Best beer destination in the US

Cleveland, Ohio.

 

We’d love to have ya! If you do get up here don’t ignore Portsmouth, Portland and a little town called Charlton MA. I spent the last 20 years bouncing back and forth between central Texas (Waco, Corsicana, and West) and your BBQ and kolaches and lagers are just as delicious as our seafood.

 

Cleveland is the recipient of a lot of jokes, but, it's a fun city!

I could see a CLE, PIT, DTW, and adjoining cities as a fun, sneaky fun, under the radar, trip.

 

Maybe I'm too close, but I don't find Seattle that thrilling.

That said, I certainly drink a fair amount of Seattle Beer, especially Georgetown and Fremont stuff.

 

OP as a fellow European I would give another vote for an Oregon trip. I think when you combine beer with a part of the US that will feel as new/different for someone coming from Europe, it’s hard to beat. Necessary to have some level of interest in the outdoors as has been said.

 

And you can pack a lot in if you have a tight budget. The cost of living in (and visiting) Cleveland is relatively low compared to other areas of the country.

 

I've been fortunate over the last 5 years to do a lot of beer specific trips. Seattle, Portland (OR), Denver, NE (Boston/VT/ME), Austin and they're all great places. Two meccas I still need to go to are San Diego and Tampa.

Honestly hard to pick a favorite but each are worthy of the praise they get in their own right.

 

this...it also depends what the breweries have on tap/to-go as well when you visit.

 

You had me until the 2nd to last sentence.

 

I live in Cincinnati, which is a pretty nice, although often overlooked beer town.

I've been to Chicago, Denver, Tampa, Asheville, and Grand Rapids.

If I was choosing a place to revisit solely based on beer it would be Asheville. If you stay downtown you can walk to a lot of breweries. Sierra Nevada Mills River location is about 30 minutes outside of Asheville and is an absolute must visit... awesome facility.

 

No, it’s really cool. The beer barons are there along with other famous folk. Very similar to Laurel Hill if you have been there. Just outside the Cemetery is a bar called Holler House. I hung out and had a few Blatz with the owner. Cool old family bar and in the basement is one of the oldest sanctioned bowling alleys. He gets kids to set up the pins.

Enjoy

 

I would go to Portland in a heartbeat. All BS politics aside Portland is a great city and any effort to trivialize Portland's vibrancy rubs me wrong. Watch for January 6 and make up your mind. Portland is a great American city. Period.

 

No car, I'd go with Portland, OR. With a car, the potential in Oregon is still great, but I'd recommend flying into Chicago and making a trip up the west coast of Michigan to at least the grand rapids/grand Haven area. Beautiful stretch of country and some awesome breweries

 

Yes, that is indeed pretty country and I would recommend an 'extension' up to the Traverse City area. That area is well know for their wineries (and deservedly so IMO) but there are a number of quality craft breweries there. A visit to Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales is very worthy.

Cheers!

 

For sure where I live - Salt Lake City, Utah. Can't beat the beer scene here.

In all seriousness, my top three destinations for beer (or beer-oriented) trips, in order would be:

SF/the bay area. If you can go during SF beer week during non-pandemic times, you'll have the time of your life. Though I'd be pretty happy if all I did was visit Cellarmaker and Sante Adairius (yes, a little ways from SF).

New England, starting in Boston and making my way through Vermont. I'd target River Roost in White River Junction, spend a night in Montpelier or Waterbury, then head to Burlington.

New Orleans. They have an increasingly amazing beer scene and the city is just more fun than almost any other in the U.S. IMO.

 

I still haven't checked Georgetown out, they were my focus for what should have been my Seattle trip this past year that never happened.

But I love Holy Mountain (easily in my Top 5, probably a Top 3, favorite brewery based on my 3 to 5 visits) and Fremont. I enjoy both those 2 breweries significantly more than anything I have tried from Portland.

 

True words there, I left it off because at that point you're traveling more for the scenery than the beer (although, as you noted there is not a shortage of beer visits in the area). Also, in the TC area there are some beautiful hopyards. Empire has a nice hop yard and a beautiful beach and the Lelenau peninsula is gorgeous with orchards, vineyards, and hop yards.

 

Could definitely see this being a sneaky good trip. There are tons of good breweries around Pittsburgh and I hear really good things about the Cleveland scene as well.

 

I did this swing 5 years ago with a couple of buddies:

Day 1: Chicago (Revolution, Half Acre, Lagunitas)
Day 2: Decorah, IA (Toppling Goliath)
Day 3: Minneapolis (Surly, Fulton, Indeed)

That was a pretty good run. You could add Dovetail and Mikerphone to the Chicago itinerary and remove Lagunitas, add Pulpit Rock in Decorah, and add Barrel Theory and Dangerous Man in Minneapolis and have a pretty world-class trip, IMHO.

 

I did the MSP- Fargo- Sioux Falls- Sioux City- Omaha- Des Moines swing several years ago and had a wonderful time! Surly was great but I think Sioux Falls was my favorite of those.