Hersheypark,” say Debbie and Wendy Yuengling, sixth-generation family members at the brewery. In 2018, the park opened its 182 Pavilion in Pioneer Frontier that now offers a wider selection of Yuengling beers, including the Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Black & Tan, and Golden Pilsner.

Yee-Haw Brewing Co. at The Island | Pigeon Forge, TN

Yee-Haw opened its location on The Island in June of 2018, and business hasn’t slowed down since then. “This location generates high traffic flow, which is great for getting our brands exposed to consumers and allowing sampling opportunities,” says Steve Montano, vice president of sales and marketing at Yee-Haw. The brewery has five core brands, including a dunkel, IPA, Kolsch, pale ale, and its Eighty Shilling Scottish Ale, which are always available. You’ll also find the brewery’s seasonal and high-gravity beers on tap, giving you plenty of reasons to say yee-haw.

Sycamore Brewing at Carowinds | Charlotte, NC

When an amusement park opens a new roller coaster, it often wants to do so with a bang – or in this case, a beer. “The Copperhead Strike is a cool, unique ride and the park wanted to find a way to get the word out in a new and unique way,” says Archie Gleason, vice president of sales with Sycamore Brewing. Because Carowinds’ guests were becoming more interested in craft beer, the park decided to create a special beer and went looking for a Carolina-born partner, hence the connection to Sycamore. The brewery crafted the Copperhead Strike IPA, which is available at all three of the park’s restaurants and its general market. Although this is the first season for the coaster and its accompanying beer, all signs are pointing to this beer flying high.

Of course, these five amusement and entertainment parks aren’t the only ones in the country where you can find craft brews. They’re just the ones that popped up on our beer radar first. The good news from all this? Craft beer lovers now have another venue where they can sip – and support – local.

The post What a Thrill! Finding Craft Beer at Amusement Parks appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Maine Beer Co. | Freeport, ME

Freeport is not a traditional beach town. You won’t find soft, sandy beaches but instead you’ll find rustic coastline bordered by woods. Thousands of tourists flock to Freeport in the summer for the hiking, biking and all things outdoors. Anne Marisic, with Maine Beer Co., says this locale inspires their beer. “Lunch, our West Coast style IPA, was named after a whale spotted off the coast of Maine by our nonprofit partners Allied Whale. The whale looked like she had a bite out of her dorsal fin, hence the name Lunch.” Their Woods & Waters IPA was named for Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Surrounded by the best Mother Nature has to offer, Maine Beer Co. gives 1 percent gross annual sales to environmental causes. Their new tasting room opened in March.

Eight-Foot Brewing | Cape Coral, FL

Eight-Foot Brewing embraces its waterside location along the Caloosahatchee River, 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, from its name and octopus logo to its ingredients. “It has allowed us to hand pick an assortment of fresh fruits many other breweries may not have the opportunity to do,” explains owner and brewer Roger Phelps. “These include mangoes, guavas, starfruit and prickly pears.” Despite Florida’s subtropical climate, Phelps says they get a lot of requests for darker beer styles. Eight-Foot Brewing just previewed two new beers: a sour beer and a sessionable porter that was barrel-aged for six weeks. Hosting monthly markets with local art and food, it’s a true community gathering place in Cape Coral..

Coronado Brewing Company | Coronado, CA

You can’t get a more “beachy” vibe than at a brewery on an island. Coronado Brewing Company was founded on Coronado Island in 1996. Both customers and employees fit into the laid back San Diego vibe as surfers, fishers or just all-around beachgoers. “We take our beer seriously, but not ourselves,” says marketing director Melody Crisp. They have a small-batch brewing system at their original brewery on Coronado Island and have a lot of small-batch beers in constant rotation. Their newest year-round beer, Leisure Lagoon Hazy Pale Ale, shows their beachside inspiration is ever present.

Monkey Fist Brewing | Traverse City, MI

I know what you’re thinking. A “beach town” brewery in Michigan? But for millions of people in the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes is a go-to beach vacation destination. Cities along the shores of Lake Michigan know that and aim to fill that craft beer longing. Monkey Fist gets its name from a sailing knot of the same name. Their motto is: Vacation in a pint glass! “Our goal is to make Michiganers think of Grand Traverse Bay, sitting in the sand or a laying in a hammock as they sip one of the clean crisp fresh beers we produce,” explains Fred Chapman, co-founder of Monkey Fist. Talk about local sourcing: One of their brewers actually grows hops, which they use in several recipes. It doesn’t get any more local than that. Monkey Fist is currently starting to can their beers and expand its market, so keep an eye out for them.

Lazy Beach | Corpus Christi, TX

“It is Lazy Beach after all, not ambitious beach. We want people to slow down, relax and be lazy,” explains Cory Mathews, owner of Corpus Christi’s Lazy Beach Brewing – but Lazy Beach may be more ambitious than they let on. They’ve had at least one new beer every week at the taproom since it opened in June 2015. But their beachy vibe is what prevails and their customers know it’s a place to relax and enjoy a summer beverage. “One very popular beer that we do every year is our Kook, a cucumber saison,” says Mathews. They also have a hard kombucha that is tart, sour and a little sweet with a 5.5% ABV. “Be lazy, be happy” is a mantra they tout at Lazy Beach.

Last Wave Brewing | Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Co-founder/brewer Bert Roling with Last Wave Brewing says the beach is the inspiration for their beer recipes, especially their summer seasonal called Lightly Salted. It combines elements from Kolsch, gose, and pale ale recipes. “What resulted was a delightfully fruity summer crusher that has a subtle sweetness, like salting a perfectly ripe watermelon,” describes Roling. Last Wave modeled their tasting room after co-founder/brewer’s Nick Jiorle grandmother’s garage. It was their hangout place when they were teens growing up. It’s a comfy place with some surfboards and a few chairs. You won’t find any seashells in Last Wave’s tasting room but you will find a full cadre of craft beer.

Chandeleur Island Brewing | Gulfport, MS

The small beach towns along the Gulf of Mexico have a different vibe than big beach destinations. And so do their craft beers, says Chandeleur Island’s brewmaster, Dave Reese. “Things tend to move a little slow here,” explains Reese. “We brew beers that are easy drinking, approachable, and never pretentious.” But don’t let the relaxed attitude fool you. Reese is an advanced Cicerone and takes his brewing seriously. Chandeleur has a Gulf Sour series of beers that are fruit forward and balance acidity with sweetness. The tasting room has 12 rotating beers on tap and they try to put one to two new beers on tap each week.

SeaQuake Brewing | Crescent City, CA

A path from SeaQuake Brewing’s front door leads to a lighthouse and you can see the harbor, jetty and Northern California’s majestic redwood trees from the front windows. “From the ever-changing moods of the ocean to the stability of our towering redwood trees, there is such variety in our environment as there is in our varied beer styles that we offer,” explains Matt Wakefield, one of SeaQuake’s founders. “We start with water from our local Smith River, one of the cleanest undammed rivers in the world.” SeaQuake isn’t afraid of change, distributing their beers in 12, 16 and 19.2 oz cans and producing kombucha (cleverly marketed as SeaBucha). SeaQuake is a full-service restaurant with Green Certified Restaurant status, showing its environmentally friendly standards.

Dog Rose Brewing Company | St. Augustine, FL

Dog Rose opened its doors in 2017 and the brewery is enjoying its “freshman/sophomore years,” so to speak. “I’m well aware that in five years they will be having meetings about meetings to design beers and orchestrate their releases, so, for now, we are enjoying flying by the seat of our pants,” explains Doug Murr, founder and head brewer. Some of those beers include a Flanders-inspired sour and a hibiscus/ginger/orange blossom honey wheat (can you ship that to Georgia for me please?). The fun doesn’t stop there – Murr says they have a small wine list, handcrafted snacks, and a couple of 16-foot shuffleboard courts.

Good Hops Brewing | Carolina Beach, NC

Unlike most places along North Carolina’s beach coast, Good Hops Brewing has no TVs or live music. Instead, they focus on providing a relaxed, local gathering place. Part of their mission when launching Good Hops was to be a community hub that also welcomes the flood of tourists that hit Carolina Beach in spring and summer. But that doesn’t mean it’s boring! How about 4.5 acres of disc golf, anyone? As for the beer, they craft it all locally with some of their most popular ones being fruit-infused. “Our summer offerings – Donna Golden Ale (Flagship) with Pineapple, Georgia on My Mind (Peach/Jalapeno) and Bilyberry Wheat (with fresh local blueberries) are aggressively sought after,” says founder Richard Jones.

Whether your next vacation takes you to a beach town or the mountains, let the CraftBeer.com Brewery Finder help you find brewpubs and breweries near you this summer.

The post Soak Up Vacation Vibes at Craft Breweries in Beach Towns appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Today, Knoxville’s ale trail consists of nearly 20 breweries. The craft beer scene here thrives in its brewing community. As Roy Milner of Blackberry Farm Brewery puts it, “There’s a true sense of fellowship to it. I feel like most everyone in our brewers association gets along well, there’s a willingness to help, there’s a willingness to spend time together, and that’s the definition of community.”

And Knoxville is a city that supports its craft beer. Businesses have sprung up left and right to support the cause. Local beers appear on tap walls all over town. You can visit a local hop farm or enroll in a professional or homebrewing course at the local brewing school. From all-female brew crews to glass-blowing demonstrations, each of these Knoxville breweries offers something exciting.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

Checking in on Knoxville Breweries

Crafty Bastard

Black Kölsch, Hawaiian BBQ Pale Ale, Smoky Mountain Shroom Ale and a Thai Tea Milkshake IPA? You can only find this list of one-of-a-kind craft brews at the Crafty Bastard Brewery. Aaron McClain and Jen Parker founded the brewery in 2014, after a cross-country beer trip inspired them to show Knoxville their take on craft beer. They wanted to showcase their beer in a brewery that would cultivate the community of Knoxville and bring people together over great craft beer. “I want craft beer to not feel so centric to one type of human,” Parker says. “I want it to expand and encompass all walks of life, so that anyone can bond over a pint.”

A trip to Crafty Bastard doesn’t just end with a great beer. With a robust rotation of food trucks throughout the week (all with vegan/vegetarian options), there’s always something tasty to go with your beer. If you find yourself exploring West Knoxville, you’re still in luck, as they’ve recently opened up a satellite location there to better serve the masses.

(TRAVEL: Plan Your Next Beercation)

Clinch River Brewing

A little north of downtown Knoxville you’ll find Clinch River Brewing, nestled right next to the Clinch River. Although it’s a bit outside the main city, the trip is worth it. Head brewer Jordan Skeen runs an all-female brew team, churning out some fantastic beers that pair wonderfully with the Creole- and Cajun-inspired menu coming from executive chef Brandon Cruze. Jordan and her crew are also all members of the local Pink Boots Chapter, and have done multiple collaboration beers with other breweries, encouraging women all over East Tennessee to pursue their interest in craft beer.

If you’re looking for some outdoor fun you will find it at Clinch River. The brewery shares its location with the Appalachian Outdoor Center, and hikes, bikes and a bevy of outdoor fun are at your fingertips. To make it the best of both worlds, Clinch River plans to open a larger location in the middle of downtown Knoxville this year, featuring a bigger restaurant and a satellite brewery for even more beer.

Alliance Brewing Co.

Located just off the Tennessee River in South Knoxville, Alliance Brewing Company opened its doors in August 2015. The brewery’s motto is “Active Beer Culture.” Between yoga nights, fun runs, sports team sponsorships and bike-based pub crawls, Alliance has made a big splash with Knoxville’s active population.

Alliance brewers spread out the styles, making their tap wall one of the most far-reaching in town. Working off of anywhere from five to seven yeast strains at a time gives them the freedom to create beer styles for just about everyone. From a Belgian tripel to a German Kölsch to a good old American IPA, they’ve got it all. So where do Alliance Brewing go from here? After recently adding an event space to the tap room, they now plan to expand the brewery. Despite multiple requests, they’ve had to keep most of their product in-house due to demand. A 10-barrel system is just the jump they need to better serve their community.

(READ: Great American Beer Bars 2019)

Pretentious Beer and Glass Co.

When you take a seat at the Pretentious Beer and Glass Company, you’ll realize the brewery is is all about craft, and they don’t stop at beer. The beer, the glass you’re drinking it out of and even the seat you’re sitting in was made by the staff. Owner Matthew Cummings dove into the craft beer business as a glass blower, deciding to make custom beer glasses for a small drinking club he was in. To make better glasses, he started to research the connection between glassware and craft beer. Eventually he started homebrewing, and his passion for craft beer grew. Soon he was expanding his glass blowing operation, opening a taproom in the next building, which eventually became a full fledged brewery. When you stop by Pretentious Beer for a handcrafted beer in a handcrafted glass, you can even check out a live glass blowing demonstration.

A glass isn’t useful without something to fill it. Pretentious definitely likes to experiment with beers, coming up with variations on styles old and new. Cummings explains what sets his brewery apart: “What we do that’s fairly unique is the way [we] do the split batches. We take one base beer, and then we see how far we can push it in the fermenters. We can isolate one component, a variable, and do a test of a pale ale. No dry hop, double dry hop, and that can really expedite the research and development.”

Blackberry Farm Brewery

Blackberry Farm has made a name for itself as a luxury hotel tucked into the Smoky Mountains, but did you know they also have a brewery? Blackberry Farm started brewing its own beer in 2011, continuing a dedication to artisanal foods and beverage. They originally brewed beer for guests of the farm and a few select restaurants in the Southeast, but began to expand in 2015, and now distribute to more than three dozen states. In 2018 Blackberry Farm added another Great American Beer Festival competition medal to its collection, taking silver in the Belgian- and French-Style Ale category. The brewery won silver in 2015 and 2016 for their Summer and Brett Saison.

Blackberry Farm Brewery originally focused on Belgian-Styles ales, becoming famous for their classic saison. Taking an Old World approach, the brewery bottle conditioned the beers; the beer were often packaged by volunteers from the community. But with the addition of head brewer Travis Hixon, the brand has expanded, experimenting with lagers as well as adding cans to their lineup. The brewery is now open to the public, with a spacious taproom located right off the brewery.

Craft beer is still expanding through the South, especially as Prohibition-era laws are updated to help breweries and businesses around them grow. The next time you pass through East Tennessee, make sure you stop in and take a tour. The CraftBeer.com Brewery Finder will help you locate small and independent craft breweries across Knoxville. You won’t be sorry!

The post Great Beers Near the Great Smokies: Exploring 5 Knoxville Breweries appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest | Madison, WI | January 19

Beer and cheese are staples in Wisconsin. Thus, it only makes sense that there should be a beer and cheese festival in the Badger State. “The incredible amount of quality craft beer and artisanal cheeses create almost limitless pairing opportunities,” says Brodie Birkel, event director of the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest. “We offer beer and cheese school to point out many wonderful pairings but also urge people to just explore what they like as a start.”

The festival—which is going on its 10th year—features over 120 breweries and 20 different cheese vendors. Attendees get a chance to vote for their favorite of each in the Best of Fest competition. Tickets are capped at 6,000 and the festival does sell out.

(More: America’s Great Beer Bars Returns for 2019)

Ark-La-Tex Craft Beer & Barbecue Festival | Shreveport, LA | March 9

“Craft beer and barbeque are both technically hand-crafted in small batches; the chefs and the brewers take pride in the taste and uniqueness of each batch or recipe, so it seems natural they would go hand in hand for a festival,” says Ark-La-Tex Craft Beer & Barbecue Festival co-founder John Psalmonds. “There is such a wide variety of tastes in craft beer and barbecue that can complement each other for a great combination of flavors.”

The festival is organized in conjunction with the International Barbeque Cookers Association and is a sanctioned competition with cash prizes and trophies—along with the chance to move up to the next sanctioned event—to winners. Last year’s inaugural event drew 32 competitors, two dozen breweries, and around 700 attendees. If you go, opt for the VIP Room Experience which includes a barbeque and beer pairing challenge between four chefs.

(More: 9 Artists Using Beer to Create Fine Art)

Schlafly Beer Stout and Oyster Festival | St. Louis, MO | March 22-23

Eighty-thousand oysters overnighted from both coasts, 25 rock star oyster shuckers flown in for crowd entertainment, and 15 different stouts brewed specifically for the event – it’s how Schlafly Beer does their annual Stout and Oyster Festival. Going on its 20th year, the party draws between 12,000 and 15,000 revelers looking to see how many raw oysters they can slurp and stouts they can sample.

“The smooth, hearty stouts cut through the ocean brine flavors of the oyster,” says Stephen Hale, founding brewer of Schlafly Beer. “Stouts are great with raw oysters, but they also pair well with a variety of different kinds of oysters like fried oysters or oyster stew. The creaminess of stouts actually complements oysters, and if you like to pile on horseradish or Tabasco, stouts cut the heat for the perfect pairing.”

(Style Spotlight: English-style Oatmeal Stout)

The beer served is exclusively from Schlafly Beer, and they do run the gamut in creativity. Among the stouts poured last year were horseradish, mango ancho, and dulce de leche variants. Capping off the festival is an oyster shucking contest featuring teams of all-star shuckers from the east, west, and middle coasts.

Moo & Brew Festival | Charlotte, NC | April (Exact Date TBD)

One of the arguments on why beer pairs better with food than wine is beer’s versatility and the exponentially more flavors that come from beer. Beer is just more versatile—like a hamburger. Moo & Brew Festival honors the creativity behind both at their annual festival with over fifty participating breweries and a dozen or so restaurants putting their twist on the American classic. A highlight of the festival is the best burger award. Each of the 5,000 attendees is encouraged to vote for their favorite burger. Last year, the award went to Blacow for their Nutty Goat Burger with garlic and herb goat cheese, candied bacon, aioli, pecans, pickle, arugula, and grilled balsamic onions.

“Burgers, beer and good times is the recipe and I think it works because of its simplicity,” says Ken Thomas, co-owner of the Moo & Brew Burger and Beer Joint and co-founder of the Moo & Brew Festival. “Beer and burgers go great together – throw in a few good bands and you’ve got a great way to kick off Spring in the QC!”

Shrimp Road Seafood and Craft Beer Festival | Key West, FL | April 20

As ubiquitous as the oyster and stout pairing is, beer and seafood pairings aren’t limited to the aphrodisiac of the sea. The Shrimp Road Seafood and Craft Beer Festival invites foodies to explore the almost limitless combinations of seafood and beer at their second annual festival held on a pier in Key West. Can you think of a more perfect setting for a beer and seafood festival?

(More: Couple Behind Silva Brewing Talks About Sharing a Business)

Expect chefs from top seafood restaurants in the Lower Keys like Fish, Hogfish Bar & Grill, and the Salty Oyster along with a dozen or so craft breweries from South Florida and beyond. In addition to exploring various beer and seafood pairing combinations, there are also cooking demonstrations.

Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival | San Diego, CA | April 27

“We have such a wide variety that it’s difficult to answer,” responds Robert Esparza, one of the partners in the Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival, when asked what exactly San Diego cuisine is. “It’s everything from sushi to tacos and Birthday Bacon.”

What started 10 years ago as a festival to support independent breweries in San Diego (if you can’t fly the independent craft beer seal, you can’t participate), has blossomed into one of the region’s premier food and beer events, featuring upwards of 50 area breweries along with 15-20 restaurants. The event culminates with a judged best food award. Previous winners range from sweet chili chicken wings from Cross Street Chicken & Beer and Birthday Bacon (slab bacon with truffle guacamole, wilted spinach, salsa fresca, and pickled onion) from O’Brien’s.

(Find: A US Brewery Near You)

SAVOR | Washington, DC | May 17

Hosted by the Brewers Association, publishers of CraftBeer.com, SAVOR is heralded by many as the premier food and craft beer event in the country. Each year, 80-plus breweries are selected by a lottery to bring their best for a night of many flavors at the National Building Museum. Pairing a variety of forward-thinking small plates with those beers is Adam Dulye, executive chef of the Brewers Association.

Following the mantra of the Brewers Association, Chef Dulye works with small and independent farms, ranches and fish mongers to create a menu that’s seasonal and local; think food and beer pairings like venison carpaccio paired with a double IPA or popcorn and yogurt panna cotta with a brett saison. Given Chef Dulye’s pedigree as a chef—James Beard Finalist, author of the cookbook “The Beer Pantry,” and coordinator of the Great American Beer Festival’s Paired—attendees never know what to expect.

(Seek the Seal: Post Your Photos on Instagram)

Boardwalk Bites & Brews | Santa Cruz, CA | September 28

Imagine pairing your favorite boardwalk foods like deep-fried Oreos, chocolate covered bacon, or deep fried artichokes with craft beer. You can at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Boardwalk Bites & Brew. The festival organizer invites select boardwalk vendors — many of which are generations old family businesses — to cook up a dish for pairing. Area brewers are encouraged to select, or brew, a beer designed to pair with a boardwalk dish. There’s also a best pairing contest. Last year’s winner was Shanty Shack Brewing’s Tropical Passion Kettle Sour paired with a Thai Chicken Wrap.

Of course, these beer and food festivals are just a start to showcase how beer is the ultimate complement to almost any food, from artisan cheeses to childhood boardwalk classics and fine dining. The next time you’re out to dinner or cooking a masterpiece at home, continue the experimentation. Where you’d normally serve a wine or cordial, substitute in a beer. Or, pair one of each and see which goes best. Hint – the answer is always beer.

The post 8 Great Beer and Food Festivals in 2019 appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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The United States has many, many thousands of islands within its borders, though they may not be top of mind to everyone. A fair number of those U.S. islands are home to craft breweries worth the flight, ferry, drive or boat ride to visit.

Not all islands are the same, and the beer produced on them reflect the nuances of each particular “island life.” From the rocky coasts of the Pacific Northwest to the briny tides of the Gulf of Mexico and the surfer’s paradise of Hawaii, travelers visit islands to escape from different things and to discover different things. Craft beer can be one of those things.

San Juan Island Brewing Co. | Friday Harbor, WA

Getting to this brewery is half the fun. It’s only accessible by ferry, private boat, or plane. San Juan Island Brewing Co. opened July 2017 and already has one medal under its belt, picking up a bronze at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival for its Bull Kelp ESB.

“We’re well supported by our community,” says Sean Aylward, who owns the brewery with his brother, Tim, and stepfather, Verne Howard. “However, since the island did not have a brewery since the early 2000s, we did have to educate a few locals about craft beer, including what a growler was.”

Being a seasonal tourist destination does mean that roughly 80 percent of the brewery’s sales happen between June and September, but the nearly 7,000 residents of San Juan Island certainly show up in the off-season.

Getting raw materials for their brewer, Jesse Visciglia, isn’t that difficult. Howard also owns a local grocery, so food-related orders are already coming in from Seattle multiple times a week, and the brewery piggybacks on those deliveries. What is difficult is getting carbon dioxide to the island. By law, the amount they need cannot be taken on a ferry, and the U.S. Coast Guard won’t allow carbon dioxide to be transported on the same vessel that delivers propane gas, so the brewery has to hire a private vessel to deliver it.

Island Hoppin’ Brewery | Eastsound, WA

The largest island in San Juan County, Washington, is Orcas Island. It’s accessible by a one-hour ferry ride from the mainland at Anacortes, or inter-island ferry if coming from other islands in the chain. At 6 years old, Island Hoppin’ Brewery is nicely settled into the craft beer scene. In fact, the island has its own beer festival every November called Hops on the Rock.

“Orcas feels a bit more ‘small-town’ than some of the other islands, in my opinion,” says John Calhoun, the brewery’s tasting room manager. “We don’t have a marina to house big yachts.” This small-town feel is accentuated by the abundance of hiking trails, small freshwater ponds, and roaming hills one can explore on Orcas. The reward for a day’s activity is beer, perhaps one of the brewery’s flagships: Old Madrona Imperial Red or Elwha Rock IPA.

But being an island craft brewery, there is the occasional challenge to overcome. One of those is getting parts when and if something breaks. On Orcas Island there are only six brand-name chain stores; everything else is local and unique to the island, so it’s not uncommon for the brewer to be scrolling through Amazon looking for the right part to fix their direct-fire kettle.

(TRAVEL: Drinking Local at Hotels is Getting Easier)

Catalina Island Brew House | Avalon, CA

The only brewery on California’s Catalina Island, this nano brewery does a lot for its island community. It is also a bakery, restaurant and coffee shop. It opens at 6:00 a.m. every morning with counter service for breakfast-seekers. By lunch it’s offering beers, served with its famed pretzels.

Catalina Island is accessible off the coast of southern California, slightly closer to Los Angeles than San Diego. The two most popular ways to get on the island are by a one-hour ferry ride across the Pacific Ocean or via a 15-minute helicopter ride.

Once on the island, adventure awaits. Some choose to backpack across the island, where others may go parasailing or strap into the 1,100-foot-high zip line that drops people down to a sandy beach. Whatever the exploration, kicking back with a local craft beer at Catalina Island Brew House is a fine reward.

The small brewhouse offers a mix of mainstay beers and seasonal rotations, including Island Hop IPA, Dancing Goat Harbor Porter, Rabid Fox Red Ale, Pebbly Beach Pale Ale and Lover’s Cove Wheat. The brewery also offers a couple guest beers on tap. Flights are available for under $8 during happy hour, which runs noon to 4:00 p.m.

Galveston Island Brewing | Galveston, TX

Galveston is a city of 50,000 residents that welcomes over 1 million tourists annually. “Like a lot of islands, we are a tourist destination, and it’s feast or famine in the summer,” explains Mark Dell’Osso, founder and owner. “But what we’ve done is build more off-season brewery events, like our Crawfish Festival and seek accounts that would only serve beer in the winter, such as seasonal cruise ships that only sail in the winter.” This distribution strategy means Galveston Island Brewing does not need to seek out new accounts that will need to be filled during the brewery’s busy summer months.

While the brewery’s number one seller is Tiki Wheat, a half-wheat and half-barley brew paired with coriander and notes of honey, its Blue Bridge Hoppy Amber is the beer that brought home a bronze medal at the 2017 GABF in the American-Style Red/Amber Ale category.

Galveston Island Brewing does distribute and now has its own canning line. “We used to use a mobile canner that came all the way from Austin,” Dell’Osso says, “but we grew so big we now have our own canning line.”

Since Galveston is only 50 miles from Houston and accessible via the Galveston Causeway bridge, there are not many obstacles to brewing on this island. “Although we do have to keep an eye on our water profile,” says Dell’Osso, “since it comes to us out of a 2-mile, 100-year-old pipe along the bridge line, but it’s been fine.”

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery Near You)

Kauai Island Brewery and Grill | Port Allen, HI

After a day on the water watching spinner dolphins and snapping pictures of the Nā Pali Coast, visitors will pull into Port Allen, and only yards away from Kauai Island Brewery and Grill. This brewery offers much more than locally made beer. With cocktails, wine, a full menu and many pinball games, the vacation never ends.

The brewery originated as Waimea Brewing Company on the southwestern side of the island of Kauai. After the lease ran up, the owners and the brewer decided to launch a new brewery, Kauai Island Brewery and Grill, and move it into the port town of Port Allen.

Its tagline is “The World’s Westernmost Brewery,” and that is true, for now. Hawaii is the westernmost U.S. state (if you don’t include Alaska’s Aleutian Islands), and this brewery is the farthest west on Hawaii’s island chain, so a visit here means you’ve gone as west as you can get.

But with remoteness comes a cost. Hawaii is 71 percent dependent on oil for its energy, which translates into energy costing three times more than the U.S. national average. So those pinball machines you’ll find upstairs at the brewery get turned off after every use by the player. Energy is that expensive.

But the beer is on tap, always. One of the brewery’s top sellers is The Fonz IPAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, brewed with over 60 pounds of fresh, local taro, once a staple of the Hawaiian diet, and still an integral part of the culture. The brewery keeps 10 or more of its beers on tap, plus a few from other breweries.

(READ: Epic Fall Road Trip: New England Breweries)

Frenchtown Brewing Company | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Pulling its name from the Bohemian fishing village of Frenchtown, this brewery is part of a thriving entertainment center of restaurants, bars and nightspots on St. Thomas. Founded by Kevin Brown in 2015 as a three-barrel nanobrewery, Frenchtown Brewing Company’s inspiration came from Brown’s strong affinity for Belgian beers.

“People are really grateful that we’re here. There weren’t any [breweries] on St. Thomas when we opened,” co-owner Terri Brown says. After moving to St. Thomas in the late 1980s, Kevin found the island was lacking in “drinkable beers,” so he began homebrewing. A third-generation Belgian himself, Brown set off to sample all the styles of beers brewed in Belgium. (At the time there were over 500. Today there are over 800.)

Today, if you wants to visit this brewery, its hours are limited and only open to the public on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and sometimes seasonally on Saturday afternoons for growler fills only. “We only have 700 square feet of space,” Kevin says, “so for the safety of the public, we can’t be brewing and be open at the same time.”

Speaking of general safety, hurricanes are a perennial concern in the Caribbean, and the brewery had two road bumps last year due to Hurricane Irma. “We lost power on September 6 and could not brew again until December 3,” Kevin says. “After cleaning up the damage, we didn’t open until Christmas week.” The brewery also missed an opportunity to expand its operation, as the Browns had just signed on a building on August 30 — only to have that building demolished by Irma a week later.

As one can imagine, the island life isn’t cheap. Everything comes in on a boat, and the brewery has to calculate ordering the right amount of raw materials, but not too much so it’s sitting around for long. And the water for brewing comes from reverse osmosis seawater, which is roughly 10 times more expensive per gallon than water on the mainland.

But even with the weather and the added expense, Frenchtown Brewing Company is making refreshing beers for the locals and tourists alike, such as their 86 and Sunny APA, Caribbean Crush Cream Ale, Hop Alley IPA and Frenchie Farmhouse Saison.

(READ: My 100-Mile Denver Brewery Hike)

Black Narrows Brewing Co. | Chincoteague, VA

Chincoteague is Virginia’s only resort island and is about 3.5 hours from Richmond. This intimate, 7-mile-long island is widely known for its oysters and clams, but many come to visit in July to watch a herd of 150 wild ponies swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island in the annual Pony Swim.

Less than 3,000 people live on the island, and its median age of residents is 46, a full 11 years older than Virginia’s median age of 35. But when it comes to family and community, age is just a number.

Barely a year old, Black Narrows Brewing Company may hit 400 barrels of production by the end of 2018. Black Narrows Brewing Company is a family business, with its five-person roster including mother, father, their two daughters, and their son-in-law. The brewery itself is situated in an old “oyster shuckin’” warehouse and operates on a five-barrel system from Colorado Brewing Systems.

Being small means the brewery can be agile, and it is dedicated to sourcing many, if not most, of its ingredients from Virginia, from malt and hops to corn and … oysters. Yes, oysters for its Tart Oyster Wheat.

“Inspired by the German gose style, this briny beer incorporates Eastern Shore raw wheat, two gallons of oyster flesh, and fifteen gallons of oyster liquor in each batch. It’s fermented with a naturally occurring yeast strain found from our famous Salt oysters,” the brewery’s website reads.

To further showcase its commitment to community, the brewery donates 10 percent of its gross sales to charities, including “One Local, One Global” and to global cancer research and prevention.

Atlantic Brewing Company | Bar Harbor, ME

Mount Desert Island, the second largest island on the East Coast, is home to Acadia National Park, the first national park east of the Mississippi. It’s a place where rocky shores are juxtaposed against lush evergreens. This island receives millions of visitors annually, even though the average summer temperature is 67 degrees.

To warm up on a summer day, many visitors will pop into Atlantic Brewing Company in Bar Harbor for a pint of Bar Harbor Real Ale, the first beer the brewery ever made back in 1991 when it opened. But one of the brewery’s beers that seems to embody the mystique of Maine is its Blueberry Ale.

“That beer happened because back when we were brewing in our original location on a two-barrel system, a guy pulled up with his truck full of blueberries and asked, ‘You want these?’ So we brewed a blueberry beer,” Allie Sasner, social media and marketing coordinator, explains. “That was 20 years ago and we’ve kept it up since.”

“We’re primarily a destination brewery,” Sasner says, “and we get a lot traffic from Acadia, but what’s also nice being so close to a national park is that our water comes from a granite well. We use that for all the beer we make and we don’t have to deal with city water like a lot of other breweries have to.”

Atlantic Brewing Company operates two breweries. One is their main brewery in Town Hill, a 15-barrel brewery built on a 10-acre farm designed to create an experience where visitors could learn about small-scale beer production in a country setting. This location offers three tours a day during the peak season.

The brewery’s newer location, open for only a year, is in downtown Bar Harbor, and it is a 7-barrel operation that produces one-offs that don’t necessarily get distributed.

There’s not a lot of need for the brewery to distribute its beers, however, since about 70 percent of the beer made on the island is consumed on the island, and much of that by locals. But for those who want to take some Atlantic Brewing Company beer home or on an adventure, the brewery has just started shifting from glass bottles to cans.

These island craft breweries are ones who don’t get swept away in the hustle and bustle of an island vacationer’s itinerary. Instead, they are brewing beers that complement the experience, the environment and the spirit of being off the mainland. So plan a drive, book a boat or buy a plane ticket to check them out firsthand.

The post Escape to These Craft Breweries on U.S. Islands appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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With well beyond 6,500 small and independent breweries impacting the U.S. economy to the tune of $72.5 billion, hoteliers are going beyond the thread count and taking notice. Next time you hit the road, drink local wherever you lay your head. Here are a few favorites for brew trekkers like me:

Loews Hotels

Loews Hotels adds a sense of locale with their Flavors Program. Building partnerships with artisan food and beverage vendors ranging from bakers to brewers, they showcase indigenous products. At Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville for example, guests can indulge in culinary offerings from partners at their fine dining option Mason’s and  Mason’s Bar along with their POD Organic Market. Some of Nashville’s best on this lineup include Yazoo Brewing Company, Frothy Monkey Coffee and Pennington Distilling Co. During Mason’s new brunch service, they offer “For Here Growlers”– any of the current craft beer on tap in a 64oz growler at the table for $15.

Cambria Hotels

Cambria Hotels is a Choice Hotels International brand who saw the light a few years back. A senior vice president was touring some of its U.S. locations, when he noticed a bottle of suds in the bar’s cooler that wasn’t “on-brand.” When the bartender explained that hotel guests were clamoring for it, that was enough to pop his top. Not only is each Cambria location now required to offer guests at least two local craft beer choices, but beer specialists are on staff to ensure the best options are made available the moment a new location opens its doors.

(List: A Beer Geek’s Travel Checklist)

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts partners with an impressive list of tastemakers from around the world. The Fairmont Sustainability Partnership, for example, works to protect local environments. The Bee Sustainable program features 40 honey bee apiaries and wild bee hotels at Fairmont locations worldwide. When it comes to bee-to-bottle brewing, you can’t go wrong with The Fairmont San Francisco who partners with Almanac Beer to brew their exclusive Fairmont Hotel Honey Saison using honey harvested from the iconic hotel’s rooftop.

(Learn: Beer & Food Course)

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants believes in the collaborative spirit when it comes to locale, particularly in the Golden State. Kimpton Shorebreak Resort recently collaborated with Anaheim’s newest craft brewery, Towne Park Brew Co., to create Shorebreak Mexican Lager. Guests can enjoy the new beer in cans from their mini bar or during social hour. A local dining favorite, Pacific Hideaway, also carries the beer. Santa Barbara’s Kimpton Goodland Hotel has partnered with local brewery, M. Special Brewing Company, to create the hotel’s first branded beer — Good Bar Special is a grapefruit IPA sold at the hotel, as well as the brewery.

Viejas Casino & Resort

Viejas Casino & Resort is San Diego’s premier luxury gaming resort. They’ve collaborated with Mission Brewery to launch Viejas Golden Blonde, available at both Viejas Casino & Resort and Mission Brewery while supplies last. The new Viejas Golden Blonde is a beer that is meant to be enjoyed in the golden California sun.

(Enjoy: Brewpubs with Impressive Menus)

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, opening in Aurora, Colorado, this December, loves to work with their local makers such as Dry Dock Brewery.  Aurora’s pioneering brewery has worked with Gaylord to create two Gaylord-specific beers: Grand Lodge Golden Ale and Pinyons Pale Ale. These beers will be served on tap in Gaylord’s Mountain Pass Sports Bar that is home to the largest HDTV (75 feet long and 14 feet tall) in the state of Colorado. Sports bars not your thing? Savor a pint while watching the beautiful Rocky Mountain sunsets.

Hotel Teatro

Denver, Colorado’s original boutique hotel has a complimentary “Craft Beer Concierge” on staff. Whether it’s sours, seasonals or saisons, the concierge will curate craft brewery experiences such as the Bike & Brew Package. Guests indulge in a custom charcuterie and cheese plate paired with two drafts of local craft beer in The Study, a map of favorite Denver breweries, reserved transportation to and from the breweries via Hotel Teatro’s vintage cruiser bikes, and a $40 breakfast credit.

Essex Resort & Spa

The Essex Resort & Spa is located just outside Burlington and nestled in the heart of the beautiful Green Mountains. Back in the day, the New England Culinary Institute lived here. There are two onsite restaurants serving local hard-to-find beers in cans/bottles along with 33 taps. Right now, you can get the always elusive Heady Topper and Lawson’s iconic Sip of Sunshine in their large format cans along with drafts like Rarefied Air from Fiddlehead and Strawberry Whale Cake from Burlington Beer Company. The property’s spa offers a “Body Brew” treatment which includes a scrub made with your favorite local beer. Stay tuned as beer taps are added at the check-in desk later this year.

(Find: A US Brewery Near You)

Ironworks Hotel Indy

Ironworks Hotel Indianapolis boasts three restaurants in Indianapolis’ first northside boutique hotel whose beer lists read like a Who’s Who of Hoosier brew. Later this fall, the hotel will welcome guests to the new Daredevil Hall. Makers of the Lift Off IPA in the Speedway neighborhood, this brewery looks forward to its first satellite location at Ironworks. Even though the Indy 500 champion cheers with milk each May, I bet there may be a beer or two awaiting the real “victory lap” in upcoming races.

Detroit Foundation Hotel

Detroit Foundation Hotel is a boutique hotel in downtown, home to the Apparatus Room helmed by two Michelin-star chef Thomas Lents. In addition to great food with local influence, their drink program features local breweries which include Kickstand Brewing, Old Nation Brewing, Griffin Claw, Batch Brewing, Liberty Street Brewing, Witch’s Hat and Cellarmen’s.

The Apparatus Room is also the only place to order a glass of Commissioners Brew; a collaboration between the hotel, Atwater Brewery and postindustrial figurative painter, Tony Roku. The Commisioner’s Brew is a red lager that the hotel says is brewed to “honor of all those who came before us and made this incredible building we call home, an iconic part of Detroit history.”

Hotels such as these pay attention to the discerning palates of their guests. It’s a sincere way to break away from the pack. By patronizing establishments that have a vested interest in their community by supporting their local craft, you’re not only keeping the lights on and food on someone’s table you’ve never even met, you’re doing your part to keep ‘em coming. And, that’s something to drink to. Here’s to wheels up and clear skies from here on out!

The post Drinking Local Beer at Hotels is Getting Easier appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Lucky for beer lovers, this iconic journey is riddled with nearby brewery destinations. And the likes of Sierra Nevada, and other regional craft options all aboard, too.

Below are six Amtrak station destinations along the California Zephyr’s beer rail trail. The stops are complete with walkable breweries and savvy independent beer bars nearby — and for devout beercationers, detour options galore.

Naperville, IL

Board the train in Chicago heading west on the California Zephyr. The very first stop yields the unassuming beer hub of Naperville, Illinois.

Walkable: From the downtown Amtrak station is an array of craft beer bars, including Red Arrow Tap Room, Jackson Avenue Pub, and Empire Burgers & Brew where an extensive tap list rotates daily. The Craftsman by Two Brothers Brewing is a hub for craft lovers that boasts the Modern Tavern farm-to-table restaurant, a coffee shop, and The Third Floor craft cocktail bar, and a rooftop patio to boot.

Worth a detour: Solemn Oath Brewing Company is a couple miles west of downtown in a quiet industrial park. Get inside, though, and there’s nothing quiet about this tiny tasting room space slinging Belgian-inspired and barrel-aged beers.

(MORE: Breweries Where You Can Have Your Cake and Drink Beer Too)

Lincoln, NE

Another unexpected beer destination along the California Zephyr route is Lincoln, Nebraska. This college town is notable for having one of the best craft beer bars in the country.

Walkable: Boiler Brewing Company, one of Lincoln’s newest and most talked about craft breweries, in the historic Grand Manse building is a walk away from the downtown Amtrak station. Through the alley and across the street is Happy Raven, named Nebraska’s Best Beer Bar by CraftBeer.com readers for the last two years as part of its search for Great American Beer Bars.

Worth a detour: Guests can experience modern takes on rustic ales like the Rollo Pale Wheat Ale, the Lnk Common warm-fermented lager, Farmhouse Ale, and Saison at White Elm Brewing. Hungry travelers should check out the beer-inspired menu Blue Blood Brewing. Pints of bacon, anyone?

(Related: A Beer Geek’s Travel Checklist)

Denver

After the relatively non-scenic ride to Denver from Nebraska — in comparison to the rest of this journey — travelers along this beer rail trail can rejoice at their stop in Denver. Craft beer is just steps from the train at Terminal Bar. It’s in the recently redesigned, iconic Union Station building in LoDo (Lower Downtown). Terminal Bar has open-air seating for epic people-watching. It’s also easy access to the other curated lineup of shops and restaurants in the station.

Walkable: Wynkoop Brewing, Denver’s oldest brewpub sits just across Wynkoop Street from Union Station. Among many other associations, Wynkoop is Denver’s original home for cask ale.

Worth a detour: Denver’s all-cask ale brewery Hogshead Brewing is in the Sloan Lake neighborhood 2 miles west of downtown. Hogshead has a lineup of traditional English ales to choose from in a comfortable tasting room. There are also regularly carbonated beers for travelers who might not think “warm and flat is where it’s at.”

(Related: My 100-mile Denver Brew Hike)

Dining Car Break

After you’ve refueled in Denver the train hits the Rocky Mountains almost immediately. It’s perhaps the most scenic and definitely the highest altitude of the journey. That means in some cases that it can be the longest part of the journey. So take the time to enjoy craft beer selections in Amtrak’s variety of dining services on the Dining Car, Café Car, Lounge Car and Acela Express (if you’re a first-class passenger.)

Glenwood Springs, CO

This picturesque mountain town in the Roaring Fork Valley sports some of Colorado’s most touted and award-winning beer.

Walkable: Right at the Amtrak station is the Glenwood Canyon Brewpub that brews a diverse lineup of world-class beers and serves a traditional pub menu, with suggested beer pairings to boot. Glenwood Canyon has won 15 Great American Beer Festival medals (most recently a gold for the Shoshone Stout at the 2018 competition) and eight World Beer Cup awards. Glenwood Canyon is attached to a historic inn, The Hotel Denver, that’s one of the anchor institutions of downtown Glenwood.

(More: Breweries Where You Can Have Your Cake and Drink Beer Too)

Also next door to the station is Grind. Check out its 20-tap rotating draft list and one of the best burgers in town. The list of sides and dipping sauces needs its own page on the menu at this joint.

Worth a detour: The Casey Brewing & Blending tasting room is a few miles south of the Amtrak station on Grand Avenue. Casey ferments and ages its beers in vintage oak barrels with a mixed culture of Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces and lactic acid bacteria. Bottles to go are limited (and some have a cult following), and tour reservations are required. All worth it for a taste of these Old World-inspired beers made with 99 percent local Colorado fruit and other ingredients.

Salt Lake City

The next major beer drinking destination along the California Zephyr route is Salt Lake City. The craft scene is expanding rapidly here. And it’s supported by some tried-and-true classics that you can’t miss along this beer rail trail.

Walkable: A nearby year-old brewing company is making a big splash with its beers, gracious attitude, and inventive packaging. Kiitos is all about gratitude, and its company mission is to focus on the conservation of resources. It brews a large spectrum of beers including several hoppy options, Coffee Cream Ale, Coconut Stout, Blonde and Red Ale.

(More: The Precarious Future of Wild Hops of the American West)

If you’re in the mood for another mile walk, don’t miss The Bayou on State Street. You can find Utah’s largest local-centric beer selection there. There’s also a memorable Cajun and Creole-inspired menu with savory alligator cheesecake (yes, that’s a thing) and gumbolaya (jambalaya smothered in gumbo).

Worth a detour: Uinta Brewing is one of Salt Lake’s (and the country’s) largest beer producers, Guests can enjoy an array of Uinta beers, seasonal grub, and shop the brewery’s General Store.

Truckee, CA

The beer haven that is San Francisco awaits. And there’s one more stop along this beer rail trail you shouldn’t skip in anticipation. It’s another quaint mountain town, this one in the Tahoe National Forest — another ideal destination for a beercation.

Walkable: Alibi Ale Works Truckee Public House that opened last year is just around the corner from the station. Alibi Ale Works brews the bulk of its beers in Incline Village, Nevada, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. And Truckee is home to the brewery’s pilot system. This live music venue sports 22 frequently rotating Alibi beers on draft.

(Find: A US Brewery Near You)

Truckee’s downtown is home to several craft-centric bars and exceptional eateries. A favorite for beer lovers is the curated tap and bottle list at Old Town Tap. It’s just a couple blocks down from Alibi.

Worth a detour: Check out Truckee’s tastes and tours at some of its larger brewing companies: Truckee Brewing Company, Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co. and FiftyFifty Brewing.

The post Beercation By Train: Craft Beer Along The California Zephyr Route appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Home to Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Loveland ski areas, Summit County is a winter sports wonderland that also has easy access to Vail Mountain, making it a top destination for those looking for variety on the slopes. It also offers equal variety when it comes to craft breweries. No matter where you’re staying in Summit County, or what kind of beer you prefer, there’s bound to be a great option right around the corner.

Broken Compass Brewing

“Small and crafty” is the tagline of this Summit County jewel founded in 2014 and run by original co-founder Jason Ford and his wife Jo. With no plans for large-scale distribution, Broken Compass Brewing is able to experiment with small batches of inventive flavors on the regular.

Two of the brewery’s mainstays – the Chili Pepper Pale Ale and Coconut Porter – are true labors of love. The Chili Pepper Pale Ale is basically a homebrew scaled up. Ford and his wife still prepare the peppers at home, slicing up approximately 70 pounds of peppers for a 20-barrel batch. A combination of Anaheim, habanero, jalapeno, poblano and serrano peppers, the pepper mix is heated, but not roasted, to start breaking down the cell walls and releasing the oils. Then the Fords pack them in coolers and take them to the brewery, where they’re added to the fermenter after the yeast has already been removed, just before adding the carbonation. Ford says that makes the flavors easier to control and get right.

(EXPLORE: Kentucky Craft Breweries in Bourbon Country)

The result? A fresh pepper flavor unlike any beer you’ve ever had.

To brew the Coconut Porter, nearly 400 pounds of unsweetened, organic coconut flakes are hand-toasted at nearby Beaver Run Resort to take advantage of their commercial ovens. That’s not something the Ford’s oven at home can handle.

Broken Compass Brewing is a five-minute drive from Main Street in Breckenridge and offers a free shuttle for visitors. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating at the brewery and the usual assortment of board games and small snacks, but you can also bring your own food. Try going on a Wednesday for Wacky One-Off Wednesdays to sample an experimental flavor that usually goes fast.

HighSide Brewing

In 2018, original co-founder of Broken Compass Brewing David Axelrod sold his share to Ford and started a new brewery in nearby Frisco, HighSide Brewing. Occupying a space that was formerly Backcountry Brewing at the corner of Main Street and Summit Boulevard, HighSide opened in May 2018. The name serves as an ode to the local rafting scene – “highsiding” involves the shifting of bodyweight in a raft to keep from capsizing.

HighSide strikes a balance between more traditional brews and newer, more inventive varieties. It has something for everyone, from pilsners to IPAs to porters. Although taps continually change, the beginning months have seen varieties such as a Vienna Lager, Ghost Pepper Pilsner, Cucumber IPA and a Dry-Hopped Wheat.

(List: A Beer Geek’s Travel Checklist)

HighSide Brewing has a kitchen that serves food like flatbreads, chicken fingers, a cheese board and pretzel knots. The taproom also regularly features live music.

Outer Range Brewing Co.

Also located in Frisco, Outer Range Brewing Co. is a more of a specialist, focusing exclusively on IPAs and Belgian-style beers. Even if you think you don’t like IPAs, Outer Range is worth a visit because of the sheer variety from which to choose, which may just give you a taste of something that changes your mind.

In 2018, Outer Range finished second in USA TODAY’s reader’s choice awards for America’s Best New Brewery. It owes its name to a Rudyard Kipling poem, “The Explorer”: “Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges– Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!”

The brewery’s motto is “Leave the Life Below.” Founded by Lee and Emily Cleghorn, Outer Range’s focus on Belgian-style beers comes naturally, as Lee lived in Brussels as a teenager. What began as a homebrew hobby grew into Outer Range in late 2016.

(More: 10 Beertography Tips from the Pros)

An intimate space filled with windows that look out over mountains in every direction, Outer Range is conveniently located next to a Mexican restaurant where you can grab food to bring over to the taproom or you can partake in the occasional visiting food truck.

Angry James Brewery

Another relative newcomer to Summit County, Angry James Brewery opened in Silverthorne in early 2018. Owner and brewer A.J. Brinkerhoff says he focuses on traditional beers with a fun twist. For example, Angry James’ Alpen Weiss is a traditional German-style wheat beer, but it is fermented at a cooler temperature than most brews. Angry James says the effort brings out different flavors.

Another example of a new twist on a traditional favorite at Angry James is the Norwegian Farmhouse. Brinkerhoff started with a Belgian saison recipe and then sourced Norwegian-style yeast, something few breweries use, to create a unique flavor.

(The New England Style IPA, The Anti-IPA)

Brinkerkhoff’s father-in-law served as the general contractor on the Angry James facility and taproom. Doing most of the work themselves, the Brinkerhoffs purchased the lot after selling their house in Denver to finance the project. Thoughtful details like a gas fire pit on the outdoor deck creates an inviting atmosphere and locally-sourced food from an on-site kitchen is available for patrons.

The Bakers’ Brewery

Also located in Silverthorne, The Bakers’ Brewery features a selection of session beers, some “big beers” (8% ABV and up), and guest taps. The restaurant on-site serves both lunch and dinner and, of course, as the name suggests, there are baked goods.

In the winter, you’ll want to check out Winter is Coming, a black seasonal saison. The smell has been described as a winter forest. This beer starts sweet with notes of caramel, chocolate and graham cracker, but finishes light and dry. You might even get a subtle hint of spruce.

(Enjoy: Brewpubs with Impressive Menus)

Founded in 2015, one of the unique aspects of this brewery is the homemade baked goods like bread, rolls, pretzels and more. Come for the beer, stay for the bread. You need sustenance after a long day on the slopes.

Pug Ryan’s Brewery

Pug Ryan’s is one of the founders of not only Summit County’s craft beer scene but was also ahead of the nationwide trend when it began brewing in 1996 (and serving its beer to the public in 1997). In fact, in 2003, Pug Ryan’s become only the second craft brewery in Colorado to can its beers, using a manual process that required three people to operate.

The restaurant at Pug Ryan’s predates the brewery, having been founded in 1986. That’s probably why the beer rotation is dependent on seasonal menu changes. Staples like the Peacepipe Pilsner, Deadwood Dunkel and Hideout Helles are always favorites, but with each changing season comes new brews meant to complement the food offerings and keep locals and tourists alike intrigued.

(Seek the Seal: Post Your Photos on Instagram)

For the winter of 2018, Pug Ryan’s will be debuting several barrel aged beers and Hey Pocky Way Double Brut IPA, which showcases a bold hop and is effervescence throughout.

Pug Ryan’s is located in Dillon just steps from Lake Dillon and has a festive outdoor deck as well as plenty of seating indoors. In the summer months, it also runs a separate location on the lake, Pug Ryan’s Tiki Bar. With a family-friendly atmosphere and full food menu, Pug Ryan’s has staying power for a reason.

Dillon Dam Brewery

Dillon Dam Brewery, also located in Dillon, similarly focuses on the integration of its beer with its menu of regionally-sourced meats and produce. Having opened in 1997, Dillon Dam Brewery is the largest brewpub in Colorado, seating over 200 people inside the building and another 60 outdoors, weather permitting.

From pale ales and lagers to goses, hefeweizens, German Pils and IPAs, Dillon Dam has a plethora of options to choose from, assuring you’ll find the perfect pairing for your meal. Many of the dishes on the menu also include beer right in the recipe, such as the Mountain Man Mac & Cheese with Dam Straight Lager and Asiago-Ale Dip made with the Extra Pale Ale.

(More: What is Craft Beer?)

If you want a little bison meat with your beer, this is the place for you. You can get bison meatloaf, bison tips, a bison burger or even bison sausage.

If you still haven’t had enough craft beer, you can sample varieties from around Colorado without leaving Summit County at Breckenridge Tap House, which features 37 taps. And thanks to the Summit Stage and the Breck Free Ride, getting around the area is easy even without your own car.

So, no excuses. There’s no place with more options, and easier access, than Summit County when it comes to snow sports and craft beer.

The post Craft Breweries in Ski Country USA appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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And while not every brewery has stepped into the wedding market, those that have tend to give couples lots of freedom when it comes to planning their big day, since a laid-back attitude and atmosphere are what make breweries so fun to hang out in — wedding day or not! So get inspired by the creative brides and grooms who’ve held weddings at these eight unique brewery venues.

Catawba Brewing | Charlotte, NC

Barrel Room: 230 guests seated

Catawba Brewing’s success hosting weddings at their Asheville brewery led them to invest in building out a 4,300-square-foot private barrel room in their Charlotte location. They specifically wanted to create a space that would be stunning for both ceremonies and receptions.“It actually saves them money and frustration,” Mayo says, “and we love being such an important part of our customers’ lives.”

Mayo also notes that couples aren’t limited to brewery bar stools and tables, and are welcome to utilize any furniture options they want. She encourages wedding parties to look into all the fun shuttle options that exist in Charlotte — classic old cars, trolleys, carriages, party buses, or even being chauffeured by the Ghostbusters.

(READ: My 100-Mile Denver Brew Hike)

SanTan Brewing | Chandler, AZ

Indoor + outdoor space: 120 guests

Looking for a brewery that also serves excellent food? SanTan Brewing has made a commitment to “changing the face of catering by embracing a niche of being one of the only breweries in Arizona to focus on the importance of supplying great food alongside our own great craft beer,” according to their Wedding.com profile. To fulfill this commitment, they offer a large menu with many dishes flavored with their brews, like their SunSpot Gold beer cheese, ale-soaked wings, and ale-battered fries. Their brewpub pizzas, funky burgers (one is topped with a mac and cheese cake!), fun tacos and handcrafted sandwiches will have your guests chowing down in between sips of their craft beer.

Besides a focus on offering great food, Special Events and Catering Director Kaitlin Godziela says she works with couples to make their day extra special. One such memorable reception? Godziela says that one couple arranged for Sparky the Sun Devil, Arizona State University’s mascot, to hang out because they were both huge ASU fans. “I’m also a graduate of ASU, so it was fun to have Sparky in the house,” she says.

Brown’s Brewing Co. | Troy, NY

Revolution Hall: up to 300 guests; Trojan Room: 30 guests

For Brown’s Brewing, transforming their 150-year-old warehouse into a taproom, barrelhouse and two special events spaces was something they wanted to do for their fans and New York community 25 years ago. Today, Brown’s now hosts about 75 weddings per year, all focused on beer. “We allow couples a day with the brewers to make their own brew to be served at their wedding,” explains Carrie Harkin, Brown’s private events manager. Their rental space features eight taps and their catering menu also incorporates Brown’s brews into their recipes — like their oatmeal stout cheese sauce, Cherry Razz Ale barbecue, and pale ale honey mustard. “We offer the option to customize your own menu, and for couples to take pictures right in our brewery and anywhere in our space … with exposed brick and beautiful lighting,” Harkin says.

Revolution Hall is a two-floor European beer hall — complete with a lofted landing overlooking the dance floor — with the bonus of being located right on Troy’s striking waterfront. Seating options include 100-person amphitheater or table seating for up to 300. A slew of lighting, audio, visual and wireless options come together to create a wedding experience that will be distinctly you and distinctly amazing.

Cahaba Brewing Company | Birmingham, AL

Brewhouse: 3,000+ guests; Private Barrel Room: 350+ guests; Public Taproom: 75 guests; combination of Taproom, Patio, and Barrel Room: 500+ guests

A brewery wedding certainly has the benefit of being a place you can revisit again and again (annual anniversary trips, perhaps?) — and sometimes, a love story starts over a few craft beers. Christy Johnson, Cahaba Brewing’s marketing director, shares that a recently married couple had their very first date at their brewery, got engaged at the brewery, AND got married at the brewery. “It’s incredible we get to play a small role in such memorable moments in people’s lives…it simply does not get better than that,” she says. Cahaba Brewing’s huge space —the historic Continental Gin building located in Birmingham’s hip Avondale —can be completely rented out for gatherings of over 3,000 people.

Yet most couples opt to book just the barrel room, a rustic space with exposed brick, concrete floors, and metal beams. Other configurations include incorporating the taproom and their patio. They’ve also hosted many engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and luncheons, and even post-wedding brunches. Johnson also notes that while they accommodate weddings seven days a week, year-round, Cahaba has noticed an uptick in more weekday and weeknight bookings.

(TRAVEL: 5 Epic Craft Beer Road Trips)

Fenton Winery & Brewery | Fenton, MI

Banquet: 280 guests

Fenton Winery and Brewery gives special attention to their events division as weddings and other gatherings make up a large part of their business. To make the process as easy as possible on the future spouses, Fenton describes their space as a full-service venue with its own dedicated staff. These efforts have paid off as they’ve been dubbed by WeddingSpot.com a “Best Wedding Spot,” perfect for couples looking for an outdoorsy occasion that moves guests from an outdoor ceremony, to an outdoor cocktail hour, to their all-cedar banquet hall for receptions. “We do all our own in-house catering, craft beer and wine, and setup/cleanup for the special day,” explains co-owner Ginny Sherrow, who opened Fenton with her husband Matt in 2007.

Other spaces available to wedding parties when they book Fenton include their outdoor patio with a fireplace, private dressing suites for the wedding parties and their families, and a wine and beer garden. Guests can opt for fully indoor or fully outdoor events, or a combination of both, with many wedding parties utilizing a combination of the two. Couples also get to select which craft beverages will be on tap at the site’s various eight-tap bars. At the end of the day, Sherrow says nothing beats hearing from happy couples who received positive feedback from their attendees. “It’s heartwarming that we could provide the experience for guests to rave about,”she says.

Bristol Brewery | Colorado Springs, CO

Barrel-Aging Room: 50 guests

For a unique setting with a twist for smaller weddings, receptions, or rehersal dinners, couples should explore Colorado Springs’ Ivywild School, an elementary school-turned-gathering and event complex that includes a marketplace, brewery, cocktail bar, coffee roaster, distillery and music venue. The 100-year-old building was renovated in 2013, and the variety of businesses located under the same roof helps couples keep their vendor list small. “Everything is literally down the hall,” explains Jason Littman-Quinn, Bristol Brewery’s brand, sales, and marketing manager.

An unexpected perk has been the ability to offer a space to people who used to go to school at Ivywild. “We’ve had former students get married in the gym,” Littman-Quinn says, “and it makes us all feel happy when couples are walking around the building in their dresses and suits, knowing we helped contribute to their wedding.”

New Holland | Grand Rapids, MI

The Zeppelin Cocktail Lounge: 75 guests; Barrel Stave Loft: 200 guests; The Trees: 150 guests; Bridge Street Beer Garden: 250 guests

New Holland made sure to create a welcoming space for events of all types, hosting around 10 weddings each year, but one of their most popular options among wedding parties is the Zeppelin Cocktail Lounge, which overlooks their distilling equipment. Bonus: New Holland also has an Artisanal Spirits line, brewing up whiskeys, liqueurs, gins and rums, so guests can enjoy a full bar here. “As a thank you for hosting their wedding reception here, we typically customize a bottle of our Beer Barrel Bourbon with the bride and groom’s names and wedding date, paired with two of our rock glasses,” Caitlin Gallagher, New Holland’s catering events sales manager, says.

Gallagher says their venue typically attracts “laid-back” couples.“Our mentality when it comes to weddings,and events in general,is ‘the art of possible,’” she says. “There is no idea too crazy or too far-fetched to consider executing. You tell us what your dream wedding looks like — and we will try our hardest to make that happen for you.” They even helped one panicked bride pull together her wedding in a month after their original venue became unavailable. Talk about rolling out the red carpet!

Pelican Brewing Company | Pacific City, OR

Haystack Room: 40 guests; Pelican Room: 90 guests, Barrel Room: 30 guests

For couples that want to combine a gorgeous beach wedding with a brewery wedding, look no further than Pelican Brewing Company in Pacific City, Oregon. This breathtaking venue has floor-to-ceiling windows to show off Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock, and the Pelican Room connects to their outdoor patio and private beach, where many couples opt to hold their ceremonies before returning to the elegant indoor space for the reception. Plus, their Barrel Room also makes for a fun atmosphere for a rehearsal or cocktail reception for up to 30 guests, making Pelican a potential one-stop shop for all your wedding weekend activities at Oregon’s only beachfront brewery.

(COOK WITH CRAFT BEER: Find Recipes Galore)

Pelican hosts about a wedding or so per month, and while Mariah Surat, Pelican’s event and marketing manager, says they love receiving feedback about how much guests and wedding parties enjoy the venue’s views, food, and brews, an unexpected reward comes with hosting weddings. “The best compliments are when previous wedding couples fall in love with our restaurant, people and town and move to Pacific City! We have about a handful of our couples that are currently residing in Pacific City now or have a vacation home in town.”

With unique brewery wedding venues that run the gamut from beachfront locales to intimate barrel-room spaces, it’s no wonder that more beer-loving couples than ever are turning to their favorite local craft breweries (or favorite craft brewery destinations) to make their wedding day extra special. Besides, isn’t an event at a craft brewery almost a guaranteed good time? Your guests will certainly think so!

The post 8 (More) Awesome Places to Plan a Brewery Wedding appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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And like any adventure, part of the fun is the trip. We love our neighborhood spots because they’re easy to get to. They’re familiar. We have a favorite seat. But there’s nothing like grabbing a friend, getting a playlist or a podcast dialed in, and hitting the open road.

There’s something to be said about a road trip, especially in New England that hits the backroads more than Main Street. So while we have plenty of love for Tree House or Allagash, and the independent breweries in the greater Boston area, they won’t be found here. There are established players, but there are also some hidden New England breweries that are only found through the exploration of this historic region. There’s both coastline and winding, foliaged-lined roads. There are tiny, scenic small towns and as much diversity in beer styles as there is in geography.

Fall’s Ultimate New England Breweries Road Trip: Rhode Island

Tilted Barn | Exeter, RI

The Ocean State may be the smallest in the country, but Rhode Island has begun to do big things with beer. Tilted Barn in Exeter is as far away from the beach at Rhode Island can get. It’s on 30 acres farmland and, as owner Matt Richardson notes, “a half-mile from any main road, in a century-old barn. It’s hard to picture a better place to enjoy a beer.” Every Saturday, there’s food trucks to help wash down pints of hazy IPA and double IPA. Richardson is most proud of his “less is more” approach, particularly with regard to the brewery’s blonde ale series. It aims to showcase an individual hop each version. A beer called Spruce is one of Tilted Barn’s most popular. It’s perhaps one of the country’s only wheat beer to draw a line. It’s brewed with spruce tips from Christmas trees and brewed only once a year.

Fall’s Ultimate New England Breweries Road Trip: Massachusetts

Honest Weight | Orange, MA

Arguably the prettiest drive through the state is Route 2 through the northern parts of central and western Massachusetts. From Walden Pond in Concord through tiny little hamlets westward, it’s a drive that’s picture-perfect New England. Just off that ampersand-shaped throughway is Honest Weight on Route 2A, a minuscule brewery in an old mill building on the Millers River. Honest Weight specializes in small, low-ABV hoppy beers, and barrel-aged farmhouse ales with Brett. Drinkers won’t find big, bombastic IPAs here. They’ll find a relaxed atmosphere with a local-vibe and delicate, balanced and delicious beers.

(MORE: 10 Beertography Tips from the Pros)

Brick & Feather Brewery | Turners Falls, MA

Travel a bit more west on Route 2A and you’ll come to the tiny village of Turner’s Falls (pop. 4,470), in the town of Montague. We have a soft spot for small New England villages and this one happens to brew great beer. Brewing on an equally tiny, seven-barrel system, Brick & Feather was born in 2015. The small batch brewery fits the small batch community, and its attention to craftsmanship is evident in every pour. Take the drive to try Letters from Zelda, a ridiculously delicious and delicate-bodied IPA, but don’t sleep on Ode to the Afternoon Crew, a 4.9% cream ale. This place could aptly appear on a “Greetings from New England” postcard.

Stone Cow Brewery | Barre, MA

“The brewery saved the farm,” says Sean DuBois of Stone Cow Brewery. Currently in its fifth generation of operation, DuBois says they have no intention of stopping milking cows. The beer is just another option at Stone Cow along with killer food and family-first entertainment. The farm’s flagship, Roll in the Hay IPA, is a throwback to the days of an IPA that can be super citrus and floral in the nose, and have that bitter backbone. The milk stout, another menu mainstay, is soft and pillowy with a ton of roasted malt complexity. The best part? Bring your family. There are acres of land with grazing cows, a playground, and tons of space in the barn to dance along to the tunes of the local musician of the day.

(List: A Beer Geek’s Travel Checklist)

Notch Brewing | Salem, MA

I wasn’t planning on including anything on this list that is a city. But if we’re talking about destinations within New England in the fall, you have include the place that might provide the most New England experience of them all. As the city that’s infamous for its 17th century witch trials, Salem is the epicenter of Halloween and the October is cordoned off for festivities. Notch, on the banks of the Salem Harbor, is a biergarten worth visiting. New England brewing OG Chris Lohring and his crew are an American session brewery, and only make beers under 4.5% ABV. There’s zero sacrifice for flavor. This low-key place might be the best brewery in the state, and its taproom is always packed. Get a stein of anything from a hazy IPA to a triple-decocted lager. It does not disappoint.

Fall’s Ultimate New England Breweries Road Trip: New Hampshire

Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Company | North Conway, NH

Downtown North Conway is a time machine through New England. There’s a restored railroad station and quaint storefronts, and options to snowshoe or snowmobile through the White Mountains National Forest. After indulging in some New England charm or outdoor activity, saddle up to nearby Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Company. They’ve been canning their beers since before it was cool. And they do a variety of styles from a sweet Czech pilsner to a robust brown ale to, yes, a New England IPA. Don’t shy away from the meat either. The bison nachos are incredible.

(FIND: A US Brewery Near You)

Kettlehead Brewing Company | Tilton, NH

A half hour north of New Hampshire’s capital, Concord, is the beautiful Lakes Region. The area stuns in the summer with its crystal clear lakes, but astounds in the fall with its rich foliage on the drive north up Route 93. It’s just far enough north, too, that the out-of-state leaf peepers have turned around. Hop off exit 19 to Kettlehead Brewing, a relative newcomer, for both lunch and a couple beers. There’s no specializing here. Kettlehead does everything from lagers to IPAs to sour beers.

Fall’s Ultimate New England Breweries Road Trip: Maine

Oxbow Brewing Company | Newcastle, ME

Sure, there’s the bottling and blending facility down in Portland, but the true American farmhouse experience comes by traversing the pot-holed dirt roads along the Sheepscot River, passed Cowshit Corner to Oxbow’s home in Newcastle, where they’re brewing farmhouse ales in an actual farmhouse. Surrounded by 16 acres of hiking trails, this place feels miles away from civilization and, in some ways, it is. Get warm with a mixed-fermentation saison in the refurbished barn. Or enjoy a Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Pale Ale the way it should be enjoyed: Bundled up in a sweater, in a chair outside in the crisp Maine air.

Tributary Brewing Company | Kittery, ME

There’s perhaps no better drive in New England than along coastal Maine. Once the tourists return home post-Labor Day, the traffic thins out and views of the Atlantic stretch for miles. Less than a quarter mile from the Piscataqua River is Tributary Brewing, where New England brewing royalty Tod Mott calls home. There’s an anachronistic quality to Tributary’s beer list, on which will you find actual diversity. Stouts, browns, porters, IPA, and kolsch, all done to stylistic perfection. Mott the Lesser is an imperial stout that gained notoriety when it was called Kate the Great. And it’s just as good — if not better — now.

(MORE: 2018 Great American Beer Festival Competition Winners Announced)

Fall’s Ultimate New England Breweries Road Trip: Vermont

The Alchemist | Stowe, VT

Stowe, with its covered bridges and mountain views, is a quintessential New England town. In the winter, tourists come to enjoy the world-class skiing and dine out in quaint, cozy restaurants. A stop in Stowe, at least from a beer lover’s perspective, is incomplete without stopping by The Alchemist’s mammoth facility, which opened in 2016. The makers of Heady Topper, the original beer you-just-have-to-line-up-for, serves samples of whatever is on tap. But they will send you home with cases of beer including an award-winning American stout named Beezlebub or the “Is it better than Heady?” single IPA Focal Banger.

Hill Farmstead | Greensboro Bend, VT

It should warrant mention that the drive alone through rural Vermont back roads in the middle of autumn is incentive enough to drive to Hill Farmstead, the beer mecca in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Come for the views, of course, but stay for the beer. While hops are king in New England right now, Shaun Hill’s Farmstead ales are beautifully balanced and as well-crafted as well as any in the world. Try Arthur, Anna, Vera Mae, or … Well, just try them all.

(READ: Brewpubs with Impressive Menus)

Lawson’s Finest Liquids | Waitsfield, VT

For a long time, the only way to get Sean Lawson’s Finest Liquids was to wait outside the handful of country stores in Vermont on a certain day and hope you were lucky. You had no control over what beer came out of the truck and placed onto shelves. This all changed when Sip of Sunshine and Super Session began getting contract brewed at Two Roads in Connecticut. It expanded Lawson’s accessibility. But our access is suddenly much greater. With the fall 2018 opening of a taproom, Lawson’s is able to entice drinkers with both old favorites and new beers.

Fall’s Ultimate New England Breweries Road Trip: Connecticut

Fox Farm Brewery | Salem, CT

Fox Farm feels removed from the hustle of the major arteries that flow through Connecticut. In part, it’s because it is. Located on 30 acres of woodlands, the brewery is housed in a barn erected in the 1960s. “We put a lot of emphasis on experience and service,” says Zack Adams, owner of Fox Farm. But he adds that great beers comes first. Fox Farm has garnered acclaim for its hop-forward offerings like Burst and Dalily. But Adams is proud of the farmhouse ales and unfiltered lagers. “Our name is actually a nod to the original Fox family farm, the farmhouse for which is just down the road from the brewery,” Adams says. “The nearby open fields are now home to our family’s vineyard. We utilize the grapes in a number of our mixed-culture fermented and clean beers.”

Kent Falls Brewing Co. | Kent, CT

In a town that houses luxurious second homes of NYC old money and an elite private school, Kent Falls is likely the most prolific brewery on the list. The owners live on the working farm, where hops are grown and where animals roam. In the tasting room, it makes sense to grab one of the juicy IPAs with names like Awkward Hug and Send It! But on a picnic table enjoying the serenity of the farm, grab one of the beautifully crafted farmhouse ales, which are delicate, balanced and refined. Try Senescence, brewed with birch leaves, chardonnay grapes and Kent Farms’ own native yeast.

(MORE: A ‘Stirring Tale’ Behind the Father of Homebrewing’s Famous Spoon)

OEC Brewing | Oxford, CT

The Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores isn’t an exact Latin translation into “Order of the Eccentric Boilers,” but we’re going to give it a passing grade because its beer is so good. The brewery uses Old World techniques of barrel aging and blending to create one-off blends. The various styles can be tart, funky, downright sour, but all degrees of complexity. Not just sticking to one style, OEC also gets a little wacky with “standard” beers, like a pale ale brewed with wild yeasts and an oak-aged lager. When it comes to message boards volume, you won’t hear much about OEC. But take the trip and you’ll see why those who do know are keeping so quiet.

From an aesthetic standpoint, New England in the fall is second to none, with its rich history and natural beauty. It’s only right that the scenery is taken in on the way to some of the best beers in the world.

The post Epic Fall Road Trip: New England Breweries Off the Beaten Path appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Denver’s population is growing and demographics are changing. Sometimes it’s hard to build community against a backdrop of ever-present construction. As a backpacker, to understand a landscape, I have to see it by foot. Perhaps at a slow enough speed, I could process these urban changes, too. Though I lived in Denver, I had only frequented a few of its many neighborhoods. The Denver Brew Hike would force me into the far reaches of the city and into neighborhoods quite unlike my own.

With breweries anchoring the hike and footsteps connecting them, I could appreciate the flavor of Denver’s different districts. In breweries, I could pause, reflect, and meet people on their own turf. Walking and beer could tie together my questions about a changing city.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

An Unlikely Champion for Beer

As a professional hiker, the Denver Brew Hike was my eighth urban backpacking trip–but my first with a beer theme. Most pub crawlers don’t have to worry about logistics. But details consumed me. “Are Creede, Bruz, and that new River North facility in Denver City Limits?” (No, but I went there anyway). “Can I walk from Goldspot to Chain Reaction while still catching De Steeg on the one day it’s open for more than four hours?” (Yes, but I have to hustle).

When mapping a route, I always rely on the local community for those kind of details. Urban hiking has shaped friendships in unlikely places. It’s immersed me in niche networks in cities across the country.

But would the Denver beer scene take me in, too?

Why the hesitation? For one thing, I don’t have the face most people imagine when they think “drinking a cold one.” As an Asian American woman, I’m an unlikely champion for beer. It’s one thing for me to relish craft beer at home–it’s another to put myself out there, open to the scrutiny of the beer community.

But even before I downed my first pint, a shared love of beer forged connections. While I was still in the planning phase, Colorado Beer Geek suggested which breweries to include (and what to drink where). My friend Nikki Minette, a veteran taproom manager at several breweries, connected me with beer writer Jonathan Shikes. I fangirled when Miss Lupulin, a rare female Advanced Cicerone, met me at Wit’s End. My hiking partner, Naomi Hudetz, and other friends from the hiking world wanted to join too. To my surprise, beer lovers everywhere were eager to be allies in my quest.

Then I got an email from Kyle Clark, host of 9News, who sent his cameraman, Chris to join us on the journey. Now, the Denver Brew Hike was more than a mapping experiment: Denver would be watching.

(READ: Pride, Not Prejudice: Brewing Safe Spaces for the LGBTQ+ Community)

Breweries are a Giant Petri Dish of Human Collaboration

It’s easy nowadays to hide behind our cars and gated neighborhoods. But we form real community by gathering and interacting with those unlike ourselves. Walking to a brewery forces us to encounter strangers along the way. It lets us observe everyday surprises: a flower opening, a cat in the window, or a Little Free Library. Being in a brewery further opens us to new ideas from new people. We build a better world when we put ourselves out to others.

Nowhere were people putting themselves out to the world quite like at Factotum Brewing. I hiked into this Sunnyside neighborhood brewery on a hot Saturday. A beaming man greeted me: “You’ve got to try my beer!” He pointed proudly to what appeared to be a sports bracket.

Factotum’s co-owner Laura Bruns explained. This brewery is a space for homebrewers to practice on professional equipment. Here, they can share their experiments with the public, get feedback, and learn next-level beer-making. There was currently a March Madness-style beer competition going on. My new friend here was hoping to advance to the finals.

While this gentleman talked hops, I looked around. It was clear Factotum was a second home to him and the other homebrewers taking a stab at the big leagues. Although they weren’t making beer right now, they still wanted to be there, to share, and to hear about our hike.

Sure, a couple of drinks can take away the fear of meeting new people. But space and place matter too. Over eight days, I started thinking of breweries as this giant Petri dish of human collaboration. Factotum is an incubator where creativity could flourish: people taking their best liquid art and displaying it to the world like a tap-filled gallery. Breweries were a place of hope, growth, and excitement. Factotum’s palpable vitality energized my (by that point) hike-worn body.

(TRAVEL: Plan Your Next Beercation)

Local Breweries are Today’s ‘Third Place’

Sociologist and community-builder Ray Oldenburg described a “third place” as neither home nor work, but somewhere that still feels like your own. In 18th century Paris, this was the coffee shop. Thinkers and revolutionaries met there on neutral turf for spicy political debate and philosophical discussions.

In those days, coffee was the drink du jour, a hip new import from recently colonized lands. But now, amidst the craft beer revolution, the third place is the neighborhood brewery. It’s our era’s place to relax, to learn, to have our mind expanded through conversation. The modern third place works like the old: introducing us to new people and new ideas.

Platt Park is like many craft breweries in Denver: that neighborhood third place. It’s in a cute row of shops across the street from the ice cream parlor and next to the folklore center. It’s not designed to be showy, like the bigger downtown operations that cater to tourists. Across Denver, people go to their local brewery to play trivia or learn yoga away from judging eyes. Breweries are places to sing karaoke or practice stand-up. Platt Park feels like a place for regulars, where everybody knows your name … but the beer is better.

In a brewery like Platt Park, beer is the common conversation topic. It’s like sports or the weather; something safe to connect dissimilar people. When I talked with strangers about the breweries I had visited, it was like we were gossiping about mutual friends. We could discuss any one’s quirks, stellar stand-outs, or much-missed seasonals. And the thing is–we both cared, deeply, about what this friend was up to.

The local brewery meets another requirement for third places, too. It’s a great leveler. In a brewery, I could forget I was walking around town with hiking poles and a mountaineering backpack. I met people I may never have talked to in any other avenue of my life. But here in the safety of this brewery, we could be one with our differences, united by our common love of beer.

(READ: Breweries Along Route 66)

Brewability Lab’s Lasting Impression

By the time we reached Brewability Lab, it had been 10 miles since our last brewery and too many hours since my last beer. The nearby industrial district’s streets lacked shade trees or sidewalks. Trucks sped by. Inmates at the county jail catcalled us. “Why did I even include this brewery on the map?” I grumbled to my hiking partners, who must’ve felt duped into joining me that day.

But I was about to discover the most memorable brewery of the entire Denver Brew Hike.

At Brewability Lab, young adults with special needs serve beer in chemistry beakers. They crack jokes with you from across the bar. The Lab provides much-needed jobs and training for those with developmental disabilities. It is also a space for visitors to get to know them on their own terms.

Founder Tiffany Fixter sees beer as a medium for civic activism. As a former special needs teacher, Tiffany wasn’t seeing a lot of meaningful opportunities for the people she served. Now, she’s creating the change she wanted to see.

Tiffany greeted us and introduced us to our beertender, Tony, who is deaf. “Can I take you on a tour?” he asked. I hesitated. We were behind schedule and needed to get out of the dimly-lit industrial zone before dark. But Tony’s enthusiasm to show us around rivaled that of the homebrewer-turned-semi-finalist at Factotum. How could we say no?

Walking to Brewability may have been a hassle. But it highlighted how breweries like this are on the margins of the city, like its employees are on the margins of society. Hiking there gave me time to reflect. How could I be the change I wanted to see? What hassles are worth it to build a better community?

(LEARN: What is the Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

When owners come from the place where the brewery sits and speak the language of its people, they reflect the vibrancy of a city like the murals that adorn its buildings.

Craft Beer isn’t Really About Beer

What makes the craft beer industry so much more than another product in a bottle is the people. To meet those people in their own zone and to get there by foot removes barriers and pretenses. It emphasizes our shared humanity.

So I’m not stopping. I repeated the brew hike mission in Bend, Oregon, in February 2018. And next month, with the support of Backpacker Magazine, Visit Grand Rapids, the Michigan Brewers Guild, and Merrell, a local outdoor company, I will brew hike Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’m thrilled that now tourism bureaus, local businesses, and even libraries are recognizing craft breweries for what they are: the new blood of cities.

I want the people who watched the Denver Brew Hike on TV to remember it as more than a frivolous human-interest story. Connecting Denver’s breweries by foot changed the way I think about Denver and the role beer plays in it. Breweries don’t have to be like any other business. When owners come from the place where the brewery sits and speak the language of its people, they reflect the vibrancy of a city like the murals that adorn its buildings. Breweries can anchor communities, if we keep them focused on the local.

The post Finding Community on Foot: My 100-mile Denver Brew Hike appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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But let’s get back to adult beverages. Kentucky’s oldest distillery, Buffalo Trace, predates its oldest (surviving) craft brewery, Bluegrass Brewing Co., by 201 years (1792 and 1993, respectively). And even though its distilleries outnumber its breweries by about 75 to 55, this is absolutely destination-worthy for today’s beer lovers.

As one would imagine, fantastic bourbon-barrel aged beers abound, but Kentucky craft breweries make some mean IPAs. And for some true local flavor, try hunting down a pint of Kentucky Common, one of the rare indigenous American beer styles. Here’s a great route to explore the breweries of Bourbon Country.

(READ: Epic Craft Beer Road Trip: Pacific Coast Breweries)

Louisville

It’s fitting that the state’s largest city is home to around 16 percent of the population as well as 16 of its breweries. It’s a great place to start the tour.

Bluegrass Brewing Co.

In a state known for strong whiskey, it’s only fitting that the elder statesmen of breweries garnered back to back Great American Beer Festival (GABF) gold medals for its strong (12.5%) barleywine, Bearded Pat’s. Bluegrass Brewing Co. is the state’s winningest brewery at GABF. One of the most popular beers at the pub is the Bourbon Barrel Stout, weighing in at a comparatively modest 8% ABV, and ages in smooth Four Roses barrels then amps up the smoothness by serving it on nitro.

Goodwood Brewing

Branching off from Bluegrass Brewing Co. in 2015, Goodwood is all about wood — and the excellent limestone water from deep aquifers — but mostly wood. Sometimes it’s the wood that’s been used to age bourbon but sometimes it’s white ash, the very same found in famous Louisville Slugger bats. Louisville Lager is aged on said chips. Hemp Gose is the only beer that features not wood but a great wood substitute and is a nod to the state’s largest underground cash crop even ahead of above-ground tobacco. Walnut, spruce, poplar and more help grow their forest of beer offerings.

Mile Wide Beer Co.

The only Great American Beer Festival medal for Kentucky in 2017 went to Mile Wide for McPoyle, a nitrogenated milk stout. But clearly patrons come for the IPAs. There are generally five different ones on tap ranging from Idlewild Session IPA to Moxie, billed as a Northwest Double IPA and while it features a lip-smacking array of hops from around the Pacific Northwest, some German Mandarina Bavaria snuck in, too.

Against the Grain Brewery 

Against the Grain is among Kentucky’s best-known breweries generating worldwide acclaim for beers like Citra Ass Down (an IPA that’s, as is easily deduced, bursting with Citra hops) and Bo & Luke, an imperial stout that gets every kind of barrel treatment from bourbon (natch) to that concord grape wine found in Kiddush cups, in case Bo and his cousin Luke ever crash a Bar Mitzvah. The number of beers coming out of this brewery is mind-boggling and the best way to sample through them is at the pub over a large plate of house-smoked barbeque.

Monnik Beer Co.

It’s good to get out of the downtown core and this brewpub is a gem for those in the Schnitzelburg neighborhood. The 15 house taps at Monnik Beer Co. range from new Brut IPA (“As Different as You Are”) to Old Mutton Chops, a barrel-aged version of their brown ale, King George. Sometimes you’ll find beers with a culinary flair featuring cardamom or ginger and they serve as deft compliments to the Dutch-inspired menu that includes the best bitterballen this side of Amsterdam.

(READ: Epic Craft Beer Road Trip Along Route 66)

Lexington

In central Kentucky farther from the urban center, Lexington is surrounded by horse farms. The charming city encircled by New Circle Road boasts an incredible beer scene largely comprised of this two-mile brewery crawl.

Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.

Alltech is a multifaceted company founded by Dr. Pearse Lyons who passed away in 2017. Dr. Lyons, who earned his master’s and Ph.D in malting and brewing, moved from Ireland to Kentucky to create this biotech firm using the powers of yeast to promote healthy animals from fast horses to thirsty people. Their flagship, Kentucky Ale, is a hybrid of Irish red and British pale ales, while Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, introduced back in 2006, sees that base beer Kentuckified by aging in the bounty of local barrels. The barrel-aged beer offerings have multiplied (coffee or blackberry, for example), and there’s even a spin-off brewery and distillery (Dueling Barrels in Pikeville deep in Appalachia), but there’s something wonderfully straightforward about the original that layers vanilla and oak notes on a golden beer to highlight where these paths converge.

West Sixth Brewing

The brewery and taproom in downtown Lexington is the ideal spot to sip Kentucky’s best-selling IPA or the weekly firkin release. An added treat is a weekend retreat with the whole family to the West Sixth Farm in Frankfort (almost halfway back to Louisville and 10 minutes from Buffalo Trace) to sip said IPA among their micro hop yard. The bar has 10 West Sixth beers on tap, enough to explore nearly 10 acres of the farm per round.

Blue Stallion Brewing

Blue Stallion Brewing is a communal gathering spot that offers a comfy patio on which to enjoy their approachable beers. Of course you’ll find some IPAs but the emphasis is on traditional German lagers plus some British and Belgian ales. So hoist steins of their sessionable pilsner or Munich Dunkel and then treat yourself to a hefty dopplebock given a Kentucky kick via bourbon barrel aging.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

Cincinnati Metro

Even many Ohioans perceive Cincy less as southern Ohio and more as northern Kentucky. The cities on the south side of the Ohio River that serves as the natural state border aren’t merely perceived of as Kentuckian, they are Kentucky.

Darkness Brewing | Bellevue

The nano-sized brewery means Darkness gets to keep its homebrewing roots alive with myriad experiments and riffs including its session-strength (4.8%) Anomaly series of dark ales. Sometimes the beer gets hit with unique hops, sometimes it’s a favorite coffee. But what makes this a don’t-miss Kentucky brewery is Bellevue Common. This is a Kentucky Common Ale made with all state-grown ingredients including the malted barley, corn and rye.

Braxton Brewing | Covington 

Up in Cincy proper, Graeter’s Ice Cream is an institution perhaps on par with Cincinnati-style chili (served on Coney hot dogs or spaghetti!). So when this homebrew-inspired brewery (that feels like an inviting man-cave because it’s housed in a former garage) opened, Braxton Brewing got to work collaborating with the creamery to create flavors such as Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Milk Stout. Another stout called Dead Blow and dubbed a “tropical stout” made with dates, goes into Graeter’s Stout & Pretzels ice cream. For a Kentucky Common-esque beer, try Storm golden cream ale.

(VISIT: Great American Beer Bars 2018)

A Few Kentucky Craft Breweries Off the Beaten Path

Kentucky earns its rural reputation. The financial centers in urban areas are far outnumbered by pastoral towns even if said towns with breweries are few and far between. They’re still worth getting off the interstate to check out.

Jarfly Brewing | Somerset

Located 75 miles due south of Kentucky (and 40 miles north of Tennessee), Jarfly, a sobriquet for the every-17-years-cicada, is a charming pub in downtown Somerset occupying a space that’d been a family-owned furniture store for 150 years. Instead of handcrafting chairs and sofas, Jarfly handcrafts familiar styles with artistic flourishes. The Kentucky Common Ale is gilded with jalapenos. The black IPA is given the bourbon barrel treatment. Not to be overlooked, the cheeseboard features all Kentucky-made cheeses, and this may be Kentucky’s best kept secret.

Dry Ground Brewing | Paducah

Some folks think “Paducah” is a fictitious name for a place in the middle of nowhere. But it’s a real place, not in the middle of Kentucky but on the border of Illinois. The name is an homage to the Great Flood of 1937 when the Ohio River flooded, and with it, the Coca-Cola bottling plant built by Luther Carson. Carson built his replacement facility at the first place with dry ground. Today, Dry Ground Brewing occupies the back end of the former soda plant with its Art Deco architecture still preserved. Uncle Luther, an excellent ESB, keeps the past alive, as does ’37 Flood IPA. Pro tip for parents: There are board games available but if your kids are up for sleuthing, they might find a toy car hidden in holes or cavities in the building’s old brick walls.

St. Arnulf Alery | Cadiz

My first taste of bona fide moonshine was homemade blueberry bourbon. I mention this only because a beer like Hexagon, a milk stout with blueberries aged in bourbon barrels, is more authentically Kentucky that you might think. The blueberries on the 350-acre farm — replete with caves and springs as their water source — that St. Arnulf Alery calls home go into the beer. Raspberries grown on the farm also make their way into the beer that’s brewed over a wood-fired kettle like it’s the Middle Ages. In fact, the Cascade and Chinook hops that go into their beers: also farm grown, though they use some 21st century hop varietals and brewing know-how, too.

Ultimately, while the Commonwealth may not have as extensive a history when it comes to craft brewing as some other states, it’s far from the fictionalized place where everyone just drinks bourbon neat or sloppy moonshine. (But it is true that only tourists drink mint juleps.) Despite over half the counties having some sort of blue law restrictions on alcohol sales and over a quarter of the counties are completely dry, the Bluegrass State is as charming and creative a place to enjoy the modern wave of American, independent brewing, bourbon-aged or otherwise.

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