Beers Worthy of a Destination

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Hey Geezer, for somebody that doesn't like beer you have the most number of posts so far. How does that work??
It's because the beers I recommended are so good that they each deserve their own post.
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I also like Dogfish Head IPA when I can get it.

 
Dragonmeade in Warren, Michigan. Located in an industrial park on the I-696 service drive near Detroit. Dragonmeade predates the fashionable microbrewery trend. Patrons can choose from among 30 to 40 brews. Simple snack food available, but people can bring in carry-out orders. My personal favorite is called something like "Under the Kilt Wee Heavy" a Scottish Ale that will knock your socks off. (Sorry, but I don't know how to add a link to their website.)

There are many other brew pubs and microbreweries in metro Detroit, but Dragonmeade is the one worth a trip.

 
Dragonmeade in Warren, Michigan. Located in an industrial park on the I-696 service drive near Detroit. Dragonmeade predates the fashionable microbrewery trend. Patrons can choose from among 30 to 40 brews. Simple snack food available, but people can bring in carry-out orders. My personal favorite is called something like "Under the Kilt Wee Heavy" a Scottish Ale that will knock your socks off. (Sorry, but I don't know how to add a link to their website.)
There are many other brew pubs and microbreweries in metro Detroit, but Dragonmeade is the one worth a trip.
https://www.dragonmead.com

It's that easy.

 
Sorry Pieman but you lose points for a 12 oz glass. Real beer drinkers all know that a true pint is 20 oz. Then again you limp wristed pansies on the left coast probably couldn't hoist a true pint of draught.Check out this display of beer & pretzels from somebody that never gets to go anywhere.....

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Now those steins are manly sized!!! If you can't go for a swim in your glass it's not big enough.
Good luck drinking 20 oz of this:

https://russianriverbrewing.com/brews/consecration/

 
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Russian River does good work. As do many others. That's why the best beer to drink is almost always the one made the most close rest to where you is. It also means you need to get off your sorry fat *** and go get closerer to where they is maden.

Sam Adams makes good enougnbeer, for what they are. And that is not craft beers. Cranberry Lambic being the obvious exception. Not because it was a Lambic, but rather because they claimed it was, but it wasn't, and it pretty much sucked at what they were attempting. If it were a good Lambic, you all would still hate it.

Beer destination? Allagash Brewery, Portland ME has the best beers being made in the US in my opinions. Not that the average beer drinker would appreciate them. They brew in the Belgian style, which is to say - not to American tastes.

And my recco means a lot since my son, who is a professional brewer, does not brew for them (yet)

 
Russian River does good work. As do many others. That's why the best beer to drink is almost always the one made the most close rest to where you is. It also means you need to get off your sorry fat *** and go get closerer to where they is maden. Sam Adams makes good enougnbeer, for what they are. And that is not craft beers. Cranberry Lambic being the obvious exception. Not because it was a Lambic, but rather because they claimed it was, but it wasn't, and it pretty much sucked at what they were attempting. If it were a good Lambic, you all would still hate it. Beer destination? Allagash Brewery, Portland ME has the best beers being made in the US in my opinions. Not that the average beer drinker would appreciate them. They brew in the Belgian style, which is to say - not to American tastes. And my recco means a lot since my son, who is a professional brewer, does not brew for them (yet)
Allegash's belgian stout is an incredibly good beer!

While I agree with you that the Cranberry Lambic is a joke, Sam Adam's has put out some very tasty brews recently, particularly the oak-aged series. I also recall enjoying their doppelbock years ago ... but the triple-bock was gross.

While SA is too big to be considered a microbrew, they are still a craft-brew. I believe Sam Adams is currently the biggest American-owned brewery at the moment (in terms of output).

Last night I managed to find both Rodenback Grand Cru and a St Fuellian Speciale on tap at the Pig and Fiddle at 50th and France (Minneapolis). They are celebrating a Belgian Indepence week with good brews and menu items to suit (steamed mussels, pommes frites, etc). Not as good as I had in Brussels or Bruges, but heck of a lot cheaper than a flight to Belgium!

 
If you want weird beers, you can always go with Rogue out of Portland, OR.

Chipotle Ale, Bacon Maple Ale or Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale would be among the odder ones.

 
If you want weird beers, you can always go with Rogue out of Portland, OR.
Chipotle Ale, Bacon Maple Ale or Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale would be among the odder ones.
I've spent quite a few nights at their brewpub in Portland, and one or two in Newport. Old Crustacean is my favorite; my wife prefers the Chocolate Stout mixed with Hazelnut Nectar. The Chipotle Ale really does have a great flavor, but the 'heat' varies (or my palate does ..!) so I enjoy that in smaller amounts .. but Bacon Maple Ale or Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale must be new on the lineup.

Rogue reminds me of a homebrewer with access to an industrial system, and those bacon and chocolate and peanut butter etc. brews underscore that. Those are all difficult to brew with, due to the amounts of oils involved (they kill head retention and can introduce rancid diacetyl notes). A few have figured it out ... I don't recall the specifics.

When the national homebrew competition came to Minneapolis in ... 2010 I think ... some guy put a raccoon ***** in each bottle. Yech.

 
Cigar City, Tampa, Florida. Some of the best beer anywhere! Jai Alai is a must!

 
Good that this thread was dug up in time for some new destination planning.

Here's another great beer destination for those with a discerning palate on the right coast:

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY is arguably the best brewer of Belgian style beers in North America. I enjoy most of the Belgians when I can get them, but it is nigh impossible to get any fresh. Ommegang fills that need nicely.

The facility is surprisingly small considering their widespread distribution, and the grounds are nice. It's a good tour to take, and you can score a few 750's to take back to the hotel room for sampling later.

You could make a nice multi-day Belgian style brewery trip by stopping in Coopestown for Ommegang (and the touristy BaseBall Hall of Fame if that is your thing) and then head up to Portland, Maine to hit the Allagash Brewery.

 
Good that this thread was dug up in time for some new destination planning.

Here's another great beer destination for those with a discerning palate on the right coast:

Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY is arguably the best brewer of Belgian style beers in North America. I enjoy most of the Belgians when I can get them, but it is nigh impossible to get any fresh. Ommegang fills that need nicely.

The facility is surprisingly small considering their widespread distribution, and the grounds are nice. It's a good tour to take, and you can score a few 750's to take back to the hotel room for sampling later.

You could make a nice multi-day Belgian style brewery trip by stopping in Coopestown for Ommegang (and the touristy BaseBall Hall of Fame if that is your thing) and then head up to Portland, Maine to hit the Allagash Brewery.
Been there. The tour is fun. My wife likes Ommegang and there is usually a bottle or two in the 'fridge at home. I am not fond of Belgian style beers and especially don't like the added spices. Ommegang is fond of using star anise, among other things.

If you go, there is also https://www.cooperstownbrewing.com/home.html in the neighborhood.

 
True dat, Belgian (style) beers are not everyone's cup of tea. I love me a good soured beer (Rodenback Red or Gran Cru are favorites) but many folks would have nothing to do with intentionally infected beers.

For a more conventionally flavored local beer, fellow forum NERD FJReady turned us on to Green Head IPA by Newburyport Brewing Co. (in Newburyport, MA, natch'). Green Head is one of the freshest hop flavored IPAs I've tasted in recent times. Not over the top bittering like a lot of the trendy big IPAs (Dogfishead, etc.), just lots and lots of excellent hop flavor. Try one if you can find it (might only be distributed in Mass), or give them a visit.

 
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The North Coast Brewing Co in Ft. Bragg, CA is a great place. Access to Hwy 1 and all the epic roads you've seen posted here so often including CA-36, 299 and Skaggs Springs.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout is a winner.

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The North Coast Brewing Co in Ft. Bragg, CA is a great place. Access to Hwy 1 and all the epic roads you've seen posted here so often including CA-36, 299 and Skaggs Springs.
I thikn pretty much all northern cali (i.e. Napa and north) is a great motorcycling + beer destination. In addition to the previously mentioned North Coast Brewing and Russian Rivers, there's Lost Coast, Mad River, Six Rivers (Eureka), Eel River (Fortuna), Caldera (Ashland, OR), Dowtown Joe's (Napa) etc ... a quick look at pubquest.com shows many.

What I have done 5-6 times now is stay at the RIverwalk RV park in Fortuna which has super easy access to hwy 36, and walking distance to the Eel River brewpub. I make this a base for 2-3 nights and ride loops in the area.

Ok dang I gotta get planning on another trip out west!

 
If you find yourself in SLC I would point you to two different places...

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Found at Squatters pubs and beers, they usually also have some really good seasonal stuff on tap.

And also this little place that has a couple of beers on tap - 'the Bayou'. It currently has 312 different bottled beers in stock and 29 draft beers on tap, so I am sure you could find something you like.

 
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