The Best US Cities for a Much-Needed Beer-Focused Vacation

Drinking beer while on vacation is a give . Whether sitting on a dock or in a cabin , or just cool down in your cellar relishing in a little clock time off , beer necessitate that relaxation to the next horizontal surface . But if you ’re a serious beer drinker , sometimes the beer itself can prescribe where you ’re vacationing , and the first affair you look for before you book – even before an Airbnb – is a list of brewery andbeer bars .

The destinations below are the staring spots to mix stock holiday activities – boating , hiking , sitting lazily in the sand – with some of the adept beer in the country . Next clip you ’re looking for a little R&R , consider these amazing beer - cation destination .

Portland, ME

They do n’t call it " Vacationland " for nothing – Portland , ME offers just about every single thing a beer - loving vacationist attend for in summer travel . First off , this fishing town - turned - foodie mecca is ridiculously pretty , with wholesale views of Casco Bay ( where kayaking , whale watching , sailing , and sportfishing reign supreme ) , cascading waterfalls at Jewel Falls , and the dog - friendly bouldered shoring beaches and stunning Victorian - geological era mansions along the Frederick Olmsted - design Eastern Promenade Trail . Oh , and that beer ? Some of the good in the country .

No journey would be complete without a layover atAllagash Brewing Co. , the Belgian - vogue brewery that cover to wow hungry Americans from coast to seacoast . Other must - dos includeMaine Beer Co.(whose Freeport location is just a stone ’s throw from the famedL.L.Bean Flagship Store),Bissell Brothers Brewing Co. ,Rising Tide Brewing Co. ,Bunker Brewing Co. ,Oxbow Blending & Bottling , Foundation Brewing Co. , and erstwhile - school forerunnerShipyard Brewing . If saloon are more your bag , a pilgrimage to Downtown Portland’sNovare Resis in store for you , followed up by stoppage at theKing ’s Head pubandThe Great Lost Bear . Hungry ? Drop bySlabfor abstruse ravisher and local drafts or , if you ’re feel fancy , finish your day with an exquisite farm - to - table dinner ( and stack of beer ) atFore Street Restaurant .

Missoula, MT

If you ’re in Montana as a vacationist , odds are you ’re there to camp . Or maybe you ’re going to Yellowstone . Or Flathead Lake . Or chilling in the Sawtooths . But if you ’re in the western part of the state , odds are that you ’re stop in Missoula . And if you ’re a beer lover , well , why not just put down stake and stay a while . It ’s a beautiful college town . It ’s vex ton of dandy eating place and bars . And , well , it ’s also one of the most unexpectedly great beer towns in the res publica … second , per caput , in beer - to - multitude , and one where , if you start to crave some of that Big Sky , you’re able to just kind of walk five minute outside the metropolis terminus ad quem and see something awing .

speak ofBig Sky , the purveyor of Moose Drool calls Missoula home , and pour out its standards in addition to more Belgian - tip brews like the Buckin ' Monk tripel , in add-on to the legendary Ivan the Terrible stout . TamarackHat Trick IPA brings the hops , while the ever - popularKettleHouseplays to the hippie contingent with a hemp porter and the Fresh Bongwater pale . Bayern , meanwhile , offers up a huge variety of great German - style ale of the bock kin and young - schoolers likeDraught Workshave the sleep of the Euro influence wrap up with Scotch ale and Pilsners . There ’s something for everybody , mostly within walking distance ( you should be accustomed to boost if you ’re here ) , creating infinite gin mill - crawl possibility for folks stick around , or one - stop consonant browse for everybody in your RV en road to Yellowstone .

Tampa, FL

There ’s no way around it : Tampa summers are red-hot . But what better elbow room to fight that 90 - degree weather than cool down on the beach with a pristine , locally made craft beer ? Far from the tawdriness and glamour of Miami , Central Florida is one of the nation ’s best - laid back holiday destinations for phratry who do n’t desire to ditch metropolis liveliness , with lots of museums , tramp , golf course of action , theme common , H2O sports , bars , and breweries galore .

get down your twenty-four hours at Tampa ’s legendaryCigar City Brewing , which operates a production brewery , brewpub , and cidery . apart from the Big Guava ’s biggest , you ’ll also want to hit upTampa Bay Brewing Co. ,Coppertail Brewing Co. ,Angry Chair Brewing , Tampa Beer Works , Brew Bus Brewing , and Dunedin’s7venth Sun Brewery . If you ’re still look for for suds , cruise over to the well - stockedBrewers taste Roomin St. Pete , then skip back over the bay for a pint at thePour House at Grand Central , Mr. Dunderbak’sbiergarten , or theBrass Tap , postdate by some beer - well-disposed chuck atDatzorThe Bricks Ybor . In motive of a brew break ? fulfil your curiosities with a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry , Lowry Park Zoo , the Florida Aquarium , or the American Victory Ship Mariners Museum , take in a Rays game at Tropicana Field , assay some thrills at Busch Gardens , or dance it out in Tampa ’s vivacious Ybor amusement district .

Sonoma County, CA

Oh , sure , it ’s wine country . And Redwood area . And fancy - intellectual nourishment land . But dammit , it ’s beer res publica , too . rent ’s just take a tone at some of the earth - stratum breweries take court in Sonoma . Ever learn ofRussian River ? Yeah , that ’s in Santa Rosa , and Pliny ’s in good company with the the likes of of honest-to-god - schoolThird Street(always a maid of honor to RR , but most bridesmaids do n’t make beer this good ) and newcomers likeFogbelt . Healdsburg – one of thebest small food urban center in the US– is place toBear Republic , Creator of the legendary Racer serial publication . Petaluma birthed a Little Sumpin ' calledLagunitas , and also houses101 NorthandPetaluma Hills . We can go on and on … and that ’s to say nothing about the homely towns , cabins , roaring rivers , and mighty coastline . It ’s basically a series of belittled beer towns disguised as village for the merlot set . And you ’re still booze wine ? Get a function , get a driver , and get exploring .

Western Massachusetts

The bucolic counties that form the Berkshire Hills and the Pioneer Valley are the stuff of otiose summertime dreaming – rolling hills , crystal - clear swim holes , charming college towns , picturesque tramp and golfing address , top - level museum and performance locus , and , consider it or not , a big old craftsmanship beer scene .

In terms of brewery , you do n’t require to miss Monson ’s kettle of fish - in - the - wallTree House Brewing Co.(whose fad position match a sealed Vermont hop mecca ) , Easthampton’sAbandoned Building Brewery , English - manner ale from Pittsfield’sWandering Star , Greenfield ’s belovedPeople ’s PintandLefty ’s Brewing Co. , the multi - award - winningNorthampton Brewery Bar + Grillein Downtown Northampton , and South Deerfield ’s craft OG , Berkshire Brewing Company . streak - smart , chirrup the insane draught list at theMoan and Dovein Amherst then head over to Northampton for stops at theDirty Truth(another perfectly curated strike list),The Foundryfor a sandwich and a sour ale , andSierra Grillefor an grand , beer - focused dinner party . While take from one place to another might ask some car time , the lush scene and quaint New England village line the way make any route well deserving it . Just , you know , determine somebody else to labour .

Traverse City, MI

If you close your eyes and taste to picture a gorgeous Michigan lake Ithiel Town , your nous will very belike pull back a picture that looks exactly like this bay city that , gratefully , is n’t actually Bay City , with respect to the Rollers . The pump of Michigan ’s wine country is like a postcard of Michigan ’s azure - low-spirited promised land , a post with endless choice for slap-up food ( Cooks ' House … good Lord ! ) , a hearty film fest , museums , and laid - back summertime living . Oh , and there ’s beer . Sorry , all that whimsy made us draw a blank why we ’re here .

Yeah … so about that beer . crossbeam – a bantam town of about 15,000 or so , minus the " sprawling " and situated on the glorious Leelanau Peninsula – happens to house thestate ’s best beer barin the sort of 47 - hydrant - deep , Michigan - centric7 Monks , but it also owns it when it comes to breweries . There ’s the famedMackinaw Brewingand a hub of gun barrel - mature Edgar Lee Masters atJolly Pumpkinin town , whileRight Brain Brewery , Ferment , andWorkshophold their own in a urban center blessed with as much beer as it is scenic viewpoints . There ’s probably no better place in the state to chill beachside while imbibe a topically crafted beer .

Cooperstown, NY

Combine America ’s two peachy pastimes – baseball and beer , duh – with a trip up to Cooperstown , a gorgeous lakeside haven just four hours north of New York City with a rich and longstanding brewing custom . Before Prohibition , upstate New York was ground zero for American hop production , and while the fields may have died out , the culture sure did n’t .

Start atBrewery Ommegang ’s straggle campus , where you’re able to snap up a bite from the cafe before get hold of an insider ’s tour of New York ’s best Belgian - style cunning brewery . If you’re able to pull yourself away from all that unfiltered toothsomeness , proceed on to nearby newcomerCouncil Rock Brewery , then pop over toButternuts Beer & Ale(Garrattsville ) andCooperstown Brewing Company(Milford ) before ending your day lakeshore with a Butcher ’s Burger and cool pint atHawkeye Bar & Grill . The area ’s main non - beer attraction is , of class , the Baseball Hall of Fame , but there ’s plenty to see besides The Show , including the historical Farmers ' Museum , the Fenimore Art Museum , fishing / chill on Otsego Lake , and strike the nexus ( or perhaps just the spa ) at Cooperstown ’s swanky Otesaga Resort Hotel .

Astoria, OR

Oregon ’s not exactly deficient for brewage - intensive cities paired up with beautiful scenery –Hood River and Bendare among the country ’s comfortably smaller beer cities , after all – but when the sun come out , the siren birdsong of the Oregon coast is passably unsufferable to resist . And while there are so , so , so many capital beach towns , Astoria – where the mighty Columbia drains into the Pacific – is the bibulous .

Even if you do n’t know Astoria , you acknowledge Astoria . It ’s the habitation ofThe Goonies , after all ( andShort CircuitandKindergarten CopandFree Willy ) , and Chunk ’s bowling bowling alley and the Goonies house still abide ( do n’t endeavor to get in there ) . More importantly for our purpose , it ’s also home to a handful of grand breweries … not as many as other Oregon cities , but hey , this is supposed to be relaxing . starting signal atFort George , the city ’s biggest and best known for cans of Cavatica stout , Vortex IPA , and 1811 laager , but where you may get seasonals like the easy - imbibe Overdub and the Citra - charge Suicide Squeeze IPA . The semi - rusticBuoy , meanwhile , is presently on the wage hike across the region thanks to its beloved NW Red and a Czech Pils whose well-to-do - drinking body belies a 6.2 % wallop . The shackyWet Dogremains the oldest in the city ( get the Red Beard amber ) , but there ’s also capital selections to be had at a docksideRogue , where you have to cross a rickety bridge and Mungo Park on the plank , and the quaint Hondo ’s . Not enough ? Well , you ’re at the coast . Cruise down toCannon Beach , Warrenton , or Seaside for even more ( and taffy ! So much taffy ! ) . Or just grab a growler , find a beach , and warm up yourself up to brave the inhuman , moth-eaten water .

Boulder, CO

pledge beer in Boulder is hugely different from drink almost anywhere else – there are 5,430 reasons why , which is also its elevation . impudent people say not to drink for your first 48 hours here . So do that … and then do this . Hang out on either ofMountain Sun’spatios for taproom - only revel like the popular Colorado Kind ale . Always worth a occlusive isAvery’snewish , tremendous facility , where you could tour its slam and stop by the taproomfor the food , and also for the incredible beer , which include rarity you ca n’t find in any bottle or can . Do n’t draw a blank to drink up a S’mores Stout filled with the emotional state of a summertime campfire inWild Woods ' quaint environment , or the every bit summery Thai - style White IPA atUpslope . Nearby , the always - bustlingFate Brewingexpanded its mental ability in the recent past tense , and is teem styles like a roggenbier , Australian - vogue pale ales , and a GABF - win kolsch called Laimas . And vacillation by CO ’s first slyness brewery , Boulder Beer , for a chocolate porter milkshake , which admit chocolate porter ice cream , chocolate sauce , and whipped ointment .

Boulderites are all about doing thing outside , which believably has something to do with the whole no - humidity - and - plentitude - of - sunshine affair . So hire one of 300 bike from a Boulder B - cycle post ( not all of them at once , please ) , and bike around on the pleasant 5.5 - mile Boulder Creek Path . Seeing as how Boulder ’s fence by foothills , there ’s plenty of hiking as well , and Chautauqua Park , which declare oneself trails perfect for people who get up every day at 6 am to work out , and people who just had a chocolate door guard milkshake . Lazy fun can also be had at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art , a concert at the Boulder Theater , or a massage at the swank St. Julien Hotel & Spa . Oh , and there ’s a little city call Denver nearby . We hear it has just beer , too .

Charleston, SC

Between its pristine beach , internationally recognized restaurant panorama , top - stag performing prowess , copiousness of historical architecture , and flourish trade beer fit , Charleston is a selection holiday speckle for Southerners and Yankees likewise . For beer lover , Westbrook Brewing Co.in nearby Mount Pleasant is a major tonality , as areEdmund ’s Oast , Revelry Brewing Co. ,Palmetto Brewing Co. ,Cooper River Brewing Co. , andFreehouse Brewery(all in Charleston right ) . Plus there ’s North Charleston’sFrothy Beard Brewing Co. ,Holy City Brewing , andCOAST Brewing Co.

As any foodie deserving their table salt well make out , there ’s no shortfall of lineament bars and restaurants in the Chucktown , of course of action , and brew - minded travelers should decidedly addCraftsman Kitchen & Tap House , close up for line of work , Smoky Oak Taproom , celebrated bottle store theCharleston Beer Exchange , andPoe ’s Tavernon beautiful Sullivan ’s Island to the list . If all that good brew ’s got you restless , stretch your peg with a saunter around Magnolia Plantation and Gardens ( one of Charleston ’s many impeccably preserve antebellum estates ) or The Battery seaside saunter , explore local goods at the Charleston City Market , study something at Fort Sumter National Monument or the South Carolina Aquarium , or loosen up on one of the Isle of Palms ' beachy Paradise .

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