I posted this on the Great Lakes Board, but looking for help from you guys too. So, I am planning a beer vacation and would appreciate any input/advice the Great Lakes Board can provide. As of now I am definitely hitting the Knoxville Brewers Jam. The next day I am stopping at Country Boy Brewing on my way to Louisville where I will plan on going to Against The Grain. From there I am off to Three Floyds and hope to find some Small Town Brewing "Not Your Fathers Root Beer" in the area (suggestions on convenient places to find NYFRB would be very helpful). After a couple days in the Munster area, I am heading to Jackie O's. This trip will be bookended with nights in Asheville (I am very familiar with the Asheville area). So, where I would appreciate help is, suggestions on the best beer stores and breweries (not mentioned) along that route which looks like, Interstate 40>75>64>65 to Munster.....back down 65>70>33 to Athens (Jackie O's). The major cities I will be passing through are Knoxville, Lexington, Louisville, Indy, (trying to avoid center city Chicago unless there is a must stop), Columbus.
Beer stores near Country Boy - Shenanigans next door and The Beer Trappe just a mile or so away where you can also sit and drink. Louisville Beer Store is near Against the Grain.
Any particular reason you're skipping Chicago? Time restraints or similar? Because if you have the time, I'd go at least to rev brewing for a meal or west end lake view for some Pipeworks bottles. Traffic isn't nearly as bad as some other major cities. Unless you really want to stop, you could skip knoxville. Not a whole lot you wouldn't have seen. Maybe check mcscrooges at the cedar bluff exit for yazoo sue if you haven't had it. ATG is good for louisville, and for another shop, once you cross the border into Indiana, check out keg liquors there in Clarksville.
In Knoxville, I would stop at Suttree's and Bearden Beer Market. The latter is great in good weather, although their tap selection is sometimes lacking.
