March and April 2026

March and April included visits to Asheville, Durham for the Rare and Vintage Beer Tasting, Atlanta for the Little Beer Festival, a quick stop in Greenville, a fun weekend at Wild Hartsville, a couple of bottle shares, and a lot of time in Charlotte supporting local! I visited STIR, Plot Twist, STK, Frenchy’s, Yume, Petty Thieves, Burial x 4, Que Onda, Margeux’s, Kit’s, Edge City, Vaulted Oak, The Craic, HopFly, ESO, Fonta Flora, State of Confusion, Printshop, Salud, and Keepsake over the past two months.

During all of this I tried 181 beers in March and April, and in no particular order, here were the best:

Fairy Ring + Excelsior + Colossal Something from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

Three Hazy powerhouses from the fine folks at Fidens! Fairy Ring is an Imperial IPA, Excelsior is a Double IPA triple dry-hopped with Nelson, Peacharine, Riwaka, Nectaron, Motueka Hop Kief, and Rakau Hop Kief. Colossal Something is a Quadruple Dry-Hopped Quadruple IPA brewed with Citra, Waimea, Superdelic, Nelson, Rakau and Riwaka hops.

Luxe from Two Tides Brewing in Savannah, GA

Two Tides came into town for Burial’s Primavera Celebration and graced us with this delicious Imperial Stout during the off-topic panel conversation. It was aged 32 months in 12 year Willet Family Estate PurpleTop bourbon barrels and has roasted pecans, caramel, chocolate and sea salt. Banger!

The Real of Absolute Nothingness from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC + The Fabrication of a Most Diabolical Empire collaboration brew with Xul Brewing in Knoxville, TN

The Realm of Absolute Nothingness is an Imperial Stout aged on select French Broad Chocolate cocoa nibs, Madagascar vanilla beans, and macaroon coconut. The Fabrication of a Most Diabolical Empire is an Imperial IPA mashed with oats and wheat, double dry-hopped with Coleman Farms' Citra, Galaxy, Nectaron, and Rakau, and finished with Citra Cryo & Hyperboost. This Xul collab was also thanks to their Primavera celebration and one of my favorite IPAs I have had in a hot minute.

No Sleep + A Deal With The Devil Triple Oaked Batch 11 from Anchorage Brewing in Anchorage, AK

Anchorage! Always blessed when a month includes a pour of their insanely great beers! No Sleep is a blend of several vintages of double oaked Barleywine and Imperial Stouts aged in a variety of bourbon barrels then fnished in Klatch coffee, Vermont maple syrup and Madagascar vanilla beans. This version of A Deal With The Devil is a triple oaked Barleywine aged 25 months in a mix of Willett, Woodford reserve double oaked bourbon barrels, and cognac barrels.

EBK Until They Kill Me Ghost Edition + Ghost Dead and Gone from Adroit Theory in Purcellville, VA

Adroit Theory is quietly crushing it up in the DC metro area. I loved my visit there a couple of summers ago, and was thrilled to see them on the list at Wild Hartsville. They had several great beers that day, but my two favorites were EBK Until They Kill Me Ghost Edition, a special version of their flagship IPA that is double dry-hopped with Citra, Riwaka, Nelson Sauvin, and Motueka hops and Ghost Dead and Gone, a Triple IPA double dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic.

GSO Barrel Select 2025 + Ammo Can: Nahvi Bravo from Forgotten Road Ales in Graham, NC

I had the pleasure of attending two festivals in a month that Ben from Forgotten Road was pouring at, so of course there were some stellar Stouts. My two favorites were GSO Barrel Select 2025 which is an Imperial Stout aged in Cognac barrels that aged 14 year bourbon. This was a special release for their Greensboro Taproom's 3rd anniversary. I still need to make it to this taproom! I also loved Ammo Can: Nahvi Bravo, an Imperial Stout aged for 15 months in a 8 year 1792 Sweet Wheat Bourbon Barrel with banana, vanilla and cinnamon.

Coconut Crab from The Answer in Richmond, VA

Coconut Crab is an Imperial Stout with toasted coconut that was one of the VIP pours at Wild Hartsville. So, so good.

Schwemme from Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton, NH

Schwemme was my favorite pour at Little Beer! It is a low ABV sessionable take on the pale German lager tradition. Thankfully I just snagged a can of this locally so I can enjoy it again!

Fusion Chamber: Coconut 2026 from Little Cottage Brewery in Avondale Estates, GA

I was really excited to finally visit Little Cottage and loved this Imperial Stout with coconut. Have you heard I like coconut Stouts? lollllll

For LC from Side Project Brewing in St. Louis, MO + For MD Blend 2 collaboration brew with WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley, CO

Dark beers from Side Project would easily be on my marry list of FMK. LOVE them so much and so thankful that my friend now visits there for work and can get the hook up. For LC is a Double Barrel-aged Imperial Stout with Mexican vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, cinnamon sticks and ancho chilis aged in Blanton's and Weller 12 barrels, then blended and aged a second time on Willett Rye and Artifact Honey Bourbon Barrels, with more vanilla added. MD Blend 2 blends the techniques of each brewery’s most recognizable Stout: Medianoche and Derivation. It is an Imperial Stout aged in 15-year-old Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond bourbon barrels and seven-year-old Weller bourbon barrels with Madagascar vanilla beans and dark, robust maple syrup added.

Yodel: Rakau from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT + Jasper collaboration brew with Fidens

Freak Folk never misses! Yodel: Rakau is the seventh installment in their Yodel single hop series. Jasper is a fun take on this Fidens classic brewed with Citra hops. Can’t wait to get back up there in July!

From The Pinnacle + Populus from Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR + Green Warlocks collaboration brew with Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

From the Pinnacle is a triple dry-hopped Triple Hazy IPA. Populus is a double dry hopped Hazy IPA with Nelson, Citra and Mosaic. Green Warlocks is an Imperial IPA brewed by OH. This is the most Brujos I have had in while and it was a good reminder of how fantastic they are!

Undertone: French Butter Pear from Casey Brewing and Blending in Glenwood Springs, CO

Love a good excuse to open a Casey bottle! This is an oat Farmhouse Ale aged with organic French Butter Pears. I will continue to die on the hill that pear Farmhouse Ales are underrated.

Works of Love: Keeping Together collaboration brew from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT and Keeping Together Beer in Santa Fe, NM

I am very excited to visit Averie’s new taproom (hopefully in 2027!) and really enjoyed this collab she did with Hill. This is a Farmhouse Ale with Vermont wildflower honey that was open-fermented in a wooden foudre and bottle aged.

Barrel Aged Sky Summoner collaboration brew from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA and Horus Aged Ales in Oceanside, CA

I need a visit to Richmond to restock my Veil bottle supply soon! This was a great pour at Rare and Vintage that is the barrel aged version of this collab that was a blend of each brewery’s house Stout conditioned on Wild Thai banana, toasted coconut, and whole vanilla beans from Uganda, Tahiti, and The Congo. It was then aged on Blis Maple Bourbon, Laird’s Apple Brandy, and Willett Family Reserve barrels for 16 months. It is not an overly sweet Stout like it might read, the barrels balance everything out nicely and create a fantastic brew.

Hypnagogic collaboration brew from Phase Three Brewing in Lake Zurich, IL + Mortalis Brewing in Avon, NY

This Imperial Stout was aged for over two years in Heaven Hill and Henry McKenna barrels then conditioned on raw and toasted coconut, wild Thai bananas, and Saigon cinnamon. I am always delighted to try anything from Phase Three and this was stellar!

The Surrealist Society 2025 No. 11 from Dssolvr in Asheville, NC

Barrel aged Imperial Stout aged for two years in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels, then aged secondary on toasted pecans, cinnamon, cooperative coffee dark roast, and maple syrup. This was my first pour at Rare and Vintage and the perfect breakfast-style Stout to start the day! Would love to try some others from this series!

Loggin’ collaboration brew from Cellarest Brewing in Asheville, NC and Whaley Farm Brewery in Old Fort, NC

Loggin’ is a Czech Pilsner aged in oak puncheons. I had this both on tap at the brewery and at home in a can and loved it both times. Perfectly crushable yet still full of flavor!

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

Denver, Colorado

Denver is an amazing city full of fantastic breweries, delicious eats, amazing hotels, and unique things to do!

Denver Tips: 

• Be aware of the altitude! It's real! Stay hydrated and take things slow to avoid feeling sick, especially when you first arrive

• If you are leaving the city back-ups on I-70 can be insane—so be sure to allow for extra time. My recommendations for Rocky Mountain National Park, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Frisco, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Greeley can be found at the link below:

Denver Top Recommendations:

• Cohesion Brewing Company: A great brewery focused on Lagers. They have a cozy taproom in an industrial area north of RiNo. They have 5 taps and some guest beers, usually one of which is from Primitive and worth trying!

• Cerebral Brewing: This is a great brewery with 3 locations around Denver: Congress Park, Aurora Arts, and West Highland. Their Stouts and IPAs are what they do best in my opinion.

• Finn’s Manor: A great beer and cocktail bar in the heart of RiNo. They have a great tap list, chill vibes, and a killer patio space.

• New Image Brewing: New Image has two taprooms in the Denver suburbs: Arvada and Wheat Ridge. This is a top-notch brewery that I highly recommend. At Wheat Ridge their onsite food truck Social Dough Pizza is ridiculously good as well!

• The River North (RiNo) neighborhood is full of art and breweries, what more do you need? 

  • Bierstadt Lagerhaus: This is the Mecca of Lager beers. Get a Slow Pour Pils and Giant Ass Pretzel and don’t look back

  • Our Mutual Friend Brewing: Lots of fantastic IPAs in particular. They also have rotating food trucks and an outside patio

  • Ratio Beerworks: Fantastic outdoor space with cornhole and a patio. They have a wide variety of beers and it’s an overall fun & funky spot

  • Odell Brewing: Another solid option in the RiNo neighborhood with a variety of beers

  • Central Market is a great food hall in the heart of the RiNo neighborhood

• Stay at The Maven Hotel: This incredible hotel is located at the Dairy Block in downtown Denver right across from Coors Field. The rooms and balcony views are fantastic, and the unique setup of this area takes things to the next level! There are a ton of shops, restaurants and bars all housed within this block. My favorites:

  • Westbound & Down: A great brewery right behind the hotel

  • Kachina Restaurant: Delicious Mexican eats in the hotel lobby

  • Seven Grand: A cool whiskey bar that partners with the hotel for a very informative tasting 

  • Huckleberry Roasters: A cute coffee shop in the lobby—they also have a couple other locations around town as well.

  • The Dairy Block Food Hall has a ton of options right in the lobby as well!

• Milieu Fermentation: A great brewery with a large tap list in Aurora. Definitely recommend!

• Rosenberg Bagels: Incredible spot for bagels, highly recommend!

• Voodoo Donuts: Creative and crazy donuts that are incredibly delicious!

• Knotted Root Brewing Company: A solid brewery with locations in Nederland and Denver. Their beers used to be extremely good and have become a little more average with time and expansion, but it is still worth checking out. Pro-tip if you are heading to the Brainard Lake Recreation Area for a hike or to hang at the lake the Nederland taproom is right down the road.

• Check out Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater: The amphitheater is touristy but worth checking out! They do concerts, yoga, and numerous activities in this space. Catching a concert here is amazing!

  • I would definitely recommend hiking in the park if you’re not visiting for a concert. I did a 4.3 mile trail that had diverse landscape and wasn’t too challenging.

  • Fairfield Inn Lakewood is a perfectly average hotel stay near Red Rocks

• Novel Strand Brewing Company: A solid brewery and coffee shop in South Denver. Great neighborhood-y vibes.

• Denver Biscuit Company: A phenomenal, albeit touristy, spot for breakfast! The biscuits are massive, flaky, soft, and amazing.

• Monolith Brewing: A solid brewery in a beautiful space with games, snacks, and a brewery dog!

• Middle State Coffee: This coffee shop has several locations in the Denver area and is great! The Highlands neighborhood spot is cute.

• Wanderment Brewing: A solid brewery with a good variety of styles. Their focus is on Saisons which I found to be tasty, but did not love their IPA.

• Explore the Littleton neighborhood: This is a cute little downtown area perfect for bopping around. My two favorite spots:

  • Jake’s Brew Bar: An awesome beer bar and beer garden with a stellar beer list. Highly recommend!

  • Cencalli Taqueria: A tasty spot for Mexican eats.

Balcony view from The Maven Hotel

Great Hikes Near Denver:

• Mount Flora Trail: This trail is 6.3 miles long with 1,788ft of elevation gain and takes about 3.5 hours to complete. There are nice views throughout the trail, and you can also add on different segments to make the trail longer if you’d like. It is a 13er with a very exposed trail so expect quite a bit of wind at times. Mount Flora is in the Arapaho National Forest and just one hour from Denver so it is a popular trail.

• Lake Isabelle via Pawnee Pass Trail: This trail is 6.6 miles long with 672ft of elevation gain and takes a little over two hours to complete. It is pretty with three lakes: Brainard, Long, and Isabelle with mountain views throughout. The trail is mostly flat aside from one section at the end. You will need to reserve parking ahead of time for the Brainard Lake Recreation Area.

• Herman Gulch Trail: This trail is 6.5 miles long with 1,755ft of elevation gain and takes about 3.5 hours to complete. It leads out to a chill lake and is a nice trail overall. It is in the Arapaho National Forest just an hour from Denver and right off I-70 so it is very popular.

See the rest of my Colorado recommendations here—there are great hikes all over the state!

Mount Flora Summit

Other Denver Ideas:

• Crooked Stave: Their Denver taproom is small but they still have a variety of beers to choose from and a huge bottle selection.

• Check out the famous giant blue bear at the Convention Center!

• Bardo Coffeehouse: A great coffee spot option with three locations across the area.

• Hyatt Regency Aurora Denver Conference Center: This is quite a nice stay close to several breweries in Aurora and not far from the airport.

• Spangalang Brewery: A microbrewery in the Five Points neighborhood with yummy beers and a patio.

• Wynkoop Brewing: More of a brewpub, Wynkoop is a hot spot for lunch during the work week, being located right downtown. 

• Check out a bottle shop! Argonaut Wine & Liquor is a great option.

• Illegal Pete’s: A great spot for burritos, nachos, and tacos!

• Reverence Brewing: An average brewery with quintessential “neighborhood brewery” vibes.

• Skip: The Hampton Inn Downtown. The rooms were incredibly hot, the elevators broken, and overall it was not impressive.

• Skip: Great Divide Brewing: Mediocre brewery with rude staff would not recommend.

Grand Teton National Park

The Tetons are one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been to! I absolutely loved my trip exploring this part of the country and I highly, highly recommend it!

General things to know:

• Grand Teton National Park is quite small, and the town of Jackson, Wyoming sits right at the park entrance.

• There are a lot of restaurants and lodging options inside the park, which is not always the case and a nice perk here.

• Combine your Teton adventures with a trip to Yellowstone—the park signs are literally only 10 minutes apart! + if you are debating between the two, Tetons > Yellowstone.

Grand Teton National Park Recommendations:

• Catch sunrise at Schwabacher Landing: This is a stunning sight if you’re lucky on a clear day. Expect a crowd, but it is amazing.

  • Oxbow Bend is another popular sunrise spot that is very pretty!

• Cascade Canyon Trail & Solitude Lake Trail: This is a long trail at 14.3 miles with 2,362ft of elevation and takes about 6.5 hours to complete. Most folks do not head out to Solitude lake and just explore the Cascade Canyon area. Cascade Canyon is home to Hidden Falls, a nice large waterfall, and Inspiration Point, a nice overlook. You’ll see these spots on the trail either choice you make. Solitude Lake is beautiful and super clear. I was also lucky enough to encounter a lot of wildlife in this section of the trail with 5 different Moose and a baby bear on the trail. Even if you don’t want to hike, you should still stop by Jenny Lake to soak in the views!  

  • You’ll start by taking a shuttle across Jenny Lake (or add to your distance by hiking around the side of the lake). For the shuttle it is $20 cash, there are no reservations, and boats run every 10-15 minutes. If you’re lucky enough to get on the first boat of the day you’ll get half off the cost! Expect a wait for the boat on your way back across in the afternoon.

• Taggart & Bradley Lake Loop: This trail takes you out to two beautiful lakes and is 5.8 miles long with 767ft of elevation gain. Both have stunning reflections in the morning hours so I would definitely recommend doing this earlier rather than later. Additionally, the parking lot here fills up with folks lounging at Taggart all afternoon so the early bird certainly gets the worm here. Overall this trail took me about 2.5 hours to complete.

  • You can either shorten the trail by just visiting Taggart Lake, which is far more popular, or you can lengthen the trail by adding on Delta or Surprise + Amphitheater Lakes for more of a challenge—personally I was going to add on Delta Lake, but there was some nearby forest fires causing visibility to not be ideal so I did not want to risk hiking all the way up there for nothing!

• Dornans: This business wears a lot of hats: grocery store, chuckwagon, gas station, cabin rentals, market and deli, adventure rentals, and a Pizza & Pasta business. I would highly recommend checking out the Pizza and Pasta spot at the Spur Bar. Head over for lunch or dinner and go up to the top deck. The views here are fantastic! They have about 10 beer taps, cocktails, wine, and you can buy bottles of wine next door at their wine shop to bring over too. This spot definitely gets busy, but it’s awesome!

• Leigh Lake Trail and String Lake Trail: I chose to combine these two trails, but you could also just do one or the other, or you can also loop around the lakes! Both lakes have beautiful reflections in the morning hours, so I would recommend starting here one of your days in the park. Both trails are nice and easy with several beaches and viewpoints throughout. You don’t really even need to hike if you don’t want to, you could just lounge at a lake! Keep your eyes peeled for moose in this area.

  • There is plenty of parking at the Leigh Lake Trailhead, whereas the String Lake parking area is a lot smaller.

• Relax at Colter Bay Beach: This area itself is poppin’ but I was the only one on the scenic beach.

• Woodland, Phelps Lake, and Lake Creek Loop: This trail is inside the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve part of the park. it leads out to the beautiful Phelps Lake that has crystal clear water and even a place where you can cliff jump! The trail claims to be 3.2 miles long with 269ft of elevation gain but it felt like it was moderately uphill the whole way out to the lake. Or maybe my legs were just tired at this point haha. Overall it took me about an hour and 10 minutes to complete and is a nice, easy trail. This is a great spot to have a picnic or spend an afternoon. There is even a bathroom out by the lake for your convenience.

  • There is another route that takes you to Phelps Lake via the Valley Trail, but I’d really recommend this route so you are looking at the mountains.

• Explore the Jenny Lake Scenic Drive: The Jenny Lake Overlook here is quite pretty.

• Stop at Jackson Point Overlook: Really great views! Signal Mountain Summit is also located just above Jackson Point for a different angle of the area.

• Moose Wilson Road is a non-scenic drive that is popular for wildlife viewing—personally I saw a bear here.

Jackson, Wyoming Recommendations:

Jackson Hole is infamous and serves as the gateway to the Tetons. The downtown area is super cute, but also very touristy of course.

• Melvin The Dojo: Melvin Brewing’s OG location is just far enough away to be annoying, but thankfully they opened The Dojo on the town square. Their beers are tasty and the food looked amazing!

• Wander the Town Square: This is a beautiful little park and taking a picture with the antler arches is required. There are a TON of restaurants and shops that surround the square.

• Persephone Bakery: This spot had an INSANE line so instead I checked out their Picnic location and it was fantastic.

• Snake River Brewing: A solid brewery with a nice patio and beer garden. They have a full food menu as well.

• I also had planned to visit StillWest Brewing but they did not open when they were supposed to either day that I tried.

Victor, Idaho

I decided to stay at this Airbnb which is a super cute tiny house in Victor, Idaho. I chose this route because I was traveling with Mosaic and needed to have an Airbnb, not a hotel room, for the days I was doing long hikes that she was not allowed to join on, and the prices in Jackson were astronomical. After exploring the area I would also recommend trying to stay in Colter Bay or Signal Mountain, and either of those could also double for your lodging to visit Yellowstone as well since they are on the north side of the park.

Victor, ID recommendations:

• Grand Teton Brewing: A cool brewery with nice views, an onsite food truck and solid beers.

• Guidepost Brewing: Another solid spot with a full food menu and a nice patio space.

• Refuge Taphouse: A nice beer bar with 10 taps in downtown Victor.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park gets a lot of hype and, in many ways, defines what people think of as a national park. Personally it was not my favorite park, especially having just come from the very chill and stunningly beautiful Grand Teton National Park, but the unique landscapes and seeing a TON of wildlife—probably over 100 bison, a ton of deer and elk, and even a bear were awesome!

Things I did not love: soooooo many people allllll the time. Normally if I visit off-season, midweek, and start my day early I can avoid the majority of crowds in a national park. Yellowstone is crowded always it appears. This also means parking is horrible all the time. Expect to have to wait/do laps to find a spot every single time you move.

The park is huge and quite spread out so be sure to do some planning in advance, especially because in most of the park there will be no cell service.

Yellowstone Recommendations:

• West Thumb Geyser Trail: This area is full of geysers, springs, and cones and set with Yellowstone Lake in the background. It is one of the best areas of the park in my opinion!

• Head to Hayden Valley at sunrise or dusk to observe wildlife! Personally I saw a ton of bison, elk, and a bear!

• Upper Falls, Lower Falls and Crystal Falls Trail: This hike take you to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone along the south rim. You can do this trail from north to south or south to north, or you can hike across the river on the north rim trail, or you can also drive to most of the viewpoints along the way. The hike was 4.7 miles long with 459ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and 40 minutes to complete. Upper Falls and Artist Point were my favorite views—the canyon is dramatic!

• Old Faithful: Of course while at Yellowstone you have to see Old Faithful erupt. Expect a ton of people, and use the National Park Service App to get the predicted eruption time. The eruption is cool but a bit underwhelming in my opinion. In this very built up area there is also a few other large geysers: Castle Geyser, Grand Geyser, Daisy Geyser, and Riverside Geyser that you can access via the Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful Observation Point Loop trail.

• Norris Geyser Basin Trail: This is a nice loop trail to a bunch of different stops. Steamboat Geyser is located here which is the world’s tallest active geyser, but it only erupts about once a year. The Emerald Spring was my favorite spot here.

• Mammoth Terraces Trail: The trail is 2.2 miles long with 321ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour to complete. The terraces are super unique! This hike is in the furthest north section of the park, so if you are headed in this direction or exploring Mammoth definitely check it out—otherwise it is not worth going so far out of the way for.

• Grand Prismatic Spring Trail: This area was so full of people that after trying two separate days and waiting over an hour without even making it to the parking area I gave up. Good luck.

West Yellowstone, Montana

I stayed at Yellowstone Holiday Resort in West Yellowstone, MT, 15 minutes from the West Yellowstone park entrance. The cabins are set on Hebgen Lake which was nice and relaxing with mountain views. The cabins themselves are very basic, but overall it checked all the boxes for me. They also have boat slips, boat rentals, and kayak rentals onsite.

• The Buffalo Bar: A cool bar/restaurant with a stellar patio in West Yellowstone. The food and drinks were great and service was too!

• Yellowstone Beer Co: A brewery option in West Yellowstone that also has a food menu. Their taproom is a bit of an odd space.

Nebraska

Nebraska! Frequently overlooked but surprisingly a gem. This was my 50th state visit (!) so it holds a special place in my heart.

Lincoln

I went to Lincoln solely to go to one brewery and I have no regrets. Boiler Brewing Company is located right in the heart of downtown and is making incredible beers! I highly recommend paying them a visit. I really enjoyed the IPAs and Stouts in particular.

Omaha 

Omaha is right on the Nebraska border with Iowa, making it an easy addition to a Midwest road trip. I really enjoyed Omaha and found it to be quite a cool city! Unfortunately the good breweries are a bit spread out so be sure to plan in advance.

• Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales: Although this brewery is located southwest of the city and in a strip mall, it is absolutely worth venturing out of the way for! Their beer is very good, and they also have a location in Longmont, Colorado as well.

• Know Good: A tasty spot for bagels and coffee!

• Corn Coast Brewing Company: Located in the La Vista area of Omaha. They have a large tap list and tasty beers. They also have a taproom in Lincoln.

• Stay at Magnolia Hotel Omaha: This hotel is in a nice historic building right downtown. They have a cute onsite restaurant with patio seating and overall it is a great stay!

• Lumen Beer: A solid little brewery downtown in the Little Bohemia neighborhood. Expect an IPA heavy menu and a small snack menu.

• Kros Strain Brewing: Kros Strain has two locations in Omaha: the La Vista area, right around the corner from Corn Coast, and downtown. Overall I was underwhelmed by their beer, but it’s still worth checking out.

• Explore the RiverFront area: Heartland of America Park and the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge are nice parks on the river and really well done.  

North and South Dakota

The Dakotas are often overlooked, and honestly I can understand that. They are certainly nowhere near my favorite states, but there is some interesting landscapes, some incredibly nice people, and the bison everywhere are really cool!

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND:

This park is divided into three units—the North, the South, and Elkhorn Ranch which is just Teddy Roosevelt’s old ranch. The north and south are about an hour apart. It took me about 6 hours to visit both, but you could easily spend a day at each if you wanted. Keep your eyes peeled for bison, deer, prairie dogs, and pronghorn. Overall I preferred the North Unit by far—there were a ton of bison, no one around, and a really unique landscape.

• North Unit:

  • Explore the Scenic Drive, which is the only road through the park. It is 14 miles one way.

  • Oxbow Overlook: A beautiful spot for sunrise!

  • River Bend Overlook: A nice little platform with a view

  • Caprock Coulee Trail: This is the other trail I considered but could not complete since it is not dog-friendly, but I wanted to include it in case you are interested!

  • Stonehome Brewing: A solid brewery in Watford City, ND about 20 minutes north of the North Unit.

• South Unit: 

  • Painted Canyon: A nice overlook and rest area on the way into the South Unit.

  • Explore the scenic drive: The South Unit’s scenic drive is a 36 mile loop. Overall I found it to not be super scenic but still nice.

  • Wind Canyon Trail: A quick half mile trail that is mostly flat and has nice river views and some unique landscape. Located on the scenic drive. 

  • Medora is the town at South Unit that I found to be a cheesy little western town with not much going on.

Rapid City, SD: 

• Woodland Republic Brewing and Blending: A good brewery with a huge tap list right downtown. They have frequent food trucks as well.

• Dakota Point Brewing: A solid brewery with a large tap list. Chill vibes.

  • Lost Cabin Beer Co has a location right next door as well, but I went to their Black Hills location instead

• Wine Cellar Restaurant: A nice restaurant downtown run by the nicest team of folks! Super dog-friendly patio and tasty options.

• Zymurcacy Beer Company: Another brewery option further out of town with frequent food trucks.

The Black Hills of South Dakota:

I had high expectations for the Black Hills area but overall found the vibes to be that of Gatlinburg or Myrtle Beach—overly touristy and giving me the ick. There are some nice outdoorsy things here so don’t complete write it off, but just go in knowing the vibe.

• Lost Cabin Beer Co: A great brewery with a fun beer garden and frequent food trucks. Highly recommend!

• Cohort Craft Brewery: Another brewery option in the area with a really nice space. They have an onsite kitchen here as well.

• I stayed at Under Canvas which is owned by Hyatt so essentially it was like glamping on steroids. The tents are nice and clean but it was not super relaxing/in the woods vibes like you would expect. The firepits are also communal which is not ideal. Overall it is nice but for the price I would expect better vibes.

Custer State Park:

• Check out Sylvan Lake right near the entrance—particularly in the morning when the light provides a nice reflection and before it is overrun with people.

• Black Elk Peak Loop: This is the highest point in South Dakota and the highest point east of the Rockies! Overall it is a moderate trail at 7.2 miles long with 1,469ft of elevation gain and takes about 3 hours to complete. You can add on the Cathedral Spires or Little Devil’s Tower as well. It is pretty at the summit and you can see incredibly far away. Overall not epic but nice.

• Needles Highway: A unique scenic drive—the northern half of the road has much better views in my opinion. There are some very neat tunnels to drive through.

• Wildlife Loop Road: An 18 mile scenic loop road with bison, pronghorn, donkeys, and more. This is where they do the annual buffalo round-up as well.

• Iron Mountain Road: Another scenic drive option with a bunch of switchbacks and some more cool tunnels.

Wind Cave National Park:

You have to book a tour to enter the cave so be sure to plan ahead. Keep your eyes peeled for bison on the way in/out of the park! I would recommend the Natural Entrance Tour here.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Unimpressed, frankly. But might as well see it while you’re here.

Badlands National Park, SD:

This is a unique area with one road through the park and a few short hiking options. The landscape is otherworldly.

I would recommend trying to visit in the afternoon or early evening to avoid the fog that commonly sits in the area. Overall you only need about a half day to do everything here.

• Explore the Scenic Loop Road: there are numerous overlooks and occasional bison. I would recommend the Yellow Mounds Overlook, Panorama Point, and Big Badlands Overlook the most. I stopped at almost every overlook and the road only took me about 90 minutes to complete.

• Most of the hikes are at the same trailhead. I would definitely recommend The Window Trail which is just a quick .3 mile walk on a boardwalk to a neat view. I had also planned to do the Saddle Pass Trail but visibility was just too low.

Sioux Falls, SD:

Sioux Falls is a cute city right at the Minnesota and Iowa borders, so you can easily include this on a Midwest road trip!

• Monk’s Ale House: A cool beer bar with 50 taps and a great selection. They have a nice patio, a spacious interior, and a full food menu. Located right downtown.

• WoodGrain Brewing: A solid brewery with a large variety of beers. Located downtown, with another location further east.

• Falls Park: A nice park with a waterfall, definitely a must-visit!

• Altered Species Ales: Another brewery option that is located at the mall.

• TapHouse 41: A beer bar also located at the mall for some reason with a full food menu and cocktails as well. Overall a nice spot.

Georgia's Golden Isles

Georgia’s Golden Isles are made up of St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and mainland Brunswick. I spent a long weekend exploring St. Simons, Jekyll, and Brunswick and thoroughly enjoyed it! I would also note that this area is incredibly dog-friendly.

I stayed at this Airbnb in Brunswick that was central to everywhere I wanted to go—10 minutes to St Simons, 15 minutes to Jekyll, and 5 minutes to downtown Brunswick. This stay really exceeded my expectations! It is super affordable, dog-friendly, spacious, and full of thoughtful touches.

St Simons Island

SSI is a cute and casual little island that I found to be full of welcoming people with a relaxed atmosphere.

St Simons Recommendations:

• The Half Shell: A fantastic spot in the heart of downtown—so great in fact that I went twice during my time on the island! Their oysters are delicious, the patio is ideal, and everything was reasonably priced and delicious. Would highly recommend their Bloody Mary if you’re visiting during brunch.

• Dulce Dough Donuts & Bakery: Tasty spot for donuts and biscuits! Expect a line, but I was impressed and felt it was worth the wait.

• Be sure to visit the St Simons Island Pier for sunset! The views are fantastic.

• Hit the beach—obviously! There are several to choose from, keeping in mind they do all connect since it is one island beach:

  • East Beach: Currently going through a renovation but central on the island with bathrooms and lots of parking.

  • Gould’s Inlet: On the end of the island is this little inlet with smaller waves for swimming. The parking lot is quite small as a heads up.

  • Massengale Park: Spacious parking lot and bathrooms are present—what more do you need?

• Barrier Island Brewing: A solid brewery with a tasty food menu and a nice patio. Would definitely recommend!

• Downtown Market: There is often a market downtown with a ton of local vendors, be sure to meander through it to find some goodies!

• Mullet Bay Restaurant: A fun spot for patio vibes with cheap drinks during Happy Hour!

• Bubba Garcia's Mexican Cantina: A tasty spot for Mexican eats. They have a nice upper patio as well!

• Sandy Bottom Bagels: I did not make it to this spot because they’re closed on Sundays, but it looks legit so I wanted to make sure to include it for your convenience!

Jekyll Island

Jekyll Island is just a few miles away from St Simons but home to a different vibe completely. Here the primary modes of transportation are bikes and golf carts, and much of the island is untouched nature.

I found Jekyll to be the perfect spot for a day trip because I like to bounce around to restaurants and breweries/bars when traveling, but if you’re looking to disconnect and either stay at a resort or have quiet nights in, this would be a great spot for a longer stay.

Heads up to enter the island there is a $10 daily parking fee you can pay ahead of time online or at the gate upon entrance.

Jekyll Island Recommendations:

• Wander Driftwood Beach: This is such a unique stretch of beach with (shocker here) DRIFTWOOD! It is really quite neat to explore. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles as well!

• Tortuga Jack’s: A nice spot for Mexican eats and drinks! Essentially a Tiki Bar, so don’t set your bar too high for food but the views are nice, the prices are low, and the vibes are great.

• Oceanview Beach Park: Another great beach option for actually beaching, versus walking on Driftwood. They have a ton of parking here and bathrooms.

• The Pantry: This little cafe is located inside the Island Club Resort and is a good spot to grab breakfast, lunch or coffee!

Brunswick:

Brunswick is not necessarily somewhere I’d highly recommend visiting, but if you’re in the area you might as well pop by to explore! Downtown is a bit rundown but still has some nice spots.

Brunswick Recommendations:

• Silver Bluff Brewing Company: The vibes here exceed the beer quality, but keep in mind I am a bit of a snob. They have a lovely outdoor space and frequent food trucks.

• Newcastle Wine Merchant: A cute little wine shop for onsite pours or to-go bottles.

• Indigo Coastal Shanty: A super chill restaurant with tasty eats and a nice patio space. They are also incredibly dog-friendly!

• Head to Mary Ross Waterfront Park for sunset!

• Skip—Driftwood Wine & Cocktails: I was thoroughly unimpressed unfortunately.

Have you explored georgia’s golden isles? What was your favorite spot? let me know in the comments! cheers —alexis

January and February 2026

The last two months were not super exciting or full of as many beers as usual, but there were still some great pours had!

In January Charlotte was hit with two huge winter storms meaning the Rare and Vintage Beer Tasting in Durham had to be rescheduled to March which was a huge bummer but I cannot wait for this fest next weekend! February’s highlights were attending this year’s Queen City Brewers Festival and a trip to Georgia’s Golden Isles (blog coming soon!) and Savannah!

Of the 124 beers I tried in the last two months, here were the best of the best, in no particular order:

The 2026 Axe Series from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

This is cheating, I know, to put several beers as one but this series from Fidens absolutely crushed it again. My favorites were:

• Sam’s Axe collaboration with Brujos Brewing Double IPA with Simcoe, Citra, Taiheke, Belson, and Nelson CGX hops.

• Alex’s Axe in collaboration with Troon Brewing Hoppy Ale with Nelson, Strata, Peacharine, and Galaxy hops.

• Lauren’s Axe collaboration with Tin Barn Brewing Double IPA with Strata and Galaxy hops.

• Kelsey’s Axe collaboration with North Park Beer Co. Double IPA with Citra, Nelson and Strata hops.

Smoosh: Strawberry + Nelson Bliss from Two Tides Brewing in Savannah, GA

Smoosh is a Fruited Sour modeled after a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich. That is everything you want in a PB&J beer!

Nelson Bliss is a single IPA with 100% Freestyle Nelson Bliss hops. Just a pure delight.

Blend Session 2.a from Casey Brewing and Blending in Glenwood Springs, CO

Blend Session 2.a from Casey is a blend that is equal parts of a vintage Saison barrel with a barrel of an experimental oat Farmhouse Ale. This slaps, as most things Casey do. When paired with a Michigan State basketball win, what could be better?

Galactic Kingdom and Dill Murray from Wild Heart Brewing in Hartsville, SC

My first time trying any Wild Heart brews was at QCBF this year and I was thoroughly impressed! I am very excited to be attending their Wild Hartsville Beer Fest in April as well!

Dill Murray is their house Kettle Sour dosed with pickle juice—I mean come on, say less. This was made for me. Galactic Kingdom is a Hazy IPA with Rakau in the whirlpool, then double dry-hopped with Rakau, Galaxy, Galaxy Abstrax and Citra. A fantastic IPA, particularly for a single.

Noontide from HopFly Brewing Co. in Charlotte, NC

Noontide is a Czech Pale Lager that I regret not getting more of. Absolute crusher but still just enough going on to keep you interested.

There Is Never So Far From Here from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC collab with Starpoint Brewing in Durham, NC

This Triple IPA was brewed for Burial’s Raleigh taproom’s 7th Anniversary. It is mashed with oats, whirlpooled with Nectaron and Citra Incognito, and double dry-hopped with Anchovy, Galaxy, Nectaron, and Citra Cryo. Big fan of this one!

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

My Top Beers of 2025

In 2025 I tried 1,255 beers. The breweries I had the most beers from were Burial (92), Freak Folk (43) and Hill Farmstead (41). I visited 122 new breweries, bringing my total breweries visited up to 1,505. In no particular order, here were the best beers I had over the past year:

• Pliny the Younger 2025 Triple IPA from Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA

• Samuel Batch 1, 2, and 3 Saison + Poetica 3 Czech Pilsner + Works of Love: Anchorage Brewing 2016 Saison + Art Batch 6 Saison from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

• Framboos 2014 Lambic + 3 Fonteinen x Hill Farmstead Resonance Blend 1 Lambic from Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Belgium

• Dat Phuc Imperial Stout + Don’t Be A Khack Imperial IPA from CLAG Brewing Company in Sandusky, OH

• Eunoia Batch 18: Coconut Imperial Stout + Pixel Point Hazy IPA from Phase Three Brewing Company in Lake Zurich, IL

• Triple Jasper Triple IPA + Triple Farmer Triple IPA from Fidens Brewing Company in Albany, NY

• Lunar Handshake Czech Dark Lager from Lesser-Known Beer Co in Winston-Salem, NC

• Abiding Cycles Saison + Eye of the Needle Saison from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Captiola, CA

• Yodel: Riwaka Imperial IPA + Signet: Gin Saison + Pronghorn Helles Lager + Cult of Billy: The Resurrection Imperial IPA + Torso Imperial IPA + Staglore Wild Ale from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

• Bitty Zwickelbier from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC in collaboration with Lesser-Known Beer Co

• A Deal With The Devil Triple Oaked Batch 15 Barleywine + Some Kind Of Something Imperial Stout from Anchorage Brewing in Anchorage, AK

• TEN Imperial Stout from Pulpit Rock Brewing Company in Decorah, IA

• Saint Lamvinus 2010 from Brasserie Cantillon in Belgium

• Hand of Glory 2018 Barleywine from Holy Mountain Brewing in Seattle, WA

• The Blend Imperial Stout from Side Project Brewing in Saint Louis, MO in collaboration with Toppling Goliath Brewing

What were your top beers of the year? Let me know in the comments!

Kenya & Tanzania

An African safari is on many people’s bucket list, and I would highly recommend adding it to yours if it is not already! I had a 12 day trip to Kenya and Tanzania that was truly remarkable, and now I am here to help you plan your own adventure!

Safari Tips:

Logistics

The number one question I got asked before, during, and after my trip was “how did you plan all of this?!” For me, I followed the following route:

1) received a cheap flight alert to Nairobi, booked it

2) researched what parks I would like to visit in the area and created a rough itinerary

3) researched what companies worked in these areas, did solo safaris, and had good reviews

4) reached out to them asking for their proposals, compared the presented options, and then landed on Amazing Memories Safaris

The most overwhelming part of the process was was the sheer number of companies there are to choose from. There are literal hundreds to choose from which is crazy. They are mostly going to offer the same things, so don’t overthink it too much. Just make sure the reviews are quality and the pricing makes sense for you.

I would note that many folks choose to do a safari/beach combination with visiting Kenyan parks + Mombasa or Tanzanian parks + Zanzibar. Personally I am not a big beach person and I wanted to spend my time on the wild side, if you will. It was a lot of days in a Land Rover observing wildlife, so I can see the draw of switching things up for sure, but it is up to your own personal preferences.

Budget

Though a safari can be quite expensive, it doesn’t have to be. I could have saved money numerous ways:

• Staying in budget lodging options

• Joining a preset itinerary tour group

• Going with other people instead of solo

• Going to less parks

• Staying in one country

• Going for less days

• Not doing a hot air balloon safari

Some folks save money by doing a self-drive safari (only allowed in certain parks) and I would not recommend that. The guides are experts at what they are doing and they communicate with each other when there is something cool happening.

Lodging

When I booked with Amazing Memories they provided lodging options for each park that they recommended and frequently work with. I have notes on each of those below, but generally for each park you can choose between tent camps and lodges, and inside or outside of the park.

Tent Camps are smaller, more intimate stays that are super unique and can still be quite luxurious despite the phrase “tent camp”. The tents are made of fabric so there is better air flow than lodges that can get a bit stuffy. Lodges are generally far larger and more built up with a lot more guests.

I would highly recommend choosing lodging inside of the parks. This cuts down on travel time each day and you will get to experience wildlife and views from your accommodations. I saw zebras from my dinner table, cape buffalos from my balcony, hippos from my patio, and more.

Clothing

Don’t overthink your clothing too much. There is A LOT online about what to wear and what not to wear and folks encouraging you to buy a whole new green/tan wardrobe. This is not necessary. They say things like “avoid bright colors because the animals will see you”—the animals will see you. You’re pulling up in a diesel powered Land Rover that is not exactly quiet. Just wear comfortable clothing and lean towards more natural colors but it is not that important.

With that being said I would say:

• Avoid white clothes—they will be a different color thanks to the dust

• Avoid black/blue clothes—the tete flies target these colors

Kenya Safari Stops:

Mount Longonot National Park

Mount Logonot is a dormant stratovolcano in the Great Rift Valley. This park is a popular spot to hike just outside of Lake Naivasha. The AllTrails map has you going around the full crater, which is a lot. I went up to the top and that was plenty for me. My route was 4 miles long with 1,300ft of elevation gain and about 2.5 hours to complete. At times it is ridiculously, unbearably steep. Expect lots of dust, scenic view of Lake Naivasha, and a nice lush crater at the top. Not a must do in Kenya but a nice addition that is conveniently close to Lake Navaisha and Hell’s Gate.

Hell’s Gate National Park

This unique park is absolutely worth exploring. Rent a bike and acquire a guide at the base of the road, then spend a few hours biking through the park admiring the scenery and wildlife. The ride is about 10 miles through the park roundtrip and I also did a half hour hike in the Ol Njorowa Gorge at the end of the park. A guide is required to visit the gorge due to flash flooding risks, and I would just recommend a guide in general in case your bike brakes down, you run into wildlife, etc.

Throughout my ride I saw a spotted hyena, zebras, antelope, baboons, and giraffes. You are able to bike and walk here because there are mostly no predators—mostly being the key as you see I mentioned a hyena. I went in the late afternoon and when we were close to the exit the sun was setting so there was a TON of wildlife and it was amazing. Super cool experience and one of my trip highlights! Expect a bump, dusty ride that you’ll remember forever!

Lake Naivasha

This freshwater lake is home to hippos and Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. You can take a hippo boat ride on the lake—most hotels offer them, or there are a ton of businesses that do in the area. During the ride you can visit Crescent Island to see all of the wildlife and take an optional hike on the island.

I stayed at Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp which had lots of waterbucks and monkeys roaming the property and was located right on the lake with a nice view. The food is quite good and the tents are nice.

Maasai Mara National Reserve 

Maasai Mara is a famed park and with good reason—the density and diversity of wildlife here is absolutely stunning! I would highly, highly recommend spending some time exploring here.

I stayed at Fig Tree Camp and it was one of the best places I have ever stayed. The tents are super nice, the staff are the kindest people I have ever met, the food is insanely good, and every element felt luxurious. The property is gorgeous everywhere you look, and directly outside of my tent on the river were hippos and baboons. Such a cool place directly in the park!

Through the hotel I also did a hot air balloon safari with Adventures Aloft Kenya. I cannot express to you how amazing this was. The balloon launch is at sunrise and then you float through the sky admiring wildlife from above. We saw giraffes, ostriches, lions, elephants, cape buffalos, hippos, and a crocodile, along with the beautiful sunrise and landscape. After landing we had a gourmet breakfast in the middle of the park that was surreal. There were cocktails, champagne, made to order eggs and French toast, and a massive buffet set up. 12/10 recommend.

I also did a sundowner in Maasai Mara where you stay out in the park through sunset with some snacks and wine to enjoy the view. Definitely a cool experience that I would recommend for one night of your safari somewhere.

Amboseli National Park 

The main attraction of Amboseli is getting to see Mount Kilimanjaro, particularly with wildlife in front of the mountain. This is a much smaller park so I felt like 3 game drives here were plenty. It would also be very cool to do a sundowner in Amboseli so you can see the sunset with the mountain.

I stayed at Kilima Safari Camp which was nice but my least favorite spot I stayed after having such amazing experiences everywhere else. It also was the slow season so maybe they step up their game when they have more guests—it’s not that I would not recommend this property it just felt a little meh after the luxury of the previous nights. What Kilima does excel with is an awesome viewpoint for Mount Kilimanjaro above the restaurant. At sunrise and sunset are when you are most likely to see the mountain, and this is a great place to sit with a coffee or a cocktail to enjoy the view.

The pool here is nice, the food is tasty, and the bar is pretty. There were more bugs present here than anywhere else, and this is the definition of first world problems but the WiFi in the common areas was absolutely terrible—I couldn’t even check into my flight and that was with zero other people around using the WiFi so I can’t imagine when they are busy how slow it is. Perfectly nice place, but just a bit of a let down—especially because they are owned by the same company as Fig Tree Camp which was remarkable. We stopped at the Amboseli Lodge for a bathroom break one morning and it was incredibly nice so perhaps look into that as an option!

Nairobi

I wouldn’t recommend spending very much time in Nairobi, you’re here to see wildlife after all, but you most likely will need to fly in and out of this city, or at least in and maybe out of Tanzania if you choose. I would recommend:

• Stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport: If you need to spend a night in Nairobi this was a very nice hotel near the airport with a complimentary airport shuttle as well.

• Visit the Giraffe Center: This sanctuary has several giraffes that were rescued that you can actually feed! It is a small spot that makes for a quick visit.

• Nairobi National Park: This urban park is still full of wildlife, even rhinos, and has the Nairobi skyline in the background. It is convenient if you are in town for a conference or something and just want to see what you can, but otherwise you don’t really need to visit. I just wanted to see a rhino up close because in Ngorogoro they were far away and that made it worth it for me!

  • You can also do a night game drive here which is unique!

• I also heard good things about the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which is an elephant sanctuary, but their hours are much shorter so it did not work out for me to add this in.

• Crafty Chameleon Brewhouse & Restaurant: This is an amazing spot that is absolutely worth the detour. The brewery has solid beers, the cocktails are delicious, and they also have a full food menu. The vibe here is immaculate—essentially a lush garden atmosphere with plants and string lights and various seating options. Highly recommend!

Tanzania Safari Stops:

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is arguably the most famed park in Africa thanks to the Great Migration. Even though I did not visit during this popular time I still got to see wildebeest and zebras migrating which was very cool. Serengeti is a huge park, so you will spend more time here looking for animals than observing them some days, but it is worth it! I saw the most unique animal experiences here with stalking/hunting, babies, and so many beautiful scenes.

I stayed at Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge which was really nice. The property is gorgeous, and the rooms are cool little stone-built, traditionally thatched round buildings that have awesome balconies. The bar here is truly stunning and probably the nicest I have ever seen. The infinity pool is also beautiful, along with a ton of seating options to overlook the vast Serengeti. The food was not quite as good as some other spots but it seems like that was just because they were mass producing everything for a much larger crowd.

Ngorongoro Crater National Park

Ngorongoro is a very unique park in that you start at the top of the crater and drive down into the crater that is full of wildlife, lakes, and a forest. The animals here seemed more chill and less skiddish than other parks which was interesting. The dramatic background of the crater walls makes this a beautiful park.

There is also a great spot for a picnic lunch here on a lake, so I would definitely recommend one full day game drive here to enjoy everything, but you would not need more than one day. The most exciting part of Ngorongoro is that you are likely to see rhinos here, where as it is incredible rare to see them in most of the other parks in this area.

I stayed at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge and it was gorgeous. The views from the balcony of the crater below are truly insane. The food was great here as well. I would not recommend a tent camp here as it gets quite chilly at the top of the crater where all of the lodging is, so definitely lean towards a lodge here for your stay. All of the lodging options for Ngorogoro are on top of the crater rim, there is nothing allowed inside the crater itself.

My Safari Itinerary (+ What I Would Do Differently)

• Day 1: Get picked up from Nairobi lodging (Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport) and head to Mount Longonot National Park for the hike. Check into Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp to get cleaned up, have lunch, and relax. In the late afternoon head to Hell’s Gate National Park for the safari bike ride. Enjoy dinner back at Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp.

  • I asked to do the hike + hippo boat ride on Day 1 instead of all of the physical activity on day 1 and got pushback around the timing which makes sense, but it was definitely a long day so just keep that in mind!

  • If you are short on time/not interested in Mount Longonot/Hell’s Gate/Lake Naivasha you can skip the first 1.5 days of my itinerary and just go straight to Maasai Mara, though these spots are basically directly on the route.

• Day 2: Hippo boat road on Lake Naivasha, travel to Maasai Mara National Reserve, and enjoy an afternoon game drive. Check into Fig Tree Camp before dinner.

• Day 3: Start the day with a Hot Air Balloon Safari and breakfast, followed by a morning game drive. Relax at the hotel for lunch and some pool time. Head back into the park for an afternoon game drive and sundowner, before returning to the hotel for dinner.

  • I would switch the sundowner from Maasai Mara to Amboseli instead!

• Day 4: One last morning game drive through Maasai Mara en route to the Tanzania border. Cross the border and meet your new guide/driver for this section of the trip. Travel to Serengeti National Park and arrive in time for an afternoon game drive. Check into the Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge in time to enjoy the sunset from the patio and then dinner.

  • The travel between Maasai Mara and Serengeti is ridiculous. The parks literally touch each other but the Tanzanian government shut down the border crossing inside the parks because they want more tourism money from people having to stay in Tanzania, not just to do a day trip from Kenya/Maasai Mara. I don’t blame them at all for that, but driving 4 hours to the border, then 4 hours back in the same direction is crazy. I would definitely look into flying between these two if I were to do it again.

• Day 5: Full day game drive in Serengeti National Park, with a packed picnic lunch from the hotel. Arrive back at the lodge in the late afternoon/early evening for some pool time, another beautiful sunset, and dinner.

• Day 6: One last morning game drive in the Serengeti en route to Ngorogoro Crater National Park. Spend the full day exploring the park with a picnic lunch and then check into Serena Ngorogoro Safari Lodge. Enjoy sunset from the balcony and then dinner.

  • You could easily add in Lake Manyara National Park or Tarangire National Park after Ngorogoro if you’re looking to expand your time on the Tanzanian side.

• Day 7: Head from Ngorogoro back to the border. Cross over and meet your Kenyan guide, then head to Amboseli National Park for an afternoon game drive. Check into your lodging for dinner.

  • I stayed at Kilima Safari Camp and it was my least favorite spot that I stayed. Overall it was still nice and fine, but I would recommend looking into other options.

  • I would also add a sundowner on this day so you can watch the sunset in the park with the mountain!

• Day 8: Full day game drive in Amboseli National Park with a packed picnic lunch. Head back to your lodging in the late afternoon/early evening for some pool relaxation and dinner.

  • You could easily add in Tsavo National Park nearby as well if you are looking to see more on the Kenyan side.

• Day 9: Travel back to Nairobi—spend the afternoon at Nairobi National Park, The Giraffe Center, and/or Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Grab dinner and beers at Crafty Chameleon, then head to the airport for your departure.

  • A lot of folks also fly into Nairobi, go to Maasai Mara, cross into Tanzania, and then fly out of Kilimanjaro International Airport versus crossing back into Kenya. I can see the appeal of one less border crossing and less travel time, but then you would miss Amboseli National Park, and probably pay more for an open-jaw ticket, so just consider your personal preferences before booking a flight!

Have you been on a kenya/tanzania safari? What was your favorite part?! Let me know in the comments!

A Long Weekend in Vermont

Vermont is always a good idea! While most folks choose to visit during the peak seasons of summer, fall leaf peeping, or winter skiing, I found the “stick season” between fall and winter to be perfectly charming. I saw some beautiful fall foliage and some early season snow flakes without any crowds.

This long weekend itinerary could be used any time of year, but in the winter you could encounter some road closures so just be sure to check things ahead of time. Additionally, check out my full Vermont Beer and Travel Guide here with even more suggestions, and check out this website to plan your trip today!

Day 1: Travel & Settle In

Welcome to Vermont! From the Burlington airport head to Stone Corral Brewing in the cute little town of Richmond, 20 minutes from the airport. They have a delicious food menu if you’re feeling hungry after your flight.

Continue your journey and check in at the Old Stagecoach Inn, located in the heart of Waterbury. The Inn is historic and charming, with apartment-style rooms and a nice large deck to relax on. Don’t forget to snag a homemade cookie at the front desk!

After you’ve settled in to your room, it’s time to hit the town! For your first night you’ve got to kick things off with a bang, so you absolutely need to walk over to Freak Folk Bier. This is easily one of my top breweries ever (out of 1,500 and counting!). They make absurdly good beer, no matter the style. On top of the great beer, their tap room is cozy and inviting, and the staff is incredibly kind.

After you’ve sampled through the menu at Freak Folk, walk over to Blackback Pub to end your night with a huge selection of amazing beers and some delicious eats. You really can’t go wrong with anything at Blackback!

Day 2: Brewery Hopping

Start your morning with an incredible breakfast at the Old Stagecoach Inn. From here, head north towards Morrisville. Along the way I would highly recommend a coffee stop at Movement Coffee in Stowe!

If you are a hiker, Elmore State Park is a great spot to kick off your day. If you are not, the beach at Lake Elmore is a great alternative spot to sit and enjoy your coffee with a view.

Today we’re bopping around Morrisville which has 4 breweries. You can do this via e-bike with Lamoille Valley Bike Tours as well!

1. Rock Art Brewery: A cool spot with 8 taps and a full blown art gallery!

2. Ten Bends Beer: Tasty beers, chill vibes, and arcade games

3. Lost Nation Brewing: A great patio, tasty eats, and solid beer list of their own brews + guest taps

4. Soulmate Brewing Company: Their hours are a little wonky so I did not make it here but they are right in town with the other 3 as well!

From Morrisville head back to Waterbury to explore for the evening, or if you are feeling ambitious head to the famed Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend. It’s about 35 minutes northwest of Morrisville, and absolutely worth a detour. Enjoy their relaxing space and incredible beers—particularly the bottle pours of Farmhouse Ales.

Bop around Waterbury for the evening! Check out Salt & Rind for tasty cocktails and oysters, The Tropic Brewing next door, and/or Prohibition Pig for meats and drinks. ProPig has two sides: restaurant and brewery, so choose your vibe.

Day 3: Nature & Nurture

Start your day with one last delicious breakfast at the Old Stagecoach Inn and sadly say goodbye to your cozy room. From here head up VT 108 to Smugglers Notch State Park.  Here the Bingham Falls Trail is a great choice to quickly get in some movement and nature. It takes just about 20 minutes to go down and back to the pretty waterfall.

From the park head to Sterling Mountain Farm. Here they offer winter sleigh rides and summer/fall carriage rides, but the “unleashed tour” is what I would most recommend. Owner Deb and her 3 golden retrievers, Sasha, Kelly, and Addy, will take you around their maple syrup farm to learn about their property and process. Deb is incredibly sweet and passionate about her work, and the pups are truly magical. End your time with a maple syrup tasting!

From the farm head into Jeffersonville for a tasty diner lunch at 158 Main. Just up the block is Red Leaf Gluten-Free Brewing set in a historic house with a nice outdoor space as well. They’ve also got an Airbnb upstairs so if you fall in love with Jeffersonville you can take a snooze here.

Also in the area are:

• Lot Six Brewing Co: with a full food menu, their beers on tap, cocktails, and wine

• Smugglers' Notch Distillery: which offers cocktails and spirit tastings

• Lucy and Howe Brewing Company: located inside the former Jericho General Store with coffee, beers, and a small food menu with eclectic vibes.

Spend your evening exploring The Essex Experience. This is a giant shopping center full of local Vermont businesses. Do some shopping and then check out:

• Black Flannel Brewing and Distillery: A great brewery, distillery, and restaurant with lots of patio seating and plenty of room inside as well. Their beers are top notch, the food is all delicious, and their team is super friendly.

• Bramble: A farm to table restaurant with a great food menu, creative cocktails, wine and beer

• Vermont Cider Lab: A cute little spot with cider, cider cocktails, and small food menu

Spend your night at the Essex Resort and Spa just up the road. The property is massive and beautiful! Inside they also have two onsite restaurants, The Junction and Lazy Goat Tavern.

Day 4: Island Hopping and/or uRBAN RAMBLING

Start your day with breakfast at the Lazy Goat Tavern inside the hotel. Then go get some goat food from the front desk and feed the property goats! So fun.

From the hotel grab a morning beverage at Uncommon Coffee in the Essex Experience. Highly recommend the maple latte! Once you are properly caffeinated head up the road to Indian Brook Park. This reservoir has a two mile loop trail around it and is the perfect way to get in some fresh air.

From the park head to 14th Star Brewing Company in St. Albans. This veteran-owned brewery has a massive tap list of delicious beers for you to fill your Vermont-shaped flight board with. Inside the brewery is Black Radish, serving up delicious eats. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu but in particular Duck Duck Potatoes, Biergarten Pretzel Sticks, North Country Brussels were all just superbly good. The team at both 14th Star and Black Radish are also super kind which makes your experience even better!

Post-beer and food sampling if you are feeling ambitious it is time to explore the The Champlain Islands!

• On North Hero stop at Kraemer & Kin. This brewery is in a super cute converted house with nice lake views. They also have a pizza food truck onsite that has rave reviews if you are hungry!

• Knight Point State Park is just down the road with a nice 1 mile loop trail to stretch your legs

• On South Hero Two Heroes Brewery & Public House has a couple of beers, wine, canned cocktails, and a small food menu

• Sand Bar State Park is on the bridge right after the brewery with nice views

Post-islands or in place of the islands, spend some time exploring Burlington! In the Winooski neighborhood don’t miss:

• Howl Bier: This new beer bar is such a vibe. They are Lager-focused and have a robust tap list of New England area beers and European gems. The decor is beautiful and they also have a small food menu.

• Mule Bar is across the circle with 17 taps that tend to be Hill Farmstead heavy (score!). They have a “neighborhood bar” vibe with a full food menu as well.

• Four Quarters Brewing is also in this neighborhood with solid beers!

In downtown Burlington:

• Foam Brewers: An IPA-heavy brewery off the lake with a great patio space

• Farmhouse Tap & Grill: A farm-to-table restaurant with a solid beer list

• Vermont Pub & Brewery: This historic brewery is in the heart of downtown with a full food menu

That is a wrap! From here head back to The Essex Resort and Spa for the night, to the airport, or if you need a hotel right by the airport in Burlington the Best Western Plus Windjammer Inn & Conference Center is sufficient. Happy Vermont-ing!

October and November 2025

October and November brought me to the middle of nowhere Illinois for work, across the state of Vermont for fun, and to Kenya and Tanzania for a safari! I also attended a small beer fest and had 3 bottle shares with friends. All in all I tried 191 different beers over the past two months, and here are the best of the best:

Poetica 3 + Works of Love: Anchorage Brewing (2016) + Art (Batch 6) + Vera Mae 2022 & 2023 + Anna Pear + Samuel (Batch 6) + Civil Disobedience #27 from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Yes, that is a wholeeee lot of Hill Farmstead beers, I know! I went to the brewery in Vermont where I had some incredible pours and I also shared some insane bottles with friends. Their Farmhouse Ales are very tough to beat.

Framboos (2014) from Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Belgium

This is a Lambic with Pajottenland raspberries from one of the top Lambic breweries in the world! At 11 years old it still slapped.

Cult of Billy: The Resurrection + Pronghorn + Torso + Little Death (Batch 2) + Staglore + Yodel: Manilita + Possessor + From Beyond + Primitive Rhythm + Thud + Mood Swinger + Sky Burial from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

Essentially the entire Freak Folk menu, I know haha. They are just truly crushing it and so impressive—easily my favorite brewery of 2025. I enjoyed many cans and a couple of bottles from them but also got to spend a couple evenings at their taproom in Waterbury where I basically sampled through the menu. They truly can’t go wrong, no matter the style.

TEN from Pulpit Rock Brewing in Decorah, IA

Pulpit Rock continues to really impress me. This is their 10th anniversary Stout blend of 33 and 27 month barrel-aged Imperial Stout rested on Tanzanian vanilla, two types of toasted coconut, almonds, and hazelnuts. 10/10!

Saint Lamvinus (2010) from Brasserie Cantillion in Belgium

I always love Saint Lam, but especially a 15 year old bottle! This Lambic is made with merlot and cabernet-franc grapes and barrel aged to perfection.

Kellerbier from Brauerei Eichorn Dorfleins in Germany

I had this stellar pour at Howl Bier in Winooski, Vermont. They brought in some special kegs to celebrate their 1 year anniversary and this was a true banger. HIGHLY recommend this spot outside of Burlington for great beers, killer vibes, and tasty eats.

Hand of Glory (2018) from Holy Mountain Brewing in Seattle, WA

Hand of Glory is an English style Barleywine aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels for 8 months, then transferred into former Kentucky bourbon barrels that had recently held American Apple Brandy, where it continued to age for an additional 8 months. This was an insane Barleywine with so much flavor (even 7 years in!).

Skipped Stitches + Eye of the Needle from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA

SARA always knows how to put out a delicious Saison! Skipped Stitches Saison is aged in Venus gin barrels with black currant, and Eye of the Needle is also aged in Venus Spirits Gin barrels but with Passionfruit, Mango, and Guava. I wasn’t sure what to expect from those fruits in a Saison but I never should’ve doubted Sante Adairius.

Nowhere Left to Go + The Distorted Reflections Laced Inside Our Earthly Undoings + Portal Into Infinite Nonexistence from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Although October and November were somehow the least amount of Burial beers I have had in quite some time, there were still some gems. Nowhere Left To Go is a Quadruple IPA collaboration with Monkish Brewing. The Distorted Reflections Laced Inside Our Earthly Undoings is a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with vanilla beans in collaboration with Cellarmaker Brewing. Portal Into Infinite Nonexistence is an Imperial Stout with Tahitian and Madagascar Vanilla and Double Dipped in Cocoa Nibs.

Noine Noine + Characters (Collaboration with Troon) + Scorched from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

3 great Hazys from Fidens! These guys can’t go wrong when it comes to any type of IPA, but it’s always a good idea to keep trying more to test that theory (wink wink)

Team Scream from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

Team Scream was brewed for Resident Culture’s anniversary and is a Hazy Double IPA hopped with Nectaron, Peacharine, Citra, and Strata. The best IPA RC has produced in a while!

Seven Seas from BlackStack Brewing in St. Paul, MN

This Triple IPA was brewed for BlackStack’s anniversary with hand-selected Westwood Farms Citra & Crosby Estate Comet from Oregon, Hop Head Farms Chinook from Michigan, NZ Cascade, Cashmere, Centennial & Columbus Cryo hops. It’s been a while since I got my hands on anything from this gem in Minnesota and I am glad to see they’re still crushing it.

Can We Please Just Get This Over With from Nebuleus Beer in Portland, OR

Nebuleus with another banger! This is a blend of wine and gin barrel aged Saisons conditioned on Sitka spruce tips. This might sound a little crazy to some, but it was amazing!

Janacek from Black Flannel Brewing in Essex Junction, VT

This Czech Dark Lager was perfect on a chilly, rainy evening in Vermont. It was roasty, smooth, and perfectly poured—everything I am looking for in this style! I really enjoyed my visit to Black Flannel and would highly recommend adding it to your next VT trip!

Check back next month for my top beers of the full 2025 year!—Cheers, Alexis

Kansas City, MO

Kansas City: Not just football!

KC Tips:

• Snag some barbeque—you won’t see any recommendations below but it’s what the city is most known for!

• I spent two days here and it was plenty in my opinion—if you love BBQ, Jazz or are in town for a sporting event that might be different, but in general the city is conquerable in a couple of days.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Alma Mader Brewing: A great spot with mainly Slow Pour Lagers and IPAs. They have a quaint, but nice space and a small patio space. Definitely recommend the Lagers here.

• BKS Artisanal Ales: A solid brewery with frequent food pop-ups and a nice patio space. Their Lager brewery, Pivo Project, occasionally has taps on as well.

• Meshuggah Bagels: A delicious spot for bagels with a couple of locations in town.

• Blip Roasters: A great spot for coffee in a cool venue.

• Oak & Steel: This beer bar has a good variety of beers on tap, a huge Lambic bottle list, and expansive whiskey collection. A little pricey.

• Missouri Riverfront Heritage Trail: This is a very nice greenway that runs along the river—there are lots of things off the greenway such as volleyball courts, etc. too.

• Strange Days Brewing Co.: A solid spot with tasty beers. You can also get food delivered from Burn Theory. A bit pricey.

Other KC Ideas:

• Kansas City Bier Co.: A traditional German brewery with German-style beers and eats. They have a nice beer garden space, but there are a LOT of rules about the beer garden that kind of take away from the vibes in my opinion.

• City Barrel Brewery + Kitchen: City Barrel has two locations—the kitchen location in East Crossroads is more burger focused, the Brookside/Waldo location is pizza focused. They also have cocktails and some guest taps.

• Discourse Brewing: A solid brewery right across the state border from KC in Kansas.

• Wander the Power and Light District: This area is essentially “downtown” in KC and full of restaurants, bars and shops.

• Torn Label Brewing Co.: Decent brews and Tacos Valentina is located inside.

• Vine Street Brewing Co.: Your standard brewery with average beers.

• Kansas City Taco Company: An average spot for Mexican eats. Did not live up to the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives hype, but it is pretty standard.

Des Moines, IA

Des Moines is a cute little midwestern city with an amazing beer scene!

DSM Tips:

• The city is pretty small, but it has a lot to offer! I would plan for at least 2 full days to enjoy yourself or a long weekend if possible!

• DSM is truly in the heart of Iowa. It is 2 hours from Omaha, Nebraska and 3 hours from Kansas City, Missouri, so you could easily spend a week or two doing a Midwest road trip in this area!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Lua Brewing: A superb brewery making incredible beers. They have a full food menu with delicious eats, and cocktails as well. Their patio space is great and their team is incredibly nice!

• El Bait Shop: An insane beer bar with 260+ taps and great dive-bar vibes. They also have a food menu and a large patio space. Incredible spot!

• Big Grove Brewery: A great brewery with several locations across Iowa. Their DSM taproom has a fantastic patio space and robust food menu, along with cocktails as well. Located downtown right across from Lua!

  • Don’t miss their Neighborhood Beer that benefits the communities they are located in via microgrants!

• Paws & Pints: This off-leash dog park and bar is a super fun spot for dogs and their humans. I was really impressed with the care and attention they put into making everyone feel comfortable—with attendants watching over the dogs, a full restaurant onsite, TVs for watching sports, a gift shop, and more. Mosaic and I loved it!

• Surety Hotel by Marriott: A great stay in the heart of downtown. The hotel is incredibly nice with a luxurious bathroom and beautiful touches throughout. They are dog-friendly, and they also have an onsite bar/restaurant Mulberry Street Tavern.

• Pappajohn Sculpture Park: A unique park with a variety of sculptures and nice grassy area with skyline views.

other DEs Moines Things To Do:

• Confluence Brewing Company: This brewery has a massive tap list and a large garden located right off Gray’s Lake.

  • Gray’s Lake Park: A nice beach and walking trails on a small lake.

• Iowa Taproom: Another beer bar option full of brews from across Iowa.

• Royal Mile: A fun British-style pub with tasty cocktails, British beers, and a full food menu. A great spot for watching sports, and they have a side alley patio space that is popular as well.

• Daisy Chain Coffee: Solid spot for morning coffee, and they also have honey!

• Scenic Route Bakery: Cafe offering morning pastries and afternoon sandwiches.

August and September 2025

August and September were two months packed with travel and delicious beers for me. Prior to a big road trip I shared beers with friends 3 times and visited Boone and Winston-Salem. Then Mosaic and I headed out to: Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Colorado Springs, Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park, Fort Collins, Greeley, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Big Sky, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Glacier National Park, Teddy Roosevelt National Park, Rapid City, Black Hills, Badlands National Park, Sioux Falls, Lincoln, Omaha, Des Moines, Cincinnati, and Knoxville!

Throughout these journeys and shares I tried 313 beers over the past two months, and these were the best of the best. Normally I would spend time describing each beer, but frankly I am tired and there were too many good beers over the last 2 months, so this edition has a few less details but a lot more beers for you to seek out:

Samuel Batch 1, 2, and 3 + 15th Anniversary: Festbier from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Metaform (Strawberry) from HOMES Brewery in Ann Arbor, MI

Amidst A Metaphorical Psychobabble from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Buckley Select #8 from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, MI

A Voice To Say from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA

Yodel: NZ Cascade + Yodel: Peacharine + Signet: 2024 + Zygote + Everything Is A Lie + History of Dogs: For Gus + Dethroner from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

VSOJ 2024 + Lumberstruck 2025 from Revolution Brewing in Chicago, IL

names.mean.nothing.b2 + the world we’re in is broken from nebuleus in Portland, OR

Extra Cowboy Grass from Lesser-Known Beer Co in Winston-Salem, NC

Ong Ba Bi from CLAG Brewing Company in Sandusky, OH

Orca (Anniversary III) from Root + Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Quad Orchid from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

Cassis Du Fermier (Batch 4) + Sound Cycle Vol. 2 + Abricot Du Fermier (Blend 7) + Barrel Aged Coffee Shop Vibes (2020) from Side Project Brewing in Saint Louis, MO

Premiant from Alma Mader Brewing in Kansas City, MO

Coconut and Coffee Barrel Aged Cuvee from Fremont Brewing in Seattle, WA

Nelson Nelson Nelson + Partially Barrel-Aged Coconut Killa from Boiler Brewing Co. in Lincoln, NE

Unshaven collaboration from Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales in Omaha, NE and RaR Brewing in Cambridge, MD

Zen Scientist + Full Time Travis + Condor from Lua Brewing in Des Moines, IA

All Pixel Everything collaboration from Phase Three Brewing Company in Lake Zurich, IL and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

Les Fleurs Du Mal from Xul Beer Company in Knoxville, TN

Triple Citra Daydream from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

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

June and July 2025

June and July were quite the whirlwind of travels and delicious beers! I visited Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Aiken SC, Augusta GA, and Hendersonville NC. I shared beers via 3 bottle shares, and I got to visit two iconic breweries I have been so excited to check out: Anchorage Brewing and Casey Brewing and Blending!

The past two months also brought re-visits to some of my favorites like HOMES in Michigan, Jackie O’s in Ohio, and Bierstadt in Colorado. During all of this I tried 219 beers over the past two months, and here were the best of the best (in no particular order):

Pliny the Younger from Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA

Iconic. What more do you need to know about this limited-release Triple IPA?

A Deal With the Devil - Triple Oaked (Batch 15) and Some Kind of Something from Anchorage Brewing Company in Anchorage, AK

I was lucky enough to have several Anchorage beers over the past two months, both at the taproom itself, at a beer bar in Anchorage, and via a friend at a bottle share right before my trip. The two standouts were a version of the beer the are most known for, A Deal With The Devil, and an Imperial Stout blend. Any time I see a dark beer that Anchorage is associated with I know it’s going to be fire, and these two were exceptional examples. I can’t wait to break into the bottles I brought back!

Nelson Collider from North Park Beer Company in San Diego, CA

Nelson Collider is a part of North Park’s series and focuses in on Nelson with Nelson, Nelson Cryo, and Nelson SubZero Hop Kief. It is a Triple IPA that is far too easy to drink and loaded with flavor.

VSOR Select 2024 from Revolution Brewing in Chicago, IL

Similar to Anchorage, when I see a dark beer from Revolution I know I won’t be disappointed and this unique beer was a great example. RSOJ is a Ryewine blend using hand-selected bourbon and rye barrels making the barrel presence extremely prominent and delicious. Best enjoyed by the riverside fire table after hot tubbing in Alaska, obviously.

Royal Blenheim (2023) from Nebuleus Beer in Portland, OR

Nebuleus is just quietly putting out bangers and I still really don’t understand how the operate, but every time I have a beer from them I love it so I am not asking too many questions! This is a blend of oak barrel aged Saisons refermented on royal blenheim apricots from Polestar Farm.

Citra, Citra, Citra, Citra from Inner Voice Brewing in Decatur, GA

All the Citra for this Triple IPA! This is brewed with Citra Cryo and dry hopped with Citra T-90, Citra Lupomax, Citra Spectrum sauce and Citra Cryo. We love to see it.

Good Look At A Steak collaboration from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY and CLAG Brewing Company in Sandusky, OH

A collab from two of my favs! This Triple IPA is hopped with Simcoe and Nectaron. I cannot wait to get back to CLAG in December to restock, but these stellar collaborations make it easier to get my hands on their delicious beer!

Coconut Bourbon Barrel Temple of Minerva from Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens, OH

A Coconut Stout is generally always going to be tasty, but especially from this incredible spot. Jackie O’s does it again with this Imperial Stout aged for 20 months in Bourbon barrels and conditioned on raw and roasted coconut. Absolutely delightful.

Tarred and Feathered + Yodel: Motueka + Barrel Aged Sky Burial + Melted from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

4 Freak Folk beers you say? Sorry not sorry. Here’s the breakdown:

Tarred and Feathered is a Double IPA brewed with Citra, Peacharine, and Motueka hops. Yodel: Motueka is an Imperial IPA Double Dry-Hopped with all Motueka hops as part of their incredible single hop series. Barrel Aged Sky Burial is an Imperial Stout aged for 15 months in Baker Bourbon barrels, conditioned on cacao, coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla beans. Melted is an Imperial IPA with Nelson, Citra & Galaxy hops. Freak Folk is straight fire and I am so incredibly impressed with everything they do!

Altra Volta: Naranja from Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, CT

This Wild Ale was finished in vino de naranja casks and is a great example of how Fox Farm is able to take super unique beers to the next level.

Nucleate (2025) collaboration beer from HOMES Brewery in Ann Arbor, MI and Southern Grist Brewing Company in Nashville, TN

Nucleate is the festival HOMES puts on each summer, and they do a collaboration beer in celebration as well. This year’s edition is aged in Balcones, Buffalo Trace & Jack Daniels Rye whiskey barrels, then aged on a lot of Madagascar vanilla, coconut cookies & cacao nibs. Sheeeesh this was a goodie and I bummed to have missed the fest & bottle release!

Meow, Meow, Meow from Monkish Brewing Company in Torrance, CA

Meow, Meow, Meow is a triple dry hopped Triple IPA with Citra hops—no surprise from anyone who has read this far that I loved it.

Tumalo Kriek from The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR

Never would I have guessed walking into The Potato in the tiny, remote town of McCarthhy, Alaska that I would be able to enjoy this delicious bottle from The Ale Apothecary. This is a spontaneous Wild Ale aged in oak barrels with cherries and conditioned with honey. Delicious of course, as anything is coming from this Bend brewery, but I think the shock and awe made me love it even more!

Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, CO

A Slow Pour Pils at the source—chef’s kiss.

Freestyle No. 8 from Casey Brewing and Blending in Glenwood Springs, CO

Casey’s Freestyle series blends different beers together, #8 combines dry hopped Funky Blender & Saison with Peacherine. It was my favorite beer (of many) I tried at their taproom and absolutely delicious!

School Night from Westbound & Down in Idaho Springs, CO

Westbound & Down purchased Aspen Brewing, so the tap list was about 50/50 on each brewery’s beers, and I was delighted with this Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout & Barleywine Blend. School Night is a mix of 14- and 18-month-old Imperial Stout and Barleywine aged in Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace, Weller, Austin Nichols and Woodford Reserve barrels. I can’t wait to visit their Denver taproom in just a few short weeks on my next Colorado trip!

Flora (Batch 11 Wax Top) from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

A great Farmhouse Ale from Hill Farmstead? Shocker, I know! This particular beer was initially brewed in Spring 2017 then rested in wine barrels for years. Packed with flavor and taking the Farmhouse game to the next level.

15th Anniversary Blonde Ale: Shaun Hill & Dan Suarez From Hill Farmstead in Collaboration with Suarez Family Brewery in Hudson, NY

This is definitely the first time a Blonde Ale has made my Top Beers Blog, because this collab was perfection. Refreshing, flavorful, and not your every day Blonde Ale.

Quad Dub + The Study of Dying (Collab with Lyric Brewing) from New Image Brewing in Arvada, CO

The Motueka, Motueka Cryo edition of Quad Dub Quadruple Dry Hopped Double IPA reminded me of how much I love New Image Brewing, even if it has been years since I have gotten my hands on anything from them. My visit to their taproom in Wheat Ridge, Colorado was a highlight of my 6 day CO adventure.

On top of their delicious beers, they also partner with Lyric to have some of their beers and collabs available. One of those is The Study of Dying, a blend of Stouts Aged 48 months in Heaven Hill Bourbon and 36 months in Heaven Hill Rye Barrels, then finished with roasted peanuts. More from Lyric below!

Fight ‘Em Off collaboration from Lyric Brewing Company in Denver, RaR Brewing in Cambridge, MD, and New Image Brewing

Fight ‘Em Off is a Hazy Double IPA with Motueka, Motueka Cryo, Motueka Dynaboost and Freestyle Motueka Hop Kief. 3 fantastic IPA breweries, it’s no surprise this was top notch. Excited to try more from them next month!

Forever Tethered To My Own Undoing from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Normally I think beer descriptions are a bit over the top, but when I saw Burial name Ferrero Rocher in the description of this blend of two double-mashed Imperial Stouts, conditioned on a toasted hazelnut and Madagascar Vanilla Bean, I knew that they had nailed it. This tastes exactly like biting into one of those little chocolate-hazelnut-vanilla balls and it is superb.

Never Having Materialized From Magic From Burial Beer in collaboration with Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR

Quadruple IPAs from Burial have been all the rage this year and this Brujos collaboration obviously is no different. This QIPA was whirlpooled with honey and double dry-hopped with Citra, Motueka, Riwaka, and Wakatu before finishing with Motueka Cryo, Citra Incognito, and Citra Hyperboost. Sheesh!

Bitty From Burial Beer in Collaboration with Lesser-Known Beer Co in Winston-Salem, NC

At 3.8% ABV Bitty is the best light beer I’ve ever had. I have no question. A perfect Zwickelbier.

LK Plis from Lesser-KnowN Beer Co

Not to be outdone, Lesser-Known’s German Pilsner is also incredible. I miiiight just be sneaking in another visit in August and can’t wait to get my hands on some more of their delicious Lagers!

Early from Dimensional Brewing Company in Dubuque, IA

Early is a blend of Rye and Bourbon barrel aged stouts aged 15-37 months, then conditioned on coffee, coconut, and vanilla. I had never heard of Dimensional Brewing before this bottle was shared with me, but now I know I have been missing out because this was exceptional.

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

May 2025

May brought visits to Charleston, SC and Asheville, NC for Mosaic and I, along with trying 108 beers along the way.

In no particular order, here were the best beers I had in May:

3 Fonteinen x Hill Farmstead Resonance Blend 1 Collaboration brew from 3 Fonteinen in Beersel, Belgium and Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

This unique brew was created in October 2019 and is a Lambic Gueze Blend. When Salud Beer Shop has a 3 Fonteinen drop, you know there are going to be some real gems and this pour was one of them. A damn near perfect beverage from two great breweries.

Pixel Point collaboration brew from Phase Three Brewing in Lake Zurich, IL and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

Pixel Point is a Hazy IPA with hand-selected Citra hops from Phase Three and Trillium. This was part of a unique worldwide collaboration and release from Phase Three blended their flagship IPA, Pixel, with 3 other breweries flagship IPAs. Check out my PorchDrinking article with a deeper dive into this series here.

BBA Twice As Lonely with Banana (2025) from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

The 2025 banana version of Bourbon Barrel Aged Twice As Lonely is a blend of 19-31 month old Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout conditioned on over 30 pounds per barrel of coconut, over 8 pounds per barrel of cacao nibs and over 10lbs per barrel of Wild Thai Banana. Decadent and delightful!

I used to Be an athlete collaboration beer from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY and Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

I Used To Be An Athlete is an Imperial IPA Double Dry-Hopped with Sabro, Citra, Vic Secret and Simcoe. Any time Burial and Other Half team up I am stoked for the results, and this was a gem as expected. This fan-favorite was recreated for Asheville Beer Week which was a great time to get up to AVL and support their recovery from Hurricane Helene.

Temporalis #0031 + 9 Pieds Sous Terre from Messorem in Montreal, Quebec

Temporalis #0031 is a Triple IPA with Nectaron, Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Citra Incognito hops. 9 Pieds Sous Terre is a Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Citra hops. These are both ridiculously good brews that we are incredibly lucky to be seeing more and more in Charlotte.

Davy’s Axe collaboration brew from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY and Orchestrated Minds Brewing in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Davy’s Axe is a Triple IPA hopped with Citra DynaBoost, Citra Cryo, Citra, Simcoe, Azacca, and Simcoe DynaBoost. This unique hop combination resulted in a deliciously juicy brew. Special shout out to Quadruple Jasper from Fidens as well—this was another killer beer this month that was a Quadruple IPA hopped with all Citra.

The Invocation of Thought-Forms Collaboration Beer from Lesser-Known Beer Co. in Winston-Salem, NC and Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

This incredible collaboration is from arguably the two best breweries in North Carolina. It is an Imperial IPA brewed entirely with Pilsner malt and a little bit of corn sugar. It was whirlpooled with Citra, Strata, Vista and Cascade hops, and then open fermented with WLP001 and then cold conditioned for 2 weeks on more Citra, Strata and Vista. For a brewery who rarely? never? makes IPAs, Lesser-Known stepped out of their comfort zone and knocked this one out the park.

Half Birthdaywine 11.5 from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, nC

Half Birthdaywine 11.5 is a blended Barleywine-style Ale aged in bourbon and brandy barrels. The Birthdaywine series they do is always delicious, this beer impressed me so much that I actually had it on tap twice in 48 hours. Cheers to another decade of Fonta Flora!

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

April 2025

April did not bring many rain showers this year, but it did bring a trip to Richmond, a bottle share, and some killer events and releases at Burial. Of the 94 beers I tried in April, here were the best of the best:

Triple Farmer and Margaret Maggie from Fidens Brewing Company in Albany, NY

Is it a “My Top Beers” blog without a couple of Fidens bangers? Triple Farmer is a Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and Nelson hops that I am sure has been featured on this blog before. Margaret Maggie is a Double IPA with Citra and Cashmere hops. Both of these are fantastic examples of the Fidens haze game and were delicious.

Coconut Diablo Forever from The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA

Coconut Diablo Forever is Double Forever Imperial Milk Stout with toasted coconut. This was an absolute banger and a beer I have thought about multiple times since having it. The Answer’s dark beer game always impresses!

I Don’t Know Me collaboration from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY

I Don’t Know Me is a Triple IPA triple dry hopped with Burial’s hand-selected Mosaic and Simcoe, Indie Hops Strata, Sabro, and Strata CGX Powder. This is part of Burial’s Dream Candy series and another collaboration they rocked out with Other Half.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death Compost Cookie (2024) from Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC

The Compost Cookie edition of BBA Ego Death is a blend of Imperials Stouts aged in Willett Sour Mash Bourbon, Willett Sour Mash Rye, and Yellowstone Kentucky Bourbon barrels for a period of 18-27 months then conditioned on toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs, then further conditioned on butterscotch chips, dark chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels, and graham crackers. It tastes even more ridiculously delicious than it sounds!

The Mania collaboration from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

The Mania is a Triple IPA triple dry hopped with Mosaic and Motueka T90 and Mosaic and Motueka Cryo. Yes, I have in fact had this beer on tap 3 times and have 2 cans in the fridge. Incredible beer from two of the best!

Queen City and From Sandusky With Love from CLAG Brewing Company in Sandusky, OH

Queen City is an Imperial IPA and From Sandusky With Love is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Galaxy and Strata hops. Lucky for me Mekong in Richmond had some stellar CLAG taps on when I was in town, and these two were particularly delicious! Can’t wait to get back to Sandusky this summer and restock on their juicy goodness.

Symbology: Fehu from Conclave Brewing

Fehu from the Symbology series at Conclave is a Triple IPA that is bursting with flavor. Every beer I’ve ever had from Conclave has been super impressive—I need to get up to visit their taproom and try even more!

Barrel-Aged Chocolate Covered Nut Brittle from Trillium Brewing Company in Boston, MA

This beer is an Imperial Stout with roasted peanuts, cacoa nibs, vanilla and milk sugar. While Trillium is known for their Hazy IPAs and even their Sours, the Stout game quietly is crushing it as well.

Deth’s Tar (2024) from Revolution Brewing in Chicago, IL

Deth’s Tar is an Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in borbon-soaked American oak barrels. This is part of Revolution’s Deep Wood Series that is always incredible. I was stoked to get my hands on these cans while up in Michigan!

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

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Tips:

• Bring cash! I was surprised to see in 2025 how often I needed cash on the island, so be sure to come prepared.

• Bring a water bottle with a filter or only drink bottled water. Though PR is part of the US there is a lot of concerns with drinking water not being safe, so take the extra step to keep yourself healthy.

• Rent a car to explore more—just do not do so from Sixt. Their rental facility is off the airport property with an incredibly slow shuttle, scammy workers, and just overall a very mediocre experience provided.

  • When driving prepare for narrow lanes, merging roads, and tolls—but you can avoid these with your map settings.

San Juan Area

• Ocean Lab Brewing Co: This brewery has two locations, with the main one being right near the airport on the beach. This location is incredible. There is a pool, beach, stage for shows, full restaurant, and incredible oceanfront views. The beer is pretty tasty and they also offer cocktails. Parking here is in a paid lot.

• Pinky’s: A delicious sandwich shop with two locations. Highly recommend!

Old San Juan 

This historic area is full of colorful buildings on hilly roads with touristy, party vibes while still being cute. Do not try to drive around Old San Juan—it is small enough to explore by foot and traffic + parking is not fun.

• Bop around San Sebastián Street: This is a popular area with a ton of bars and restaurants.

  • La Taberna Lupulo: A famed beer bar with 46 taps and a small food menu as well.

  • La Factoria: A famous cocktail bar that is quite popular and has great vibes. The drinks are quite tasty though expensive.

  • La Tortuga Bistro Bar: Another solid option with good food and cocktails.

• Do a walking tour of the historic sites throughout this area. I used the GPS My City app to hit all of the main points.

• San Juan National Historic Site: This includes El Castillo de San Felipe del Morro, Castillo San Cristobal, and technically the city walls themselves. It is $10 to enter without a national park pass.

• Puerta de San Juan: The historic gate to enter the city. Also when you go through the gate there is a little trail along the wall—Paseo del Morro.

• Bar Catedral Rooftop: A cool rooftop bar next to the cathedral (in case those facts were not clear from the name). Great spot for sunset!

• La Ó: A fun spot for appetizers, pasta, pizza, and cocktails.

• I stayed at this Airbnb that was simple but affordable and in a perfect location.

• Cervecería del Callejón: An average brewery with a small tap list.

• Café Cuatro Sombras: A cute coffee shop with a nice little back patio space.

• Museo de las Americas: An art museum that has numerous exhibits, most of which were closed when I visited unfortunately. Entrance is $6 and there are some neat, informative things to check out.

• The Mezzanine: A rooftop bar with tapas, cocktails and wine.

El Yunque + Eastern Puerto Rico

• El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the national park system! With that said, even on a clear day expect some rain because it is a rainforest so be sure to come prepared.

  • Take a peek at La Coca Waterfall on your drive up from the road on your right.

• Big Loop Trail: This route hits all of the main points in the park—Los Picachos, El Yunque, and Mount Britton. It is 7 miles long with 2,440ft of elevation gain and takes just under 4 hours to complete. The trail is very rocky until the Mount Britton area then it is paved and has a lot more folks on it, as most people only go up to Mount Britton, an old historic tower. The most challenging part was a scramble up to the top of El Yunque, but the views are really great from here—make sure to go all the way up to your right when you finish the climb.

• After your hike head to the town of Fajardo for lunch or dinner!

  • Rustica is a stellar spot with Brooklyn-style pizza and cocktails—all of which is delicious. The vibes are great as well and everything is well-priced.

  • If you are more of a barbeque person, La Estacion is very popular.

• Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve: The La Zanja Trail here is a bit misleading, but I would recommend just checking out Balneario Seven Seas and walking the beach with the mangroves.

Vieques

Vieques is a gorgeous little island off the east coast of the main island. You can easily explore the whole island in a day, but most folks stay a few days to truly relax and unwind. The island has a lot less development than other islands because the Navy previously operated there. There are no stoplights on the island, tiny roads, and extremely laid back chill vibes.

Vieques is reachable via plane or ferry. The ferry is quite easy and cheap, just book your tickets in advance here. The only downside to the ferry is the parking—it is a 10 minute walk away from the port with all of your luggage + the parking is extremely expensive—about 10 times more expensive than the ferry tickets themselves.

You can get by without a car on the island, but if you’re wanting to explore some of the more isolated beaches you’ll want a 4WD high clearance vehicle to navigate the rough roads. I rented a Jeep from Maritza Car Rental which has a convenient shuttle to and from the ferry, but the rental itself was pretty crappy with no functioning AC and a torn up interior.

I stayed at this Airbnb which is small but nice, and has a little outdoor area. It is a quick walk to everything in Esperanza which was great! This spot is very affordable, but in general Vieques is a bit pricey, especially in comparison to the rest of Puerto Rico.

• Go on a bioluminescent kayak tour! Vieques is home to the brightest bio bay in the world and this is a very unique experience. I went with The Pirate Bio Bay Tours and didn’t love them, but still enjoyed the experience. I would recommend trying a different company—a friend went with JAK Water Sports and loved it!

• Playa La Chiva in Vieques National Wildlife Refuge: Beautiful isolated beaches with wild horses. Drive towards the end of the park for less seaweed and people.

• Kristy’s on the Caribe: An absolutely delicious spot for breakfast and brunch. The coffee and food is tasty and the chill beach vibes are immaculate.

• Mango Taphouse and Gastropub: A nice little beer bar and restaurant on the cliffside.

• Esperanza Beach and the boardwalk area is super nice.

• Balneario Sun Bay: Another nice beach option with pretty views, fee required to enter.

  • Playa Media Luna is over here too

• Parque de la Ceiba de Vieques Reserva Natural: A historic old, massive tree to stop by.

• Playa Negra: A nice black sand beach that is a 10 min walk from the parking area on road.

• Crab Island Distillery is located on the island and has good reviews, but their hours are limited.

• Duffy’s in Esperanza also looked fun but has limited hours.

• Skip Lazy Jack’s—a chill bar with a food and ocean views, but they were out of more than half the food menu when I visited and the frozen cocktail was not good.

• Skip D’Frozz Coffee: I paid $7 for an iced latte where she took the coffeepot on the counter and poured it into a cup with ice and said bye.

Central Puerto Rico:

• San Cristobal Canyon Trail: This trail is 3.25 miles long and AllTrails claims it was 1,000ft of elevation gain but it certainly did not seem that steep. It takes just over an hour to complete this out and back route from the parking area to the overlook. There area beautiful, sweeping views throughout and the waterfall at the end is gorgeous. It is a very exposed trail so be prepared for sun, and after rain it can be very muddy.

• The Guavate area is best known for being a “pork highway” so there are tons of restaurants on the side of the road in the mountains—though most are only open on the weekends.

  • AlaVera Bar & Kitchen: A tasty restaurant with an expansive mojito selection, pretty views, and incredible mofongo.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was incredible. The views are stunning and the hot tub on the cliffside is super neat. There needed to be a little bit of upkeep (back door was broken, outdoor fire table was broken) but overall it was a super cool stay. It is listed as a tiny home but it is not at all tiny.

• Mirador La Plata: A cool lookout off the road.

• Casa Mya: A nice café in the small town of Aibonito with fresh, delicious eats.

Ponce area:

• El Salto Collores Waterfall: This is a super cool little waterfall and swimming hole about 30 minutes north of Ponce. It is located on private property so you’ll pay the owner $10 (in cash) for access. This also includes bathrooms and some tables and chairs. The water is super clean and pretty with a ton of fish, and you can climb up to the top for more river access. When I visited I was lucky enough to have it all to myself, but I would imagine it gets rowdy on the weekends in the summer.

• Nispero: A nice wine/cocktail bar with a full food menu as well. Their back patio space is lovely. 

• King’s Cream: A delicious spot for ice cream in the main square—they also have a few other locations on the island!

• Parque de Bombas: A small firefighter museum in the main square with a beautiful building.

• Museo Castillo Serrallés: A historic castle home to the Don Q distillery and Cruceta del Vigia as well. The hours are limited unfortunately but it is worth checking out

• La Guancha Boardwalk: A popular area on the weekends with stalls of food and drinks.

Southwest Puerto Rico:

• Cabo Rojo Lighthouse Trail in Bosque Estatal de Boqueron: This trail is 2.5 miles long and mostly flat. The start is a bit stinky through a marshy area, but then you get out to the rockier lighthouse area. The backside of the trail along the cliffs is quite neat, with a natural bridge and beautiful views, especially at sunset. The rest of the trail is a bit meh, so I would recommend just cutting out and back on the main straightaway. This area is also popular for beachgoers.

• Parque Nacional Balneario Boquerón: A nice chill beach with walking trails and amenities. It is $5 to enter with a vehicle or you can park on road and walk in.

• I stayed at this Airbnb in a shipping container that was incredibly nice. The outside area is incredible and there are thoughtful touches throughout. It is also super cheap! 

February and March 2025

February and March were jam-packed months for me with the height of college basketball season, Queen City Brewers Festival, Brewsology, 3 bottle shares, and trips to Puerto Rico, Greer, and Wilmington for Feast! Over the course of all of those adventures I tried 189 beers in February and March, and here were the best of the best:

Lunar Handshake from Lesser-Known Beer Co in Winston-Salem, NC

Lunar Handshake is a Czech-inspired Dark Lager open fermented and conditioned for five weeks. A visit to Lesser-Known is always full of stellar beers, and Lunar Handshake certainly blew me away.

Yodel: Riwaka; Primordia 3; Signet: Gin from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

In January’s top beers post I said I couldn’t wait to see what came next in Freak Folk’s new single hop Yodel series, and the next version absolutely lived up to the hype! Yodel: Riwaka is a double dry-hopped double IPA with all Riwaka hops. Primordia 3 is an ale fermented in oak puncheons with mixed culture that was brewed in January 2021. Signet: Gin is a mixed culture bier aged for 18 months in Tom Cat gin barrels and conditioned on marigolds. Freak Folk continues to absolutely crush it!

Bring the Ruckley (2024) from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, MI

Bring the Ruckley is an Imperial Stout aged in Eastern Kille Rye Whiskey barrels with vanilla, Tugboat coffee and Michigan maple syrup. Transient is a fantastic brewery for Stout lovers and continues to impress.

Abiding Cycles from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA

Abiding Cycles is a barrel aged Saison with fresh pressed pear juice. If you’ve been around here for a while you know I love a pear Saison, so it was no surprise that this SARA brew was absolutely phenomenal!

Nelson Sauvin Cutting Tiles from Trillium Brewing Company in Boston, MA

The Cutting Tiles series from Trillium has definitely made my top beer lists before, and when Pop The Top had this new Nelson Sauvin version on tap I knew I needed to try it! This is a Double IPA with raw wildflower honey.

Brew 6000 (2022) from Fremont Brewing in Seattle, WA

Brew 6000 is an English-Style Barleywine Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels. Fremont used to be all the hype in the dark beer game, but you haven’t heard much excitement around them as of late. Brew 6000 was a good reminder of just how fantastic their beers can be.

Amburana and Vanilla Bourbon Barrel Temple of Minerva from Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens, OH

This brew is an Imperial Stout aged for 20 months in bourbon barrels and conditioned on Amburana wood and vanilla beans. I wasn’t quite sure what to make out of a beer with Amburana wood but of course Jackie O’s created another banger. This was a remarkable brew and I can’t wait to try my coconut version of it!

Ammo Can: Double Coconut and February Drill Double Barrel Maple Leaf 2025 from Forgotten Road Ales in Graham, NC

Ammo Can: Double Coconut is an Imperial Stout loaded with delicious coconut. February Drill Down Barrel Maple Leaf 2025 is a Barleywine-style Ale aged 25 months in 15 year old bourbon barrels then aged and additional 4 months in American single malt barrels with maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. I enjoyed both of these delicious beers at the Brewsology festival and look forward to my next visit up to FRA!

Triple Rose from Fidens Brewing Company in Albany, NY

Triple Rose is a Triple IPA with Citra and Galaxy hops. A delicious Fidens Triple? Color me shocked.

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