December 11, 2007
25 Best Microbreweries in the Country
Jessica Hupp in Travel Hacker:
- Anchor Brewing Company: San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company offers a beer experience that you just don’t see often these days. It’s made in a gorgeous brewery modeled after traditional, historic brewhouses. Because of this, each brew is “virtually handmade,” a quality that beer lovers are sure to appreciate. Their most famous beer is Anchor Steam, which has a uniquely rich flavor. Make a reservation to tour their brewery and see how beer is made in this brewery that embraces the brewhouses of old.
- Full Sail Brewing Company: The “specialists in the liquid refreshment arts” at Full Sail are “stoked to brew,” and it shows through their beers. This employee owned brewery in Oregon is home to award-winning beers like the Full Sail Amber, IPA, LTD and Wassail, which all picked up a gold medal at this year’s World Beer Championships. Even better, the brewery is located (and open for tours) in Hood River Oregon, a gorgeous little surf town that’s a favorite of windsurfers and skiiers alike.
More here. [Thanks to Amy Quinn.]
Posted by Abbas Raza at 06:01 AM | Permalink
Comments
One of the best ways to sample many of these top beers in one place is to attend the Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Festival at Stoudts Brewing Company in Adamstown, Pennsylvania:
http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/it/2007/10/microbrewfest.html
Posted by: Marilyn Terrell | Dec 11, 2007 1:53:45 PM
I have to say, I wouldn't consider about a third of the beers listed as "microbrews." Never the less, an excellent list. Let me add a one they must have been ignorant of:
The Mountain Sun, Boulder CO.
http://www.mountainsunpub.com/
They brew the best beer I've ever been privileged to drink. Ahh, for the days when I lived three blocks away. They don't bottle, so the only way to try out their brews is to travel Boulder. But I can guarantee it's worth your time!
Posted by: Cyrus Hall | Dec 11, 2007 5:06:11 PM
Hey, I live three blocks from the Anchor Steam brewery. That doesn't make me special, but it does remind me: I shouldn't be the only person who's had it. Just because you can get Anchor in Minneapolis doesn't make it a macrobrew.
The day Miller starts making beer as good as Anchor, or Full Sail, or Sierra, or for that matter two-thirds of central Europe, I'll cheer. One of the great things about Europe is that you can order 'beer' in a bar and mostly get something good. It's sad you can't do that in the US.
Good beer can be a mass-market commodity. That it isn't is a minor tragedy. It isn't lead abatement (and could someone please get on the ball?), but it's sad.
Posted by: wcw | Dec 15, 2007 7:57:47 PM
wcw, I don't know what parts of Europe you've been too, but in general I find the beer all over Europe to be lacking. I would love some pointers to good brews if you have some. Besides Belguim, I've been very unimpressed.
Posted by: Cyrus Hall | Dec 18, 2007 8:32:59 AM
I've had very good luck walking into a bar and ordering 'beer'. Then again, places I have done this include my father's home town in Austria (whose brewery has existed since at least 1569), my mother's (a mere 1834, but still the oldest in the province), Munich, Prag and similar. And one-third of them aren't that good. That's still pretty good.
Posted by: wcw | Jan 1, 2008 2:49:31 PM
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