Beer road trips

I'm so beer obsessed anymore that my girl automatically assumes that anytime we leave the city, beer is going to be involved.

 

I've done a few vacation and business trips where sight seeing has specifically involved beer\breweries\craft bars. Research and plan out your trip; what days and times are places open, what is right in the area that is slightly under the radar, is there an event going on when you happen to be there.

Above all, travel with cool people, be it good friends, your spouse who enjoys craft, or a homebrew group. These trips are much better with fun people to enjoy it with.

 

I feel like I go get Heady Topper like it's my job...

 

Buffalo-->Founders-->New Holland-->Bells-->Three Floyds-->Fat Heads-->Great Lakes-->Buffalo

Buffalo-->Bells-->Founders-->Surly-->Great Divide-->Odell-->Oskar Blues-->Mountain Sun-->Avery

San Francisco-->SARA-->Alvarado St.-->Firestone Walker-->Barrelhouse-->San Francisco

 

Same trip and similar activities for my wife and I in the fall of 2013. One of our favorite trips ever and hopefully doing it again this fall. Also always enjoy trips to Chicago, California (especially San Diego), Oregon, and Colorado.

 

What's the stratgey for a Vermont trip on how to get Heady and Sip of Sunshine? Are they just sitting there in stores or do I need to call the stores ahead of time to find out when I need to be there? Would hate to plan a road trip all the way there and come back with neither because I didn't plan well.

 

My brother and I did VT from Wash DC in October and it was great. Headys website has delivery info (http://alchemistbeer.com/buy/?avail=1). Get there at least 30 min before opening. Hill is only open Wed through Sat, and arrive 1 hour before opening. We found most of our Lawson's at Hunger Mt. (http://www.lawsonsfinest.com/find-our-beer/). You also should try to hit these bars: Burlington for Farmhouse Tap and Grill and VT Pub and Brewery, Waterbury for Prohibition Pig and Blackback, and Montpelier for 3 Penny Tap Room.

I also got to do a SE PA run in Nov, and San Diego in Dec. It was the best 3 months I had for drinking great beers!

Good luck

Jeff

 

Dude, that's fun no matter what's involved...pot...strippers...church...beer...golf...surfing...dirt bikes...mountain bikes...tricycles...it's a wonderful part of the country!...beer is a good idea though!...have fun!...

 

Just last week I left DC at noon on a Monday, drove to Philly and waited for friends to get off work, left Philly at 6, drove to CT, slept, woke up at 4am on Tuesday, drove to Burlington area, got tons of Heady and was back in DC by 1am Wednesday.

Stupid? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

 

@JWQ

How did you get that much? They don't have a limit?

 

This ^^^^^ and monitor the various threads in the New England forum. Sometimes delays occur in the shipments, etc. and word gets out pretty quickly.

 

There was 3 of us. We hit numerous stores on Tuesday.

Waistfield Beverage - 1 case pp
Winooksi Beverage - 1 case pp
Pearl St Liquors - 1 case pp
City Market - just had 2.5 cases chilling there at 2pm

 

Ok I should get to the store an hour before opening on Tuesday?

 

*posts feelings on subject*

I love the idea of a beer road trip, but I have 0 advice to offer lol

If I did one in my region of the Nation, I'd wanna hit Hill Farmstead (for anything/everything), Alchemist (Heady, duh ), and Maine Brewing (whatever's freshest, and Dinner...)...

Dude, have a great trip...

 

I just did the same trip 2 weeks ago with my wife and daughter. The key is to compromise and do things she likes during the day. Also, you can combine beer with good food and atmosphere like going to dinner at the Stone Brewery in San Diego which has an upscale restaurant and a beautiful outdoor area. I also compromised by going to restaurants that have great local beer menus so if I didn't make it to Alpine (which I didn't) at least I found Duet and Nelson on tap. When you are in the San Francisco area you can combine the Napa or Sonoma Wineries with Beer Republic, Mendocino, RR and Lagunitas. We went to 3 wineries then it was less than an hour to Russian River. Don't miss Cellarmaker (great new brewery) in San Francisco.

 

Waistfield Grocery*- 1 case pp -- Get there at 8am shipment comes at 8:30/9, they also get SoS that day.

Winooksi Beverage - 1 case pp -- Opens at 10 get there at 9:30.

Pearl St Liquors - 1 case pp -- Opens at 11 they had a pallet of cases when they opened, no line.

City Market - just had 2.5 cases chilling there at 2pm -- just check and see after you go to lunch in Burlington.


BM me with any other questions. Happy to help!

 

Never done a beer only trip, but I do scout out any breweries or pubs of note when traveling to get a sense of the local flavor. My wife isn't a beer drinker but will humor me to a pretty good extent since I do that same for her.

 

Me and my buddy are hitting the 18th street release on the 24th, then staying in Chicago for the weekend. Just so happened that it's along the way, so why not? It's going to be a sloppy weekend forsure, staying directly in downtown Chicago at the Godfrey.

It's going to be awesome and I can't wait. I'm also doing a beer trade or two while I'm there!

 

I believe your own advice for a similar post was: it's easier to beg for forgiveness after than ask for permission before, although in this case you have nine days of 'after' - good luck with that one . . .

 

I did plan a trip up North to visit a few breweries in Erie P.A. Erie Brewing, Lavery, and hit Southern Tier in Lakewood, New York. The only problem was that going with my girl the only thing that we could fit into our schedules was a trip on Sunday - Tuesday and most breweries don't keep there drinking/tasting rooms and tours open later on Those days. They usually have the tours and tastings mid week - Saturday. It's a fun idea for a getaway.