Top Ten Favorite Breweries

WE LOVE CRAFT BEER!!

There you have it. We’re not going to hide it. Deal with it. Hoppy makes us happy. From stouts to sours and belgians to IPA’s, we appreciate the craft. We appreciate quality beer made by lovers of the trade whose souls are as rich as their brews.

At times I wonder if our journey across America and all its natural glory is but a coast to coast brewery tour in disguise! A nationwide beer tasting journey of epic discovery. Many of these breweries have been on our bucket list, but we’ve also stumbled upon some previously unknown gems.

Of course, it’s impossible to boil down all the craft breweries in the country into a “Top 10” or even a “Top 100” list. But for all the beer aficionados out there, we thought we’d share a few of our favorites hop stops on our road trip (so far) and why. If you happen to find yourself in these states or towns you can be assured we put our seal of approval on these worthy servers of liquid gold libations.

So pour yourself a pint and pull up a chair as we list off our top ten favorite breweries from our cross country road trip in no particular order.

Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene, Oregon
Oh, Oregon…the beer capital of the West Coast, or so anyone there would tell you. Ninkasi is a lot bigger than we had realized, occupying several blocks. There was a building marked “Beer Lab” where we imagined many mad scientist type concoctions are given life. They don’t serve food, but have a few food trucks on standby outside serving mobile deliciousness. Who cares? It’s the beer you’re here for anyway, right?! The people are friendly, and the atmosphere is chill-meets-funky-punk. We recommend you try the Total Domination IPA.

Liquid Riot, Portland, Maine
Sipping suds by the sea!! What could be better? Liquid Riot is a cool, dockside brewery and also a distillery. The setting is in the old, downtown historic district, right by the water. The salty air outside collides beautifully with the mighty mash inside for a tantalizing combination. A heavy wood and metal reclaimed décor offers beer and spirit loving patrons a long wooden welcoming bar that faces the brewery so one can watch the magic being made while they enjoy a pint. The people serving seem to be trendy hipsters and the guests are super talkative. We recommend you try the delicious White Chocolate Stout. (The only light colored stout we’ve ever seen!)

Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine

An off-the-beaten-path warehouse is our favorite kind of brewery locale. This gem is full of surprises. It’s bright, big and clean with windows into the brewery next to the bar. Allagash is a proprietor of pallet loving perfection. You can’t buy a pint while you’re here, but you can buy all you want to-go. However, upon entry, you’ll receive a wooden token that gets you plenty of generous sample pours of their beers, including many that can’t be found anywhere outside of their brewery. We recommend you try one of their experimental, small-batch brews, in addition to their famous, flagship White Ale.

The House of Pendragon (HOP) Brewing Company, Clovis, California
Don’t let the setting inside a strip mall fool you. House of Pendragon is refreshingly different. Yet another very cool taproom, with reclaimed decor throughout, this place is ideal for Kings and Dragons alike to toast with one another. With a wide range of IPA’s and Old Ale’s served in unique glassware, the setting is a great place to play cards and talk among friends at the round tables. Oh, and when you get hungry, don’t despair, because you can order authentic Vietnamese Pho fit for a king or queen from right next door, through the looking-glass wall, and they’ll deliver your piping hot bowl of goodness right to your knights table! As for the brews, we recommend you try their Empire Strikes Back IPA.

The Great Northern Brewing Company, Whitefish, Montana
You couldn’t ask for a better setting. Great Northern offers a vast assortment of tasty beverages on tap, served at both a cozy fireplace room downstairs as well as a taproom with a view upstairs. We recommend you fancy a pint in both settings. Try the Stout by the fireside downstairs, and then head up for an Amber Ale on the second floor balcony overlooking the Farmer’s Market across the street with incredible mountains lining the horizon. Build up an appetite to eat right there or at one of the many vendors down in the market. We recommend you take a stroll through the Farmer’s Market after a few pints and see all the cool, unique, local Montana offerings. If you’re lucky, a local band will be playing some Dave Brubeck.

Maine Beer Company, Freeport, Maine
Beer, beer, and beer. No food, just damn good beer. Though they had a great mobile crepe stand (they must have known Kristin was coming) right outside to appease your appetite after you quench your thirst. This place is entirely solar powered and maintains high standards for quality and cleanliness. What more could you ask for: it’s green and it’s clean. As we understand, some of their beers have gained national recognition for must-try bucket list brews. Good for them! We recommend you try their “Lunch” beer at lunch time, or their also famous “Dinner” beer.

Arch Rock Brewing Company, Gold Beach, Oregon
Ok, we have to admit it, you may never go to this brewery, because you may never find it! It is tucked away in the misty (or rainy) mountain base on the ever-so-swollen Hunter Creek, in the small town of Gold Beach, Oregon. It’s right across from our “home base” where we resided for six weeks during the Destination Tree Holiday Order Rush. I have to tell you, creating orders downwind from the smell of their mash was bliss. Arch Rock is a converted barn/garage that provides a simple list of fresh beer on demand. We recommend you fill a growler of Pistol River Pale Ale and go for a walk down the road to where the river meets the ocean and do a little gold hunting while the tide is low. Hoppy Hunting!

Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
You knew it was coming. It’s a bucket list kind of place, just like most of our adventures in California. So, Russian River made the list by reputation and the sheer craziness to get into it on a Tuesday evening. Dueling lines of people, waiting outside the door is your first greeting. Then a friendly, but serious, bouncer filtering people in and out. One line to buy beer-to-go, another line to eat and drink in the brewery itself. After twenty minutes of waiting in the restaurant line, we decided to switch over to the grab-and-go line (although we hear their food is really yummy). Most people come here for their notoriously hard to find Pliny series (Both Elder and Younger). We bought a case of Pliny the Elder, and were a few weeks too early to score any Pliny the Younger. Surprisingly, they have a large array of sour beers which we tried and liked as well. We recommend you get in line early. Grab yourself a fresh Pliny and drink it right away. Don’t wait, as they like to say.

Chetco Brewing Company, Brookings, Oregon
Sometimes a place just seems REAL. Because it is. Authenticity isn’t something you can fake. Chetco was probably one of the friendliest breweries we frequented. We became temporary locals while we were stationed on the coast of Oregon for several weeks and this was our “Cheers” where everybody knew our name. Sit next to a stranger, make a new friend. It’s just that kind of place. Our very first visit we were welcomed by Rita, a pint-sized, bubbly, breath of fresh air who gave us a hug from there on out every time we saw her. One night we chatted with Mike, the owner and brewer, for at least an hour and learned all about his passion and knowledge of the craft. We decided Chetco needs a sign above the door: “Enter as strangers, leave as friends.” Oh, and we couldn’t help but love the “Gift Pint” board… you can buy a pint for a future visitor…i.e. Free Pint for the next Michigan Fan, Free Pint for the next firefighter. So, grab a pint (you can’t go wrong…all the beer is delicious!) while you make some new friends or play a pub game (Beer Trivia! Dominos!). Chetco will be your new local favorite.

Middleton Brewing, San Marcos, TX
This small brewery in Texas Hill Country was an awesome little find. There are actually several breweries in Hill Country, but we happened to be passing through on a day when most were closed. Fortunately for us, Middleton was open and welcoming. They greeted us with warm smiles and a small army of dogs…they took pet friendly to a new level and between the resident brew dogs, the visitor dogs and our own dogs, we felt like it was part Doggie Daycare! With a wide array of choices on tap, they’re quick to provide suggestions or offer tastings to help you choose. We snagged a few pints and headed up the spiral staircase to the rooftop patio with cool breezes, shady canopies, and vast, sweeping views of Texas Hill Country. It was the perfect place to sit and relax and also do some brainstorming on the biz. We recommend spending as much time as you can on the rooftop with a pint, a pooch and some popcorn.

The Top Ten’s will continue…stay tuned for more highlights from our cross country adventures.

Cheers!
Matt

P.S. Wondering where these places are? Zoom in or move around the map to check out each of these craft brewery locations.