Best Brews: Your Favorites U.S. Breweries

Alaskan Amber & Pale Ale are among my very favorites. They're available anywhere in Alaska and the Pacific Coast states as well (I think), although trying to find them outside Alaska may require some hunting.

BTW, I would not be surprised to see several hundred responses to this subject.

Now here's a post that gets me excited!!

My favorite US brewery that I have never visited is Ommegang which produces Belgian style ales. It's in Cooperstown New York which is a great pit stop for anyone who is visiting the baseball hall of fame. They have wonderful annual festivals including "Belgium Comes to Cooperstown" which I would love to go to one day.

My favorite US brewery that I have visited (so far) is Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, CA.

http://www.avbc.com/

It's a very no-frills type of brewery to visit. The tasting room setting is one of a large warehouse. I can't remember if they serve food or not (I'm thinking they don't). Their beer is fabulous. I love their Winter Solstice (seasonal) as well as the Belgians they've been churning out (Brother David's). Now that summer is approaching you'll have Summer Solstice beer to look forward to...which is also very tasty.

The best part about visiting the brewery, though, is that you can play frisbee golf (aka disc golf) on an 18 hole "golf" course while drinking your beer.

While in Boonville, I highly highly recommend a meal at the Highpockety Ox. Fabulous food in a quirky environment. Playing disc golf works up an appetite!

www.highpocketyox.com

I don't have a favorite brewery per se, but my favorite beer is brewed in Nova Scotia-Alexander Keiths India Pale Ale...can't get it here in the states, unfortunately.
My favorite brew pub is in Snellville, GA Summit's Wayside Tavern
http://www.summits-online.com/

During our recent trip to San Francisco, we went to Anchor Steam Works for a free tour and tasting.

DH is the beer enthusiast/connoisseur and he really enjoyed the tour and the tasting even more!

The tasting is really quite generous - we each had pub size glasses [6 0z. I think] of 6 different brews! That was quite a bit of beer for me [I actually only finished one glass, and sipped the others].

http://www.anchorbrewing.com/about_us/tourinfo.htm

I highly recommend this tour/tasting. Be sure to maker reservations.

Deb

Sorry, I should add some of our local SW breweries:

Durango - Durango Steam Works [try the Nitro Conductor!]

Cortez - Main Street Brewery

Dolores - Dolores River Brewery.

New Mexico -
Il Vicino {ABQ and Santa Fe}
Kelly's Brew Pub

All have great microbrews.

Deb

I hope it does get a couple... some breweries are smaller than others... for instance, the Brooklyn one I mentioned is pretty large I imagine. The NJ one I popped into was really small---a restaurant really---but you could see the one large vat off to the side.

Other favorites:
Starr Hill Brewery in Charlottesville, VA (beer-food-bands upstairs= good times)
http://www.starrhill.com/

Magic Hat, Burlington, Vermont. (Haven't been, want to)
http://www.magichat.net/

Anchor Steam Brewery, San Francisco
(same as above)
http://www.anchorbrewing.com/brewery/

Debit.. missed your post--see that you mentioned Anchor. Glad to know it was a worthy stop.

Here's the link to the Keith's Brewery
http://www.keiths.ca/k_brewery/k_brewery_index.htm

Also left off Magnolia Pub and Brewery in San Francisco. The food - and the beer - there is fantastic.

www.magnoliapub.com

Also in San Francisco, but not a brewery, is the legendary Toronado...my favorite beer bar ever!

www.toronado.com

Orlando_Vic - there will definitely be hundreds of posts. I might account for at least 200 of them as I recall all the beer drinking I've done all over the US.

I echo everything said about Anchor Steam Beer!

Big Sky Brewery in Missoula, MT: the Moose Drool is great.

Red Hook in Woodinville, WA: like their seasonal nut brown and ESB.

Belt Creek Brewery in Belt, MT: like the Pig's Ass Porter and Beltian White.

Wasatch: Polygamy Porter

Moab Brewing Company in Moab, UT: Dead Horse Pale Ale

Kona Brewing Company in Kona, Hawaii: Black Sand Porter is great!

I like dark stouts and porters; oatmeal stouts and chocolate stouts are my favorite.

Katie - I love Brooklyn Brewery's Chocolate Stout. Yum.

Here in Rochester we have Genesee Brewery (now called High Falls Brewery), and I really like their Honey Brown.
http://www.highfalls.com/

Unfortunately, Rochester has trouble getting on the band wagon with ANYTHING and Genesee does not offer tours or even a tasting room that I know of.

We also desperately need an eat-in microbrewery. We have a microbrewery that is good, Rohrbachs,
http://www.rohrbachs.com/index.php
but their restaurant is in a dumb outlying town. They are opening a new prduction facility downtown - I sure wish they were going to serve food there too!

Great thread!!!

Sierra Nevada Brewery makes some of the best beer in the world. http://www.sierranevada.com/ Besides being a beautiful brewery, it's location, in Chico, CA, makes for a charming visit in a beautiful university town.

We thoroughly enjoy their Pale Ale year-round and particularly, in the summer. The Celebration Ale, around the winter holidays is an annual treat. Right now, you can purchase their ESB, Early Spring Beer. Of course, they have several beers year-round but these are some of their special beers made for the season.

Sierra Nevada Brewery also has a very nice restaurant. Take a tour on their website to view photos.

Cheers!

I forgot to mention --

If anybody is visiting Lake George (Adirondacks) this summer, swing by Davidson Brothers for a great beer and some pub food. Nice place, good sidewalk cafe action too. It's in Glens Falls:


http://www.davidsonbrothers.com/

Shiner, Texas. Home of ShinerBock - the beer that converted my Heineken-drinking British boyfriend, and the first and last thing I drink when I get back home for a visit!!

I guess I am a beer nut by association --

if you like sippin Brews and and listening to blues, hey, this might just be for you:

http://www.tellurideblues.com/

An amazing September weekend, in the spectacular mountains of Telluride; 50 + microbreweries and a great line up of music. Free beer for 3 hours on the Saturday [well, it's included in the cost of ticket].

You can camp [for a little in town park] or you can live it up in luxurious digs.

10,000 of us can't be wrong!

Deb

There's also a great brewpub in Syracuse, NY called Clarkes Ale House..they only serve Hot Roast Beef and Hot Turkey sandwiches but they are deelish!

I love going to an Albuquerque Isotopes game and enjoying an Isotopes Slammin' Amber or AAA Blonde. Both are locally brewed.

I'll second Deb's Anchor Steam recommendation and kureiff's Polygamy Porter.

Lee Ann

Anchor Steam is a great spot but the best place for a good time is Saint Arnold brewery, Houston, Texas. You are guaranteed a good time, great beer and tasty root beer...and meet new friends from across the country at the same time.

We used to love the Brewery Bar in the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, which made its own porter, stout, hefeweissen etc on the premises. We were back for New Year and they had stopped, it was just the usual bland Bud/Miller stuff. Gutted!

As a European utterly spoiled by trips to Belgium and Germany, US beers I have enjoyed include Anchor Steam and Sam Adams, though I'm not sure that they aren't more mainstream these days.

I have found that it's much easier to find a good, locally-brewed, microbrewery etc beer in the States these days. Sadly, I can't remember the names: one wheat beer we drank as the sun set over Morro Bay in Ca is particularly memorable. Does 'pyramid' mean anything to anyone in this regard?

Dixie & Dixie Blackened Voodoo. Now being brewed in Wisconsin (I think) until they can get up & running in Nola again. Weeping Radish from OBX. Angry Angel, a Kolsch-style beer brewed by Big Boss in Raleigh. If we want to meander outside of the US, I have lots more...

Are they in Europe wannabe? Perhaps we should ask our friends in the Europe forum?

Yes, Great idea Katie.

I loved the Magic Hat Brewery in Burlington, VT. (I'd pass on the Vermont Teddy Bear store, however!)

Easy call - Full Sail along the Oregon Coast.

Wannabe-- feel up to? They might blast us with claims of pilsner superiority.

A second for Shiner . . the last of the "National Beers of Texas" . . also St. Arnold In Houston . .http://www.saintarnold.com/

Another favorite is Yuengling in Pottsville PA . . http://www.yuengling.com/

Haven't been but Fat Tire Ale from New Belgium in Colorado. Yum

Been to Reed Hook in Washington. Nice tour. Liked the Porter. So smooth.

There are many micros in Hawaii but don't care for any.

I don't have to travel to get great beer! There are lots of great breweries in my town, Portland.

Some of them include:

Rogue, which carries my favorite beer, the Rogue Chocolate Stout
http://www.rogue.com/locations-portland.html

Widmer: http://www.widmer.com/Default.aspx

Bridgeport: http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/index.php

Lucky Lab: http://www.luckylab.com/

Laurelwood: http://www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com/

Roots Organic: http://www.rootsorganicbrewing.com/

Wisconsin is the place to go for great local breweries! I've fallen in love with Madtown Nutbrown by Ale Asylum in Madison. And New Glarus Brewery makes several really good beers. Fat Squirrel is my favorite.

I'm also a fan of Goose Island Brewery in Chicago.

Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo, Michigan

That's a good one too, Kelliebellie! Lots of Chicago bars have Bell's beers on tap.

Not the same area of the country and I don't know much about their other products, but I also really like Abita Turbodog.

I'd love to try some of the chocolate stouts that have been mentioned. The only one I remember having is Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Really good stuff!

I'm up for it, lead on...

Russian River Brewing Co in Santa Rosa, CA, had some great beers. Their Belgium style ales are the best I've tasted.

http://russianriverbrewing.com/web/brewpub.html

It's a good change of pace from wine tasting in the area.

Mmm, Fat Tire. And Rogue Hazelnut was my introduction to dark beer.

Locally (Detroit area), my favorites are Bastone, which is also a phenomenal restaurant for the price (our most recent meal with two of the most expensive entrees, an appetizer and two beers was only $70, and my scallops were some of the best I've ever had), and Dragonmead. The beer is great, but it's a BYO Food, so we don't go often.

We liked the food at the Wharf Rat in Baltimore, and the beer was pretty decent.

Wharf Rat in Baltimore is excellent, but the bar area is way too smoky.

I never knew the meaning nor value of "Micro Brewery" before relocating to Denver.

Prior to that, my favorite tour was Ommegang- I love the Abbey Ale.

Although I'm not a micro-tourist, I do enjoy tasting. Blue Moon is a favorite for casual dining. Although it might not qualify as a micro, its flavor keeps it out of the mainstream and it's new to me.

Also, the New Belgium family of beers, including the flagship Fat Tire, in Fort Collins, CO has become something of an attraction for visitors from back home. So I consider New Belgium a new favorite.

I would betray my home town if I did not mention The Wynkoop in LoDo. Owned by our Mayor Hickenlooper, it is a "must do" part of every trip to a Colorado Rockies game for us. (Never mind that the stadium is named after a mega-brew).

I will have to agree with an above poster-

1. Big Sky Brewery in Missoula,
Moose is great as well as
scapegoat, and their new
trout slayer is worth a sip.

2. Red Hook- love them all ever
since a hippie(in a good way)
parade and a beer garden of
red hook.

Johnnyman--Full Sail is out of Hood River.

Some of DH's favorite are Full Sail, Deschutes, Redhook, Bridgeport and Pyramid.

Add your European favorites here....I'd love even more motivation to same my $$$$ to head back there...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35122776

Well, howdy neighbor. I've never done the Brooklyn Brewery tour because I think their beer is foul. My favorite brewery so far has been Otter Creek in Middlebury, Vermot. Fantastic beer, beautiful location and a really nice little operation. I went to Magic Hat in Feb. and was very impressed. Get there if you can - we are not getting their best products in the stores. The variety pack I always see has their worst beer. They're doing an organic line that's fabulous (Orlio). Next up for me, I hope, will be Long Trail - also in VT.

I like the beer at the Moab Brewery, but didn't find it to be a real brewery experience. It was like the Barley Creek Brewery in Tannersville, PA - really a restaurant with tanks. I got my husband a Mr. Beer brew kit for Christmas and he has turned out some of the best porter I've tasted (ok, not as good as Polygamy) but sorry - no tours!!

I'd love to go to the source of Voodoo Ale - very, very hard to get. Don't you just love the people who "don't drink beer", like everything out there is warm Budweiser? Another favorite is "there's no good American beer".

In Michigan, I do like Bell's, but prefer the Arcadia Brewing Co out of Battle Creek! Delicious Britich style ales.

My fave is the IPA or the smoked porter (seasonal)

er, that should obviously be British.

You folks should all come to little ol' Boulder, Co. We've got, just in our hamlet:

Avery Brewing: http://www.averybrewing.com/ Big beers, at least 4 at about 15% and there are hop freaks!

Twisted Pine: http://www.twistedpinebrewing.com/home.html

Boulder Brewery:http://www.boulderbeer.com/ Alledgedly the oldest (still classified as) micro brewery in the US)

Mountain Sun (and Southern Sun in south Boulder) http://www.mountainsunpub.com/

Redfish Brew Pub: http://www.redfishbrewhouse.com/

BJs pizza (though a chain, most have their own brewmaster, as does Boulder's)http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/locationdetail.aspx?lcID=8

And Walnut Brewing http://tinyurl.com/6s9vvn which is part of the Rockbottom chain, but was there before there was a rockbottom.

All make very fine beers and the last four are within walking distance of each other, all along the Pearl St walking Mall in Boulder, a site of it's own.

Of course, if you want to taste all of these beers, and most of your favorites from around the country, come to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, last year, over 1800 beers. It happens in October this year.http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/index.htm

Bill

I like Widmer's Snow Plow (milk stout) a lot. I also second the recommendations for Rogue's Chocolate Stout.

Brando, have you tried Big Sky's Summer Honey? It's good as well.

Kureiff, what's a milk stout? Sounds very interesting!

Caph....everytime I'm in Chicago I get "Goosed".

And I love Abita Turbodog!

Also liked the Great Basin Brewpub in Sparks NV.

A good place to start/end Hot August Nights and/or The Best of the West BBQ competition.

Hi Katie..great post! Orlando Vic, I love Alaska Amber too my DH craves it...I am always looking around here in GA, for it...but alas..AAA!

Milk stouts tend to be sweeter than an irish stout for instance. Here is the official description:

Milk / Sweet Stouts are basically stouts that have a larger amount of residual dextrins and unfermented sugars that give the brew more body and a sweetness that counters the roasted character. Milk Stouts are very similar to Sweet Stouts, but brewers add unfermentable sugars, usually lactose, to the brew kettle to add body and some sweetness.

Bill

Thank you, Bill! So the added lactose is where the "milk" part of it comes in.

As I mentioned, Kal, I'm a fan of Goose Island. But my love affair with Honker's Ale has dimmed somewhat. After years of loving pretty much all dark beers, in the past several months I've developed a dislike of the floral taste in so many dark beers. Especially IPAs. Am I right in thinking it's the hops that gives it that flavor?

Fortunately, Goose Island makes several other beers that I still really like. Well, maybe not so fortunately in terms of my desire to lose weight!

Kureiff- I have tried the summer honey very tasty, their only brew I don't care for is IPA.

I live in Madison, WI-- if you ever get to the Badger state try Capital Brewery www.capital-brewery.com Our favorite is the seasonal Capital Maibock. Island Wheat Ale is a new & popular beer. During the summer on Friday evenings Capital opens up a beer garden with live music. Another brewery right outside of Madison is the New Glarus Brewing Co. and spotted cow is one of the more popular beers.

Oh, if only DH had time to answer. And I love the term "micro-tourist"--he's that and more. He's been to Munich and Belgium for birthday presents-- just for the beer!!!

We're from Michigan, so Bell's is an obvious fave. I just saw their Oberon (or as I still like to refer to it, Solsun)out in stores for the first time of the season.

We recently went to Stone Brewing north of San Diego, and I have to say that place was fabulous. Even if you are not a huge beer conniseur, the food and the atmosphere is amazing-- there is a little koi pond inside, out outside there is an amazing pond, firepit, big grassy open spaces, --- HIGHLY recommended.

There is also a pretty comprehensive site, beer travelers that lists most of the brewpubs in the country
http://www.beertravelers.com/

I know the next two on DH's list are omegang and dogfish head.

Cheers!!! And if you are in Michigan in July, the Michigan Beerfest is a great event -- almost all of the breweries in Michigan come together in one place for beer tasting and music-- good times!

Caphs,
Hops...skips....jumps...dunno the answer.

I had some dark stuff with a pizza last Satnite.

It was the pizza place's own name and I didn't get a chance to ask them if they brew themselves or just have someone do it and they label it.

Good stuff.

I still like an ice cold Kona Brewing Co Fire Rock Pale Ale....while at the Sand Bar only!

Ithaca Brewery (Ithaca, NY) has several really good beers, including Cascasilla, a hoppy red ale, and Flower Power, a fragrant IPA. The brewery has a tasting room, but no food.

Flower Power is doing very well in a blind beer tasting tourney that I am a part of. See http://home.twcny.rr.com/jtonole/slothbrew/madness08.pdf

Deschutes Brewery's Mirror Pond Pale Ale - mmmmmm...

But you really can't go wrong with just about any brewery here in Beervana (Portland, OR). For folks to like to sample 'em all, come join us for the Oregon Brewers Festival, which is always held over the last full weekend in July. It's a great event with microbrewed beers from all over the US - very laid back, and even family friendly, believe it or not. We always get there early, spread out a blanket under a tree on the waterfront, and spend the afternoon comparing tastes. You can't beat it!

The Lone Star Brewery in San Antonio was very welcoming when I fronted up in 1979 and the beer wasn't bad either. They were pretty keen to have me do the full taste test when they discovered I was an Australian (funny that). What they didn't know was that in those days the occasional taste test at an overseas brewery (a boon to a skinflint backpacker) was pretty much the extent of my beer drinking. Anyway, it was an enjoyable afternoon - which went a long way to making up for the previous night on the Greyhound when everyone was kept awake by a stoned dude and his g'tar with the exclusive repertoire of 'Is anybody goin' to San Antone...'. Enough to drive anyone to drink.

Anybody been to the Oak Creek Brewery and Grill in Sedona? How's their beer?

Love reading about these... had a beer this weekend that I really enjoyed on my recent trip to California. It's by the Bear Republic Brewing Company in Healdsburg, California. Has anyone ever been? I like their Racer IPA.

http://www.bearrepublic.com/

I've been there Katy, they do make some good beer. I was stuck there w/my friend while the females were shopping. I had the time to sample a few.

I've been to Bear Republic, too, and they make excellent beers. I have to say, though, that food we had for lunch was not very good. I would go back for beer but probably eat elsewhere!

http://www.sfbeerfest.com/

25th Annual San Francisco International Beer Festival
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco

Saturday April 26, 2008 7pm to 10pm

SOLD OUT! THANK YOU!!

Great thanks--- I feel like I'm seeing that Racer IPA at every bar I go to here in the city. It must have been picked up by a supplier to the bars I frequent. I used to never be able to find Blue Moon and now it's practically everywhere here also--still a treat, but I no longer say, "wow, they have blue moon!" I think I might trek to this beer shop in Brooklyn that has a great selection of far-flung small brews the next warm afternoon I have off. Thanks for turning me on to more.

Debit---curious... you've been to the festival in Denver, correct? Sounds like a really good time; I've already been turned on to a music fest there this summer though so I can't imagine making two trips..but why not? =)

Oh wait.. you said Telluride... different city!

Someone has already mentioned Capital Brewery in Madison, Wis. I toured with a large group of friends and we really had a good time. I can't remember if that tour is free? They are generous with the post-tour samples.

I've also enjoyed the Sprecher Brewery tour outside Milwaukee. In addition to many different beers, they also brew several sodas. Their tour has a small cost but you get to sample several things at the end and you keep your souvenir glass.
http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/tours.php

We also had a great time at the Yuengling tour in Pennsylvania. It's America's oldest brewery, and the tour features beer caves that they used to cool the brews back in the day.
http://www.yuengling.com/tour.htm

3 of the best breweries in the world (as rated by ratebeer.com) are located in San Diego.

Alesmith
Stone
Pizza Port

These three are hard to beat. I do have others that I like (I like strong beers).

Dogfish Head (90 minute IPA)
Lagunitas (Maximus)
Hair of the Dog (Fred)
Rogue (Brutal Bitter)
Sierra Nevada (Pale Bock, Bigfoot, Celebration)

Sorry, I forget to put Lost Abbey in the San Diego category. Truly a special brewery.

I've really enjoyed this thread... I don't know if you saw it in this week's newsletter but I worked on a story with input from the editors (and you of course!) this week called "3 Hoppy Towns". We detailed a few fun stops for beer lovers in San Francisco, Denver, and Portland and included a link to this thread.
http://www.fodors.com/news/story_2981.html

Bisbee---thanks for all the San Diego suggestions. I tried quite a few of those last time I was out there.

It's going to be warm here finally this weekend...so I certainly am ready for a nice wheat bear and an outdoor patio. Wishing you the same!

Oregon is full of brew pubs where they brew beer on premises. All of the McMinnamins are great. They are located in funky old buildings. I'd put their Terminator Stout up against Guinness Stout any day. And their food is perfect pub food. If you want, you can go healthy with great salads, but you can also opt for the greesiest fries in the world. The burgers are oozing with juice. Mmm mmm.

You can get a selection of their brews in little glasses. Some are light pink, light gold, all the way to looking like molasses.

Leaving behind the McMinnamins that was just down the street from us was one of the many sacrifices we made when moving from Portland OR to the Seattle area. Whah!

Oh goodie! Just read your link and you included a McMinnamins at the Kennedy School. There are lots of others, just as cool, so there is never one too far from your doorstep. Sigh.

That hotel looks awesome... so strange--- have you been inside? I think I'd like staying somewhere like that. I love a museum here in New York that is in an old school; I think it's a good kind of spooky.

Orcas--You can go to Centralia and stay at the newish McMenamins there

Katie--I have stayed at the Kennedy School, as well as the Edgefield and the Hotel Oregon. I love the McMenamin properties as they are so unique. We had a sorority reunion one year at the Kennedy School in the Detention Room...how appropriate, lol!

Orcas -

It may not be down the street anymore, but you do know that McMenamins has pubs in Seattle, right (like Six Arms in Cap Hill)?

Here in DE I have become a big fan of Yuengling. I can't get it on tap when I am visiting back home in MA, though. Tragic.

I also had a brew called Newport Storm once that was a real treat. Obviously it was up in Rhode Island. I am not sure how large/small they are or if they are even brewing these days. It was a great pint, though.

Great Lakes Brewing Co in Cleveland. Burning River Pale Ale!

Gotta put in a plug for my favorite Humboldt brews:

http://www.lostcoast.com/

http://www.madriverbrewing.com/

I know they are in Seattle, but, as you say, beanweb, not down the street. We lived less than 2 miles from the Raleigh Hills Brew Pub in Portland. Whah whah whah. There is nowhere I know in Bellevue for a good funky, laid back brewpub experience. The closest we come is the XXX Root Beer place in Issaquah. They make a hamburger the size of a frizbee there. The kids try to eat them without throwing up. They have great fries. It isn't a brew pub, though.

Katie, I've been in the Kennedy School just once, at night, for a Bar Mitzvah party. Yes, you can have Bar Mitzvah parties in brew pubs. You are right. It was kind of spooky. Another McMenamins people recommend a lot for overnights is the Edgefield Inn, on the way to the Gorge. We've eaten there. They have a great garden where they grow native plants, a glass blowing shop and even a wine cellar where you can have a wine tasting.

We loved the McMenamins out near Hillsboro in an old house, the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. At one point in time, there were developers who wanted to tear it down but the people rose up and saved it. You could sit outside in the summer and eat in the sunshine. There are other brew pubs where they show movies. (I think they do at the Edgefield Inn).

Speaking of brew pubs and Bat Mitzvah parties, we had our daughter's at the Bridgeport Brew Pub near the river on the west side of Portland. We rented out the upstairs room, that has wood floors, wooden tables, a high ceiling with wooden support beams, red brick walls, and big windows. It was a very cool party venue - a place with lots of character. The parents were able to sit on the far side of the room, away from the noise and drink beer. (We might have had to get it downstairs, I can't remember.) The pizza and salads were outstanding. I'm so glad we don't live in NYC or LA where people might not get a Bar or Bat Mitzvah in a brew pub.

I think there are tax incentives for Brewpubs in Oregon - like they don't have to charge tax on the beer if it is made on premises. Hence there is a proliferation of brew pubs.

Orcas -

Okay, so it's not Bellevue either, but stay tuned for a new brewpub opening in Redmond this summer: Black Raven

http://www.blackravenbrewing.com/index.htm

Cheers!!

Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City, Missouri. I love their Unfiltered Wheat. Others love the Pale Ale or Bully Porter. Every place in KC has the unfiltered wheat on tap but it's hard to find outside of MO.

I haven't taken the tour myself but I have heard many others rave about the Lakefront Brewery tour in Milwaukee. I thought the beer was just ok.

Great thread!!!

I chowed down on some seriously spicy crawfish last night at Mara's Homemade in the East Village...my group ordered pictures of a Louisiana brew from Abita Brewing Company. I had never heard of it---good stuff. I believe we were drinking their Turbodog. Anyone ever had it?

http://www.abita.com/

Actually, it's been mentioned in this thread, Katie. Really good stuff! There's a cajun style bar/restaurant in Chicago, Blue Bayou on Southport, that has $3 Turbodogs on Sundays. And very good, reasonable food too. It's become a favorite of ours.

My favorite beer is Sam Adams Double Bock, a seasonal, which comes out in late January. I bought 25 cases of it this past year and stored it.

How did I miss that---looks like CAPH beat me to it!

25 cases! You should have us all over.

I agree with Katie. After all, Sam Adams doesn't keep all that long, right?

"How did I miss that"

Well, Katie, since there've only been, what, a couple of hundred different beers mentioned here, I think you can be forgiven for missing one!

Favorite brewery tour: Smuttynose
-Staff was great, hung-out and talked with the brewmaster for 2-3 hours drinking pint after pint.

Cool experience: Old Dominion
-Got to take a tour led by the owner less than a year before OD was sold.

1st ever brewery tour: Sam Adams

Best IPA I have ever tasted :
Goose Island

Best blueberry beer: Bar Harbor

My wife and I try and visit every brewery and brewpub wherever we travel. We both love pumpkin beers!

Here's a list, missing a few recent visits.....

Arizona
1. Sonora Brew House
2. Copper Canyon Grill & Brewpub
3. Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Café
Delaware
4. Dogfish Head Brewing
District of Columbia
5. Capital City Brewing (Downtown)
6. Capital City Brewing (Capital Hill)
7. Chophouse & Brewery (D.C.)
8. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant (D.C.)
John Harvard’s Brew House
Florida
9. Hops Grill & Brewery (Bradenton)
10. Yuengling Brewery (Tampa)
11. Tampa Bay Brewing
12. Tampa (don’t remember the name)?
Hawaii
13. Waimea Brewing
Illinois
14. Rock Bottom Brewery (Chicago)
15. Goose Island Beer Company (Clybourn)
Kansas
70. 23rd Street Brewing
71. Free State Brewing
72. High Noon Saloon & Brewing
73. Weston Brewing (O’Malley’s Pub)
74. Blind Tiger Brewing
Maine
16. Gritty McDuff’s Brewing
17. Shipyard Brewing
18. Sebago Brewing (South Portland)
19. Kennebunkport Brewing/Federal Jack's Restaurant & Brewpub
Maryland
20. Fordham Brewing (Rams Head Roadhouse)****
21. Fordham Brewing (Rams Head Tavern: Annapolis)****
22. Ellicott City Brewing
23. Dogfish Head (Gaithersburg Alehouse)****
24. Franklin’s Brewery & General Store
25. DuClaw Brewing (Arundel Mills)
26. DuClaw Brewing (Bowie)
68. Growlers (Gaithersburg)
Massachusetts
27. Sam Adams Boston Brewing
28. Beer Works (Salem)
Missouri
68. Boulevard Brewing
69. River Market Brewing
New Hampshire
29. Smuttynose Brewing
30. Portsmouth Brewery
31. Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery
Nevada
32. Ellis Island Casino & Brewery
33. Main Street Station Hotel & Casino: Triple 7 Brewery
New Mexico
34. Blue Corn Café & Brewery
35. Turtle Mountain Brewing
36. Chama River Brewing
North Carolina
37. Edenton Brewing
38. Carolina Brewing Company
39. Southend Brewery & Smokehouse (Raleigh)
Ohio
40. Rock Bottom Brewery (Cleveland)
41. Great Lakes Brewing
Oregon
42. Rock Bottom Brewery (Portland)
43. McMenamins (Kennedy School)
Pennsylvania
44. Bube’s Brewery
45. Troegs Brewing
46. Appalachian Brewing
Texas
47. Shiner Brewing
48. Padre Island Brewing
49. Live Oak Brewing
50. North By Northwest Brewing
51. Fredericksburg Brewing
52. Blue Star Brewing
Utah
53. Zion Canyon Brewing
54. Moab Brewery
Virginia
55. Rock Bottom Brewery (Arlington)
56. Hops Grill & Brewery (Alexandria)
57. Richbrau Brewing
58. Old Dominion Brewing
59. Shenandoah Brewing
60. Sweetwater Tavern (Merrifield)
61. Blue & Gray Brewing
Canada
62. Steam Whistle Brewing
63. Mill Street Brewing
Scotland
64. Bridge Of Allan Brewing
65. Moulin Inn & Brewery
Ireland
66. Messrs Maguire
67. Macreddin Brewery

That's quite a list!

Does anyone know a site that let's you search for specific beers to see where they may be served on tap in your area? I'd like to try that blueberry one you recommend jedivader...

If you live in NY, you're in luck.

http://www.beermenus.com/

I also like:

http://www.hbd.org/mbas/beer.html

But I haven't found an equivalent country-wide resource. If you were REALLY REALLY efficient, you could contact the brewery, find out their distributors, then contact distributors to find the beer near you. But the links above are probably the easiest.

jedivader - have to disagree with you about Bar Harbor Blueberry - its good for sure but Wachusett Blueberry Ale has got it beat. Wachusett is smoother.

The Brooklyn brewery is actually surprisingly small. Basically just one large room where the brews are made (not so different from Sam Adams in Boston).

Definitely worth a visit though, especially if you're close by!

I too give two thumbs up for Anchor Steam in SF. It's a great tour, and the "tasting" is way too much for many of us -- I had to turn a few down so I could see to find the bus -- brilliantly we took the bus rather than drive there!

But the best time we ever had was just happening to be in Portland, Oregon for the annual micro-brew festival. Must have been a hundred micro-breweries with booths along the river in the open air all offering tastes or full glasses.

I forget the name of the brewery but, it is in Frankenmuth Michigan. It is fantastic, the brews , the food, even the location.. we would rec. it for anyone in that area to make sure and stop!!!!!!

Thanks for that beanweb... I know I saw that somewhere.

Bennnie...just looked up your blueberry recommendation and it's at a bar across the street from my office as we speak!

Katie--You need to plan a trip out here to Oregon. There are several brewers festivals in the Portland area alone. The big one is in July and is a lot of fun. We also have a great restaurant/bar that has over 100 beers on tap.

Will have to try Wachusett, don't see it around Maryland. It's hard to find good beer around my area anyway (Temple Hills). People around here love their domestics.

Just tried Wild Blue....YUCK! It's one of those fruit beers that doesn;t taste like beer, it tastes like a wine cooler/lambic. Here is a link that talks about it.

http://www.thebrewsite.com/2008/03/09/pr-wild-blue.php

Best red: Boulevard Irish Ale (Kansas City)

I know a lot of people love them but I don't care for most of DogFish Head beers and hate all of the Flying Dogs I've tried. Flying Dog labels are also disgusting. I consider DogFish Punkin to be the worst pumpkin I've ever tried. Their SnowBlower is the best they have, along with the 60 minute. They are over-hyped and oer-priced...in my opinion.

We've got a great microbrew in Pittsburgh - it's in what used to be an old Catholic Church - sound sacriligious? No way - I've seen priests and nuns enjoying the food and the brews.

http://www.churchbrew.com/

I've heard about the church brewery in Pitt, hope to hit it some day.

Best Porter: Polygamy Porter (Wasatch)

Yummy!