OT: Let's talk about beer
So there's been a lot of negativity lately on this board so I thought I'd start a discussion we can all rally around, beer. I'm pretty into craft and I travel a lot but I'm never quite sure what to buy when I'm on the road. I was in Colorado recently but didn't have time to check out any local breweries but wanted to still get some good local beer. The problem was that everyone I asked gave me a name of a regional brewery I have pretty good access to in San Diego. So think breweries like Odell, Oscar Blues, Great Divide, New Belgium, Left Hand.
So my question to everyone is the following: what are really good breweries or beers in your city or region of your state that you could reasonably find in a decent bottle shop and don't have to go to the brewery to get but are local enough that I wouldn't be able to find them outside your area?
My recommendations for San Diego:
IPA's and Pale Ales: Anything from North Park, Societe, Pure Project, Burgeon, or Harland.
Lagers and hoppy Pilsners: North Park, Eppig, Fall, Burning Beard
Sours: Modern Times (don't recommend their IPAs), Mikkeller, Belching Beaver
I'd love to hear from regions all around the country.
Pipeworks
TMI :)
I'll contribute after my 12-year old attempt at humor:
Fat Tire - or anything out of Pacific NW.
Where is that?
Chicago
their ninja vs unicorn a double ipa is great
Pipeworks is on my Chicago list along with Half Acre, Revolution, 3 Floyds, Hopewell, and Solemn Oath. If you are looking for really good German beers, add Metropolitan to the list. All of these breweries are available at Binny’s which is the Chicago area mega booze store with many locations.
Nashville: Bearded Iris
second this, lived in Nashville from June 2020 until March 2021. Bearded Iris is a fantastic brewery. Homestyle is my favorite of their beers. They have a ton of IPAs, doubles, and even a triple or two.
Nashville...New Heights Brewing.
I will say I like New Heights more than Jackalope and TN Brew Works, both of which I find very meh.
Bearded Iris is fantastic and I miss sitting at their bar. Such a great vibe with the music, pool, and the brewery right there. Also, fantastic beers. I’d also rec Southern Grist in Nashville for a more diverse assortment of beers. The East Nashville location was small but fun and the location in the Nations is great too.
Southern Grist is my #2 for sure. Not sure the last time you were there, but Bearded Iris has built out a really nice patio attached to their brewery with tables, umbrellas, and lighting. It's really nice in the summer evenings to be outside if you're willing to forgo the comforting musty stank of brewery smells.
The patio was pretty new when I left Nashville in 2019. Does Barrique have a pub/bar? They had some of the best sours I’ve had in awhile. Nashville is a great city and I miss it.
Cool story bro: My wife went to college with one of the co-founders of Southern Grist and is close friends with his wife as I believe they were sorority sisters. They’re got a great product - the co-founder I’m mentioning actually home-brewed a healthy amount of the beer served at their wedding, and this was before Southern Grist opened. I’m not surprised they’ve done as well as they have.
This is one of the things I love about this board. I have a conference in Nashville next spring so I'll definitely be hitting some of these places you and others below recommend.
Holland, MI: Big Lake Brewing
Consistent variety of excellent hazy IPAs
Captain Vanilla Porter is exceptional
Tropical ale is my favorite beer anywhere
IPAs are ranging from good to very good, try 7th street IPA if they have it
Brown ales are ok
I love Big Lake Brewing and their taproom. Also, in Holland, New Holland Brewing with Dragon's Milkl, Ichabod, Cabin Fever Brown Ale and The Poet are my favorites. Another great taproom but downtown and not at the Brewing facility.
Natty Ice
Biggest bang for the buck anytime. I wish it were around in my teens and college years.
Pacific Northwest - MacTarnahan’s
San Francisco-ish
IPAs and other hoppy stuff: Cellarmaker, Alvarado Street, Humble Sea, Russian River, Ghost Town
Lagers: Kind of no one right now, but Russian River's stuff is very solid, and Ghost Town is doing some interesting stuff. Best lager brewer in the city is working at Laughing Monk, but it's hard to tell which beers are his recipe other than Alles Gut.
Stouts: Cellarmaker, Alvarado Street
Saisons and wild ales: Russian River, Sante Adairius, Urban Roots, Cellarmaker, Rare Barrel,
I think Cellarmaker makes the best IPAs in the country that I've tried. I'm lucky enough to have a bottle shop that gets them down here. Rare barrel is damn good and an underrated brewery in my opinion.
Also, thanks for being the first person to answer my question. If I'm visiting family in Wisconsin for example it would be really cool to know the best brews you can find in a store up there.
I feel the need to mention Drake’s in San Leandro (east bay south of Oakland). They make some really great beers. Their pale, 1500, is probably their flagship, but all around very good beers to be had in a variety of styles.
Toronto: Elsinore
Nope. Found a mouse in a bottle of that once. Never again.
Are you aware of the Untapped app? It's pretty cool, you can search my locations, research beers on the menu, etc. I will sometimes do a quick rating search on a handful on the menu before I order.
I've had the app for years. If I'm in a city like Denver and I find decent beer store I can spend hours trying to research what's good and hard to get or take the advise of a local and be in an out of there.
What is this app thing you talk about? Is this anything like the facebook?
KC Area:
KC Bier Co
Martin City Brewery
Fields and Ivy
Torn Label
I'm sure i'm missing a few but i'm thinking of ones where you can buy in store. There are several great and better ones, but you have to go there to drink or pick up so I didn't include. Like a lot of places, the beer scene in KC is amazing right now compared to back in the day when we basically had Boulevard and that was it.
Boulevard was worth it. Love finding their different beers.
Got a sampler of Boulevard for Christmas awhile back from my nephew who lives in Columbia, MO. Really liked it ?
Just moved to Santa Barbara, couple local breweries.
MadeWest
Firestone
Casa Agria - haven't tried this one yet.
Kinda surprised there aren't more tbh. That said tons of great spots with taps around town.
SB is a nice little town. You can probably get some lower-key LA brews up there, like Three Weavers and Beechwood.
Beachwood so damn good! I know there are a bunch a breweries towards San Luis Obispo but if you can get LA beers I would look out for Highland Park, Green Cheek, Boomtown, Mumford, and Brouwerij West.
No no no. This is blog of self-hate and despair! Anything fun or remotely close to fun is not allowed here!
Ok, on to more fun things. As a former home brewer (where I learned the art working at Arbor Brewing Company), I can say that the 3 Floyds is still cranking out good stuff. Because I'm more of a lager person, I'm not a huge Zombie Dust worshiper. And 3 Floyds doesn't do a lot of lagers, but their ales are really tasty.
Someone else mentioned Pipeworks, which is doing good work in Chicago, but I think they are trying to mimic the 3 Floyds marketing approach.
A buddy of mine raved about 3 Floyd's. Isn't that in Indiana?
It is, but right by the IL border in NW Indiana. We (Chicagoans) lay no claim to 3F, but know a good beer when it's right next door. Lot of folks feel the same about New Glarus up Wisconsin way.
My (very) local Chicago pick is Buffalo Creek Brewery, although I still love the bigger names like Half Acre and Revolution.
I have had many Revolution Anti-Heroes and will likely have many more. One of my all time favorite IPAs.
I have a buddy who lives 10 minutes from their brewery do a beer run for me (IN to GA):
Zombie Dust, Gumballhead, Alpha King, and Space Station Middle Finger.
It was my first experience with 3 Floyds. It was all good. I didn't think anything was so good I'd make a trip back up to get more. I could name 10 Oregon/Washington breweries that are making them look pedestrian.
Atlanta: Beer remains about 10 years behind, with a few exceptions.
Scofflaw makes solid IPA, Mitch Steele moved from Stone in California to Atlanta to open New Realm - the beer is way average (but it's notable for beer fans). Firemaker is a small but mighty. Cherry Street, in Cumming GA is awesome and doing some of the most creative brewing in the Atlanta metro area. Schoolhouse Beer and Brewing is a rotating house, never made the same beer twice. I think they are on their 200th new beer. Pretty cool if you are ever in Marietta. Ask for Thomas, he'll treat you well! www.schoolhousebeer.com
If you are around Chicago or the select states they distribute to, best get some Revolution Brewing. The founder is Michigan grad who is making some great beer.
In a similar location, I have really enjoyed what comes out of Dovetail Brewery. They focus less on hop-forward pale ales and more on German-style lagers. It is a refreshing change of pace from places like Revolution Brewing, which only seems to make pale ales.
If you're an IPA fan, I second this wholeheartedly. Their "Hero" series features different hop varietals and really lets you get a sense of what you like.
Also, their barrel aged stuff (Deth's Tar) has been excellent if that's your jam.
Just went through a case- I never fail to underestimate how much stronger 7% beers are.
The Deths? Those are 10-15% ABV. Powerful stuff and what I consider sipping beers.
Love Revolution Brewing. Shame it doesn't seem to consistently hit the stores I frequent.
Wow, how did I not know that? I will now enjoy Fistmas and the Eugenes even more than before, and will always bring some Revolution to my osu friend and constantly remind him that the founder is a Wolverine.
Greater Grand Rapids area:
Too many to list but here goes;
Founders
Perrin
Rockford Brewing
Cedar Springs Brewing
Hop Hog
New Holland
Hop Kat
Boiler Plate
They are everywhere around here. Probably some I've not heard of......
If you are near Fort Worth check out Revolver Brewing in Acton TX. All the stores carry it and on Saturday they have "tours" for $10 which will get you 4 pints and the pint glass they pour them in ??
A little further to the west, Odd Side Ales in Grand Haven is pretty good.
I have heard good things about Odd Sides, need to get over there ?
I can find Odd Side down here in Texas and am loving it!
Definitely. Its got a nice atmosphere as well.