I’m not a big drinker by any means but beer has played a significant role in my travels over the years.

There’s been a couple of trips to Germany with beer as the primary focus and a trip to Belgium where it also played a big part. Then there are the brewery tours. I’ve been on countless tours, mostly in the United States but I’ve also been on many in others countries like Albania, Belgium, Denmark, Holland & Scotland (and probably a few more that I just can’t remember at the moment).

What is it about beer that makes it so interesting? Let’s see. First of all it comes in so many different varieties which definitely makes it fun to try out. The second and probably even more important thing about beer (when traveling) is the social aspect. Having a beer at a large, communal table is the perfect way to meet new people. 

A brewery boom is going on in the U.S. and it seems like you can find a local brewery just about everywhere.

Conde Naste Traveler put together a slideshow about brewery trails- Planning a Beercation? Hit Their Ale Trails Across the U.S.

Here are the eight suggested regions to check out:

• Grand Rapids Beer City Ale Trail
• Denver Beer Trail
• Maine Beer Trail
• The Bend Ale Trail
• Hudson Valley Beer Trail
• Delmarva Wine and Ale Trail
• Montana Brewers Trail
• CT Beer Trail

(Rather than write about each trail, you can find out more from CNTraveler in the link at the end of the post.)

While I haven’t done any of the beer trails mentioned above, I did check out parts of two others, discovering one of my favorite breweries along the way!

• The Cooperstown Beverage Trail was the perfect complement to a trip to upstate NY to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. While I didn’t love all of the breweries, I did come away with a new favorite- Brewery Ommegang. (We also visited Cooperstown Brewing Company and I believe one other.)  We also added a trip to Utica to visit the amazing Saranac Brewery.
• We filled out a small amount of our “passport” from the Vermont Brewers Association during a Thanksgiving trip a few years back. My favorite from the group was Longtrail Brewing Co. which can be found all over these days. Other breweries/ brewpubs we stopped by included  The Norwich Inn & Harpoon Brewery.

Here is a list of some breweries we’ve toured: (in no particular order)

• Heineken- Holland
• Tennent’s- Scotland
• Carlsberg- Denmark
• Gruut- Ghent, Belgium
• Cantillon Brewery- Brussels, Belgium
• Korca Brewery- Albania
• The Gilded Otter- New Paltz, NY
• Brooklyn Brewery- Bklyn, NY
• Shipyard Brewing Company- Portland, Maine
• Samuel Adams- Boston
• Yeungling- Tampa location
• Miller Brewery- Milwaukee
• Lakefront Brewery- Milwaukee
• Lancaster Brewing Co.- Lancaster, PA
• Stoudt’s Brewing Co.- Adamstown, PA
• many more…

Have you ever taken a beer-centric trip or gone on a brewery tour? If so, let us know where/ which ones you’ve visited.

Find out about the 8 brewery trails suggested by CNTraveler here.

Related Posts:

• Beer Tasting In Bruges, Belgium
• Shacktoberfest, An Alternative To Oktoberfest
• America’s Coolest Breweries