What's your perfect beer trip?!

Here's where I might lose some points: If I was sticking to the US, I'd take a trip up through New England (south to north), hitting the NERAX fest in Massachusetts, and I'd probably spend more time in Maine than Vermont.

 

belgium, to cantillon, all of the belgian trappist breweries, except chimay (don't care for it), and to all of the lambic breweries in general, maybe cazeau and de ranke too

 

Start in Nj / Kane and Carton/ 95 north then NEBCO in Ct. On to Mass, have to hit Jacks and trillium , then a nice relaxing finish in Vt, Waterbury area, Burlington.

 

Touring parts of America to try beers not available in my area is a given. So I'm going to go with this: Being a Lutheran pastor, I'd like to take some time for a spiritual retreat... to a trappist monastery in Belgium and assist in the brewing of some of my favorite trappist ales.

 

Had another pretty good one this year...

Saturday: arrived in Brussels, walk over to Cantillon for the opening of their new warehouse. Drank Iris Grand Cru with Jean van Roy the day before he flew to the US for the Russian River Friendship Blend party, then walked over to the brewery for Cuvée Florian and Fou Foune.


Sunday: Train to Denderleeuw, hop on the bus for the Toer de Gueuze with stops at Timmermans, Tilquin, Drie Fontainen and De Troch. Got to share my Blackberry homebrew with some lambic nerds at Tilquin side by side with the Mûre release, and share a glass of 18 month old lambic with these old dudes in Beersel:


Monday: Train to Poperinge. Pick up some bikes, take a nice ride through farm land and hop fields out to Brouwerij Westvleteren, chat with the folks in line for the daily crate pickup then head over to In de Vrede for lunch and all 3 of the Westy beers. After lunch we biked across the French border and then stopped at St Bernardus and Brouwerij Van Eecke on the way back to Poperinge.


Then on to Brugge & Gent for a few days each. Beer, art, architecture. Bliss. Then back to Brussels for another round at Cantillon and Bier Circus before heading home.

 

Akkurat in Stockholm FOR a 2nd time OR Drive all over New England/Montreal over a week or two.

 

As i much as i love the USA and would love to visit Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and California for their fantastic breweries, and other great treats, I have to say Germany. As some of the oldest brewers in history I would love to visit the Mecca of beer and beer culture, plus the Bundesliga and german women

 

I did a Lagunitas (Chicago) to Toppling Goliath to Surly trip last month with a college buddy. It was pretty flocking spectacular.

And I think I've got Mrs. O talked into a trip to Extreme Beer Fest next February (it's around our birthdays), with side trips to Vermont and Maine worked in. I'm gonna have to give her the good lovin' if she acquiesces to that trip.

 

currently planning a Belgium trip

 

So much for dreaming one up--I don't know how you top this. Inspiring!

 

As the thermostat here in Texas has been set on "hell" since June, I couldn't imagine (except for something like the ATPCA Belgium post) a better trip than going up to Vermont and check out some of the breweries I usually only get to read about: Lawson's, Hill Farmstead, Otter Creek, Alchemist, short day trip to Allagash in Maine. I have had just enough of these (never Heady Topper, tho) to know they're something special. Maybe stay at that place Bob Newhart runs...

 

Leave Iowa, with all 300 bottles of KBBS.

 

Nice, but for the love if god, don't miss Sante Adarius. Possibly the finest small brewery in California

 

I guess I'm just a simple man.
A ride down the parkway to Kane to fill up 3 half growlers (always Overhead as 1 of the 3)
Then head on home. I don't need much more.

 

I have two beer trips that i'd love to do in the near (next 10 years ) future.
1.) Montreal - Go to Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel and pick up numerous bottles of Péché Mortel…..one of the best beers i've ever had…it's up there with Tree House's Double Shot w/ Sumatra.

2.) Head to Minnesota to visit Surly Brewing Company (by the way the food menu and beer list looks fantastic at their restaurant - I wish we had something like that here in MA) and watch some A+ hockey along the way!!!

 

Chalk another one up for the UK, Belgium, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

 

Franconia. The Kellers of Forchheim and Buttenheim, a quick stop in Bamberg and then on to Fränkisches Schweiz and Zoigl country.

 

Almost every trip. My holidays are planned round eating, drinking and nature/animals.
For example, my (coming) trips are listed in left column here.

This is a preview of my trip to Japan last year (full screen possible). Had to go there to drink Japanese beer and I did drink a lot of it! Besides beer, it's such an extraordinary country.

Zum Wohl!

 

That nice place is a B and B in Waterbury Vt, The Old Stagecoach Inn and it's a 100 yard walk to all things Heady/ Lawson's/ HF on tap.

 

I would luv luv luv to travel back to Germany or Belgium.

But if I have to stay in 'MERICA.. Then I would say Colorado is it for me.
Then Oregon and Washington....
I think I have mentioned it before. . I like the atmosphere and experience as much as I enjoy the beer.
Oregon and Wash have the vibe and the weather.. As well as Colorado...