Boston or San Diego?

For example, Trillium. Can't even get a taster.

 

im a san diegan who would love to visit boston, but if you REALLY want better beer options you gotta come here. sounds like everything in boston beer wise is pretty spread out which probably wouldn't be great with a wife who doesnt care as much about beer. in SD it will be much easier to go to more breweries because there are 115 different ones in the county, so dragging her along will be more like hitting up the one 5 minutes away from a really nice restaurant

for your anniversary dinner check out juniper and ivy, the prado, or c level!

 

SD. Rent a house in OB. Take a trip to alpine to stock up -- then just hang in OB -- hit Pizza Port, OB Noodle House, the Joint -- eat greasy burgers at Hodads and hang on the beach. Hit north park for a crawl one day. One of the coolest beer trips I've taken

 

Yeah you should go to Boston because of the breweries that are hours away ... lol

San Diego is the answer.

 

I was born and raised in San Diego and spent the last five years in Boston. Absolutely love both cities but I think San Diego is the clear winner. Despite also being in California, its absolutely nothing like San Francisco. You can't beat the volume of great breweries, beaches, and awesome neighborhoods like La Jolla, PB, North Park etc..

Boston is a GREAT city, good restaurants and gorgeous in the fall. As many have said the best breweries, Trillium aside, arent in the city. If you want to wander around New England and hit VT, NH then Boston would be great. For a city where everything is accessible, San Diego is the play.

 

Hard to go wrong with either. Wife and I went to Boston a few years back, still one of our favorite trips. Love the historical aspects of the city. The beer scene around there has exploded since we visited, unfortunately we were there before Trillium and Tree House came along. Depending on how long your stay is, driving around New England should be beautiful in October. Recently got back from Vermont and loved it up there too (the beer scene in VT is awesome and I did hit Trillium right before our flight back and loved the couple of bottles I got home).

Have to mention that we haven't been to SD, but it is on the bucket list.

 

ITT: people from Cali suggesting San Diego, and people from the easy coast suggesting Boston.

On the other hand, I surprised the thread has stayed relatively on topic and hasn't been flooded with comments recommending other cities that OP didn't ask about. Oh, wait, there was that one guy who put in a plug for LA, but I assume he was joking.

 

i live in Boston and visit San Diego frequently. Boston is nice in fall for foliage if you never saw it but San Diego has way more accesible beer tours, tasting rooms etc. sea food is better in Boston but definitely great places to eat in San Diego. zoo and beaches, San Diego is like Disneyland for adults. lots more to do unless you like history a lot then Boston. Sports Boston but no Red Sox this year in October.

 

Boston...
fly in, rent a car and drive to Long Trail Brewing in Bridegewater Corners, Vermont. The guys there are great and will show you around. You can do a day hike on the AT that runs right by the brewery.
Stay in Woodstock VT or head to the Woodstock Inn and brewery in New Hampshire. (two different woodstocks) The brewpub is connected to the very quaint inn with yummy Lobster Benedict for breakfast... and go walk around the woods that inspired Robert Frost... even for folks who aren't poetry buffs its neat to see the "road not taken".
Either stay there or get back in the car and drive up to Burlington VT. Very pretty and a foodie/beer fan haven.
OR drive across to Portland ME and look around Allagash brewing.
At the right time of day, Boston to Burlington is 4hours and change. It'll be crowded in October, be ready to be patient in traffic but New England in the fall is on everybody's bucket list so check it off and enjoy your beer-cation/anniversary trip.

 

San Diego hands down. Just got back from there, and the standard house beers everywhere we went was Ballast Point longfin lager. went on a tour of the midway, went to Petco park for a ball game (over 30 craft beers on tap inside the park) where Stone has a brewpub. Did the zoo on some edibles, and drank beer in there too...bummed around the beach and there are a lot of great breweries to visit and the weather is wonderful. Done.

 

Hey I am East Coast and I recommended San Diego.. narrowly..

Easier to get around in Boston than San Diego, but more sun beer and fun in SD!

 

This drives me nuts when I visit Boston. Many breweries are not really hospitable to customers visiting like the breweries I'm used to in the NW. Here almost all have tasting/tap rooms.

 

San Diego

 

Boston hands down, nothing beats New England in the Autumn.

 

Fun fact: Only three Breweries in Boston proper. That being said, the T and the commuter rail can bring you close to our awesome breweries that ring the city. Off the top of my head, the T will bring you to Somerville (slumbrew), Cambridge (CBC), Everett (Night Shift). The Commuter rail can bring you to Jacks Abby fairly quickly, and to North Shore for Lord Hobo.

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/mag/1098/san-diego-beyond-the-pale-ales/

 

You take your significant other out to those places for dinner and you'll have a lot less to spend on beer. Just sayin'.
I would avoid Prado at all costs though. That place hasn't been good in years.

 

I'm gonna be honest, that really disappointed me. Talk about getting hyped up to be let down. I now actively avoid the spot. I prefer going to Wormtown. (I call Worcester my adopted hometown).