So you’re sick of Busch Light and PBR? Looking for a more enjoyable, satisfying beer? Guess what – you’re not alone. More and more young people are ditching the national heavyweights for lesser known, but better tasting, craft brews.
Lucky for us, we don’t have to look hard for a better beer. Thousands of microbreweries are popping up across the nation and, chances are, there’s one in your own backyard just waiting for you to explore. Leaving that beer-flavored water behind can be a little intimidating at first, even saddening, saying goodbye to those incoherent dorm days. But fear not - there’s an endless array of awesomeness that awaits you on the other side, and you won’t regret your decision.
Like you, we were thirsty for something different. We knew there had to be more than the flavorless concoctions that fuel colleges across the country. So we hit the road in search of a higher being – a brew we could take home to meet the parents, if you will. Driven by our affinity for adventure and the inherent need for good beer, we traveled far and wide to find the best pint this country has to offer. Not to mention some awesome gear from Coleman to stay comfortable along the way.
It’s been a crazy adventure that’s brought us through about thirty breweries in thirty states, and although we’ve come out tired and broke, we’ve gained some invaluable insights that should help us all next time we’re walking down the beer aisle.
Lesson from the road #1: people are great, and most will offer tidbits to roadtrippers that you should take to heart. Play your traveling cards right and you’ll inevitably meet some amazing people with great insights on the local scene.
Lesson from the road #2: there’s good beer no matter where you find yourself. Just hit the bars with a touch of curiosity and openness, break the chains of the big beer oligarchs, and enjoy the local microbrew on tap. There are infinite varieties and you won’t know what you like until you try it. But consider yourself warned: once you start, you won’t stop.
To make things a little easier for you, we’ve done the hard work (sampling over two hundred micros) and compiled a list of not only the best brews in the country, but also the best breweries to include in your own tour next summer. Now we are by no means beer specialists; rather, two twenty-one year olds who love good beer, and have been interested for far too long. At the very least, we can recognize a tasty brew when we find one and can hopefully convey to you why it’s worth drinking.
If you’re just getting into microbrews, we suggest starting with the lightest and working your way toward the dark side. By now, you’re probably saying, “enough already, tell me which to drink!” And we’re just about there; but first, we must preface it with one point. Though we’ll give specific reasons for the top quality of each beer, when it comes down to it, they made the list because they tasted really good. So after six weeks on the road, 10,000 miles traveled, and over 200 beers sampled, here’s what we recommend:
Top Brews
East Coast Pale Ale
Steel Rail Pale Ale - Berkshire Brewing Co.
S.Deerfield, MA
Smooth, malty, with fruity hints, and straight from the Berkshire Mountains.
West Coast Pale Ale
Mighty Arrow Pale Ale - New Belgium Brewing Co.
Ft. Collins, CO
A grapefruit filled nose, mouth watering flavor, and great balance. Packs a punch, but goes down easy.
Kolsch/Pilsner
Gruit Kolsch - Roots Brewing Co.
Portland, OR
Lavender and chamomile replace the hops here; relaxing, organic, and fantastic.
Wheat
Sunset Wheat - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.
Chippewa Falls, WI
Smooth and fruity; like a great sunset, but bottled.
Hefeweizen
In Heat Wheat - Flying Dog Brewery
Frederick, MD
Chewy, with a strong wheat flavor and crisp finish.
Fruit Beer
Purple Haze - Abita Brewing Company
Abita Springs, LA
A raspberry lager that truly deserves its name.
IPA
90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Brewing Co.
Milton, DE
A hopheads heaven. This beer will kick your ass if you’re not ready for it.
Amber
Drop Top Amber - Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
Portland, OR
Smoother than silk with fruity hints and a well balanced, malty body.
Brown
Hazelnut Brown - Rogue Ales
Newport, OR
Flavor that dances in your mouth, reminiscent of your morning coffee with a toasty body to back it up.
Porter/Stout
Chocolate Stout - Rogue Ales
Newport, OR
True dark chocolate flavor balanced with a crisp finish and creamy body.
Miscellaneous
Double Bag Ale - Long Trail Brewing Co.
Bridgewater Corners, VT
The smoothest beer with over 7% alcohol that we have ever tried.
Only On Tap
Meyer ESB - Thirsty Bear Brewing Co.
San Francisco, CA
This nitro infused beer looks just as good as it tastes.
Top Breweries
All breweries were ranked based on overall quality, variety, availability, environment, social impact, creativity, and, well, our humble opinion. Based on these factors, five microbreweries surpassed the rest. Drum roll please…
1. Flying Dog Brewery Frederick, MD
Topping just about every one of our ranking categories, it is an honor to award Flying Dog with the Summer Brew Tour’s number one ranking. Their list of great beers spans everything from an In Heat Wheat to the Gonzo Porter, giving them a well-rounded and practically unbeatable lineup. They also let us sample beer out of their 300 barrel fermentation tanks; let’s just say it doesn’t get any better than that. By the way, did we mention all of their artwork is done by Ralph Steadman?
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2. Rogue Ales Newport, OR
The variety and availability of this brewery are amazing for a midsized micro (at least 30 different beers in all 50 states!). If you’re into the darker stuff, they can’t be beat. If not, give their Red IPA or Chipotle Ale a try. If you’re not part of the Rogue Nation yet, join the revolution.
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3. Magic Hat Brewing Company S. Burlington, VT
This Burlington-based brewery offers a fantastic artillery of brews, particularly for those hot summer days. Their unfiltered and unfettered Circus Boy is one of the top three Hefeweizens we’ve come across, and their flagship #9 is the best Apricot Ale we’ve ever tried. Not to mention, their recently expanded facilities in Vermont include a new taproom with 48 tap lines for the ultimate touring experience.
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4. New Belgium Brewing Company Fort Collins, CO
Coined “The most environmentally friendly brewery in the world,” New Belgium not only sets the bar with their sustainability efforts, but they also offer a great lineup of brews. Their Mighty Arrow is the best west coast-style Pale Ale we’ve tried and their flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale just hit the canning line. If that’s not enough, their taproom is open every day offering four free and a good time, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
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5. Widmer Brothers Brewing Portland, OR
This large micro is a Portland staple and most commonly known for their flagship Hefeweizen, which you can find just about anywhere in the country. Little do most know, the rest of their beer is just as good. The Drop Top Amber is unbeatable and the Broken Halo IPA is one of the top three west coast-style pales we’ve come across. Keep an eye out for these guys - after a recent merger with Red Hook, we have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more of them in your local liquor store.
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We realize everyone's got their favorites. If we missed one, leave us a comment. We'll hit it up next go-around.
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