BEERcation (Beer Travel)

Just returned from a week in Denver and the Denver area. We go out during the week of GABF but don't even go to the Festival. We hit the local stores, bars, restaurants and Breweries. Have increased from 4 days to the current 7 day trip.

Next trip will be North West Arkansas at the end of the Winter and then a Spring trip to Asheville.

Denver was beer only, well maybe a couple of gun shops. Asheville will probably include some local sight seeing. After that ???

 

How'd you get into the Lawson's brewery? It's not open to the public. I'd love to get in there some day.

 

I'd love to do a BEERcation, but I'm not sure it will ever happen. Maybe my bachelor party would be a good idea.

 

Went on a motorcycle trip up the coast of Cali a few years back. One of the stops I wanted to hit was some place called SARA....never been there, never had their beers, didn't know anything about them except they were on the way.

Well, if you've ever been there you know its not an easy place to find and my GPS put us about a block away in some residential area. We drove around for a few minutes till we saw some guy mowing his lawn in cut off shorts and a wife beater and thought, what the hell...might as well ask him if he knows where it is....low and behold he does!!!

All we got to do is go back one block, turn left, go up about half a block till we see the trailer park on the right and head in the driveway...after that we make a left and a right through the park and look for a little walkway out the back. He says you can't drive through there but we'll probably be able to get through there on our bikes. Then we'll come out behind the brewery....what do we have to lose?

Sure enough he's right and we pull around to the front to find a line of twenty or so folks out the front...turns out theres a bottle release going on. We get in line and end up with a bottle of Cellar Pallet with Peaches which we drink in the brewery itself on some whiskey barrels....

Got up and went back in to get the last bottle they had left....I still have it.

Shear luck....

 

Great pic, thanks for sharing!

 

Lucky enough to have enjoyed many a beercation. Mostly mini-beercations such as a long weekend but a few 7 -10 day trips in there too. Looking forward to booking another to Belgium for hubby's big 40 next year. Unless he would rather visit Germany this time.

Agree with an earlier post that a forum on sharing tips specifically for beercations would be useful. Provided it doesn't become a hard sales pitch by self interested vendors.

 

the G/F and I are mapping out a month long cross country motorhome trip for next may and while she wants to see every largest ball of twine, frying pan and castle made of toothpicks, my interests are focused on hitting as many top 50 golf courses and top 50 breweries as possible. I naturally have the north east musts mapped out along with a couple others scattered through colorado, Texas and chicago. If anyone has a hidden gem or or a must try brewery please let me know.
Cheers!

 

The only thing about beercation sometimes is you just can't do it all.

I am wrapping up Minneapolis and there so much good stuff around it's crazy...

And that's without going to Darkness day which I had no idea was even going on this weekend.

 

Father in law, brother in law, and myself braved the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel midday yesterday to do a Williamsburg VA brewery crawl:

1. Alewerks - my in-laws don't care what they drink, as long as they get the half-pound soft pretzel in the process. They got assorted flights, I had the black saison collab they did with O'Connor
2. Brass Cannon - wtf? They're not in Toano anymore? Well, hell, we passed it going to Alewerks, we HAVE to stop in now. I had a Broadside IPA
3. Virginia Beer Company - holy get-the-parking-space-by-the-food-truck, Batman! Place is slammed. I had the Green + Gold New England IPA.

I later found out it was William and Mary's homecoming this weekend... wouldn't have known it til I hit Virginia Beer Company... maybe not the best of weekends to hit a college town at homecoming.

 

Weldwerks in CO, you'll thank me later.

 

I usually go on a few trips each year. Always hit the Bruery Anniversary party. I enjoy going to actual breweries over beer bars though. I've been to well over 200 breweries (and counting) across the country and in Canada/Caribbean. Here's my list....

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cVNBkRjaVqji_FPWCwhBuyMyJgyZoLnM1TmMMGGSt3k

 

visited one of my best friends who now lives in Minneapolis

got to go to Surly and the liquor/beer stores were amazing. Surly and Toppling Goliath easily available at the store was amazing.

also Surly is available on draft all over the city, was surprised and so happy that Surly is so widely available there. in NJ it's just a dream, in MN it's pure reality

 

Thanks 'Knight
I actually am planning to visit Weldwerks next month. my son lives in Pueblo and when i'm there we usually hit all the breweries between Denver and Pueblo. In November we are focused on a 3 day loop of the breweries north of Denver and Weldwerks is in our top 3 musts. I just hope the weather cooperates.
Cheers.

 

Breweries:
Brew Gentlemen - Braddock, PA
Voodoo Brewery - Homestead, PA
Dancing Gnome Brewery - Just opened a few weeks ago - Pittsburgh, PA
Allegheny City Brewing - Just opened a few weeks ago - Pittsburgh, PA (North Side)
Rivertowne - Multiple Locations - Monroeville, North Shore, North Huntingdon, Export
Bottle Shops:
House of 1000 Beers - New Kensington, PA
Bierport Pittsburgh - Lawrenceville, PA
99 Bottles - Carnegie
Swing by Giant Eagle's Market District - some good bottles and drafts
All that is listed here I have visited

 

I haven't done a BEERcation as my wife isn't HUGE into beer like I am. However, we tend to stop at a brewery or two when we are out traveling.

I am going to FOBAB this year, but without the wife, so I think that counts as a trip.