What US breweries to visit, beers to seek out?

[damoninja]

Hey all

Later this year I'll be trekking across the US, leaving late September returning end October, few days between written off to bus travel etc.

The whole trip won't be a beer quest, the wife couldn't give 2 ***** about booze but I'll be dedicating a good day or so to beer in a few locations (ones in gold) as well as wine tour from San Fran, whiskey in Tennessee, Bourbon in New Orleans.

We'll be staying fairly central in these cities so crafty pubs will also be sought out.

So, any suggestions


San Francisco - 3 nights
San Diego - 3 nights
LA - 2 nights
Vegas - 2 nights
Grand Canyon - 2 nights
Durango - 1 night
Albuquerque - 1 night
Amarillo - 1 night
Dallas - 2 nights
Memphis - 2 nights
New Orleans - 6 nights
Orlando - 3 nights
New York - 6 nights

 

[mstrelan]

San Diego - Green Flash, Stone (bit of a drive), Ballast Point (if you don't mind selling out).
San Francisco - Is the 3½ hour drive to Chico for Sierra Nevada too far? The tour there was awesome.
New York - Brooklyn Brewing

 

[damoninja]

Green Flash is on my list, I actually met one of the stakeholders here at NOLA over a struck up bar convo. Stone too, will make the effort here... Not fussed about Ballast will find somewhere else without any problems.

Sierra Nevada have a tasting room in San Fran, I'll go there but a 3.5hr drive from San Fran will be a bit much we only have a few days here, unless I can find a beer/wine day that includes the valleys and this. But the tasting room in SF will be the goods I'm sure.

NYC brooklyn is certainly on my list, the number 1 and number 2 were some of the beers that got me branching out in to the craft scene so it's a must!

 

[mstrelan]

The Green Flash tour was pretty fun, and they had about 15 beers on tap. Hard to get through them when many are 9% ABV.

Unfortunately the tours for Stone were all full when I went, and you can't pre-book, just have to get there early and hope for the best. It's an awesome venue though.

You're right, there is an SN tasting room in Berkeley which is worth visiting.

 

[Mardoo]

Go to The Hop Grenade while you're in SF. It's The Brewing Network's pub and gets really interesting stuff in. You can take the BART train (public-transit) there from SF.

And if you're going to San Diego you gotta check out White Labs brewpub. All their yeasts fermented on the same wort. Gives a very clear picture of what each yeast brings.

And you'll have no trouble finding good brew pubs in pretty much all those places.

 

[damoninja]

When I'm in NYC I should be able to get a hold of some dogfish head, just in time to come home -_- -_-

And if you're going to San Diego you gotta check out White Labs brewpub. All their yeasts fermented on the same wort. Gives a very clear picture of what each yeast brings.

That sounds SICK. I will have to add that to my list.

 

[Mardoo]

http://www.whitelabs.com/locations/white-labs-san-diego

 

[mstrelan]

When I'm in NYC I should be able to get a hold of some dogfish head, just in time to come home -_- -_-

You can get 60 and 90 minute IPA at most supermarkets across the country. About $11/6 pack.

 

[damoninja]

Have tried the 60, will find the 90.... and maybe if I'm lucky the 120 h34r: h34r:

Will be keeping eye out for a lot on the west coast I think I'll probably just hit as many crafty bars as possible so I can get as many brews in without having to venture too far. Won't be too difficult, I'll just try tick off as many of the brewdog top 5s for each spot!

 

[mongey]

If it was me I'd def do Stones as I love their beers

at the moment I'd also do Golden rd as I'm enjoying a few of theirs

both in LA I believe

You can get 60 and 90 minute IPA at most supermarkets across the country. About $11/6 pack.

makes me rage what it costs here

 

[damoninja]

I won't have much time in LA, the wife wants to go to disneyland so that's a day gone and the following day we'll be embarking on a contiki (in purple now) which ends in new orleans, hence more time in those green cities.

Will have to get dinner somewhere those nights so I'll try make it somewhere crafty -_- -_- I have a 3 hour layover in LAX on the way home, I'm sure I'll be able to kill some time at a few of the bars there and still not pay as much as we pay here......

 

[Spiesy]

If it was me I'd def do Stones as I love their beers

at the moment I'd also do Golden rd as I'm enjoying a few of theirs

both in LA I believe





makes me rage what it costs here

Stone is in San Diego, it's actually a fair bit out of SD, as most of the breweries are there - but they have tasting rooms throughout the city.

Golden Road is in LA.

 

[Spiesy]

I won't have much time in LA, the wife wants to go to disneyland so that's a day gone and the following day we'll be embarking on a contiki (in purple now) which ends in new orleans, hence more time in those green cities.

Will have to get dinner somewhere those nights so I'll try make it somewhere crafty -_- -_- I have a 3 hour layover in LAX on the way home, I'm sure I'll be able to kill some time at a few of the bars there and still not pay as much as we pay here......

There's not tonnes of stuff around Anaheim (Disneyland) in LA (technically OC), but 'Legends' is pretty decent. It is small, but worth a visit if you're in the area. Anaheim is largely a **** hole, and you'd do best to spend as little time there as possible.

 

[Spiesy]

San Diego: Ballast Point, Stone, Green Flash, Mother Earth - there are a ridiculous amount of breweries and good beer bars and tasting rooms in SD, most of the breweries are a fair way out of town though. The beers on tap everywhere in SD are amazing.

NYC: Brooklyn Brewery. Heaps of amazing beer bars too. Blind Tiger was our favourite beer bar. McSorely's is also worth a drop in, it's the oldest licensed bar in NYC, complete with sawdust floors and has McSorely's Ale on tap. I've got a Google Map of NYC which is comprised of the best bars, breweries, burger and pizza joints that we visited in the two-weeks we spent there. God I love that city!

 

[Jez]

Make sure you take your passport with you as ID. When I went to Stone they said they weren't allowed to accept non-US drivers licences as proof of age

 

[damoninja]

Make sure you take your passport with you as ID. When I went to Stone they said they weren't allowed to accept non-US drivers licences as proof of age

Yeah passports will be coming everywhere with us

There's not tonnes of stuff around Anaheim (Disneyland) in LA (technically OC), but 'Legends' is pretty decent. It is small, but worth a visit if you're in the area. Anaheim is largely a **** hole, and you'd do best to spend as little time there as possible.

We're not planning on staying in Anaheim if that's what you mean, or did you mean disneyland in general is a **** hole? I don't even know how long we'll be there, I couldn't care much for it it's for the wife

 

[Spiesy]

We're not planning on staying in Anaheim if that's what you mean, or did you mean disneyland in general is a **** hole? I don't even know how long we'll be there, I couldn't care much for it it's for the wife

I haven't been inside Disneyland itself, but I've been to Anaheim maybe 7 times. It is the arsehole of America.

 

[kalbarluke]

Anchor Brewery in San Fran is good. It is free but you have to book in advance. You get to taste six of their beers (from light to dark) and you will walk out of there quite pissed. My wife, like yours, couldn't give two ***** about beer and she really enjoyed it.
I'd advise catching a cab there, unless you like being surrounded by junkies and beggars on the bus.

Brooklyn Brewery is alright, as is Blind Tiger in Greenwich Villiage.

One thing I found about San Francisco is that nearly every single pub has these beers on tap: Anchor Steam beer, Sierra Nevada pale ale (some will also have Torpedo), Lagunitus IPA. Also, department stores like Target will include groceries and beer sections. I sent to the Target in Carsen City (LA) and the beer section was better than Dan Murphies in Brisbane. And very cheap.

 

[SBOB]

Anchor Brewery in San Fran is good. It is free but you have to book in advance. You get to taste six of their beers (from light to dark) and you will walk out of there quite pissed. My wife, like yours, couldn't give two ***** about beer and she really enjoyed it.

not free anymore, but still a definite must do
Did it when i was in SF 2 years ago

I havent been to many of those towns/places by

SF- Anchor Brewing. Hop Grenade gets good wraps for a bit of a trip. Drakes in Oakland also gets good reviews. (its gonna be hard to find bad beer in SF)
San Diego - Pizza Port gets good wraps (never got to SD but it was on my list). Heap of top breweries in SD
New Orleans - I went to NOLA brewing company and it wasnt bad for a tiny brewery... absolutely no idea how anyone could spend 6 days in New Orleans though

 

[SBOB]

We're not planning on staying in Anaheim if that's what you mean, or did you mean disneyland in general is a **** hole?

You can get Karl Strauss over at DCA (California Adventure)
One of my fond memories of disneyland trip a couple of years ago is walking around DCA after dark, drinking a Karl Strauss IPA. Its like a big kids heaven