3 favorite brewery taprooms

Perry Street Brewing - Spokane, WA: in a neighborhood, nice patio space with a roll-up garage door to it. Concrete/industrial motif that is nice and simple.

Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn, NY (Duh): its a brick industrial beerhall. Simple, fun, tasty too.

Three Magnets - Olympia, WA: it feels like two different places with a small front space for families and then a back area that is more expansive and opens to a modest patio with bench/picnic table seating and a good sized bar.

These are the breweries that stick out to me over my travels. Most of the ones I really enjoyed are beer bars, not breweries. Oh well.

 

Just curious, have you been to Sierra Nevada in Chico?

If so, how does it compare?

 

This is definitely one of the underappreciated places in Vermont. We camped nearby for a July 4th weekend a couple years ago. Getting a beer and sitting outside in the river...f'in awesome. I can't think of another experience like it. I mean, the beers are ok, but getting a beer from the brewery and then sitting in the river on a hot day, how can you beat that.

 

Cantillon
Side Project
Tough call between Russian River, Firestone Barrelworks and Three Floyds.

 

In San diego...
1. Modern Times - Loma
2. Alpine
3. Ballast Point - Little Italy

 

Great thread OP, I like the idea of it being more about the place than just what the beer is like. With that said, here are my top three that I have been to:
1. Stone in Escondido - It's just a really cool spot to enjoy a brew. The atmosphere inside is great, with a mix of beer geeks and people just out to have a good time. The outside beer garden/patio is amazing and undoubtedly one of the prettiest places for beer, and the tour/tap mix is always on point.

2. Boulevard in KC - The tap room is a pretty small space, but the intimate feel and old school British pub ambience coupled with a good tour and tap list make it one of my favorite places to drink.

3. Tallgrass tap house in Manhattan - Really nice new spot just a little ways from campus. Excellent modern style, several cool stainless steel and wood bars, and tanks/brewing equipment all around. Great tap list including tap house (pilot brewery essentially) exclusive brews and neat mini snifters for flights. Definitely a must hit in the little apple.

 

Rhinegeist in Cincinnati - the neighborhood surrounding isn't the greatest but when u step inside u r inside this massive renovated warehouse on the top floor, I believe they are suppose to be making a rooftop bar as well


HooF Hearted - speaking of the taproom in Marengo not the brewpub, half the fun is driving out of busy Columbus to the middle of the country in Marengo inside their interior is adorned with their various can art & of course now a days even though I haven't been lately you are likely to be shooting the shit with other ppl in their massive lines to get their latest can releases, once in u can watch the canning line go as they have a couple arcades. Admittingly though with all the hoopla out on HH it's gotten a little too crazy for me but different strokes for different folks the beer is still great.

Getting out of Ohio I will nominate Terrapin as I was there when I first started getting into craft and after having various brews from them around Athens/UGA bars I enjoyed their spacy outside area with everyone having their pets out cornhole etc..

 

So many but a few of the top ones:
Bells
Founders
Troegs

Locally I love the new Revolution taproom.

 

I have not been to the Chico one but quickly looking at pics online it doesn't look like it compares. The Chico one looks a lot smaller and in a more city like surroundings. The Fletcher location is in the middle of a forest and it's a lot bigger. You know the brewery will be special before you even see it. You drive up a long winding beautifully manicured road built for the brewery, and when you reach the top the massive brewery and its architecture makes your jaw drop.

 

Pelican does have a really nice view but everything else about that place is well...average.

 

just locally here in colorado front range
Avery Brewing
Great Divide
cannonball creek

 

Out of curiousity have you ever been to the city Cologne or some of the other Bavarian bier gartens?
Before I die I need to do this.

 

I've been to many Bavarian biergartens. I've been to most of the higher profile ones in and around Munich, with some obscure neighborhood ones tossed in, too. Andechs is special for lots of reasons (the beer being a major one), but there are plenty of other wonderful biergartens as well. Ditto with their Franconian equivalent, Bierkellers.

Never been to Cologne, but I have been very close (Dusseldorf). The pubs/breweries there are every bit as good as the ones in Bavaria, although you do have to be a fan of altbier. Luckily from the source it's hard not to enjoy it.

 

This is super hard, because I like different places for different reasons. Hm.

• Deep Ellum- Dallas, TX (they were having an event when I was there, so it was SUPER busy, but even so, it was still such a cool atmosphere- live music, great space both outdoor and indoors, funky decor)
• Forgotten Boardwalk- Cherry Hill, NJ (Every brewery and their mother has corn hole, but this place has SKEE BALL. Lol. We felt super welcome here, the bartenders were really nice and willing to chat, we brought my 14 y.o. sister-in-law, and she had a blast just hanging out and playing games with us while we drank.
• First Magnitude- Gainesville, FL (My local spot... it's a huge facility, so there are 3 separate spaces to hang out- warehouse, taproom, and beer garden. Even when it's busy, it never feels too crowded. It's super family friendly, and the artwork/decor is themed towards the local springs. My one gripe: people insist on standing in line at the bar instead of treating it like a normal bar. You can tell the bartenders get peeved about it- it's so dumb.)

Honorable mentions: Swamp Head, Boulevard, Saltwater, and 3 Daughters.

 

Great calls! Jack's Abby is a favorite, and I love the boisterous Harpoon bierhall. Allagash is a fine tasting room, and around the block there is Bissel Brothers, Austin Street & Foundation breweries. All fine experiences.

 

Stone has by far the nicest and most unique tap room/bar/dining area of any brewery Ive ever been too, Great Lakes because the the bar in brewery is the original bar in that building and is from the 1890's I think and is a piece of beautiful intricately carved woodwork and because they are my local pride and joy and I really enjoy going there to drink their beers fresh on-tap, and Pike Brewing Company in Seattle for having the most unique and extensive collection of beer/brewing related paraphernalia and memorabilia that adorns pretty much every inch of available space inside their taproom/bar/dining area.

 

Ithaca, Allagash, and Prison City, in some order.

 

Lost Abbey
Kuhnhenns
Founders

 

Founders- It has it all. Great food, great space, great atmosphere, great staff.
Stone Escondido - The outdoor dining area is awesome.
Fulton - Cool small space, friendly staff, nice food truck selections. I go every time I'm in Minneapolis.

Honorable mention
Surly - Awesome space.
Jolly Pumpkin Detroit - Top notch pizza.

 

My top 3...

Stone - It's honestly one of the most beautiful breweries I've ever been to. Obviously their beer and tap list is incredible. The food was fantastic. The ambience is second to none. One of the best breweries I've ever had the pleasure of visiting.

Ommegang - I went in the dead of winter and it was still beautiful, I imagine it is great during every season. Beautiful brew house, adorable cafe, and great beer and food.

Neshimany Creek - movies, pool, foosball, food trucks, video games, air hockey, and beer. Nuff said...

Lots of honorable mentions, but those 3 I enjoyed immensely...