Airport experiences

Enjoyed the Goose Island Pub in O'Hare, and the Gordon Biersch in Raleigh NC back in Februaruy.

 

Great Lakes Brewpub in Cleveland was by far my favorite. Sweetwater pub in Atlanta was OK but the food sucked and after hearing so much great about Sweetwater beers I was a bit let down.

Going back through Atlanta again next month and have a 90 minute layover on AirTran, in a different terminal than Sweetwater. Hoping there is some craft there.

 

not sure if laurelwood does growlers, but gustav's definitely does...

 

Huh? You filled a growler and boarded a plane? Interesting, I thought that was not possible with the whole Patriot Act deal...

 

As a consultant who travels ~50 weeks out of the year, I've got a list of some of my favorites:

Ohare (where I'm based out of) - Goose Island and every now and again, Founders creeps in there
Cleveland (where my office location technically is...basically an empty desk) - Great Lakes Brewery
Bar Symon in PIT is pretty legit, a great amount of craft brews on tap and in bottles (as much as I lament flying through there)
SFO - United Terminal, Yankee Pier - I always grab a lobster roll to-go and slam a Lagunitas IPA on tap while I wait
PDX - as stated above
MSP - Ike's and others have some sneaky Surly's on tap and in bottles
LGA - US Airways Terminal - There's a new bar whose name is escaping me, but they have some pretty sweet craft brews on tap pretty regularly and a decent bottle list.

I could go on, but it's becoming more depressing the more airports i list out...

 

It's past security...

 

There is a place in the center of the Denver Airport that server pints of Odell for about $7. I also had a flight of Carolina beers in Charlotte for only $12, got 5 - 4oz pours. SFO has Lagunitas for about $8 on a 25oz pour. Prolly best value for an airport, I have been to.

 

Just out of curiosity, why do you "lament" flying through PGH so much? Never had any major issues there...

 

Fair enough. Very surprised they would allow growler fills like that, but that is fantastic!

 

It's more related to the client I have there. Additionally, it's a depressing airport. SOOOOO many empty terminals and the security on a thursday afternoon, even for elites, its to the walkway. And I know they have that alternate security...but i've lost many a bet on which would be faster.

 

Interesting...I feel you about the empty terminals. I guess I never noticed the lines, maybe I have been lucky...

 

Do you fly out thursday afternoons around 6pm? aka, consultant fly-home time?

 

They have a big sign advertising that you can take their growlers with you on your flights. I would have done it, but I flew out last time at 8 am, and I dont think they were open yet.

 

Detroit had shorts on tap recently. Great airport- clean, new, and easy to navigate through. Makes ohare look like a joke...

 

More a gripe than a 'best moment'...$7 for a Goose Island Honkers at. frigging. O'hare. Seriously. Granted, it was only 2 days old, but seriously, it was from about 15 miles away...ugh.

But I needed it, as I was 1) flying to England and it seemed fittting and b) am terrified of flying

 

Exactly- that's why i avoid Ohare at all costs if I can.....

 

I just flew out of Tampa last week and Had the Best couple of hours at the Cigar City Brewpub in Terminal C. They had an airport Exclusive Tony Janus Pale Ale on tap. I actually saw and met the guy brewing it. Also I'm from Columbus OH and CBC has a nice, but small bar here at the Columbus airport.

 

Just tried Schlafly TIPA in St. Louis.. great beer, made even greater after a long week with the future inlaws...

 

I think it works the same way as Duty Free purchases of booze. It's past security.

 

My bag coming back from Belgium was a bit overweight and I had to take a bottle out. Grabbed a 375 cantillon kriek out of my bag and went to the bar to get it opened but they didn't have a corkscrew. ended up stabbing the cork into the bottle with scissorsand drinking it out of a paper cup.

 

Yes, LW and Rogue both fill growlers. I flew to MN last week and brought growlers of Brutal Bitter and Workhorse along for the ride. The look on my brother in law's face was priceless when he picked me up and saw my "carry on" bag.

 

Anyone else book flights just to get access to airport bars?

 

A bar in Europe that doesn't have a corkscrew ?

 

I had a similar experience at my only time through O'Hare. Best 4-hour layover ever!

 

ATL has a Sweetwater brew Pub.

You can get two hearted at MSP in the something meadow near where you go in the E gates.

 

I was as surprised as you are.

 

In the main concourse there's an Alaskan Pub that usually has the IPA and a seasonal and Pyramid has a big (yawn) presence. The wine bar also has some bottles but you're right. SEA is pretty disappointing when you think about the beer culture in the city. If you're in the N gates, you're screwed.

 

Well that explains it. Came in the N gate...

 

I

HATE

airports...

(disclaimer... in the US [most of them] )

 

We flew out of somewhere and they had La Fin Du Monde. Can't remember for sure, but I think it was leaving Springfield MA. Also, Fourpeaks will be opening in the Phoenix airport, terminal 4, very soon!

 

Recent trips:
Columbus Airport (CMH) - Columbus Brewing Company - Columbus IPA
Cleveland Airport (CLE) - Great Lakes Brewing Company - Take your pic, Blackout Stout was on tap, but a Burning River does the trick as well.
Charlotte Airport (CLT) - Carolina Brewing Company - Carolina Pale Ale is decent.

Nothing really of note at Washington Dulles (IAD) or Raleigh-Durham (RDU)

 

Other than O'hare, the only airport I've had any decent beer in was Munich's airport a few years ago. You don't have to walk far past the security stations to get to a really nice brewpub. Drank some nice helles and bock before getting on the flight back to the states.

 

Kentucky Ale at the Lexington Bluegrass Field. Several varieties on tap.

 

Got stuck in Detroit for several hours this summer, and figured I'd find some Founders or Bells. But, no luck, at least in the part of the airport I was in. However, I was able to find Short's Huma-Lupa Licious on tap. Being from Pennsylvania, I had never seen it before, but it was very tasty and delicious!

 

Drinking 8% Dopplebock from Wasatch in SLC while everyone around me was drinking theirs straight from the bottle. ( They were out of the Polygamy on tap). Utah is a strange place

 

nothing like SFO and Anchor Porter @ the Anchor bar to get you rolling for a flight!

 

Not tryin' to be a dick, but which ones? The only one that comes to mind is Chickie & Pete's and only because they have Hop Devil on tap. (meh) I usually fly through Philly when I'm out on business and usually Southwest so perhaps I'm in the wrong terminal?

 

I answered this on the first page of the thread. Haven't traveled through Philly in a while, so not sure what they've had on tap recently.. but it's pretty damn good considering it's an airport.

 

You make them sound like the two busiest hubs in North America...oh wait, they are.

 

Sounds like a problem I'd like to have.