It’s been a while since I put together a Brewery Travels article. Thanks to my final semester of graduate school and raising my now one year old, life has been fairly hectic. But I now have a little more down time and am thrilled to go back and highlight some of my stops this past summer! First up is the Kansas City area. Obviously, one name in particular sticks out, as a brewery here has been churning out beers to send across the country for…
A Review of Breweries from Des Moines, IowaFor that those that do not know, from the age of 11 until I was finished with college, I called the state of Iowa home. And the state capital of the Hawkeye State (and by far the largest metro area) is Des Moines. Earlier trips here during my life meant visits to Adventureland, the state fair, and in high school the state track championships at historic Drake Stadium. But on this recent, brief stop in this budding city,…
A review of Montana BreweriesGlacier National Park. Remote, difficult to get to, and absolutely worth the journey. We were blown away by the beautiful vistas and untouched wilderness throughout this area in Northwest Montana. Hidden Lake at Logan Pass and Wild Goose Island in Saint Mary Lake were two of my favorite views, but truly at every turn it seemed to be a buffet for your eyes. Along the western side of the park are several towns running down from Whitefish Lake towards Flathead Lake.…
I was originally going to just write one article for my entire trip to Montana. But I ended up visiting too many awesome breweries that I wanted to write about, so I’ll be breaking it up into two! This first one will focus on those in Missoula, the second largest city in the state. With Mount Jumbo and Mount Sentinel rising to the east, this college town was a pleasant surprise when it comes to craft breweries. Not only were the beers delicious, but the…
Reflections after visiting 500 breweries.500 breweries. 221 cities. 38 states. It has been quite the journey. To say I’ve been blessed would be an understatement. To celebrate hitting this milestone, I’ve composed this list of 50 thoughts I have on craft beer that I’ve garnered over the course of the past couple years traveling to breweries. They can range from pretty well-known ideas, to things that are definitely personal opinions. My beer journey is just that, mine. We are all shaped by individual experiences, and…
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Duluth. Aside from the beer, it is an intriguing little city situated on the largest of the Great Lakes. Boat rides, train tours, one of the largest freshwater aquariums in the world, and the trendy Canal Park district all contribute to a fun experience. Duluth is also home to the oldest microbrewery (Lake Superior Brewing) and the oldest brewpub (Fitger’s Brewhouse) in Minnesota. As per usual, I will select four of my favorites to write up, but there were…
Review of Breweries in Door County, Wisconsin.Door County may not be a place you are familiar with if you are not from the Midwest, but it is considered to be one of the most picturesque areas not just in the state, but the entire country. The peninsula that juts out between Green Bay and Lake Michigan is known for its historic lighthouses, numerous state parks, miles of shoreline, quaint towns, and array of wineries. And of course, there are several local brews being served up…
Review of breweries in Beer City, USA (Grand Rapids, Michigan). While many places around the country lay claim to being the capital of craft beer, Grand Rapids has held that honorary nickname since 2013. What’s impressive is that since that time, they have more than doubled the number of breweries in the city! This was one place that I needed to check off my list, and it absolutely lived up to the hype, and in many ways exceeded it. It seemed that every place I…
Indianapolis. The “Crossroads of America” is probably best known as the home of the largest auto racetrack in the world and being the capital of the basketball-crazed Hoosier State. But in the last decade, there has been an influx of quality craft breweries, especially on the eastern side of downtown. I was able to take in eight of the breweries in the area during our weekend visit, so I will select a few of my favorites. This will also be one of my rare editions…
At the point of last year’s Annual Review (click here to read), I had visited 271 breweries across 126 cities in 29 states. One trip around the sun later, and I sit at 454 breweries from 196 cities in 37 states (see map below). It has been a wonderful year, highlighted by us moving back to Milwaukee to welcome our beautiful daughter to our family. This review is going to look ONLY at beers and breweries I have visited since last year’s review. So please…