Kentucky and Tennessee Road Trip

Kentucky and Tennessee are home to a lot of beautiful nature, some great breweries, and some fun adventures! For Thanksgiving I decided to go for a road trip across these two states and with a smidge of Virginia and Georgia as well.

I designed this as a loop road trip starting and ending in Charlotte, NC. It was 11 days of adventure with 60 miles hiked, 1,628 miles driven, 30 breweries visited, 1 National Park, 7 State Parks, 1 National Recreation Area and 2 National Forests. Do what works best for you, your style, and your schedule!

A disclaimer—I had been to all of these cities besides Louisville before, so if this is your first time in each place you should add more time to get to see more of the city! For me it was just revisiting some of my favorites and exploring a few new spots in each city.

Day 1: Grayson Highlands State Park & Abingdon, Virginia

Kick things off at Grayson Highlands State Park where the Appalachian and Rhododendron Gap Trail has nice views and wild horses.

After hiking, head over to the small charming town of Abingdon. Here I highly recommend Abingdon Vineyards for wine on the river and The Girl and The Raven for breakfast and coffee.

Day 2: Breaks Interstate Park State Park & Red River Gorge

Breaks Interstate Park, the “Grand Canyon of the South”, is 1 hour and 40 minutes northwest of Abingdon. This was a short detour on my route so it was worth it for the nice overlooks, but in general I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for this park.

In Red River Gorge I loved glamping with Dappled Light, eats and drinks at Hop’s, and hiking to Double Arch. Check out my full Red River Gorge blog here!

Day 3: Red River Gorge and Lexington

Lexington is 1 hour west of Red River Gorge. In Lexington my favorites were Mirror Twin Brewing, Ethereal Brewing, and staying at The Manchester. Check out my full Lexington guide here!

Day 4: Louisville 

Louisville is just over an hour west of Lexington and an easy choice for your next stop. In Derby City I recommend Atrium Brewing, Butchertown Brewing, and checking out the famed Big Four Bridge. Check out my full Louisville guide here!

Day 5: Mammoth Cave National Park & Nashville

Mammoth Cave is perfectly halfway between Louisville and Nashville, at 1.5 hours from each city. Here I would focus your time on a cave tour and ditch the hikes, they are all quite boring. The Historic Tour is a nice way to see the cave and get an understanding of the park.

Day 6: Nashville

In Music City I highly recommend Southern Grist Brewing, Barrique Brewing and Blending, Ladybird Taco, and exploring the 12 South neighborhood. Check out my full Nashville guide here!

Day 7: Cloudland Canyon State Park & Chattanooga

Cloudland Canyon State Park is 2 hours and 15 minutes from Nashville and 30 mins south of Chattanooga. This is a beautiful park and worth the slight detour! There are some waterfalls and sweeping views here.

Day 8: Chattanooga

During your Chattanooga exploration I would recommend Oddstory Brewing, Pax Breu Ruim, and Ruby Falls. Check out my full Chattanooga guide here!

Day 9: Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls State Park and Big South Fork National Recreation Area

Burgess Falls State Park is 1.5 hours north of Chattanooga and here the Burgess Falls Trail is a great, easy trail with multiple waterfalls. Cummins Falls State Park is just 30 minutes from Burgess Falls and another large waterfall. Further north, Big South Fork National Recreation Area is home to Twin Arches Short Loop Trail. This is a very cool hike and I would highly recommend.

Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls State Park, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, and Cumberland Falls State Park are all nestled right along the Kentucky/Tennessee border, so you could choose to do these in a different order if it works better for you!

Day 10: Cumberland Falls State Park & Knoxville

Cumberland Falls State Park has several observation decks to see this large waterfall and is a quick stop. Buzzard Rock Trail is nearby and provides great panoramic views off of a short trail. Knoxville is 1 hour and 20 minutes from Cumberland Falls State Park.

Day 11: Knoxville & Travel HOme

In Knoxville I highly recommend Xul Brewing Company, staying at The Tennessean Hotel, and exploring World’s Fair Park. Check out my full Knoxville guide here!

From here you’ve wrapped up the loop trip and it’s time to head home! Asheville, NC is also 2 hours from Knoxville if you’re looking to extend your trip!

Have you explored Kentucky and tennessee? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

November 2023

November was a month full of travel! I visited Charleston SC, Hickory NC, and took a road trip through Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. I tried 130 different beers in November, and here were the best beers I had over the past month:

A Decade Under the IPA collaboration brew from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC

A Decade Under the IPA is a celebratory IPA dry-hopped with 10 different hops, selected by 10 different breweries for Fonta Flora’s 10th anniversary. This was easily the best West Cosat IPA I have ever had. The hops were: Bearded Iris - Mosaic, Burial - Simcoe, Fast Fashion - Anchovy, Firestone Walker - Azacca, Green Cheek - HBC 582, Highland Park - Nelson Sauvin, Monkish - Chinook, Other Half - Motueka, Russian River - Amarillo, and Trillium - Citra.

Houtenhamer (2021) from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Houtenhamer is a Double Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout aged twice in bourbon barrels. The 2021 edition came in at a whopping 16.2% ABV. Houtenhamer is Burial’s classic no-adjunct Stout and always a favorite. I had been hanging onto this bottle for a while and was very impressed!

Mixed Berry Cobbler from Southern Grist Brewing in Nashville, TN

Mixed Berry Cobbler is a Fruited Sour with lactose, vanilla, cinnamon, blueberry, blackberry and strawberry purees. Southern Grist always makes great Sours but I loved all of the different fruits in this one in particular.

TenneSPON Traditionelle from Barrique Brewing and Blending in Nashville, TN

TenneSPON Traditionelle is a Wild Ale that is a blend of one, two and three year old spontaneously fermented Lambic-inspired ales. My visit to Barrique was filled with delicious beers but this one took the top spot. I love a non-fruited Lambic and this blend was superb.

PB&J Mixtape from Xul Brewing in Knoxville, TN

PB&J Mixtape is a Fruited Sour inspired by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have been lucky enough to have this beer several times in 2023 and every time it is fantastic. It truly tastes like you’re just biting into a sandwich, in all of the best ways.

Bone in the Throat from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This was Batch 6 October 2023 of Bone in the Throat, an Imperial IPA. I have lost count of how many times a Root and Branch IPA has made my “best beers” list—they absolutely crush the IPA game.

Pressed from Phase Three Brewing in Lake Zurich, IL

This was the Maple Batch 2 version of Press from Phase Three. It is an Imperial Porter with Tugboat Coffee and maple syrup. Normally I don’t love Porters but the coffee/maple combination in this one was absolutely delightful.

Check back in February for my top beers from December and January! Cheers —Alexis

Exploring Red River Gorge

Red River Gorge is a pretty area in eastern Kentucky within Daniel Boone National Forest. It is a great outdoorsy area with lots of hiking, rock climbing, camping, and more!

Red River Gorge is just an hour east of Lexington, a fun city to explore! Check out my Lexington guide here.

Red River Gorge Lodging, food & drink Recommendations:

• Glamp with Dappled Light: This is a superb glamping experience with 9 tents and a cabin. The tents all have electricity and heaters to ensure a comfy experience, along with a shared bathhouse. There are thoughtful touches in the tents along with great views from the decks. Highly recommend!

• Hop’s: A great restaurant and bar with tasty eats and a solid beer and bourbon list. Their seating is an outside covered patio with heaters that is dog-friendly. They’ve also got a great happy hour!

• Miguel’s Pizza: This spot is a popular backpacker’s hangout with pizza, beer and camping. They have ample outdoor seating, some of which is covered, and an indoor space.

• Daniel Boone Coffee Shop: A nice spot for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. They also have a little shop with some groceries and souvenirs.

Red River Gorge Hiking recommendations:

• Double Arch, Courthouse Rock and Auxier Ridge Loop Trail: This is a great highlight trail of a few different nice spots in Red River Gorge. It is 6.7 miles long with 1036ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. This is a popular trail and the parking lot can get crowded. Double Arch is very cool, you can climb up under it and look out. Courthouse Rock is nothing special, it looks cooler from the stairs just after you pass it. Auxier Ridge is a cool skinny strip to walk along with views. Right before Haystack Rock is a nice cliff where you can see out to Double Arch and beyond. The beginning and end of the trail both are a bit long and boring, but overall it is a sold trail that takes just about 3 hours.

• Chimney Top Trail: This is a quick .7 mile trail with 88ft of elevation gain that is rated easy. It takes 18 minutes to complete and leads out to a nice viewpoint. It is a good spot for both sunrise and sunset. The last section of road to the trailhead is gravel but it is smooth, and the parking lot is shared with Princess Arch.

• Sky Bridge Trail: This is a quick .6 mile trail with 150ft of elevation gain and some stairs—it is rated moderate but is an easy hike. It takes about 20 minutes to do the loop under and on top of the sky bridge.

Another idea in the area is Natural Bridge State Resort Park. I had planned to do the Natural Bridge via Rock Garden Trail and Devil’s Gulch Trail, but this park is not dog-friendly and it was raining.

Have you been to Red River Gorge? What were your favorite things to do? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Hickory, NC

Hickory is a cute little town 1 hour from Charlotte, 1 hour from Asheville, and 1 hour from Boone. It is truly “small town America” with a Main Street of bustling shops and restaurants alongside incredibly nice folks.

The staff (almost) everywhere were incredibly kind and exuded southern hospitality. Downtown is very cute with lots of outdoor seating and green space. Hickory also has a Downtown Social District where you can grab to-go drinks from any business in the downtown radius.

Check out all of my recommendations for both downtown Hickory and the greater Hickory area below!

Standard Oyster

Downtown Hickory Recommendations:

• Stay at 2nd Street Inn: This is a great loft-style space with individual apartments. It is walkable to everything downtown and very convenient.

• Hickory Wine Shoppe: A lovely spot that is cheese and wine focused with other menu options available as well. They have a great front patio with heaters that is dog-friendly. The team here is also super nice.

• Barley Market: A beer bar and bottle shop with a great selection of taps, cans and bottles. They are dog-friendly with a friendly team and chill vibes.

• Battle Axe Mead House: A bar with local North Carolina meads available in bottles, flights or pours. They are dog-friendly and just behind the main hustle and bustle of downtown. They have frequent live music and occasional food trucks.

• Cowa-Saké: A trendy spot for sushi, sliders, and cocktails. This is a delicious spot for dinner that I definitely recommend. If it is a busy evening you can get on the waitlist via their website in advance.

• Plant Based Boss: A delicious spot for vegan eats downtown. They have weekend brunch, tacos, burritos, cookies and more in a beautiful space.

• City Walk Brewery & Distilling: A fun spot for drinks—the brewery is on one side and distillery (coming soon) is on the other. There is a cool back patio space with games. They have a small snack menu for eats.

• Hickory Museum of Art: A free art museum connected to the Catawba Science Center. It is pretty small but there are a good variety of displays.

• Olde Hickory Tap Room: A restaurant-style brewery with pub vibes. The beers here are average.

• The Coffee Nook: A nice spot downtown with for coffee, tea and pastries. They also have a plant exchange which is fun!

• Olde Hickory Station: A popular spot for brunch from Olde Hickory Brewery. It is housed in an old train station with a nice patio space.

Hickory Aviation Museum

GReater Hickory AreA things to do:

• Warehouse Distillery: A woman owned and operated distillery in nearby Newton. They have a nice cocktail lounge with great drinks. They are also super dog-friendly!

• Blowing Rock Draft House: A solid brewery in town with a full food menu. They have a nice covered and heated patio space that is dog-friendly. They are housed in an old mill with several other businesses.

• Palm Berries: A cute spot for açaí bowls and smoothies. They are just outside of downtown and have a nice interior space along with tasty eats.

• Taproot Coffee: An adorable coffee bus that moves around town. There is seating inside the bus and it is a total vibe. They have coffee and tea, no food.

• Riverwalk: This is a nice area at Geitner Park on Lake Hickory. The Loop Trail takes about 50 minutes for 2.5 miles. It is a combination of paved greenway and woodsy trail that is mostly flat. There are also a lot of bike trails here.

• Standard Oyster: A fantastic spot for delicious oysters. They also have other seafood dishes and small plates. On the drink side their Bloody Mary is large and delicious and they also offer bottomless mimosas. They have a heated, dog-friendly patio in the back.

• Hickory Aviation Museum: A fun museum with an inside “typical museum set-up” and outside you can actually explore the old planes! This museum is free and dog-friendly. It is housed at the Hickory Regional Airport.

• Bakers Mountain Trail: A 2.5 mile long trail with 633ft of elevation gain up to the highest point in Catawba County. The trailhead is just 15 minutes from downtown and the trail takes just shy of 1.5 hours. The overlook at the top has nice views.

Have you been to Hickory? What are you favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

October 2023

October! Fall is here and it’s my favorite time of year to sit in the backyard and watch football with some delicious beers. October was a very busy month mostly in Charlotte but with mountain trips to Bryson City, NC and Boone, NC. I tried 134 different beers this past month and in no particular order, here were the best ones:

Magos del Subterráneo collaboration brew from Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR and Troon Brewing in Hopewell, NJ

This is a Hoppy Ale with raw Oregon honey and double dry hopped with Nelson CGX, Nelson, Motueka CGX, Motueka & Citra. This is the second time I have been lucky enough to have this brew and it is absolutely superb.

Cellar Creeper collaboration brew from Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, MO and Tired Hands Brewing in Ardmore, PA

Cellar Creeper is a Barrel Fermented Wild Ale aged with mangoes. Side Project always crushes the Wild Ale game and this was a delight. Mango is not usually my favorite fruit to be added to a beer but it worked really well here.

Shibui from Cellarest Beer Project in Asheville, NC

This slow pour of Shibui was both beautiful and tasty. It is made from a base of Chesapeake pilsner and chit malt and hopped with Styrian Celeia and then rested cold in oak puncheons. Crushable!

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

Ego Death is Resident Culture’s annual anniversary release and the vanilla version is always a winner. The 2023 vintage base is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Willett Bourbon, Willett Rye, Heaven Hill Wheated Bourbon, Weller Bourbon, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels for 18-42 months, then conditioned on Toasted Hazelnuts, Cacao nibs and Comoros Vanilla Beans.

Behold The Affixation Of Magnificence To Very Unglorious Things from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

This is a Triple IPA with wheat, barley, and candi sugar with Motueka, Amarillo, and Citra hops. It was one of Burial’s Burnpile festival releases and an absolute banger.

Axle from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Axle is a Triple Dry Hopped Quadruple IPA with Citra, Galaxy, and Motueka hops. Monkish can do no wrong, even with a bold move like a Quadruple IPA!

Beyond Forever from Private Press Brewing in Santa Cruz, CA

Beyond Forever Batch 2 showcases all rye barrels and an average aging time of 17 months and then the blend was conditioned on the signature Private Press vanilla blend of Ugandan, Tahitian, and Ecuadorian vanilla beans. This was a rich brew packed with flavor yet incredibly easy to drink.

Einfluss collaboration brew from Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, CT and Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton, NH

Einfluss is a “Landbier that draws inspiration from the lagers of Franconia but is made with 100% Connecticut and New Hampshire malt including a hearty dose of Triticale, a wheat/rye hybrid grain.” This is a very unique beer and extremely delicious—crushable and enjoyable.

ChecK Back next month for my top beers of November! Cheers —Alexis

Shenandoah National Park Guide

Shenandoah National Park is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The park itself is long and narrow while the surrounding area is full of small towns. I enjoyed the views at the park and the various trails, but wouldn’t want to spend too much time in the nearby towns.

Planning a road trip? Check out my guide to nearby Washington D.C. here, Baltimore here, and Richmond here!

Hawksbill Mountain

Shenandoah National Park Recommendations:

Shenandoah National Park is relatively small and mostly based around one main road: Skyline Drive. You can easily tackle a good chunk of this park in a couple of days! I would recommend trying to visit on weekdays instead of weekends as much as possible just because it is quite popular and there are many large cities within quick driving distance that people visit from. You will need a National Park Pass or to pay to enter the park. One note—at this park most of the trailheads do not have bathrooms so keep that in mind when starting your adventures!

• Mary’s Rock via Appalachian Trail: This trail is 4.4 miles long with 1,210ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours to complete. The trailhead is just after the park entrance so there is ample parking here and a bathroom. It is a steep, steady and rocky climb up, and this trail is rated hard. It leads to a beautiful viewpoint of the surrounding area. Dogs are allowed on this trail!

• Berry Hollow to Old Rag Mountain Trail: This trail is 6.5 miles long with 1,751ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Permits are required to hike Old Rag, so be sure to snag one before heading out. It is rated hard. Heads up this is one of the only trails in the park that is not off the main road, Skyline Drive. Parking is quite limited so try to arrive early. The traditional route for Old Rag is much more popular and more difficult at 9.3 miles long with 2595ft of elevation gain and many scrambles. Choose your own adventure!

• Stony Man via Appalachian Trail: This trail is 1.5 miles long with 321ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete. It takes you through the woods to a pop out with a nice view of the surrounding area. It is rated moderate but was a pretty quick, steady climb up.

• Dark Hollow Falls Trail: This trail is 2.1 miles long with 583ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour. It is a popular trail but not overcrowded and leads to a nice waterfall. There is also one more viewpoint at the bottom on a wooden bridge. It is a relatively steep climb back up to the parking area, and this trail is rated moderate.

• Hawksbill Summit Trail: This trail is 1.9 miles long with 672ft of elevation gain and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It is the highest peak in the park and a short trail so it is quite popular. It is a very steep hike up but since it is so short it is rated moderate. Dogs are allowed on this trail! An alternative option is the Hawksbill Loop Trail which is just a bit longer and takes you around the summit instead of straight back down.

• Take the scenic drive down Skyline Drive: There are overlooks throughout the straight shot drive from one end to the other. Boldface Mountain is a nice overlook on the south end of the park. If you have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway this has very similar vibes.

• Bearfence Mountain Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles long with 242ft of elevation gain and takes about 40 minutes to complete. This trail is full of rock scrambles so it is definitely not for kids or folks afraid of heights. Keep your eyes peeled for rattlesnakes as well. It is rated moderate. I did not love this trail because there was not a view at the actual summit, just some views with the rock scrambles along the way.

Broadporch Coffee

Shenandoah Valley Recommendations:

• Broad Porch Coffee: A fantastic spot in downtown Luray for breakfast and coffee. They have a cute spot with indoor seating and a back porch with river views. I went two days in a row because I enjoyed it so much!

• Elkton Brewing Company: A solid brewery in Elkton with a nice outdoor space. They have food trucks on the weekend, they are dog friendly and they are housed in a nice historic building.

• Quièvremont Vineyard & Winery: A nice winery with great views in Washington, VA. They also have food options. Heads up it gets quiet popular on weekends!

• Vibrissa Beer: Vibrissa has two locations in Front Royal and Winchester. They both have full food menus and outdoor seating as well.

• Gathering Grounds: A solid spot for breakfast in downtown Luray.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was nice, but I would probably stay somewhere with a better view if I visited the area again. The outdoor space and screened-in porch were lovely.

• Wisteria Farm and Vineyard: An average winery in Stanley. The wine is fine but there are no views and the food is very overpriced and prepackaged. They are dog-friendly and you can bring your own food as well. It is a very casual spot and people loved it, I just wanted a bit more out of it.

• Pen Druid Brewing: A brewery with nice views in Sperryville. It was not my personal favorite but it’s worth checking out. They have an onsite food truck, Sumac.

Harrisonburg

• Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint: A simple spot for burgers and drinks in downtown with absolutely delicious eats. Highly recommend!

• Brothers Craft Brewing: A nice brewery just outside of downtown Harrisonburg. They have indoor and outdoor seating with chill vibes.

• Restless Moons Brewing: An average brewery with interesting vibes. I definitely watched multiple drug deals happen here. Their tap list is Sour heavy and they have pinball machines for entertainment.

Dark Hollow Falls

August and September 2023

August & September started off with 2 weeks in Charlotte before heading out for a 6 week adventure! I spent time in Michigan and Washington before heading back to CLT at the end of September. In this time I tried 232 different beers via a couple of bottle shares and visiting a lot of different breweries in my travels.

In no particular order, here were the best beers I had over the past two months:

Magos Del Subterraneo collaboration brew from Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR and Troon Brewing in Hopewell, NJ

This is an Imperial IPA with raw Oregon honey and is double dry hopped with Nelson CGX, Nelson, Motueka CGX, Motueka and Citra hops. This is a superb beer. I was lucky enough to have it twice in August and I gave it a 5 on Untappd both times. The honey was a fantastic addition!

No Sleep Means Insomnia from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

No Sleep Means Insomnia is a Triple IPA with Motueka & Citra hops. Monkish Triples are just unbeatable. I had a few great ones over the past two months so it was hard to select just one for the list, but this one stood out for it’s superb flavor.

Lorraine from Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, WA

Lorraine is a Farmhouse Ale with Gewürztraminer grapes and Syrah pomace. Fair Isle is one of my favorite breweries in the country so I was extremely excited to get to visit their taproom again. I had several beers during my visit (and grabbed a few to-go bottles too!) and Lorraine was spectacular!

Chainsaw from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Chainsaw is a Triple IPA with wildflower honey and dry hopped with Cashmere, Citra and Simcoe hops. This is the second IPA with honey on the list so perhaps this is how my taste buds are leaning as of late. Another killer brew from R&B.

Edge of the Dessert from Great Notion Brewing in Portland, OR

This is a Smoothie Sour with pineapple, mango and cheesecake. It’s been a little while since I have had a Great Notion Sour and this was a great reminder of how delicious they are. We’ve been getting some Great Notion distribution in Charlotte so I had debated whether or not to visit the Ballard taproom in Seattle, but I am so glad I did! Great brews and chill vibes.

MMXXI Chardonnay from Floodland Brewing in Seattle, WA

Description from the brewery: “This 2021 harvest beer was made through a native fermentation of Chardonnay grapes from French Creek Vineyard on the slopes of the Yakima River. The grapes from were destemmed and crushed and kept in contact with the skins for some time before being pressed and then blended with well aged spelt saison as well as saison brewed with wheat and oats. This beer was refermented to condition in the bottle with raw honey from Cougar Canyon Apiary, harvest on Rattlesnake Point 10/01/2021.”

Floodland! I was very excited to see Ridgewood Bottle and Tap had this hard-to-find brewery on tap while I was in Seattle. Stellar brew, as expected.

Solo Exhibition (Citra) from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

This is a Triple IPA with Citra hops. It’s a classic Other Half style brew with all Citra hops which is hard to beat. Smooth, flavorful, delicious.

Check back next month for my top beers of October! Cheers—Alexis

Maryland and Delaware's Beaches

The Delmarva Peninsula is home to portions of Maryland and Delaware with nice beaches and some great breweries. This guide goes sequentially driving south to north from Berlin Maryland to Cambridge Maryland after adventuring along the coast.

Burley Oak Brewing

Berlin, Maryland

• Burley Oak Brewing Company: This hype brewery is Sour focused but also makes tasty IPAs. They have a large outdoor space with frequent events. They do not have any food and they do not allow dogs inside or out. Located 15 minutes from Ocean City.

OCean City, Maryland

• The Other One Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a small food menu and non-beer options. They have a dog-friendly shared patio space and are on the south end of Ocean City.

• Stay at the Home2Suites Ocean City Bayside: This is a nice hotel in a good location and is reasonably priced for the area.

• Grab ice cream at King Kone, it’s fantastic!

• Check out Northside Park—this is a great spot to walk, run, or take your dog.

Dewey Beer Co

Dewey Beach, Delaware

• Dewey Beer Company: Dewey has two locations—the original space is a block from the beach in Dewey Beach and their new space in Harbeson, about 30 minutes inland. The beach location has a ridiculously delicious food menu and Harbeson has their newest venture Pizza Machine next door for ‘za. Parking at the beach location can be a little challenging, while Harbeson has ample spots. Sours are what Dewey does best but their IPAs are also good. Dogs are allowed on the patio at the beach and inside and outside at Harbeson.

Big Oyster Brewery

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

• Dogfish Head Brewery has multiple locations—Brewing & Eats is their restaurant and taproom in Rehoboth, emPOURium is next door with cans, and Chesapeake and Maine is the next building with seafood and cocktails. Dogfish Head’s main brewing facility and tasting room is in Milton, DE.

• Stay at Home2Suites Rehoboth: A nice, updated hotel with tasty breakfast and great amenities.

• Thompson Island Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers. It is a beautiful space with a small outdoor space in both the front and back. The space is beautiful, but the location is a bit odd next to a gas station. No dogs allowed.

Lewes, Delaware

• Wander downtown: This is an adorable small town full of shops, restaurants, and parks.

• Olive and Oats: A cute spot for coffee, breakfast or lunch in the heart of downtown.

• Dogfish Head Brewery has an Inn to stay at right downtown!

• Big Oyster Brewery: The beers here are solid but the vibes are not great. They have a full food menu and operate in the style of a restaurant. Half of the seating is in an outdoor tent with plastic dollar store chairs. Skip the pretzel, eat the oysters.

• Grab the ferry to Cape May, New Jersey to extend your adventures. Reservations required.

Wave goodbye to the beach, it’s now time to head inland—

RaR Brewing

Delmar, Delaware

• Loakal Branch Brewing Company: This is a subsidiary of Burley Oak Brewing and more of a local’s dive bar than anything else. I found this to be a very odd spot and not worth visiting.

Salisbury, Maryland

• Burnish Beer Company: A restaurant-style brewery with a full food menu and a large outdoor space. The food here is tasty and the beers are average. Dogs are allowed outside.

Cambridge, Maryland

• RaR Brewing: A Sour focused brewery in downtown Cambridge. Their taproom, their Chessie Burger restaurant, and their cocktail bar The LaboRaRtory are all in a shared row. They have a ton of guest taps and guest cans in the taproom alongside a large house-made beer selection. RaR has a cool space with artwork and chill vibes, but the beers were a bit disappointing. There is no dog-friendly space here.

Have you explored The Delmarva Peninsula? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia

The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia are a beautiful area to spend a long weekend. There are lots of great hikes to stunning views and large waterfalls, a plethora of wineries, and some solid breweries in the region. Below is a full guide to exploring this area, organized by town.

Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge is a great home base for exploring the region. It is an adorable little town, but it is going to be a bit of a drive to trailheads, as a forewarning. Heads up, the breweries in town do not have food or food trucks, so be sure to have a separate plan for eating! Pro-tip if you’re traveling with dogs—the public dog park at the Humane Society in town is really nice.
Recommendations:

• Amicalola Falls: These waterfalls are absolutely huge and are definitely a must-see while in the area. This trail is .9 miles long with 425 stairs and takes about 20 minutes to complete. I would actually probably recommend a different hike here, the one linked starts at the top of the falls and goes down to the bottom and then back up which was fine but check out the other options too. The entrance fee is $5 without a Georgia State Parks Pass.

• Springer Mountain Trail: This trail is 2 miles long with 393ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. This is the southern terminus of Appalachian Trail which is fun and there is a marker at the summit for the AT. It is a steady climb up and pretty rocky and muddy. The views are quite nice and this trail is rated moderate. It is quite the journey to get to this trail for such a quick hike, so just keep that in mind in your planning.

• Angry Hops Brewing: Easily the best brewery in town. This spot has chill vibes, a small patio, and angry music, for the brand.

• Mercier Orchards: A huge facility with a market and a bar serving hard cider, wine and 1 beer. The ciders are quite tasty. Go early if you want donuts, they tend to run out.

• Grumpy Old Men Brewing: A popular spot with a nice patio and average beers.

• Mountain Mama’s Coffee Lounge: A super cute spot with coffee, tea and a small food menu. The coffee is great here and they are located right downtown.

• Tipping Point Brewing Company: This brewery has a nice upper patio overlooking downtown with average beers.

• The Pasta Market: A nice restaurant and shop with solid pasta and an upper deck. They also have wine and beer.

• Falls Branch Falls: This trail is 1 mile long with 200ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is an uphill, muddy climb to the falls which are quite nice. This trail is rated moderate but was pretty easy.

• Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery: This winery has a nice outdoor space with a patio or picnic tables. They offer their wine by the flight, glass, bottle or slushie. They also have a small food menu.

• Elijay is another cute little small town south of Blue Ridge. Elijay Coffeehouse is a homey coffee shop with a small sandwich menu in the heart of downtown.

• Fannin Brewing: A small spot with mediocre beer and rustic outdoor seating.

• Skip Cucinella’s Pizzeria—the staff was not helpful and the pizza was average.

Helen

Helen is a German-themed town best known for their Oktoberfest and Decemberfest celebrations. River tubing is also quite popular here in the summer months. This is a very touristy little town that I would recommend spending a few hours in and then escaping. Expect heavy traffic and parking is $10 for the day anywhere downtown.
Recommendations:

• King Ludwig Biergarten: An outdoor beer garden in the main city square. They have a small food menu with German items alongside beers and wine. There is constant live music here as well.

• Hofbräuhaus: A German restaurant and beer garden. They are on the north end of Main Street a bit past the hustle and bustle on the river. The service here was not great and my beer was served warm, but it’s a decent stop.

• Anna Ruby Falls: This trail is 1 mile long with 220ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. The trailhead is directly outside of Helen and quite popular because it leads to a beautiful large waterfall. It is a paved slightly uphill walk that I highly recommend. This trail is technically in a National Forest so you’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $5 to enter. This trail is rated moderate.

• Duke’s Creek Trail: This trail is 2.3 miles long with 337ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. It is an easy walk down to the waterfall that is pretty nice. This is in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest so you’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $4 to park. It is rated easy.

• Raven’s Cliff Falls Trail: This trail is 5 miles long with 623ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. There are lots of roots along this path but there is also numerous river access points which is very nice. Overall the views here are just okay, but the river is nice. This is in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest so you’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $5 to park.

• Brasstown Bald: This is the highest point in Georgia and provides stellar views for miles upon miles! You’ll drive up the byway to a parking area where you can either shuttle up (every 5 minutes) or hike a very steep .6 miles up. I’d recommend shuttling up and hiking down. Dogs are welcome on the shuttle as well. You’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $8 to enter. If you’ve been to Clingman’s Dome in Tennessee this is very similar.

• Tallulah Gorge State Park: A popular park about 45 minutes east of Helen. The entrance fee is $5 and the main attraction is the large gorge with waterfalls. Heads up, only the rim trail is dog friendly where you can visit 9 overlooks.

Dahlonega

Dahlonega is a very tiny town about 30 minutes south of Helen that is home to the University of North Georgia.
Recommendations:

• Preachers Rock from Woody Gap: This trail is 2 miles long with 436ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. It is part of the Appalachian Trail in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. It is a mostly shaded trail that pops out to an exposed rock with stunning views, especially in the morning. This was my favorite hike in the area and I highly recommend it. It is rated moderate.

• Accent Cellars: A nice winery on the river. They have glasses, bottles, tastings, or flights of wine along with wine cocktails and a few snacks in the cooler. They are on the river which is nice and more of an urban winery just 3 minutes from downtown. This spot is dog friendly inside and out.

• Barefoot Hills Hotel: A solid hotel that is very affordable and has great mountain views, especially for sunset. They are dog friendly and there are games on the property too.

• Montaluce Winery: A beautiful, fancy winery tucked back into nature. They also have a full service restaurant onsite. This spot is not dog friendly inside or out.

Cleveland

Cleveland is just south of Helen and the town itself is not worth visiting, but there is a good hike, brewery and winery to check out:

• Mount Yonah Trail: This trail is 5 miles long with 1,453ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. This trail is quite steep and strenuous, as it is rated hard. The views from the summit are not quite as impressive as the other hikes in the area, but it is a great workout and still nice.

• NoFo Brew Co: This taproom is 5 minutes from the trailhead and the second location for NoFo. They have lots of outdoor seating with views of Mount Yonah but it’s also right off a pretty busy road so it’s not super serene. They have a wide variety of beers on tap. Heads up the flights here are very expensive.

• Yonah Mountain Vineyards: Around the other side of the mountain is a nice winery with mountain and vineyard views. They offer their wine in a glass, bottle or flight.

Have you explored the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia? What are you favorite spots? Let me know in the comments!
Cheers—Alexis

July 2023

July was a busy month! I tried 215 beers in July which is potentially the most I’ve ever had because of a beer fest, bottle share and lots of beer flights while traveling.

July started off with Free The Whales beer fest on which was full of delicious brews and was hosted at HopFly Brewing with Resident Culture Brewing. After that Mosaic and I headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains in north Georgia for the fourth of July week. We came home to a bottle share with friends and then left again for a 13 day road trip to the Outer Banks, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Maryland, Delaware, and Shenandoah National Park. All of that resulted in some high quality beers and it was quite difficult to narrow down this list.

In no particular order, here were my top beers in July:

Raspberry Marmalade from Dewey Beer Company in Dewey Beach, DE

Raspberry marmalade is a Fruited Sour with raspberries. I had this at Dewey’s original taproom at the beach and absolutely loved it. It truly tastes like raspberry marmalade in the best way possible.

Hang My Boots from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Hang My Boots is a Triple IPA with Nelson Sauvin hops. I cracked this the night before departing for my road trip and it certainly kicked the journey off on the right note. A truly fantastic brew.

Blu Jamz from Seedz Brewery in Union Pier, MI

Blu Jamz is a blended Saison refermented with Michigan grown blueberries. I am absolutely stoked to finally be visiting Seedz in a couple of weeks after they’ve been on my list for years. Everything I’ve ever had from them has been great and Blu Jamz was another superb brew.

More Jasper Than All Jasper collaboration brew from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY and Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

This is a Triple IPA with Citra hops. It is a blend of Other Half’s More Than series and Fiden’s Jasper. This is far too easy to drink for a Triple and full of juicy notes.

PB&J Mixtape from Xul Brewing in Knoxville, TN

PB&J Mixtape is a peanut butter and jelly Sour. A lot of breweries make pb&j beers but this was easily the best I have ever had. It tastes exactly like you’re eating the sandwich and is ridiculously great.

Double Dry Hopped King Sue from Toppling Goliath Brewing in Decorah, IA

DDH King Sue is an Imperial IPA with Citra hops. I was lucky enough to have this beer twice recently because Toppling Goliath is now distributing to North Carolina! So excited for this and for all of their fantastic beers to make there way over here.

Monolith collaboration brew from Lua Brewing in Des Moines, IA and Little Cottage Brewing in Atlanta, GA

Monolith is an Imperial Stout with coconut, hazelnuts, marshmallow, and cacao nibs. At 15.2% ABV this is a heavy beer, but it is absolutely delicious. This was easily the best beer at the Free The Whales festival and everyone was talking about how great it was. Lua continues to impress!

Darkness at Noon from Root + Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This was the May 2023, Batch 4 version of Darkness at Noon and absolutely superb. It is a multi-oat/wheat Triple IPA and we had this in a growler, so it was delightful to have a fresh Root and Branch not out of a can.

Check back next month for my top beers in August! Cheers —Alexis

June 2023

June was a pretty lowkey month—I spent most of June in Charlotte aside from a work trip to the beach and checked out some new spots in CLT and hung out with Mosaic at home. I tried 101 beers over the past month and this list has the best of the best. 3 of the 6 beers on this list are Saisons, which I think just points to how incredibly hot it has been in Charlotte and the need for light, delicious beers.

In no particular order, here were my top beers in June 2023:

Raspberry Tart from New Glarus Brewing in New Glarus, WI

Raspberry Tart is a Framboise Lambic with Oregon raspberries spontaneously fermented. I’ve been holding on to this since my visit to New Glarus last summer and finally decided to crack it open. This beer was insanely delicious and far exceeded my expectations. I wish I had more of this one to enjoy all summer long!

I Used To Consider The Consequences collaboration from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

This is a Double Dry-Hopped Imperial IPA with Citra and Cashmere and finished with Motueka and Citra Cryo hops. Burial recreated this brew that originally dropped in 2020 and it is delightful. Packed with flavor, juicy and well-rounded.

Saison du BlÉ (Blend #13) from Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, MO

Saison du Blé is a oak aged Saison that is then bottle conditioned. Side Project can do no wrong and this is a classic, delicious brew from them. Long live Saison Summers!

Donut from Nebuleus Beer in Portland, OR

Donut is a blend of gin and chardonnay barrel aged Saisons refermented on donut peaches. This was my first time hearing of Nebuleus and I was super impressed by this brew. I don’t always love things that have peach but this was well balanced and fantastic.

Clover (2020) from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Clover is a Saison that is a blend of Ann, Art, and Flora aged between 16 to 27 months independently and then combined before aging another 2 years. Clover is one of Hill Farmstead’s most sought after beers and for good reason—this was superb!

Probably Existing with Coconut from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

Probably Existing is a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels for 24 months then conditioned on toasted pistachios, cocoa butter, cacao nibs and vanilla. This version also has toasted coconut, giving it the perfect combination of barrel flavor, sweetness, and smoothness.

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

Utah Road Trip Itinerary

Utah is a fabulous area for a road trip! In 12 days of adventures I explored 5 National Parks, 2 State Parks, 2 National Monuments, 1 National Forest and 1 National Recreation Area. This was with 1,863 miles driven and 121 miles hiked. All of the National Parks are quite small so you can cover a lot of ground in not too much time which is great! You can also shorten or lengthen this trip—the bottom of the itinerary has suggestions for both.

This is a recommended 12 day Utah road trip itinerary and how I did my trip, but be sure to check out my full Utah guide here for all of my recommendations on hikes, eats, drinks, where to stay and more! I also include a smidge of Northern Arizona on this route.

Day 1: Arrive

Fly into Salt Lake City—I chose an evening flight so I wouldn’t need to use another day of PTO. If you have any earlier flight you can combine days 1 & 2. You can also fly into Las Vegas and do this loop road trip just hitting Zion first instead of Arches!

Sleep: Salt Lake City

Day 2: Drive to Moab, explore Arches National Park

Hit the road! It’s a 4 hour drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park, so get an early start and then you’ll still have almost a full day in Arches. If you want to start off with a bang the Devil’s Garden Trail is a great choice. Spend the evening exploring the cute town of Moab.

Sleep: Moab

Day 3: Arches National Park, Moab

Today is another full day for Arches and luckily Moab is just 10 minutes from the park entrance. Recommended hikes: Delicate Arch Trail, Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail, Fiery Furnace (permit required). If you’ve still got some energy later Corona and Bow Tie Arch Trail outside of the park in Moab is a nice hike with a massive arch.

Sleep: Moab

Day 4: Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park, Moab

Start the day with Fisher Towers Trail, about 40 minutes north of Moab. Head back into town for lunch before driving 45 minutes west to Canyonlands National Park. Half of a day for the Island in the Sky region is plenty. Stop at a few overlooks and do a couple of short trails such as White Rim Overlook Trail and Mesa Arch Trail. Head over to Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset—it’s 13 miles from Canylonlands on the same road heading back towards Moab.

Sleep: Moab

Day 5: Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley, drive to Page

Today is the only day of the trip with a lot of driving so buckle up—literally and figuratively. Start the day in The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. This is 1 hour and 45 minutes south of Moab. Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail is a great way to see this unique area of the park.

From here it’s a 2.5 hour drive to Natural Bridges National Monument. Plan for about 2 hours to explore the loop drive and short trails here. From Natural Bridges head further south to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Lookout for cows in the road along the way and be sure to stop for views of Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley from the road.

It’ll take about 1 hour to do the scenic loop drive at Monument Valley and from there it is a 2 hour drive west to Page, Arizona. You could also cut out any of this—Natural Bridges and Monument Valley were my two least favorite stops out of the entire trip. Driving straight from Moab, UT to Page, AZ is 4.5 hours. Grab dinner/drinks in Page and then get to bed nice and early after this long day of driving!

Sleep: Page

Day 6: Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, drive to Zion National Park

This was my absolute favorite day and although it seems like a lot it was absolutely perfect! Start the day with sunrise at Horseshoe Bend. Grab breakfast and coffee then explore Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Recreation Area via kayak. Kayak rentals are for the full day but I found 3 hours to be the perfect amount of time on the water with getting to explore a loop route to Ice Cream Cone Slot Canyon and not getting too much sun.

After kayaking it’s time for the famed Antelope Canyon. The early afternoon is said to be best time for sun beams. Be sure to book this in advance, you can only visit via guided tour. After Antelope Canyon it’s time to head out to Zion National Park, a 2 hour drive north. Personally I was too excited to not explore any of the park and just grab dinner and go to bed so I did the short and sweet Zion Canyon Overlook Trail upon entering the park and this was the perfect way to meet Zion.

Sleep: Zion

Day 7: Zion National Park and Sand Hollow State Park

Today is a full day of Zion! Recommended hikes: Angel’s Landing (permit required) or Scout Lookout via West Rim Trail, The Narrows or The Zion Narrows Riverside Walk, The Watchman Trail, or Emerald Pools Trail (not my favorite personally).

After hitting a few trails, head 45 minutes southwest to Sand Hollow State Park for a nice relaxing time at the beach! A perfect way to cool off and rest after a day in Zion.

Sleep: Zion

Day 8: Zion National Park, Red Canyon, drive to Bryce Canyon

Another full day in Zion—hit whatever trails are left on your list and drink one more prickly pear margarita at Camp Outpost.

After a full day of exploring Zion head up to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is just under 2 hours away. Directly on the route is Red Canyon, which is part of Dixie National Forest, and is a great stop with beautiful trails.

Sleep: Bryce Canyon

Day 9: Bryce Canyon National Park

Today is a full day in Bryce Canyon—which is an absolutely stunning park! Recommended hikes: Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop to Peekaboo Loop (Figure 8), Fairyland Loop Trail, Mossy Cave, Turret Arch and Little Windows Trail, Lower, Mid and Upper Inspiration Points Trail. Be sure to also drive the Southern Scenic Drive here!

Sleep: Bryce Canyon

Day 10: Bryce Canyon National Park

Another full day in Bryce Canyon—hit some more trails and soak in those beautiful views.

Sleep: Bryce Canyon

Day 11: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Drive to Torrey

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is home to one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done, but this area is frequently overlooked since it’s not a National Park. The start of the National Monument is just around the corner from Bryce Canyon, and the trailhead for the Dry Fork Narrows, Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons Trail is 1.5 hours from Bryce Canyon. The slot canyons are definitely not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it!

After this drive an hour back up the washed out road to Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail for a nice easy, albeit a little long, walk to a relaxing waterfall. After finishing your hikes it’s an hour drive up to Torrey, a great place to stay for exploring Capitol Reef National Park. This drive is through Dixie National Forest and full of great views.

Sleep: Torrey

Day 12: Capitol Reef National Park and Departure

It’s the last day! Time for one more National Park—Capitol Reef! Recommended hikes: Grand Wash Trail, Cassidy Arch Trail and Hickman Bridge Trail.

After exploring Capitol Reef it’s time to head back to Salt Lake City, which is a 3.5 hour drive north. Catch an evening or red-eye flight home to wrap up your adventure. If you’ve got time in Salt Lake for a couple of beers before the airport don’t miss Templin Family Brewing and Grid City Beer Works.

Have More time?

Spend more time in Salt Lake City, add on the North Rim of The Grand Canyon, add a visit to Grand Junction, Colorado, or make a stop in Las Vegas and explore Valley of Fire State Park. Check out my Las Vegas Area guide here! Move slower—I like to keep a busy schedule and see a lot, but you could also add in more time throughout.

Have Less time?

Skip: Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, or Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. You could also skip Page altogether and just stay in Utah, but Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are a real treat!

Consolidate: Spend less time in Arches—you can do Arches and Canyonlands in 1.5 days if you wanted to. Cut a day from Bryce Canyon or Zion (or both!). Cut some State Parks and extra trails.

Have you explored Utah? Let me know in the comments!
Cheers —Alexis

May 2023

May brought less beer consumption for me—I tried 72 different beers over the past month—but there were still some truly delicious beers. This month’s list is comprised of 100% IPAs which is pretty odd for me! Overall since I didn’t have that many beers this month, I didn’t go to many breweries, and the weather has warmed up, I guess that led to a need for more haze craze than anything else. Plus, I spent 12 days adventuring around southern Utah and northern Arizona going on stellar hikes and not drinking very many beers, and the ones I did have were more so trail beers than fantastic sippers.

Here are the best beers I had over the past month:

Triple Farmer from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY

Triple Farmer is a Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and Nelson hops. This was the best beer I had in May—I rated it a 4.75 on Untappd. It was smooth, juicy and delicious!

Bloom and Blossom from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Bloom and Blossom is a Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Galaxy, Rakau and Mosaic hops. I was lucky enough to have several Monkish beers in May and they were all superb, but this one was particularly packed with flavor.

Water Balloon Fight Club from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

This is a double dry-hopped version of their Water Balloon Fighters Double IPA with Mosaic, Citra, and Simcoe hops. Another fantastic beer from the folks at Monkish!

Do We Live in A Society of Spectacle? from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This is the Citra batch 5 version of Do We Live In A Society of Spectacle. It is a multi-oat/wheat Double IPA with all Citra hops. It’s hard to not love a fully Citra hopped beer, they are always fantastic!

What Changed? from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC

What Changed? is a Double IPA dry-hopped with citra incognito, motueka, rakau and topaz hops. I love that Fonta Flora has just recently entered the Hazy IPA game and is already putting out absolutely fantastic beers! This was super crushable.

Double Grid from Hop Butcher for the World in Chicago, IL

Double Grid is a Double IPA with Citra and Mosaic hops. I don’t get my hands on enough beers from Hop Butcher, and this brew reminded me of how amazing they are. I was thrilled that Pop The Top had this on tap!

April 2023

April was a fun month with trips to Austin, Texas, Holbox Island in Mexico, and Richmond, Virginia! I also had a couple friends visit Charlotte and got to show them around town and then also participated in a couple if bottle shares. All in all I tried 117 beers in April. In no particular order here were my top beers of the past month:

Everyone Stands Beneath Their Own Dome of Heaven from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This is the classic “multi-oat/wheat double IPA” as Root and Branch likes to describe it. They like to hold their secrets close to their chest without revealing any hops or much information, but this one was a banger. It was batch 6 of the brew and truly superb. I enjoyed this one at the pool of our Airbnb in Holbox which was delightful!

Seven from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA

Seven was one of The Veil’s 7th anniversary beer releases and phenomenal. Lucky for me I visited their taproom in RVA a week after the anniversary and was still able to try it on tap and grab a bottle to take home. Seven is an Imperial Stout aged in Willett, Utopias, Maple and Weller Bourbon Barrels for an average of 21 months then conditioned on chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted coconut, Tahitian vanilla and truffle.

The Laurentian Series: Cuvee Des Grands Lacs with Marquette Grapes from Speciation Artisan Ales in Grand Rapids, MI

This complex beer is a blend of 5 barrels filled with spontaneously fermented beer that was cooled in a coolship near each of the 5 Great Lakes and fermented exclusively with the wild cultures caught in the air at each site, Marquette grapes were then added. I’ve had this beer before and was blown away by how fantastic it was so when I saw another bottle at a shop in Michigan I knew I had to have it!

Flora (Cherry, Raspberry, Northern Kiwi) from Hill Farmstead in Greensboro, VT

Flora is the wine barrel aged version Florence and always one of my favorite beers. I love the different varieties they Hill Farmstead makes of it! This version was aged on hand-picked Vermont-grown Montmorency cherries, raspberries and northern kiwi.

I Hope This Is The Endgame from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Burial’s adjuncted Stouts are hard to beat! This one is an Imperial Stout with toasted pecans, Thai banana, vanilla bean, cinnamon, maple syrup and sea salt. As I am sure you know by know I am a sucker for anything with Thai banana so when they released this beer I knew I had to snag a bottle. It was absolutely delicious!

Snow Giant from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Snow Giant is a Triple IPA with Citra and Nectaron hops. I enjoyed this on tap at The Veil’s new taproom since they had some guest taps for their anniversary on. Monkish always crushes the juice game and this one was delightful—easy drinking and packed with flavor.

Check back next month for my top beers in May! Cheers! —Alexis

Bryson City, NC

Bryson City is a small mountain town in Western North Carolina. It is nestled between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest. This is a beautiful area to explore, especially in the fall with changing leaves.

Bryson City is about 1 hour west of Asheville, NC and 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Gatlinburg TN. Check out my Asheville guide here and my Gatlinburg guide here.

Tom Branch Falls

Bryson City Recommendations:

• Bryson City Outdoors: A beer bar and gear shop with a nice patio and daily food trucks.

• Explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Deep Creek Waterfall Loop is a popular option very close to town with 3 waterfalls on a 2.4 mile long trail with 426ft of elevation gain. You’ll encounter Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls and Juney Whank Falls.

• Mountain Layers Brewing: A nice brewery in the heart of downtown with a rooftop deck. They also have a Hawaiian food truck out back The Rice Wagon. You can see all of town from the roof and offer wine and cider for non-beer fans.

• Zipline, whitewater raft, or stay in a yurt with WildWater! Whitewater rafting is very popular on the Nantahala and super fun. It is 8 miles of class 1 and class 2 rapids with one class 3 rapid. Their ziplining course goes through the gorge and has a couple of spots with great views.

• High Test Deli: A delicious sandwich shop in the heart of downtown. They are also known for their frozen ice cream sandwiches.

• The Road to Nowhere: Drive this historic road and be sure to check out the Lake Fontana overlook and the Road to Nowhere Tunnel. Just be prepared, the road does indeed go to nowhere.

• Meander the many shops throughout downtown.

• Take a scenic drive:

  • The Hellbender 28 is full of hairpin turns and right near Bryson City

  • The Tail of the Dragon takes you towards Tennessee with 300 turns in 11 miles

  • The Blue Ridge Parkway is a popular route with numerous viewpoints and hiking trails along the way

    • Waterrock Knob Trail is a popular, quick choice that is 1 mile long with 439ft of elevation gain so it’s quite steep!

    • Mount Pisgah Trail: 4 miles long with 1077ft of elevation gain. This trail is about halfway between Bryson City and Asheville off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pisgah National Forest. I would park at the Google Maps trailhead, not AllTrails trailhead. The last section of the trail is pretty steep and leads up to a TV tower.

• Honey Bear’s Cupcakery: Grab cupcakes and other sweets from this local bakery on the main strip!

• Cardinal Coffee: A cute spot for coffee, bagels, and smoothies off the highway a bit outside of downtown.

• Darnell Farms: A large farm with produce, pumpkins, hay rides and festivals. Located in Bryson City on the river.

• Explore nearby Waynesville:

  • Boojum Brewing: A popular brewery with a full food menu. Expect a wait during lunch and dinner times, but their food is super tasty and worth it!

  • Sauced: An average spot for pizza and beer

  • Check out the cute shops throughout downtown

• Explore nearby Sylva:

  • Lazy Hiker Brewing: Tasty beers and a nice patio. Mad Batter Kitchen is inside for eats.

  • Innovation Brewing: A lovely taproom on the river with chill vibes. They have a massive tap list and Meatballs Pizzeria shares the building + Cosmic Carryout is right next door.

  • Balsam Falls Brewing: A nice brewery with a full food menu and lots of TVs for game day.

• Skip: Bryson City Brewing This spot was formally Nantahala Brewing. They have all guest taps and zero of their own beers, the food is not good and the service quite frankly sucks (the bartenders were wasted). It’s a bummer to see this formerly great space go downhill so quickly.

What are your favorite spots in Western North Carolina? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—ALexis

March 2023

March was a packed beer month with a few days in Hendersonville and Asheville, NC and then a week in Greenville, SC—check out my Greenville beer and travel guide here. I tried 198 different beers in March, a lot of which were consumed while watching March Madness, at Altered States festival from The Eighth State Brewing Company (check out my recap here) and at bottle shares.

In no particular order here are the best beers I had in March:

JFK2LAX: SFO Layover collaboration brew from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

This is a Triple IPA with Citra, Simcoe and Motueka hops. I am a huge fan of the JFK2LAX series and this edition was a delight! I rated this a 4.75 on Untappd because it was so ridiculously good.

Damage: Batch 100 from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This is a multi-oat/wheat Triple IPA from one of the best IPA breweries in the country. Root + Branch crushed this brew and I am very happy to have one more can of it in my fridge. It is extremely smooth and flavorful.

The Morbid Comfort of a Welcome Regression from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

The Morbid Comfort of a Welcome Regression is a Triple Dry Hopped Triple IPA with Simcoe, Vic Secret and Eclipse hops. Anytime Burial drops a new Triple IPA I am excited but this one was superb. It has that classic Burial hint of sweetness without being overly boozy.

Triple Vegan from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY

Triple Vegan is a Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy and Nelson hops. As you may know, it is the triple version of their iconic brew The Vegan. Coincidentally I just had the original brew, The Vegan, yesterday and it pales in comparison to Triple Vegan. This is rich in flavor and incredibly easy to drink.

Hyperbolic from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC

Hyperbolic is an Apple Brandy Barrel Aged Imperial Stout aged 1 year and 11 months in a Laird's Apple Barrel with toasted coconut, cassia bark, and Madagascar vanilla. It was tough for me to choose just one Eighth State Stout to include on this month’s top beers list, but Hyperbolic soared above the rest. Apple Brandy Barrels are always my favorite! I enjoyed this at their Altered States festival.

Fostering Divine Culture collaboration brew from Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC and Divine Barrel Brewing in Charlotte, NC

Fostering Divine Culture is an Imperial Stout aged in Laird’s Applejack barrels for 22 months then conditioned on rum barrel chips, wild Thai banana, toasted coconut, and vanilla. This was brewed in celebration of Divine Barrel’s 5th Anniversary. I enjoyed it at Community Tap in Greenville and I snagged a bottle at Resident Culture’s taproom once it dropped!

One Thousand Years from The Veil Brewing Company in Richmond, VA

From The Veil: “One Thousand Years was the 1000th batch of beer ever brewed at The Veil back in early 2019. The recipe is an amped-up recipe inspired equally by Pallbearer, Circle of Wolves, Sleeping Forever, and one of our favorite Imperial Stout collaborations. It spent 12 months in Laird's Apple Brandy barrels and then another 12 months in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels.” In my eyes this is basically a cuvee of The Veil’s best brews and it was absolutely phenomenal!

Sequence Collaboration Brew from Homage Brewing in Pomona, CA and Highland Park Brewery in Los Angeles, CA

Sequence is a barrel aged Saison with spent Matsumoto peaches, spent nectarines and Osmanthus flower. Eighth State was pouring this at one of their events before the festival. Sequence is refreshing, flavorful and unique.

February 2023

February flew by in a breeze but I somehow tried 152 different beers in this quick month. Bottle shares and beer flights always mean getting to try a wider variety of beers which I love! This list of beers has the best of the best that I had over the past 4 weeks which I rated a 4.5 or above on Untappd.

This month included a trip to Savannah and the Jacksonville Beach, Florida area to hang at the beach and explore the local brew scene as well as the local beer fest Queen City Brewers Festival, a bottle share, a Superbowl share, many visits to local breweries and lots of great beers at home in between.

In no particular order, here are the best beers I had in February 2023:

Even More Daily Servings from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA and Evil Twin Brewing in New York, NY

Even More Daily Servings is a Fruited Sour with raspberries and marshmallow. This is an amped up version of Twice the Daily Serving which is already my favorite Sour, so add more fruit and marshmallow and it can only get better! Another superb collaboration from Trillium and Evil Twin.

Paulus from Schilling Beer Company in Littleton, NH

Paulus is a Helles Lager with Noble hops. Schilling crushes the Lager game and I am so excited to be seeing more of their beers around North Carolina. I enjoyed this at Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte, in a big ole dimple mug as it should be done.

Medium Raw from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Medium Raw is a multi-oat/wheat Triple IPA with Citra and Freestyle Motueka hops. This was a fantastic brew from Root and Branch. Especially for it being a Triple IPA this was way too easy to drink and I wish I had more cans of it!

Searching For The Proof That We’ve Truly Lived from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC and Forgotten Road Ales in Graham, NC

This is a wine barrel aged Farmhouse Saison with pairs, honey and locally grown Green Szechuan. It is pictured right in the photo above. These two breweries tend to be a little quieter in the North Carolina brew scene but are always cranking out delicious beers! This was a very interesting collaboration with superb flavor.

Flora (Batch 10) from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

Flora is the wine barrel aged version of Florence, a wheat Farmstead Ale. This was barrel aged for over two years. Hill Farmstead continues to crush this style of beer.

Double Barrel Coconut Fionn from Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, FL

Double Barrel Coconut Fionn is a rum and bourbon barrel aged Imperial Porter with hazelnut coffee and coconut. While in Florida a dark beer from Angry Chair is always a must. I enjoyed this one at 9 Zero Pour in Jacksonville, FL. The rich notes of coconut were fantastic!

Infiltrator from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Infiltrator is a multi-oat/wheat IPA brewed and dry hopped with New Zealand grown hops from Freestyle Hops. Normally it is difficult for a single IPA to be overly impressive when you can pack so much more flavor into a Double or Triple IPA, but Infiltrator is a top-notch beer. I’ve had this beer in the past and am always impressed by just how incredible it is!

Genealogy of Morals: Buena Vista Organic from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT

From Hill Farmstead: “We have chosen three barrels as the base for this single country origin coffee and cacao nib variation. After aging more than 26 months in select bourbon barrels, we conditioned the beer atop organic Buena Vista beans from Caranavi, Bolivia, sourced and roasted by our friends at The Coffee Collective in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as organic Bolivian cacao nibs.”

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

January 2023

Some people do dry January. This year I did what I would refer to as an underwater January. There were a lot of beers consumed between my birthday, Mosaic’s Puppy Pawty, bottle shares and more. This was the first month that I did not take a trip since the depths of Covid, so there was less brewery hopping but more high quality beers consumed.

This was also my first ever month of using Untappd so I now have super accurate data around my top beers which is really nice. I checked in 131 beers in January (!) and you can follow me on Untappd here.

Here were my top beers in January, in no particular order:

Kyle’s Axe collaboration brew from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY and Horus Aged Ales in Oceanside, CA

Kyle’s Axe is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Nelson and Peacharine hops. It comes in at 8% and is absolutely superb. This is potentially the best IPA I have ever had in my life. I had this brew twice and loved it both times.

The Bones of the Things Around Us collaboration brew from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY and Troon Brewing in Hopewell, NJ + Triple Jasper + Triple Jasper with Nelson from Fidens Brewing

3 juice bombs from the fine folks at Fidens! The Bones of the Things Around Us is a Double IPA with with Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Triple Jasper is a Triple IPA with Citra hops. Triple Jasper with Nelson is a Triple IPA with Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops. These were all insanely delicious beers that I was lucky enough to try a couple of times and loved! Fidens has been absolutely crushing the game lately.

Beer: Barrel: Time (Rye 2022) from Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, MO

BBT Baby! I’ve had BBT once before but the rye version was new to me and exciting to get to try. This is one of the most hyped Stouts in the world so it is always a real treat to get to taste! From Side Project: “We finalized a blend which consisted of 2 different recipes, brewed 3 different times and then finished in 3 different barrels for 18 to 42 months. The younger portion represents threads which were brewed right around the 2020 release in plan to become part of this 2022 blend. The much older threads consist of the exact same brew/barrels from the 2020 release, barrels which we held back and allowed an extended aging. The result of this layering focuses this blend more in line with how we blend our BBT releases, with a showcase of our production over time, layering in age and youth in a way that can only come from time spent in a barrel. Derivation Blend #3 recipe aged in Willett 5 year Rye Barrels since 7/23/18; Vibes recipe aged in Willett 4 year Rye Barrels since 7/2/20; Vibes recipe aged in StilL630 Rye Barrels since 7/28/20.”

Double Dry Hopped Ghost, Holy Ghost and Infinite Ghost from Parish Brewing in Broussard, LA

Double Dry Hopped Ghost in the Machine is an Imperial IPA with Citra hops. Holy Ghost is a Triple IPA dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy and Citra Cryo. Infinite Ghost is an Imperial IPA with hand-selected Yakima Valley Citra hops and Citra Terpenes. The Anniversary Ghost releases are always superb! This year I had each can individually and then also did a blind side by side with my second can of each. My ranking blind was Infinite-Holy-DDH.

100 Triple Dry Hopped with Citra from Burley Oak Brewing in Berlin, MD

This is an all Citra Triple Dry Hopped Imperial IPA. The 100 series from Burley Oak focuses on a single hop at a time and this brew was fantastic. Citra is always a favorite but this was dangerously easy to drink.

The 12° from Lesser-Known Beer Company in Winston-Salem, NC

The 12° is a Czech inspired Pale Lager from the fine folks at Lesser-Known. Their Lagers are fantastic and I highly recommend a visit if you have not checked them out yet. Check out my Winston-Salem beer guide here.

‘22 Three Year Blend from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC

This is an Appalachian Gueuze-inspired three year blend of spontaneously fermented ales from the winters of 2018, 2019 and 2020. This is my favorite beer I have ever had from Fonta Flora. There are still some bottles floating around out there so be sure to snag one while you can!

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

Winston-Salem Beer Guide

Winston-Salem, North Carolina is a small city an hour north of Charlotte with college-town vibes and a thriving brewery scene. I did the excruciating work of visiting every brewery in town (most spots multiple times) in order to learn more about the Winston-Salem beer scene.

Lesser-Known Beer Co.

Lesser-Known is the newest brewery in Winston-Salem and already the best brewery in town. They focus on underrepresented beer styles, the majority of which are Lagers. Lesser-Known is just south of downtown and has a nice patio space as well as a small indoor taproom. They have a small food menu when they don’t have a food truck onsite. They are quickly gaining notoriety and should not be missed. Inside their taproom The Walk In has guest taps and guest bottles as well.

Incendiary Brewing Company

Incendiary makes great beers in a variety of different styles. Their IPAs in particular are fantastic. They are located at Bailey Power Plant with a huge shared patio space and Cugino Forno Pizzeria is next door with delicious ‘za to accompany your beers. Incendiary also has a second location in Lewisville.

Radar Brewing Company

Radar makes unique and delicious beers. They have a small taproom and a nice patio space. Radar and Wise Man are just a block away from each other north of downtown Winston-Salem.

Hoots Beer Co. & Hoots Satellite 

Hoots has two locations in Winston-Salem: The original taproom and their satellite taproom in the heart of downtown. The original taproom has a nice outdoor patio, pinball and chill vibes. Hoots Satellite is a smaller space with a covered patio and a small tap list. If you only have time to hit one, go to the original for the authentic vibes and more beers available.

Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company

Fiddlin’ Fish is in downtown Winston-Salem with a wide variety of beers. They have a pretty large taproom and a nice patio as well. They offer specials during the week and have solid beers all around.

Foothills Brewpub

Foothills has a restaurant-style set-up with solid beers and delicious food. They make a wide variety of beers but specialize in Stouts. They are located right on the edge of downtown Winston-Salem with patio seating and spacious taproom.

Wise Man Brewing

Wise Man has a very large tap list and makes a wide variety of beers. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and frequent events. They are located just north of the city in the Industry Hill neighborhood.

Photo courtesy of Joymongers as I failed to take any pictures here somehow

Joymongers Barrel Hall

This is the Winston-Salem location for Greensboro-based Joymongers Brewing. They are located in the West End neighborhood and have warehouse-style vibes and a small patio. Their Barrel Aged beers are brewed at this location and what they are best known for.

Small Batch Beer Co.

Small Batch feels more like a dive bar than a brewery and is located right downtown. The small tap list has average beers but they also have wine, cider and cocktails. They have a food menu as well if you are hungry.