Summer beer trip ideas?

As usual, I'll pimp my home area of Cascadia. From the Ore-Cali border on the South to the USA-Canadia border to the North, you're never far away from great beer. depending on what your other interests are, we've got plenty to do as well. Mountains, Ocean, islands, hiking, biking, sailing, canoeing, music, arts, shopping, sight seeing, whatever you want, we got.

More specifically, I recommend flying into Seattle and spending some time working your way North up to Bellingham, then going over to the Olympic peninsula and looping back to SeaTac. Plenty of beers all along the way. It's just a guess, but I don't think you're ever more than a half-hour away from a brewery or brewpub, and certainly never more than an hour.

 

Michigan is really nice this time of year. Tons of breweries spread throughout the state, would make for a nice one-week road trip.

 

Summer beer trip idea:

1. Go to Mark's house and drink his cellar (with or without his permission)
2. Come to Chicago and tell me about it as we drink Zombie Dust

 

San Diego, Portland, Michigan/Midwest, maybe Vermont, those would be my votes.

I'd say find a place that has a lot of quality breweries that you'd like to sample that don't distribute in your area.

 

Loves me some Fort Collins. Tampa (Cigar City and such) and the beach are a great combination in the summer. I want to do a Chicago and a Michigan trip sometime soon.

 

If you really want to do it over the top, go to Belgium! Belgium is awesome, especially in August! ...and it will be the beer trip of a lifetime. If you are interested, let me know and I can give you some details.....

 

Im just gonna say SD. You can thank the best coast later.

Cheers!

 

Can I join them and then you can tell me all about DLD in person?

Cheers!

 

Portland has at least two summer beer festivals. Check beer calendar.
San Diego is always a top choice too.
Don't leave out the Bay area for beer too, plus other touristy adventures.

Phoenix is an option in August too. Some say its beer scene is ahead of San Diego even.

 

You can do the 12 hour drive to San Diego and enjoy a ridiculous host of riches there. My fiancee and I did it this past Christmas and had a great time drinking absurd amounts of great beer..Alpine, Fresh Pliny, Green Flash, Ballast Point, Alesmith, Hess, Stone, Lost Abbey/Port, etc. etc.

 

I just got back from a beer and camping trip in Bend and I had a great time. Beautiful area and great beer.

 

Skip this year and go to Europe next year.

 

Michigan- If you need an itinerary let me know- I've done one for 4 years straight.....

 

LOL, joke's on you if you take your summer vacation to Warren, Ohio! Even if you did clear out my cellar, spending a few days here for a "vacation" would not be worth it...

 

According to the hype drinking the Armand 4's alone would be worth the trip. Hype never lies, duh! Haven't you had (insert disappointing over-hyped beer name here)?

 

That'd be my top choices too, except for Vermont. (Breweries: Vt 42, Mi 101, Ore 129.)

Being from NM, you'd probably enjoy the cooler temps and greenery in Portland or Michigan.

 

Yeah, but the hype on the Armands is real. I just like stouts better than sours...

 

The GF and I went to Asheville, NC for a week and loved it. Lot's of great beer bars, local breweries and you are at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You know, for those few hours you won't be drinking at The Thirsty Monk, Wedge Brewing, Barley's, Bier Garden, etc...

 

the wife and I did san francisco (21st amendment, anchor, numerous beer bars and brew pubs) and sonoma county (russian river, lagunitas, mutiple brew pubs) which is only about 2 hours north. plus fantasic hiking views, activities, and they make wine up there too (who knew!)