This isn't a flight story, but it's kinda the same thing. We were at Guinness Open Gate in Baltimore and were standing in line for a beer. It was kind of crowded and as we neared the front of the line, the group in front of us had a girl with them that must have asked for tasters of at least half a dozen beers . . . wait for it . . . BEFORE ORDERING A WATER. She a ho.
As when we've discussed this in the past, it's not that taster trays themselves are bad (nor dogs or kids), it's the behavior of the folks ordering them that sets people off. If they are to be ordered, the orderee should be well prepared when it's their turn to order, and not ask 101 questions. I've seen people ask for a splash of a beer to decide if they want to include it on their taster trays. You're getting a bunch of tasters, and you want a taste of a taster!?
Not really certain why you'd offer a sample tray to a demographic that doesn't want to explore. They've found their 'safe spot' and that's fine (legitimately, no judgement on my part.) Get into industries that thrive on nuance and you can order sample platters, tasting trays, 'flights', etc.. Whiskey, wine, oysters, sliders, tequila all come to mind quickly.
Great thread for traveling BA's! Mrs. CC and i have been timesharing since 1996 or so and i joined BA in 2004 so i have been fortunate to hit 30 states plus two Canadian provinces. As i was compiling i realized i missed documenting a few visits as i have a brother in Idaho and so Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho brewpubs have been visited. Interesting that maybe 5% or so have closed. I have a boatload of tee-shirts too so maybe i should spin-off this thread and find out who are collectors out there. I went in date of order initially. I have visited Texas but the other 9 "middle States" likely will not be visited Cheers! Tom State Brewery Date Arizona Sun Up Brewing Co 4/12/2004 Michigan Short's Brewing Company 6/14/2004 Nevada The Brewery at Lake Tahoe 9/6/2004 California Bear Republic Brewing Co. 5/7/2005 Vermont The Alchemist Pub & Brewery Waterbury Oct-05 Wyoming Snake River 8/24/2006 Oregon Deschutes Brewery & Public House 5/20/2007 Hawaii Waimea Brewing Company 6/22/2008 Colorado Kannah Creek Brewing Company 9/23/2009 Utah Moab Brewery 9/25/2009 Massachusetts Cambridge Brewing Company 6/20/2011 New Hampshire Elm City Brewing Co. 6/21/2011 Montana Bitter Root Brewing Sep-11 Idaho Idaho Brewing Company 9/1/2011 North Carolina Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company 7/3/2012 Virginia Blue Mountain Brewery 9/20/2013 Texas Pint House Pizza - South Austin 4/10/2017 Georgia Moon River Brewing Company 6/19/2017 New Mexico Rowley Farmhouse Ales 8/24/2018 Washington Fish Brewing Company/Fishbowl Brewpub 5/20/2019 Maine Maine Beer Company 8/31/2019 Tennessee Ye-haw Brewing Company Nashville 9/11/2021 Florida Funky Buddha Brewery 12/21/2021 South Carolina Liability Brewing Co. 9/4/2022 Washington DC Bluejacket Brewery 11/1/2021 West Virginia Mountain State Brewing - Morgantown 5/22/2023 Ohio Jackie O's Uptown Brewpub & the Taproom & Brewery 5/25/2025 Delaware Dogfish Head Craft Brewery 8/1/2023 Pennsylvania Birthright Brewing Co. 9/24/2025 New York Fidens Brewing Company 10/1/2025
Absolutely, that was my point. The hating on flights is not an instance of the "craft" part overpowering the "beer" part, its the opposite. I don't personally understand why people hate on flights. I've enjoyed them plenty, especially when I was first exploring beer styles and didnt really know what I liked. They're very much a part of the craft beer world that signals the separation from the wider world of industrial beer.
Nice idea for a thread. Here is my list: My List To-Date: Arkansas- Crisis Brewing California - Sierra Nevada Brewing Colorado - Weldwerks Florida -Cigar City Brewing Hawaii - Lanikai Brewery Michigan - Founders Nevada - Able Baker Brewing New York - Other Half Oregon - Hair of the Dog Brewing Washington - Fremont Brewing I have been to twice more states, but no breweries (Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, Idaho. Utah, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina. Maryland and Washington DC). Next year, I'm trying to plan a trip to Revolution, Three Floyds, and New Glarus with one of my son's. That would add three more states.
My list is fairly short. I would love to visit more. Honestly, when we have traveled as a family over the past 15 years it's always with small kids. I don't like bringing kids to breweries, so I tend not to go. I do hit up bottle shops along the way though. Now that the kids are older, my future goal is to visit breweries in every state I visit. OH - Jackie O's FL - Funky Buddha MA - Tree House ME - Barreled Souls WA - Fremont OR - Hair of the Dog GA - Monday Night Brewing AZ - Sedona Beer Company CA - Bottle Logic UT - Kiitos Brewing TX - Zilker Brewing
Oregon California Colorado Missouri Arkansas Louisiana Illinois Florida Georgia Tennessee Indiana SC NC DC Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania Delaware Massachusetts Vermont Maine I've been to the Jackie O's location in Columbus, OH but I'm pretty sure it's just a satellite taproom with no brewing onsite I think the same is the case with Funk Factory Geuzeria in Madison, WI So without those two, I'm at 21
I have over 700 brewery visits behind me, and BA says they have been in 43 states. However, if flights don't fit into this thread's preferred rules, my answer is probably around five. I'm a ticker of breweries, and I write reviews of all of them (I missed a few), including comments on the perceived overall quality of the brewery's beers based upon 4-10 tasters. After 700+ brewery visits, I feel confident that I get a good feel for that overall quality. It's the best I can do for a good written review before moving on to the next place on my trip.
This sounds like a ton of fun. Good luck :-) and.....I do enjoy flights. For me its an opportunity to explore new beers without over indulging.
21 states plus Washington DC. More than I thought. Arizona - Old Bisbee Brewing California - Russian River Colorado - Mountain Sun, Oskar Blues, Finkel & Garf, Avery Florida - Invasive Species, Cigar City, Fundy Buddha, Celebration Brewing Illinois - a lot Indiana - Alcatraz, Three Floyds, Evil Czech Kentucky - Against the Grain Louisiana - Port Orleans, Miel Michigan - Dimes Brewhouse Missouri - Schlafly Nevada - Sin City (hmmm, did they brew on site? Can't remember, but I remember it was bad) New Jersey - Alternate Ending North Carolina - DSSOLVR, The Glass Jug, Fullsteam, Ponysaurus Ohio - Mad Tree Oregon - Lucky Labrador, Bridgeport, Hair of the Dog Pennsylvania - Victory, Iron Hill South Carolina - New South Tennessee - Yee-Haw, Tennessee Brew Works, Big River Grille Texas - St Elmo, Meanwhile, Live Oak, Blue Owl, Oddwood Utah - Red Rock Brewing Wisconsin - Delta Beer Lab, Lakefront, Water Street Washington DC - Bluejacket
Hmmm, this could take some time and thinking I’ve been to all fifty states, probably had beer in a brewery in an about 3/4 of them if I had to guess. This makes me wonder if some of the breweries still even exist, lol
Might as well join the party; to the best of my knowledge, these are the most recent I’ve visited in each state: AK: Silver Gulch AL: Yellowhammer AZ: Four Peaks CA: Highland Park CO: Bierstadt IA: Lua KS: Central Standard KY: Against the Grain MA: Boston Beer Co. MN: Town Hall MO: Side Project MT: a brewpub in Billings (don’t remember the name, but this was in 2004 or so) NC: Burial NE: Boiler OK: American Solera OR: Brujos SD: Firehouse TN: Yazoo WA: Fremont WY: Accomplice I’ve been to 46 states (all of which I’ve been to as an adult), but going to brewery taprooms isn’t always at the very top of my list when traveling.
I don't travel too much outside of visiting family, who all live in/near places I've lived. So a pretty short list, but lots of places in each Virginia (all over the state, too many to recall) Maryland (all over the state, too many to recall) DC (all over those 10sq miles) Michigan (Mostly GR and Lake MIchigan shore places, but a few around Ann Arbor as well) Pennsylvania (A few in Pittsburgh (Penn, Iron City, and Church, that was probably it back when I lived there), a few in Philly (Dock Street, Yard's, that little place on a second floor in Center City that did Ale of Fergus that I'm pretty sure has closed, there weren't many back when I lived there), a bunch within a 2-3 hour drive of Philly West Virginia (pretty much every place on the Eastern Panhandle, Morgantown) California (was out for an in-law's wedding, lots of SD breweries, one in Temecula, plus that godawful place in Idyllwild for the rehearsal party [Idyllwild, as a whole, is by far the stupidest place I've ever been to]) Vermont (working vacations visiting cheesemakers, best experience was Hermit Thrush in 2016. Founded by former cheesemongers that had worked at a place I also had, gave me the grand tour.) Ohio (only one that was an actual vacation. Went to Cleveland to see the eclipse a couple years ago, had a half pint or two at a lot of places. Great Lakes was my favorite, more for the food than the beer) I vaguely remember maybe going to a couple of NJ breweries when I lived in Philly, but they obviously weren't good enough to form a solid memory around. Maybe the Cherry Hill Iron Hill (or whatever the Philly suburb location was)?
Paging @flagmantho My list is not that long considering how much I travel. Will try to assemble it later on today
