by Tom Bastek
Last updated: 5:00 AM ET, Wed December 10, 2014
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
So we are coming up on the New Year and that means resolutions. Some of us are very big fans of craft beer and we have decided that we are going to get to some of the best places to drink craft beer (ok, maybe that is just me).
Whether you are a hard core craft beer aficionado or a baby beer geek in the making, there are more than just a few places that should be on your beer bucket list. Here are my top five:
Stone Brewing Co. - Escondido, California
Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, Stone Brewing Co. outgrew its space and in 2006 built on a huge compound in Escondido. In addition to the brewery they have the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, a restaurant and beer garden that is one of the most beautiful areas to kick back and have a beer. The food is all organic, they participate in Meatless Mondays, and have enough solar panels on their roof to cut their electric bill by 30 percent. They also own a farm where they grow hops and other food for the restaurant. Oh, and the beer is awsome.
Dogfish Head Brewery - Milton, Delaware
Sam Calagion founded the Dogfish Head Brewery in 1995. They are known as much for their IPAs as well as their incredible growth rate where from 2003-2006 when the brewery grew over 400 percent. The brewery and its founder have been the subject of two documentary series. They also run a microdistillery where they make spirits that are only available in Delaware and a few other states. If you are there, make sure to stop by Bunyan's Lunchbox and get yourself a Dogfish Head brat to soak up some of that alcohol.
Boston Beer Co. - Boston, Mass.
Formed in 1994, Samuel Adams is one of the mainstay craft beers aroung the country. Found on almost every chain restaurant menu in America, it is a lot of times the only craft beer choice for a beer geek. The brewery in Boston is open six days a week for tours and tastings and sell a constantly rotating growler section in the gift shop. If you want a really cool tour here, look for the Morning Mash-in Tour at 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday where they give you a little more behind the scenes and a special tasting as well.
Sierra Nevada - Chico, California
If you started drinking pale ales 10-15 years ago, there wasn't a lot of choice. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was pretty much the original West Coast IPA. Founded in 1979, the brewery has grown into the second biggest selling craft beer in the country. Onsite they have the brewery where they offer tours, the taproom offering food and beer, The Big Room which is their music venue and in Berkeley, The Torpedo Room, a tasting and growler bar worth the trip. If you find yourself at the taproom for dinner, go for the pale ale bbq ribs or the Sierra Nevada Sausage: a trio of sausages with porter caramelized onions and pale ale sauerkraut.
Writer's Choice: Wynkoop Brewing Company - Denver, Colorado
Alright, so technically its a brewpub and totally my choice, Wynkoop Brewing Company has been brewing up a whole pile of great beer, good food and awesome mustard since 1988. Tours take place at 3 and 4 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday and are complimentary. If you should want to add on to the tour, they have everything from tasters, take home packs and brewery made soap to pump up the price and the fun of the stroll around the brewery.
The menu here is very well prepared and the beer cheese dip is out of sight. Get two things here: Their 50/50 burger with half bacon, half beef, sunny side egg, garlic spinach, crispy onion, sherry vinegar mayo and top it off with a Patty's Chile Beer, a golden ale fermented with Anaheim and Ancho peppers.
So there ya go, five places to get your pilgrimage on in the USA. I know there are a ton more, but you have to tell me about them in the comments below. Cheers!
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