One of the great things about the independent beer scene is the variety of craft beer options you can enjoy. Whether it’s a brewpub down the street, a microbrewery that’s getting a lot of buzz, or a nano brewery that just opened, there is always a new craft brewery to try, and we want to make finding those places easy. We’ve given you the option to search by state, click on the “breweries near me” button or search for a brewery or brewpub by name, city or state.
“Craft beer” is just that – it’s a “craft.” And creating craft beer is like any other form of art, mixed with science. Certain cities in the U.S. just seem to have a bit of extra creativity when it comes to brewing fantastic beers (maybe creativity, science, and beer drinking go hand in hand?). From Southern California to Central New York and everywhere imaginable in-between, here’s a line-up of some of America’s Best Brewtowns to plan a happy (and hoppy) vacation getaway.
While craft beer drinkers in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Wyoming can enjoy Wichita beer, the brewery has been trying for a year to sell its beverages in Minneapolis. Its inability to do so is thanks to post-Prohibition state laws that force most breweries to rely on a limited number of distributors to get their products into stores, bars and restaurants.
Started in 1997 by childhood friends Brett VanderKamp and Jason Spaulding, New Holland Brewing Co. evolved from a passion for home brewing with old kegs, thermos coolers, pulleys and platforms and established itself as a Michigan craft beer powerhouse. It owns two restaurants – the Pub on 8th in Holland and the Knickerbocker in downtown Grand Rapids – plus a spirits tasting room in Saugatuck and two brick-and-mortar stores.
New Zealand-based Zeffer Cider is looking to increase appeal with a broad audience by rolling out various innovations including unique flavours as well as seltzers and non-alcoholic options.
Today, Bell’s Brewery founder, Larry Bell announced that he has reached an agreement with Lion, an Australian based brewer, for the sale of Bell’s. Lion acquired Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing in 2019. The move will see the Michigan-based craft brewer come together with New Belgium – aligning two great American craft brewers.
In 1990, George founded the Flying Dog Brewpub in Aspen, Colorado. From that brewpub to a full-fledged Denver brewery (co-founded by George and his long-time friend and partner, Richard McIntyre**) in 1994, and then to their current state-of-the-art brewing facility in Frederick, Maryland, Flying Dog continues to make sense.
When Nikki and Neil met, they came to realise they had some big dreams, Neil wanted to open a Brewery and Nikki wanted to figure out a way to help give back to her community of Upland that she has been a part of for 16 years. They put their heads together and came up with a plan to combine both their passions. After many sleepless nights of figuring out a name and mission that would represent both their passions, they came up with RESCUE BREWING COMPANY. The word Rescue for them represents all the FIRST RESPONDERS that run toward an event rather than away and put their lives on the line for a stranger or animal and they deserve to be recognised.
They brew a wide variety of styles ranging from traditional German styles to innovative modern IPAs, to barrel-aged creations. They use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and pride themselves on having a beer for every palate. Check out their website on the link below for just a few of their favourites, look for them at their two locations and wherever fine craft beer is sold in Northern California!