The Best U.S. Airport for Beer?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by nhuphuong422, May 17, 2018.

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  1. nhuphuong422

    nhuphuong422 Initiate (0) May 15, 2018

    I know this topic has come up previously but I haven't seen it in a while and things seemed to have changed for the better at airports as they have at bars and restaurants. Previously, I would have said the Philly airport was the best but my dinner in Minneapolis-St. Paul last night I don't think could have been beat.

    I ate at Mimosa (in Concourse G) in the MSP airport last night and had a Bell's Two Hearted and a Surly Furious while I sat and read --- then had a Rodenbach Grand Cru with my bacon cheeseburger. Those beers are hard to beat in a restaurant, let alone an airport. I could have had a Summit Oatmeal Stout if I had wanted dessert.

    Other opinions?
     
    #1 nhuphuong422, May 17, 2018
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  2. Ice_Cream_And_IPAs

    Ice_Cream_And_IPAs Initiate (0) Jul 16, 2016 New York

    I wouldn't say best, since I haven't been to that many airports, but there are a couple restaurant-bars in SFO that carry Fieldwork taps on top of the more common Californian craft brews. I thought that was pretty cool.
     
    #2 Ice_Cream_And_IPAs, May 17, 2018
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  3. HopsDubosc

    HopsDubosc Pundit (803) Apr 24, 2015 Vermont

    Denver has some nice beer options. So does Portland OR.

    I love my local though: Burlington VT. 10 minutes from drop off to gate and a can of Focal Banger ftw.
     
    #3 HopsDubosc, May 17, 2018
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  4. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,252) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    Not sure about "best" but DIA is definitely a good one. With Great Divide moving in soon, it'll be getting even better.
     
    #4 Domingo, May 17, 2018
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  5. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    PDX is still the champ. Airside, you can buy bottles and get growler fills. Not even mentioning the bars/restaurants. Plus, they have a law that anything sold in the airport must have "Street Pricing", so the cost isn't jacked up just because they've got a captive audience.
     
    #5 BBThunderbolt, May 17, 2018
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  6. Captstrapper

    Captstrapper Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2011 Vermont

    A lot of good airports for beer. Great Lakes is in Cincinnati, Goose Island in Chicago (Sofie on draft). Tampa has Cigar City. Burlington VT is super small regional airport but carries great local selections, Heady, Focal, Sip, Second Fiddle..etc.
     
    #6 Captstrapper, May 17, 2018
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  7. Daveshek28

    Daveshek28 Pundit (785) Nov 10, 2015 Pennsylvania

    Baltimore is pretty cool with Flying Dog and Duclaw. Not the most amazing selections, but having two brew pubs is pretty cool. San Diego has a Stone brew pub which usually is a pretty sweet lineup.
     
    #7 Daveshek28, May 17, 2018
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  8. TheInsomniac

    TheInsomniac Aspirant (270) Jan 11, 2015 New Mexico

    Denver's is definitely the best I've been to, and it's been a few years since I've been there. I think there's a rough correlation between the quality of the local beer scene and the quality at the airport. Not sure about all airports but at least at Houston Hobby and New Orleans you can walk around the airport with your beer, and that's a nice perk.
     
    #8 TheInsomniac, May 17, 2018
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  9. AaronB77

    AaronB77 Initiate (0) Apr 25, 2018 Maryland

    I will second BWI, and throw an almost-honorable mention to Schlafly’s at St-Louis Lambert.
     
    #9 AaronB77, May 17, 2018
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  10. ChelseaNJ

    ChelseaNJ Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2010 New Jersey

    I'd have to say PDX is the best. But I'm very excited to fly into Burlington next month and check out their offerings.
     
    #10 ChelseaNJ, May 17, 2018
  11. johnbloy

    johnbloy Aspirant (242) Sep 30, 2009 New Jersey

    Asheville, not even close.
     
    #11 johnbloy, May 17, 2018
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  12. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    This is the primary reason PDX gets my nod as well.

    I travel a fair amount, and it's nice to see that good beer options are becoming increasingly the norm in most airports. I was in Dulles recently, and was impressed by the selection I saw there, and I had an OK time at DIA recently (spent some time in the New Belgium HUB). The biggest problem I have with beer at SFO, is the pricing there tends to be really high (though I also was very pleased to see stuff from Fieldworks last time I was there).

    In terms of determining best airport in the US, it probably depends on what criteria you're using. The options you mentioned at PDX, I really haven't seen that sort of thing any place else, which is why it continues to get my nod as the best. A lot of airports increasingly have brewpubs and restaurants with a solid beer selection. However, at most airport watering holes you'll pay through the nose for a glass of craft, and I don't think I've seen a place that allows growler and crowler sales (other than PDX of course).
     
    #12 John_M, May 17, 2018
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  13. CwTeng

    CwTeng Aspirant (272) Feb 12, 2014 Colorado

    Hometown DEN is very good. Check out Root Down in Term C, Etai’s, Elway’s and New Belgium in Term B and Boulder Beer in Main! Stone Taproom in SAN is great and PDX rocks!
     
    #13 CwTeng, May 17, 2018
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  14. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You and couple others have mentioned "Brewpubs". Are there places actually brewing on-site in airports? Seems like the logistics would be a headache.
     
    #14 BBThunderbolt, May 17, 2018
  15. duckfisney

    duckfisney Initiate (0) Dec 5, 2010 Connecticut

    I'm on board with MSP as a good airport, lots of options for truly good local MN beers, I'm partial to alot of Summit brews. PDX is also a great beer airport and I'm happy to see that the tired old Rouge outlet on the D concourse had given way to a nice new Deschutes location! Also love the fact that you can buy great Portland beer and spirits to take with you! One place that I don't see mentioned here is BDL, the Hartford/Springfield local airport has several good bars for such a small airport! I'm particularly fond of the Two Roads Tap Room , about a dozen good Two Roads and other local CT brews and lots of bottles and cans ad well as decent food! I always love airport bars that highlight the local brewery scene!
     
    #15 duckfisney, May 17, 2018
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  16. Jhorton44

    Jhorton44 Initiate (152) Jan 9, 2015 Vermont

    BTV..Burlington, VT serves Heady Topper.
     
    #16 Jhorton44, May 17, 2018
  17. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    As far as I know, no. I think the term is used loosely by most folks to refer to brewery themed restaurants, where only that brewery's beers are sold. As you probably know, in PDX there's Laurelwood and Rogue themed outposts, and a Deschutes version is in the process of joining the crowd. The Anchor spot in SFO is a similar animal, as is the New Belgium outpost in Denver, DuClaw in BWI, and GI in Chicago (for example). I think there are a number of Rock Bottom restaurants in various airports as well. I'm virtually certain that none of these places actually brew beer on the premises.
     
    #17 John_M, May 17, 2018
    Last edited: May 17, 2018
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  18. edward_boumil

    edward_boumil Initiate (0) Jun 28, 2015 New York

    IDK if its Atlanta specific or Delta (as its based in Atlanta) but they have that Sweetwater IPA and I quite like the stuff. Its pretty crushable and all around has a nice hoppiness.

    Otherwise I've never really been blown away by a beer selection on a flight.
     
    #18 edward_boumil, May 17, 2018
  19. PolhillS

    PolhillS Aspirant (285) May 25, 2013 Maryland

    I have to second the emotion w/MSP. Surly Furious on tap sealed the deal.
     
    #19 PolhillS, May 17, 2018
  20. Meckanic

    Meckanic Initiate (87) May 13, 2018

    Years back I had a great Oatmeal Stout in STL but don't know if they are still there or what the name was. :slight_frown:
     
    #20 Meckanic, May 17, 2018
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