City Brew Tour Charlotte Experience

City Brew Tour Charlotte just launched in the summer of 2021, providing all-inclusive tours of breweries in Charlotte! They let us join a tour to see what it is all about and share our experience with you!

Your ride for the day!

What is City Brew Tour Charlotte?

“You drink…we drive, guide, and educate.” —sound pretty good to me! City Brew Tour Charlotte is a way to experience multiple breweries with a designated driver and learn more about both the brewing process and the breweries themselves in Charlotte. You get to go behind the scenes at breweries, learn about the history of beer on your journey, and taste a variety of local beers.

City Brew Tour Charlotte has both public and private tours for events such as bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, and corporate functions. The tour starts and ends in front of The Westin in Uptown, Charlotte.

Things to know:

• You need to wear closed toed shoes, as you’ll be going into the brewing space at breweries.

• The breweries change for each tour, so what we experienced may be different than what you experience! City Brew Tour Charlotte partners with several breweries in the city so it’s not the same set stops each time.

• The van has a cooler in the back, so if you purchase any beer to-go you can keep it cold for the rest of the tour.

• The beers are selected for you by the guide, but if you want to try something different you’re welcome to buy it separately.

Overall we enjoyed our experience and it would be great for people visiting Charlotte or new to the CLT beer scene. My one critique would be that we did feel quite rushed at stops 2 & 3, but overall I would recommend it!

The brewery dog at Armored Cow

Stop 1: Armored Cow Brewing

Armored Cow Brewing was the first stop on our brew tour! They opened in 2019 in the University City neighborhood in North Charlotte. They have multiple gluten-free beers which is pretty unique for a brewery! We tried four beers at Armored Cow and got to go into the brewhouse to see where the magic happens. We also got to meet their adorable brewery dog and learn about the first half of the brewing process.

Delicious Juicy IPAs at Resident Culture

Stop 2: Resident Culture Brewing Company

Resident Culture was the second stop for us on City Brew Tour Charlotte! Resident Culture is my favorite brewery in Charlotte so I was super excited it was included on the tour. They opened in 2017 and are located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte. Resident Culture is known for their IPAs, but their Lagers and Stouts are not to be overlooked either! At Resident Culture we went behind the scenes to see and learn about the second half of the brewing process and tried three beers.

Lunch flight at Midwood Smokehouse with local brews

Stop 3: Lunch at Midwood Smokehouse

Our third stop on the brew tour was Midwood Smokehouse for lunch. We visited the location in Park Road Shopping Center, and their original location is in Plaza Midwood. City Brew Tour Charlotte orders ahead for everyone, so be sure to mention on your reservation if you have any dietary restrictions. The menu included their famous BBQ and a few side dishes. There is also a preset beer flight of local brews. Our flight included beers from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Wooden Robot Brewery, NoDa Brewing Company, and Catawba Brewing Company.

Behind the scenes at Lower Left Brewing

Stop 4: Lower Left Brewing Co.

Our final stop of the tour was Lower Left Brewing Company. Lower Left opened in 2019 and they are located in the Lower Southend (LoSo) neighborhood of Charlotte. They always have a good variety of beers on tap and a nice patio. Here we sampled a few more beers and went behind the scenes to see their small brew space. From Lower Left we headed back to Uptown to be dropped off at City Brew Tour Charlotte’s hotel partner, The Westin.

Behind the scenes at Resident Culture

Want to check out City Brew Tour Charlotte? Book your Tour here!

September 2021

September brought the return of college football with lots of game beers and a trip to Richmond, Virginia for Zwanze Day 2021. Check out my top beers in September 2021 below:

Saint Lamvinus from Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium

Saint Lamvinus is a blend of Lambics aged 16 to 18 months and of Merlot grapes. We enjoyed this fantastic brew at Zwanze Day hosted by The Veil Brewing. This was my top Cantillon beer of the day and truly phenomenal.

The Sum of Its Parts from Triple Crossing Brewing in Richmond, VA

The Sum of Its Parts is a Mixed Culture Ale with petit manseng juice and dry hopped Nelson Sauvin hops. Triple Crossing is known for their juicy IPAs, but don’t sleep on their Wild Ales! It is best enjoyed on the Triple Crossing patio with pizza and pretzels!

Lake James Rind: Ashtray Style from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC & Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte, NC

Lake James Rind is an adjunct Lager with heritage corn, lime zest, tajin, and watermelon. This is a classic summer sipper from Fonta Flora and always a delight, but to step up your game I suggest you have it ashtray style at Salud. In the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, Salud Beer Shop offers an even better version of Lake James Rind with lime, hot sauce, pepper, and tajin.

Zwanze 2021 Parasol from Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium

Zwanze 2021 Parasol is a special blend of Lambic and a citrus blend featuring mostly oranges. This was another delightful brew from Cantillon and it was awesome to get to experience Zwanze Day for the first time. This years release was refreshing and light with a hint of orange.

Zero Drunk Thirty 7th Breakfast Club and Condron Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake from The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA

Zero Drunk Thirty 7th Breakfast Club is The Answer’s 7th Anniversary Barrel Blend Imperial Chocolate Stout. The barrels were Laird's Apple, Rye, and Rum. It is then brewed with Banana Flambé, Saigon cinnamon, Tahitian vanilla and Vermont maple. This was a delicious Imperial Stout that is thick with flavor and booziness. Another killer beer at the answer was one of their Jooses: Condron Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake. This is a Fruited Sour with Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake. All of the Joose series is great, but these two fruits and the cheesecake flavor made it a perfect indulgence.

Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves from The Veil Brewing Co. in Richmond, VA

Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves is an English Barleywine aged in @lairdsapplejack Apple Brandy barrels for 20 months then conditioned on bananas, Madagascar vanilla, and Marcona almonds. This was hands down the best beer I’ve had this month and will go down as one of my top beers of 2021. The banana hits heavy but in a delicious way and the apple brandy kicks in on the back. Highly recommend!

Check back next month to see my top beers from October!
—Cheers, Alexis

August 2021

Better late than never right? August involved travels to Maine, Wilmington NC, Athens OH, Columbus OH, Dayton OH, Metro-Detroit MI, Grand Rapids MI, and Lexington KY, so you know a LOT of good beer was drank! Check out my top beers in August below:

Everything at Maine Beer Company in Freeport, ME

Maine Beer Co. is a truly phenomenal place to visit—I highly recommend checking it out! Every beer we had was absolutely delicious and crafted to perfection. Pictured is Wolfe’s Neck, an American IPA brewed with local @blueoxmalthouse and Mosaic, El Dorado, and Sabro hops.

Self-Reliance Styrian and Strata from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

Self-Reliance is a dry-hopped IPA brewed with a single hop each time. We got to try the Styrian and Strata hop versions side-by-side and loved them both!

One Of Us Will Have To Bury The Other collaboration from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

One Of Us Will Have To Bury The Other is a Foudre-Aged Mexican-Style Lager with pale pilsner with a touch of Vienna and Munich malt. This was the ideal beer to end summer with. Refreshing, flavorful, and smooth.

Fundamental Observation from Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA

Fundamental Observation is an Imperial Stout aged in in a blend of Heaven Hill, Elijah Craig, and Willett Bourbon barrels with Madagascar vanilla beans. This thick and delicious Stout hits heavy at 14% ABV, but you wouldn’t know it from how smoothly it drinks. Fundamental Observation is always a treat to enjoy!

I Made This Map Myself collaboration from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

Burial and Other Half are two of the best breweries in the country, particularly for IPAs, so it is no surprise this Double IPA from them was epic. I Made This Map Myself is a Double IPA with oats, whirlpooled with Incognito and Cryo, triple dry-hopped with hand-selected Citra, Motueka, El Dorado, and Nelson hops, and finished with Citra Cryo hops.

Watercolors Synergy 5 from Skygazer Brewing Company in North Haven, CT

Watercolors Synergy 5 is a Berliner Weisse with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, blue-raspberry cotton candy, marshmallow, and milk sugar. Skygazer always crushes their Watercolor series and this one really upped the standard. Cotton candy and all, it was a true winner.

Follow along on Instagram @adventures.and.ales

Strawberry Banana Hard Seltzer Smoothie from Smooj in Ann Arbor, MI

Is it a beer? No. Do I get to make the rules because it is my list? Yes. Smoooooooj is super hyped and super worth it. These are technically hard seltzers but they are really just a boozy fruit bomb in a can. We got to try some of the small batch Smooj flavors at HOMES Brewing in Ann Arbor where they operate and were super impressed with each one.

Hillbilly Hustle from Country Boy Brewing in Lexington, KY

Hillbilly Hustle is a blackberry and lemon Lager. Think of the most refreshing summer drink possible and this is it! This beer was made in honor of the release of their local friend’s book, Hillbilly Hustle. Check it out here! I had a great time getting to visit Country Boy and tour their Lexington brewery while in town.

Raspberry Vanilla Milkshake IPA from Lost Art Brewhouse in Walker, MI

Raspberry Vanilla Milkshake IPA is brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans, raspberries, and lactose. This beer was fluffy, fruity, and delicious. Lost Art is a newer brewery just outside of Grand Rapids but they are already putting out fantastic brews.

CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH TO SEE MY TOP BEERS OF September!
CHEERS —ALEXIS

2 Days in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, Michigan—also known as Beer City USA— is one of my favorite places to visit! It can be overwhelming to plan a visit to Grand Rapids because there are just so many great breweries and fun parts of town to explore.

Check out my blog on the best breweries in Grand Rapids here!

I’ve put together this guide for a two day trip to hit the highlights of this fantastic Midwestern city. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!

The beer garden at The Sovengard

Day 1: Downtown & The West Side

For your time in Grand Rapids I highly recommend staying at the AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown. This beautiful hotel is in the heart of downtown, it is walking distance to everything on the itinerary for day 1.

Start your day at Madcap Coffee right in the heart of downtown on Monroe Center Street NW. This popular roastery has several locations in the city and makes a delicious brew.

After your coffee, walk across the street for brunch at Littlebird. This cute little spot has delicious breakfast and brunch all day every day. Enjoy a breakfast cocktail on the patio with a sandwich or a toast.

From brunch walk around the corner to the Grand Rapids Art Museum for some culture. Tickets are $10 to tour the extensive art collection.

After the museum head to lunch at Grand Rapids Brewing, a quick 5 minute walk away. This is the city’s oldest brewery with great beers and delicious food. They’ve also got a game room in the back to have some fun while you’re waiting for your food.

From lunch walk 12 minutes to Atwater Brewery, right near the river. This is the second location for this popular Detroit brewery. They have a large tap list and are best known for their Vanilla Java Porter.

After Atwater walk 8 minutes across the bridge to the poppin’ West Side neighborhood! Your first stop is Jolly Pumpkin Brewing. This is another very popular brewery with quite funky beers.

From Jolly Pumpkin walk across the street to New Holland Brewing—The Knickerbocker. This is the Grand Rapids location for New Holland Brewing, based in Holland, Michigan. Be sure to try some of their Dragon’s Milk variants.

Dinner time! Walk up the block to The Sovengard. The Sovengard is a Scandinavian restaurant and beer garden with a farm-to-table menu and a plethora of beers and cocktails to choose from.

After dinner, choose your own adventure:

• Continue to hop around the West Side: Arktos Meadery, O’Toole’s Public House, One Bourbon, Anchor Bar, or Steel Cat Bar are all on the same block as The Sovengard!

• Head back downtown and explore more: Founders Brewing, Hopcat, Stella’s Lounge, Mojo’s Dueling Piano Bar, and The Tin Can Bar are all within walking distance of each other in the heart of the city.

City Built Brewing

Day 2: The East Side & a couple of outliers

Decide how you’d like to start your second day in Grand Rapids—a full brunch or a delicious bagel: Terra is a yummy brunch spot or Terra Bagels, right next door, has bagels and bagel sandwiches. Both are located on Lake Drive in the heart of Eastown.

From breakfast head further East to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, a 12 minute drive. Tickets to this massive park are $14.50. Check out the sculptures, horticulture, and notable gardens.

After the park it’s time for lunch back in Eastown at Brewery Vivant. This brewery is located in the chapel of an old funeral home with a farm-scratch food menu and farmhouse-style beers.

From lunch walk 10 minutes to Outside Coffee on Wealthy Street. This adorable outside coffee shop has great vibes with frequent live music and Wealthy Street is a fantastic street to explore bars, restaurants, and shops.

On Wealthy Street be sure to visit Speciation Artisan Ales for some of the best beer in Michigan and Elk Brewing for a PB & J’ale’y on the patio.

After your time on Wealthy Street I would recommend dinner at one of the following options, all just a quick drive/Uber away:

• Seven Monks Taproom: A fantastic beer bar with an extensive tap list and a menu full of sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and apps.

• City Built Brewing: A great brewery with a Puerto Rican Food menu.

• Mitten Brewing: A baseball themed brewery with delicious pizzas and solid beers.

From dinner head to Arvon Brewing Co. for some of the best beers in the city. Arvon specializes in Hazy IPAs and Sour Ales.

That’s it! You’ve survived & thrived for 48 hours in Grand Rapids, Michigan— AKA Beer City USA! Have you been to Grand Rapids? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! —Cheers, Alexis

The Best Breweries in Grand Rapids

The Grand Rapids area has over 80 breweries making it a beer drinker’s Mecca! If the pure number of breweries isn’t enough to entice you that you have to visit, the city also was voted Beer City USA, Best Beer Town, and Best Beer Scene from USA Today and other national polls. Narrowing the list of best breweries in the area was tough, but I managed to drink my way through the city and compile the top 4 breweries below, in ranking order.

Check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!

Speciation Artisan Ales

Speciation is the absolute best stop on the Beer City Ale Trail and my favorite brewery in Michigan! They specialize in Wild Ales and Natural Wines and are the only brewery in the area to do so. Speciation has a unique approach to brewing and you can always expect funky and distinct flavors. Their taproom is located on the popular Wealthy Street in the heart of town.

Arvon Brewing Co.

Arvon is located just south of downtown Grand Rapids on Division Street with a cute and cozy taproom that they opened in 2020. Prior to 2020 they only distributed their beers from their production-only facility in nearby Grandville, and they did not have any options for onsite consumption. Arvon was able to grow their name and flagship beers through this method, but having a taproom has really expanded their beer selection and boosted their popularity. They specialize in Hazy IPAs and Sours, but they do well with every style of beer.

Lost Art Brewhouse

Lost Art opened in 2020 and they are already taking the Grand Rapids area by storm. They are right across the city line in Walker, MI and are putting out some incredible beers! Their different variations of IPAs are definitely their strong suit—whether it’s a single IPA, a Double IPA, or a Milkshake IPA they do it to perfection.

Odd Side Ales

Odd Side is located near Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Michigan just outside of Grand Rapids. Their large taproom is a popular destination, especially in the summer months. Odd Side makes a wide variety of beers and are best known for Bean Flicker, a coffee blonde. Their Barrel Aged Stouts and Fruited Sours are the best styles they make.

Have you been to Grand Rapids? What do you think are the best breweries in Beer City USA? Let me know in the comments! —Cheers, Alexis

Check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!

July 2021

Y’all. July was insane. I visited Columbia South Carolina, Portland Oregon, Hood River Oregon, part of the Oregon Coast, Bend Oregon, Seattle Washington, Boston Massachusetts, Portland Maine, Bar Harbor Maine, and had some killer beers at home in Charlotte in-between. Trying to narrow down this list of my top beers in July was ridiculously difficult after visiting 65(!) new breweries in July, a few of which are some of the top breweries in the country. Check out my top beers in July below:

Everything from Great Notion Brewing in Portland, OR

Hi it’s me, already cheating for choice number one. It is impossible for me to pick one favorite beer from Great Notion that I had—I visited two of their taprooms and had a flight at each, so I had 10 beers on tap and 4 beers in cans throughout my trip. Some highlights were: Carnibaal Smoothie-Style Ale with raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cotton candy, and marshmallow flavor that is a collaboration with @baabaabrewhouse, Orrerey Imperial Pastry Stout, Big Papaya Fruited Sour with papaya, Shepherd of the Forest Imperial IPA with Strata, Galaxy, Citra, and Vic Secret, and The Mad Batter Imperial Stout with chocolate, vanilla, almonds, and coconut.

Native/Wild Estate Honey From Oxbow Blending and Bottling in Portland, ME

Native/Wild Estate Honey is a Spontaneously Fermented Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale with Maine grains, aged hops, well water, and estate honey. We enjoyed everything we tried at Oxbow and the highlight was definitely this bottle. Duckfat also has a location onsite to pair your beers with some killer fries.

Everything from The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR

It is impossible to choose again here, so why not just talk about all of the beers? Ale Apothecary is a super unique little spot in Bend where all of their beers are 100% barrel aged, wild fermented, and naturally carbonated. I had every beer available when I visited: Pear Sauvie with @meccagrade barley and rye malts, @sauvieislandhops Crystal hops, and pear juice; Sahalie malted barley & wheat and @goschiefarms Cascade hops, house lactobacillus culture, aged up to 1 year in oak barrels then a month-long dry-hopping in oak barrels; Walking Fish dry-hopped brew transferred onto freshly harvested Crystal hops from @sauvieislandhops; Sahati barley & rye malts with @goschiefarms Cascade hops brewed in a fallen spruce tree; Farmhouse with barley, rye, wheat, and oats aged in barrels 3-4 months, dry-hopped in the barrel, and naturally carbonated with Oregon honey.

Twice the Daily Serving From Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

I always love this series from Trillium! This version of Twice The Daily Serving is a Berliner Weisse with blackberry, plum, and raspberry. Visiting Trillium was incredible and of course we left with a plethora of cans for the rest of our time in New England! I enjoyed this one with the sunset over the bay in Southwest Harbor, Maine near Acadia National Park.

Speling van het Lot VIII.ii: Schaarbeekse On A Toast (Medium) - Blended & Alive (Season 17|18) Blend No. 47 From Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Lot, Belgium

Did you get all of that? 3 Fonteinen always produces some of the best Lambics around and this one was no exception! It was incredibly smooth and had a nice hint of cherry without being overwhelming. Here is their description of this brew: Speling van het Lot” (Twist of Fate) is a series of small batch experimental brews, barrel maturations, fruit macerations and/or blends. This 8th version features the maceration of Schaarbeekse cherries on charred/toasted barrels. This Schaarbeekse On A Toast has macerated for 265 days on a fresh 1,000 liter medium toasted French oak barrel, in a proportion of 1 kilo of Schaarbeekse cherries per liter of Lambic. After the maceration, the fruit Lambic was blended with young Lambic for a continued fermentation in the bottle.

Pear Mary 2019 From Cascade Brewing in Portland, OR

Cascade is a must visit in Portland! I absolutely loved getting to taste a bunch of their Sours and hanging out in their patio space. My favorite beer I had was Pear Mary 2019, a blend of sour blond ales aged in oak wine barrels then naturally fermented with juice from Northwest-grown pears and infused with fresh rosemary. I also enjoyed Chêne des Fous 2018, Apricot 2019, Garden Party 2017, and Belmont Street Bramble.

Double Dry Hopped Fort Point from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

Fort Point is Trillium’s classic juicy Pale Ale, and the DDH version of it was absolutely incredible. It is the classic Fort Point recipe with Columbus hops and then double dry hopped with Citra hops.

Eleanor from Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, WA

Eleanor is a Farmhouse Ale refermented on elderberries with Hallertau Mittelfruh hops. It has a berry body with notes of cinnamon, clove, and earthy flavors. Fair Isle was my absolute favorite stop in Seattle! They specialize in creating mixed-culture Saisons and they absolutely crush it. I can’t wait to visit them again in the future!

The Purple Kriek From de Garde Brewing in Tillamook, OR

The Purple Kriek is a Spontaneous Wild Ale aged in oak barrels with black and red raspberries and Montmorency and Morello cherries. de Garde is a must visit on any trip to Oregon! They are consistently ranked one of the top breweries in the country, with good reason.

Back in the Zone collaboration From Mast Landing Brewing in Westbrook, ME and Orono Brewing in Orono, ME

Back in the Zone is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Mosaic, and Rakau hops. Mast Landing’s IPAs were absolutely stellar. I loved everything at the taproom outside of Portland, Maine and luckily they were on tap at several spots in Bar Harbor as well!

CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH TO SEE MY TOP BEERS OF August!
CHEERS —ALEXIS

A Day Trip to the Oregon Coast

I highly recommend checking out the Oregon Coast! I chose to do a day trip from Portland, which was a long day but absolutely worth it! From Portland I started just below Tillamook at Cape Lookout, drove up to Astoria, and then back over to Portland.

Oregon Coast Tips:

• Anticipate that the coast will be much colder than other areas in Oregon—bring layers and a rain jacket for the foggy mist, not necessarily a swimsuit

• Each city on the coast is quite different, so definitely check out at least a couple of different spots!

• Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your booking!

Check out my full guide to Portland!

Hike on the coast!

There are several hikes along the coast in Oregon, so it really depends on where you want to launch from. I did the Cape Lookout Trail which ended up being about 5.3 miles, 52 flights up, and took about 2 hours. It is just outside of the town of Tillamook, right on the coast.

The trail itself was a bit muddy and overgrown in certain parts, but it provided great views! I recommend starting early, I was the only one there at 8am and when I left at 10am it was pretty busy.

Tillamook

From the hike head into Tillamook, a sleepy little town just inland from the coast. People flock to Tillamook to visit the creamery, but don’t miss de Garde Brewing.

Tillamook Creamery

The hub of creamy cheese and ice cream! This is a massive tourist attraction in Tillamook overflowing with visitors. There is a self-guided tour you can walk through to learn more about the creamery process and then they have ice cream, cheese, grilled cheese, and burgers available on their food menu.

Five Rivers Coffee Roasters

A tasty coffee shop right across the street from the creamery!

de Garde Brewing

de Garde specializes in Spontaneously Fermented beers. All of their beer is produced in a coolship, then barrel aged, and then finally bottle conditioned. They have won a plethora of awards are are arguably the best brewery in Oregon. They are located right downtown in a small little taproom with a nice patio. Their tap list is small but mighty.

Rockaway Beach

A sleepy little beach town just north of Tillamook.

Cannon Beach 

Cannon Beach is one of the more popular beach towns along the Oregon Coast. As a result, anticipate pretty terrible traffic and parking. The beach itself is dog friendly which makes everything more fun. You can also see the surrounding mountains from the beach.

Pelican Brewing 

Pelican is extremely popular and has 3 locations—Cannon Beach, Pacific City, and Tillamook. They have a full food menu that is a bit pricey but tasty. I was honestly surprised by the quality of their beer because it is essentially a tourist hub that is more of a restaurant, but the beer was great!

Haystack Rock

A massive rock in the ocean that is worth seeing!

Astoria

Astoria is pretty large city located at the top of Oregon. The Columbia River separates the city from Washington to the North and the Pacific Ocean borders the city to the West. It is a port city and it is the oldest city in Oregon!

Fort George Brewery

Fort George is housed in a large building in the heart of Astoria. They have both the upstairs and downstairs of the building providing ample seating. They also have an elevated patio with views of the water and the city. They have a full food menu that is focused on pizza. Fort George makes fantastic beers, particularly IPAs and Sours.

Buoy Beer Co.

Buoy is located right on the ocean and provides great views of the surrounding water and mountains. They also have a full food menu if you arrive hungry. The inside space has a glass floor to look at the ocean and creatures below. Buoy can definitely be touristy because of its location but the beers were good and the views were worth it!

Have you checked out the Oregon coast?! What is your favorite spot? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

A Day Trip to the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is the perfect day trip from Portland, Oregon. This scenic area is just about an hour away from PDX. It is full of hiking, waterfalls, water sports, and fantastic craft beer.

Check out my full beer and travel guide for Portland!

Here is my day trip itinerary for the Columbia River Gorge:

Hike in the columbia river gorge

Multnomah Falls is the highest waterfall in Oregon and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. I recommend doing the Wahkeena Falls loop which hits five different waterfalls. I did this AllTrails hike which ended up being 5.8 miles, 134 flights up, and took about 2.5 hours.

The trail starts along a ridge heading from Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls are truly an incredible sight. From the base of the falls you head up the trail across the iconic bridge on the falls and into the land of switchbacks. You wind up for quite a while until you’re at the top of the Multnomah Falls, and then head into the woods. First you encounter Wisendanger Falls, and then Ecola Falls which is a bit smaller and harder to see from the trail. From Ecola Falls you wind through the woods for a while until getting to Fairy Falls, which you essentially follow all the way back down the mountain to the trailhead at Wahkeena Falls.

The trail provides great views of the surrounding gorge and was a delight to hike throughout. It was mildly overgrown in some areas when I visited and there were a plethora of large slugs, so just watch your step! I recommend starting your hike early to avoid the crowds. Getting there anytime between 7-8am was fine, but by 10am the parking lot was packed. There are several other waterfalls and hikes along the Historic Columbia River Highway as well!

Multnomah Falls

Hood River

From your hike head further into the gorge to the town of Hood River, the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. The drive is right along the river and absolutely gorgeous!

I recommend making Stoked Coffee your first stop. This cute little coffeeshop is right on Hood River Waterfront Park. Grab a coffee and meander through the park or find a bench to watch the windsurfers!

Hood River also has several breweries worth checking out:

Full Sail Brewing

Full Sail Brewing

Full Sail has a small elevated patio with nice views overlooking the Columbia River. They have a full food menu, average beers, and restaurant-style vibes.

Ferment Brewing Co.

Ferment Brewing Co.

Ferment has a huge deck-style patio right on Waterfront Park. The views here were my favorite in Hood River. They have a full food menu with delicious offerings and fantastic beers—the best of the day! Ferment can be quite popular, so expect a line if visiting during peak season.

pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem is probably the most well-known brewery in the area and for good reason—their barrel aged beers are top notch. With that popularity comes long waits for a table, so I recommend heading to Bear’s Den next door. This is their beer-only outdoor section, whereas their taproom has a full food menu and more of a restaurant set-up. pFriem is also right on Waterfront Park, but they are on ground level so you don’t get the views that you do at Ferment.

Views from the Wahkeena Falls trail

Have you visited the Columbia River Gorge? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

June 2021

June absolutely flew by but it was still packed with some delicious beers! We took two trips to Atlanta, a quick stop in Greenville, and hosted our first fully vaccinated bottle share. In no particular order, here were my top beers in June 2021:

Check out my guide to Atlanta here!

Emergency Chute from Variant Brewing Co in Roswell, GA

Emergency Chute is an Imperial New England IPA. It is brewed with Vic Secret, Simcoe, and Citra hops resulting in a smooth and juicy flavor. This was my first visit to Variant and first time trying any of their beers. I was super impressed!

Self-Reliance: Strata from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Self Reliance is Hill Farmstead’s Farmhouse IPA series. This version is brewed exclusively with Strata hops. It was brewed in March 2020, conditioned in puncheons for four months, and then double dry-hopped. Every beer in this series has been fantastic!

The Time Between Dog and Wolf from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

The Time Between Dog and Wolf is an Imperial Pastry Stout. It was Bourbon Barrel Aged for 14 months in Willett Bourbon barrels that previously housed dark, robust maple syrup from High Low Farm in Woodstock, VT and single origin coffee beans from Finca La Laja in Veracruz, Mexico sourced by Pure Intentions Coffee. It is rich, flavorful, and thick. Best served with Ashworth Cookies.

Dot Matrix collaboration from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC and BlackStack Brewing in St. Paul, MN

Dot Matrix is a Mixed Fermentation Gose with malted wheat, passionfruit, raspberry, guava, grapefruit and black truffle sea salt. This collab is tart, fruity, and delicious. These breweries have been two of my favorites for quite a while now, but I am continually impressed by the beers they produce.

Vary from Halfway Crooks in Atlanta, GA

Vary is a Czech Pilsner with Saaz hops and Czech yeast. This is the malty version of another one of their Czech Pilsner’s, Var. Don’t let the term malt scare you here, it is still clean and crisp as you want a Pilsner to be. Halfway Crooks absolutely crushes the Lager game so it’s no surprise that they are on the list. It was difficult to choose which Halfway Crooks beer to add here out of the 6 beers from them I got to try this month!

Check back next month to see my top beers of July!
Cheers —Alexis

The Best Breweries in Asheville

Asheville has a plethora of breweries, but which ones are the best? I’ve rounded up the top 5 breweries in AVL for your next beer trip!

Check out my full guide to Asheville here!

Burial Beer

Burial is hands down the best brewery in Asheville. They are one of the top breweries in the country so this should be no surprise. Burial’s OG South Slope taproom can get packed on the weekends, but it is worth the wait for their fantastic brews. Their other taprooms in Asheville include Forestry Camp, Eulogy, and Visuals Rooftop Wine Bar. Their top styles are juicy New England IPAs, thiccc Imperial Stouts, and crispy Lagers.

Zillicoah Beer

Zillicoah makes incredibly fantastic Lagers and Farmhouse Ales. Their serene location just north of downtown is right along the French Broad River. It is the perfect spot to relax with a clean, crisp beer.

Dssolvr

Dssolvr makes both classic beer styles and insane hype beer styles, but they do everything well. Whether it’s a clean crisp Pilsner or a quadruple fruited Sour Ale with marshmallow you can expect it to be phenomenal. Dssolvr’s taproom is located in downtown Asheville and has a small patio space out back.

Cellarest Beer Project

Cellarest is a killer spot for Lagers and Farmhouse Ales in West Asheville. They have a unique approach to beer with wood fermentation and complex flavors.

New Origin Brewing

New Origin is always a solid spot for IPAs and Stouts. They are located on the east side of town with a robust tap list full of tasty beers.

Special Mention: Highland Brewing

Highland is Asheville’s oldest brewery and is still one of the best! They began in 1994 and have since grown into a staple of the Southeast. Highland makes every style of beer you can imagine, but they are best known for their Gaelic Ale, an Amber. Their 40-acre property in East Asheville includes a taproom, meadow, packaging hall, event center, rooftop bar, and trails.

What do you think are the best breweries in Asheville? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

The Best Breweries in St. Louis

The St. Louis area has a plethora of breweries (60+) and I’ve narrowed those down to the top 8 breweries in STL. These spots are cranking out the best beer in the city and are absolute must-trys!

Check out my full guide to St. Louis here!

In ranking order, here are the top breweries in St. Louis:

#1: Side Project Brewing

Repeatedly ranked one of the top breweries in the country, Side Project is the absolute G.O.A.T. of STL beer. Their beers are all barrel aged and a majority of them are barrel-fermented. Think Imperial Stouts, Barleywines, Wild Ales, and Saisons—but don’t overlook their IPAs that the staff produces through Shared Brewing.

Peanut Butter & Stout at Narrow Gauge Brewing

#2: Narrow Gauge Brewing

Narrow Gauge is located just Northwest of STL in Florissant, Missouri and produces the best New England IPAs in the area. Juicy, hazy, and delicious is the name of the game at Narrow Gauge. Their Imperial Stouts are also fantastic!

#3: Perennial Artisan Ales

Perennial has been in the craft beer game since 2011 and they make a huge variety of beers. Abraxas is their most popular beer which is an Imperial Stout with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks, but if Stouts aren’t your style Perennial will still have something you can fall in love with.

#4: 2nd Shift Brewing

2nd Shift also makes an impressive variety of beers—essentially any style of beer you are looking for you can find at their taproom. Lean into the crazier sounding brews and you won’t be disappointed.

Daisy Glaze New England IPA at Heavy Riff Brewing

#5: Heavy Riff Brewing

Heavy Riff is in the heart of the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis and has a whopping 25 taps to choose from. Their Wild Ales are particularly fantastic and they are quite possibly the only brewery I’ve seen to have a Brown Ale with an untappd rating of a 4.2.

#6: Bluewood Brewing

Bluewood opened their doors in 2019 within the old Lemp Brewery Stables, giving their space a particularly unique atmosphere. They make a wide variety of beers as well as their own Mead.

German Chocolate Cake at Wellspent Brewing

#7: Wellspent Brewing

Wellspent makes some incredibly delicious beers! They are particularly known for their barrel aging and Imperial Stouts. Their taproom has great vibes.

#8: Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s Midtown Biergarten

This German-style brewery has a very traditional tap list and classic biergarten vibes. I recommend getting a stein of something clean like a Pilsner or Lager and the pretzel sticks.

Have you been to St. Louis? What are your favorite breweries?! Let me know in the comments! —Cheers, Alexis

May 2021

May brought my first real beer trip out of state since pre-covid! I visited St. Louis for the first time and had some fantastic beers, check out my guide to St. Louis here! May also brought some stellar beer trades from out of state! In no particular order, here were my top beers in May 2021:

German Chocolate Stout from Wellspent Brewing in St. Louis, MO

This is an Imperial Stout aged on coconut, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans. It tastes exactly like German Chocolate Cake and was absolutely phenomenal! Thick, chocolatey, and just the perfect hint of coconut and vanilla. I definitely recommend checking out Wellspent if you’re in the St. Louis area!

Twice The Daily Serving: Tropical Punch from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

I always love the Twice The Daily Serving series from Trillium and this one was no exception! It is a Berliner Weisse with guava, passionfruit, mango, pineapple, and lime. It is thick, juicy, and packed with flavor. Most Berliner Weisses and Fruited Sours have a pretty low ABV but this one packs a punch at 7%! I cannot wait to visit Trillium in July for the first time, it is going to be epic.

Abraxas from Perennial Artisan Ales in St. Louis, MO

Abraxas is an Imperial Stout brewed with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks. This is a classic Imperial Stout released every year and has been one of my favorites for a while. This was my first time getting to try it on draft though and it was even better! I love the combination of spiciness and sweetness.

Even More Hydra collaboration brew from Mortalis Brewing in Avon, NY and Evil Twin Brewing in New York, NY

This is a Fruited Sour with blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, marshmallow, and cacao nibs. I’ve been lucky enough to have a couple of the Hydra series from Mortalis and they have been delicious. This one is a special collab brew making it even more fun and it’s a hearty 7% ABV.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death from Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC

This Bourbon Barrel Aged version of Ego Death is an Imperial Stout conditioned on toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs and aged in Willett bourbon barrels for 14 months. This is straight fire! The non-barrel aged version of Ego Death is also very good, just obviously without the bourbon kick and a thinner Stout overall. BBA Ego Death was a knock-out. I was blown away by how well the flavors worked together. I cannot wait to try the vanilla variant of it that we got as well!

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A from Narrow Gauge Brewing in Florissant, MO

This is an Imperial IPA triple dry hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Nelson Sauvin hops. This is named after the Konami Code for all you gamers out there. Narrow Gauge makes absolutely fantastic beers and I was thrilled to get to visit their taproom outside of St. Louis. I snagged a 4-pack of this juice bomb of an IPA to bring back to CLT with me because it was so good!

CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH TO SEE WHAT MY TOP BEERS OF JUNE 2021 WILL BE!

CHEERS -ALEXIS

2 Days in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is such a fun beer city to visit nestled in The Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is absolutely booming and one of the fastest growing areas of the country, so there are plenty of things to do and a plethora of breweries to explore! Below is a two day guide to hit the highlights of Raleigh. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full guide to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill here!

Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing

Day 1

Today you will conquer downtown Raleigh!

Start your day at A Place at the Table. This is a delicious spot for breakfast sandwiches plus you can support others through their pay-what-you-can model. Do good for the community you are visiting!

Next head over to the North Carolina Museum of History to get your nerd on, an 11 minute walk from breakfast. It is free to enter and they have some fantastic exhibits!

Okay we’ve eaten, we’ve learned, now let’s get to the important things—beer! From the museum walk 15 minutes to Burial Brewing: The Exhibit. Burial’s Raleigh location is a must visit and some of the best beer in the city.

For lunch or a snack, Burial is nestled in Transfer Co. Food Hall that has a plethora of food options to choose from that are each fantastic!

Next take a longer stroll (22 minutes) or a quick Lyft (5 minutes) to State of Beer, a beer bar with a solid tap list and a large outside patio to enjoy your brews on.

From State of Beer head over to Raleigh Beer Garden, a 12 minute walk to the world’s largest selection of beers on tap. Seriously, check out their Guinness World Record.

For dinner we’re heading to Trophy Brewing and Pizza, a 19 minute walk or 4 minute drive from the beer garden. They have delicious pizzas and a wide variety of beers to choose from!

End your night at Crank Arm Brewing Company, a 15 minute walk from Trophy to work off some of your pizza. This bike themed brewery is super fun and has a large selection of beers to indulge in.

Altered State Brewing Company

Day 2

For day 2 where you will explore some really fantastic breweries on the northwest side of Raleigh!

To start the day, there are two routes you can go:

• Option 1: Grab breakfast pastries from the incredibly delicious Boulted Bread and then go for a hike! There are a plethora of options in the Falls Lake Recreation Area ranging from 2 miles to 26 miles and from easy to hard, so pick your own adventure and enjoy your time in nature!

• Option 2: Brunch at Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing! This is a great spot downtown with views of the skyline and great food and drink.

From your breakfast/hike or brunch head over to Barrel Culture Brewing & Blending, a 10 minute drive from the hiking area or about 25 minutes from brunch downtown. Barrel Culture has particularly fantastic Sours and Wild Ales.

After Barrel Culture check out one of the newer breweries in Raleigh, Heyday Brewing, a 15 minute drive away, on your way back down towards the city. They’ve got Louisiana flair, great beers, a nice outdoor space, and tasty food if you’re ready for some lunch after your hike! Brunch folks you can eat again too, no judgment here!

Your next stop is Funguys Brewing, a fantastic brewery 15 minutes from Heyday. They specialize in Fruited Sours and juicy IPAs in their little industrial taproom and are well worth checking out!

From Funguys make the 5 minute drive or 14 minute walk to Altered State Brewing, another newer brewery in Raleigh. They have a tiny taproom but plenty of outdoor seating and great beers! Black Fire Brewing is right next door as well!

For dinner walk 5 minutes over to Wilson’s Eatery which shares a space with Lynwood Brewing Concern. If you are still looking for more brews afterwards Big Boss, Bowstring, Nickelpoint, and Neuse River are all in the area as well.

Need a place to stay? We absolutely loved our time at The Origin in downtown Raleigh! It is within walking distance of most things downtown, super new and cute, and dog friendly!

If you’ve got more time in Raleigh, here are the rest of my recommendations!

The Origin Hotel

Have you been to Raleigh? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers -Alexis

April 2021

April brought a trip to the mountains in Linville Gorge and another visit to Raleigh, so there were plenty of good beers to be had. In no particular order, here were my top beers in April:

Need A Hug from Fonta Flora Brewing in Morganton, NC

Need A Hug is an Appalachian Wild Ale brewed with blueberries and elderberries. Fonta Flora makes some of the best Wild Ales and Lagers in the game and this one is at the top of the list for me. I absolutely loved how packed with flavor yet simultaneously light and refreshing it was!

Double Sunset from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

Other Half has made many versions of this Imperial Stout, this one is made with Coava Coffee Roasters Guatemalan Nayo Ovalle Coffee, vanilla and milk sugar. This beer is absolutely phenomenal and one of my favorite Stouts so far this year. I unfortunately broke the bottle of the other version we had and will forever be full of regret because this one was a banger!

Whistlin’ from Suarez Family Brewery in Hudson, NY

Whistlin’ is a Farmhouse Saison with fresh lemongrass fermented with a mixed culture and aged in oak casks. It is both citrusy but also slightly spicy from the country beer vibes. It is light, refreshing, and extremely tasty. This was the perfect beer to enjoy on the deck in the mountains.

Charge the Channel collaboration brew from Vitamin Sea Brewing in Weymouth, MA and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

Vitamin Sea and Trillium are two of the best in the game when it comes to IPAs so it is no surprise this brew is delicious. Charge The Channel is an oated Double IPA with Citra, Rakau, and Galaxy hops. It is smooth, flavorful, and juicy—everything I am looking for in a DIPA.

Blade of Hercules collaboration brew from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY and Mortalis Brewing in Avon, NY

Fidens is the new hype brewery and honestly I am jumping on the train. This is the second beer I’ve had from them, the first being an IPA, and they were both top notch. Fidens collaborated with Mortalis, another superb brewery to create this delectable Stout. Blade of Hercules is an Imperial Stout with marshmallow, graham cracker, and cocoa nibs. It tastes like smores in a glass but in a good way, not a smoky and sticky way. I highly recommend getting your hands on some Fidens if you have not already!

Check back next month to see what my top beers of May 2021 will be!

Cheers -Alexis