Charlotte Brewery Guide

Charlotte, North Carolina has an exploding beer scene. The first brewery opened their doors in 2009 and since then it just continues to grow. Popular breweries from around the country are choosing to put taprooms in CLT because they know the demand is here.

With so many breweries to choose from it can be tough to know where to go for a high quality beer. The focus here is to solve that, and rank every brewery in town, so you know where to go for the best beer in Charlotte.

This list includes every brewery in Charlotte-proper, also known as every brewery inside the Interstate 485 loop. There are also tons of great breweries in the Charlotte suburbs—check out my guide here!

I will add a disclaimer: I am a beer snob and I love (almost) every brewery in Charlotte, so I don’t create this blog to put anyone down, but rather to be a guide to help others enjoy fantastic beers!

In ranking order, here is the Charlotte beer guide:

Burial Beer Co.

Coming in at the number one spot is Burial, arguably the best brewery in the state and one of the best in the Southeast. They are based out of Asheville and opened their Charlotte taproom in June 2022. Burial makes some of the most consistently fantastic beers—you can order in confidence knowing that your brew is going to be delightful each and every time. Their Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Stouts, and Lagers are what they do best.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood

Resident Culture Brewing Company

Resident Culture has been crushing the CLT beer game since 2017 and they expanded their reach with the addition of their South End taproom in 2022. Their flagship IPA Lightning Drops is always a best seller. Hazy IPAs, Stouts, and Lagers are what they do best!

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood and South End

HopFly Brewing

HopFly opened their Charlotte brewery and taproom in February 2022 after years of success in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. On top of their killer space, their beers are superb. It’s a difficult decision on what to order when you’re at their taproom because you know each beer is going to be great. Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Sours, and Lagers are what they do best.

Neighborhood: South End

Fonta Flora Brewery

Fonta Flora is known as one of the OG North Carolina breweries slinging Appalachian Wild Ales out of their tiny Morganton taproom. They opened at Optimist Hall in February 2020 and continue to make fantastic beers. Their Wild Ales and Lagers are what they do best, but they’ve also recently perfected the Hazy IPA game.

Neighborhood: Optimist Park

Edge City Brewing

Edge City is not in your typical brewery neighborhood so it is easy to overlook this fantastic spot, but that would be a mistake. They opened in the heart of the pandemic and have been making delicious beers since day one. Their Sours and IPAs are what they do best, but everything they make is great!

Neighborhood: MoRa

DivinE Barrel Brewing

Divine Barrel focuses more on West Coast IPAs and Lagers than most breweries in CLT and they are always superb. They also make great dark beers like Stouts, Porters, and Barleywines. Their taproom is just past the main buzz of the NoDa neighborhood but absolutely worth the extra steps.

Neighborhood: NoDa

Petty Thieves Brewing Company

Petty Thieves is an eclectic spot near Camp North End that also tends to fly under the radar. They make a wide variety of beers that are more unique than your typical tap list. Their Saisons, Sours and Lagers are what they do best!

Neighborhood: North End

Monday Night Brewing

Atlanta-based Monday Night Brewing expanded to Charlotte in 2023. Their Garden Co. space has a sprawling outdoor area, killer pizzas, and tasty cocktails alongside their line up of beers. Their tap list always has a wide variety of beers available.

Neighborhood: South End

Devil’s Logic Brewing

Devil’s Logic has a great rooftop patio with an unbeatable skyline view and you can enjoy that view with a delicious brew. Their tap list always has a wide variety of beers available. Hazy IPAs and Sours are what they do best!

Neighborhood: Midtown

Heist Brewery

Heist first opened back in 2012 as the only brewpub in town. Their releases used to be the type beer nerds would line up for, but new breweries in CLT have raised the bar. Their flagship Citraquench’l is what they are best known for, but in general the excel with Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, and Sours.

Neighborhood: NoDa and North End

Suffolk Punch Brewing

Suffolk Punch has really grown their beer quality recently. They have become more than just a fun bar and restaurant, but now a great brewery as well! Lagers, Sours and Hazy IPAs are what they do best.

Neighborhood: South End and SouthPark

Free Range Brewing

Free Range normally has one of the most unique tap lists in town. They love to make beers that are unusual but tasty. You’ll probably encounter a style you’ve never heard of before, and that is definitely the beer you should order. Saisons and Wild Ales are what they do best.

Neighborhood: Villa Heights and Camp North End

Triple C Brewing Company

Triple C has been a consistent mainstay in the CLT beer scene since they opened in 2012. Their beers tend to be more approachable and less focused on the latest beer trends. Porters and Stouts are what they do best!

Neighborhood: South End

Alongside Brewing

Alongside is the Charlotte taproom of Cornelius-based Ass Clown Brewing. The serve up Ass Clown beers and a full cocktail menu in their cozy, dog-friendly space. The beers are solid all around, but their Stouts are what they do best.

Neighborhood: South End

Salud Cerveceria

Salud is best known for their beer shop downstairs, but the brewery upstairs is also a gem. Their Dairlynerweisse Sour series is absolutely phenomenal and they also make great Lagers. Snag a Del Patio ashtray style and live your best life.

Neighborhood: NoDa

Wooden Robot Brewery

Wooden Robot opened their doors into 2015 and took Charlotte by storm with their Blonde Coffee Ale Good Morning Vietnam. They make a wide variety of styles and tend to stick to things that are easy drinking for the masses that visit their taprooms.

Neighborhood: South End and NoDa

Pilot Brewing

Pilot focuses more on the classic and Belgian beer styles than most CLT breweries. Expect to see a Dubbel on the tap list alongside a Brown Ale. This is the type of spot where a flight is recommended so you can try a variety of their brews.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood

Panzu Brewery

Panzú is a Caribbean brewery with solid beers and Hazys are what they do best. Their beer menu is a little simple but it works. They also have a tapas-focused food menu, a front patio, cocktails, and frequent specials.

Neighborhood: Mint Hill

Lower Left Brewing Company

Lower Left is one of Charlotte’s smallest breweries quietly putting out solid brews. Their Hazy IPAs are always tasty and their taproom exudes chill vibes only.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Legion Brewing

Ranking Legion number 18 in a city that runs on their flagship Juicy Jay is probably not going to go over super well, but here we are. Legion has 4 locations across the city where the atmosphere and delicious food keep bringing people back for more. Despite popular opinion around Juicy Jay, an IPA, Berliner Weisses and Lagers are what they do best here.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, SouthPark, Wesley Heights, South End (Trolley Barn)

Hippin Hops Brewstillery

Atlanta-based Hippin Hops Brewery opened two locations in Charlotte: They have Another Brewery in Villa Heights that strives to be a neighborhood bar with their own beers on tap alongside a small food menu. Hippin Hops Brewstillery is located in Uptown with their beers, cocktails, and hookah.

Neighborhood: Uptown and Villa Heights

Town Brewing

Town typically has a pretty standard tap list with solid beers. Broken Tarted, a Sour, is their best seller alongside several Hazy IPAs.

Neighborhood: Wesley Heights

NoDa Brewing Company

NoDa is one of Charlotte’s oldest and largest breweries. They opened in 2011 and their distribution in particular has grown wildly. Their West Coast IPAs and seasonal/holiday beers are always a good choice.

Neighborhood: NoDa and Villa Heights

Protagonist

Protagonist tends to have a pretty consistent menu of their mainstay beers but their special releases and collaborations are what they do best. They started on a tiny brew system in their original NoDa taproom (since closed) and then grew massively with their LoSo space that opened in 2020.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Lost Worlds Brewing

Lost World Brewing opened their CLT taproom in Metropolitan in spring 2024. Their original location is near Lake Norman in Cornelius. They have an adventure theme with solid beers. The also serve cocktails.

Neighborhood: Midtown

Hi-Wire Brewing

Asheville based Hi-Wire Brewing opened their colorful Charlotte taproom in July 2022. Their 10W-40 Stout series with rotating unique ingredients is always fun to try, but if Stouts aren’t your style they’ve always got a variety of beers on tap.

Neighborhood: South End

Lenny Boy Brewing Company

Lenny Boy is best known for their kombucha you can find across the city, but their beers are also solid. Their Sour program is well developed and they always have a beer on tap for any palate.

Neighborhood: South End

Armored Cow Brewing Company

Armored Cow is the only brewery in the University area of Charlotte. They specialize in gluten free beers and always have a good variety of beers available. Their Hazy IPAs and Stouts are what they do best!

Neighborhood: University

Birdsong Brewing Company

Birdsong is a great spot to sit outside on their patio and have a nice, easy-drinking beer. They tend to generally make lower ABV beers and their flagships are CLT classics.

Neighborhood: Belmont

Vaulted Oak Brewing

This brewery is housed in a converted bank and joined the scene in 2021. Their goal is approachable beers for any palate, and their tap list reflects that. Their West Coast IPAs and Sours are what they do best!

Neighborhood: MoRa

Frothy Beard Brewing

Frothy Beard comes out of Charleston, SC. Their taproom is full of games and they have cocktails and pizza to go with their beer selection.

Neighborhood: South End

Sycamore Brewing

Oh Sycamore. A Charlotte mainstay that opened their doors in 2014 that has since transformed into an incredibly popular spot in South End. Their flagship IPA, Mountain Candy, is wildly popular and they tend to focus on the haze craze.

Neighborhood: South End

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Olde Meck is Charlotte’s oldest brewery—they opened in 2009 and paved the way for craft beer in Charlotte. They are a German-style brewery and beer garden so you’ll find classic German beers on tap.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Sugar Creek Brewing Company

Sugar Creek opened their doors in 2014. They focus on Belgian-style beers and more classic-style brews, but you’ll still find some of the trendier beers on their tap list.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Brewers at 4001 Yancey

This taproom is home to Southern Tier Brewing Company & Distilling, Sixpoint Brewery, Victory Brewing Company and Bold Rock Hard Cider. Due to having 3 breweries, a cidery and a distillery under one roof there is always something for everyone here. The beers from these breweries all tend to be pretty standard, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the ones brewed in Charlotte and try one of those small batches out.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Southern Strain Brewing

Concord, NC based Southern Strain opened a taproom in Plaza Midwood in 2022. Their beers are pretty standard but they do occasionally make fun one-offs that are quite unique!

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood

Gilde

Gilde is a large German brewery with standard German beers. Expect to always see a Hefeweizen, Shandy, German Pilsner and Red Ale on tap. They were established in 1546 in Germany and opened in LoSo CLT in 2022.

Neighborhood: LoSo

*To note—some folks will refer to LaBARatory in the Urban District Market as a brewery—it is not. They are a soju distillery. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

Colorado Beer and Travel Guide

colorado is a gorgeous state with amazing SCENERY and some of the best breweries in the countrY!

Check out my recommendations for Denver, Frisco, and Boulder:

Colorado Tips: 

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

Denver Top Recommendations:

  • Cerebral Brewing: Quite possibly my favorite stop—Cerebral has a killer tap list with juicy IPAs, thicc Stouts, and great vibes!

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

  • 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

Union Station Denver

Denver Top Recommendations CONTINUED:

  • TRVE Brewing Co.: A dark taproom filled with metal music specializing in Sour and Farmhouse Ales.

  • District Denver: A fantastic spot for brunch with $15 mix and match bottomless drinks, delicious food, and a cute patio.

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

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

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

    • I would definitely recommend hiking in the park! We did a 4.3 mile trail that had diverse landscape and wasn’t too challenging.

  • New Image Brewing: In the suburb of Arvada, New Image has a small food menu, outdoor patio, and great IPAs!

  • Onefold: Fancy breakfast burritos for the win! They’ve also got super delicious coffee at this little cafe.

  • Burns Family Artisan Ales: A quaint brewery with big beers and homey vibes. This is not your standard brewery, they have super unique beers!

Cabin Creek Brewing

More Ideas for Denver:

Our Mutual Friend Brewing

Frisco:

Frisco is just over an hour from Denver and definitely worth an adventure to!

  • Hike! The Frisco area is absolutely gorgeous. We did a moderate 3.4 mile hike to a small lake that was right near downtown and had amazing views!

  • Outer Range Brewing Co.: An absolutely amazing brewery with killer IPAs. The brewery has amazing mountain views from the taproom as well. There’s also a coffee shop and a “Thai-ish” fried chicken restaurant in the building.

  • Cabin Creek Brewing: Located in Georgetown, Cabin Creek is the perfect stop on your way back to Denver. It is right off of I-70 making it super convenient! Cabin Creek has a full food menu with delicious pizzas and is located right on the lake surrounded by mountains!

Frisco, Colorado

Frisco, Colorado

Boulder:

Boulder is only about 30 minutes outside of Denver and well worth a visit! 

  • Boulder is definitely a college town so be aware of football games and other big events that could hinder your transportation/plans

  • Avery Brewing: Great beers in a large facility. An extensive tap list.

  • Mountain Sun Brewing: They have a cute little outdoor space and delicious food! 

  • West Flanders Brewing: Super friendly bartenders, lively atmosphere right off the main strip of town

  • Boulder Beer Co.: They closed their taproom, but look for their beers on tap around town. The Nitro Chocolate Porter is delicious!

Philadelphia Beer and Travel Guide

In West Philadelphia born and raised [in the brewery] is where I spend most of my days! Philly is awesome. Go.

Philly Tips: 

  • Philly is a really cool city with lots of distinct neighborhoods to explore!

  • There are a ton of breweries! Plan ahead!

  • Be mindful of the weather when planning your trip, it can get super cold and snowy so I suggest visiting in the warmer months!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Crime and Punishment Brewing: Located in the Brewerytown neighborhood (perfect fit, I know), this brewery is the best in Philly. Their beers are fantastic. It’s a tight space on busy days (I legit had to stand against a wall) but it’s worth it. They’ve got a small food menu with some amazing perogies if you’re hungry as well! Future Phantom, a sour ale with blackberries, vanilla, and rosemary was my favorite beer here. Their famed Space Race IPA is good but a little too mango-y for me.

  • Fermentery Form: Brave the creepy alley you have to walk down to get here for the delicious beers! I am forewarning you that it is literally an alley with no sign for the brewery, just go with it!

  • Evil Genius Brewing: Hilarious beer names, a cute outdoor space, and fun vibes. They’ve got a small food menu to keep you satisfied

    • This is located in the Fish Town neighborhood that has good vibes and lots of fun places to walk to!

  • Chestnut Street Bagels: Small little spot with delicious bagels!

    • Walk a few blocks to Dilworth Park to eat your bagel and soak in the buzz of the city!

  • Monks Cafe: A Belgian beer bar with some amazing beers on tap, when I visited they had Cantillon and Russian River on tap which was a real treat!

  • Love City Brewing: Cute brewery with industrial vibes and rotating food trucks that pull inside through the back door. Highly recommend the Suspect Device Tripel!

  • Passero’s Coffee: Great coffee shop in downtown Philly. The staff is super friendly and I am still dreaming of the lavender honey latte I had

  • Urban Village Brewing: I expected to not be very impressed with Urban Village’s beer because of the brewpub vibes, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, a trendy area worth wandering around, and they were cranking out some delicious stuff. They’ve got cool flight boards made from used barrel that let you sample every beer on the menu, a cute outdoor space, a solid food menu, and great happy hour pricing!

  • Second District Brewing: A little bit of a pretentious vibe, but worth it. They’ve got a small food menu (again with amazing pierogies—who knew Philly was the pierogi hot spot?!)

Evil Genius Beer Company

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • The Rocky Steps: You gotta run up ‘em!

  • Philly Magic Gardens: Artsy space, $10 entrance fee

  • Love Sign: Duh, it’s a must! There are actually a few scattered throughout the city, the main one is in JFK Plaza near City Hall

Other Ideas:

  • Yards Brewing Co.: A huge space for this commercialized brewery. Average beers, full food menu

  • Philadelphia Brewing Company: Basic beers that weren’t too impressive, but their Peacock Room is a cozy little spot to play games next to the fire

  • Bluestone Lane Coffee: A cute coffee shop in the city center

  • Saint Benjamin’s Brewery: Very brewpub vibes but also grungy at the same time. They’ve got a full food menu with some delicious options like mac and cheese egg rolls

  • Mainstay Brewing: New to the scene, this brewery is not quite established yet, with a ‘shanty-esque’ vibe, plastic cups, and construction still wrapping up. The beer was solid though so I would expect it’ll be a cool spot in the future!

  • Federal Donuts: Hot, fresh, and delicious donuts!

  • Roy Pitz Barrel House: An artsy brewpub with brunch on the weekends and specializing in barrel aged beers. They have a large sour list with lots of good options!

  • Brewery ARS: Located in Southern Philly, this small spot is doing good stuff!

  • Bar Hygge/Brewery Techne: This spot is definitely more of a restaurant, but they do make their own beer. It’s a cute, cozy spot with 7 of their own beers on draft. They’ve also got cocktails and wine, and a full food menu. I’d recommend getting a board to kick things off!

  • 2nd Story Brewing: Brewpub vibes, average beer. Skip the “pretzels” with beer cheese fondue, they are straight up not pretzels.

Washington D.C. Beer and Travel Guide

Washington D.c. is a historic city full of Distinct neighborhoods to explore

​D.C. Tips: 

  • Traffic is truly the worst, avoid driving if you can. Rent bikes through the Capital Bikeshare program, use the Metro, or walk. Parking costs quite a bit nearly everywhere, so having a car is a bit of a nuisance.

  • D.C. is obviously a very political city so expect to see protests, delays due to events, and more. Everything in general here tends to be quite crowded.

  • A couple of days is plenty of time to see most of the city but the suburbs of D.C. are extensive, so there is also a lot to explore surrounding the area as well. Baltimore is also just an hour north for another city to adventure in, check out my Baltimore guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • ChurchKey: A great beer bar with chill vibes and a fantastic beer selection. They also have a small food menu. Unfortunately the service we experienced here was truly atrocious, but the beers made it worth it.

  • Sovereign: A Belgian restaurant and beer bar with a killer beer selection and cool vibes. It is located down the alley, so don’t miss it!

  • Other Half Brewing: The DC taproom for this NYC-based brewery is in an industrial space with fantastic beers. They have a nice outdoor space and chill vibes.

  • Pearl’s Bagels: A delicious spot for bagels. They are quite popular so expect a short wait, but it is worth it.

    • Compass Coffee is next door if you’d like something more than the basic coffee menu at Pearl’s to accompany your bagel.

  • Bluejacket Brewery: A solid brewery in the Navy Yard area of DC with a nice patio. They are mostly IPA and Lager focused and they also have a full food menu with brunch on the weekends. Parking in this area can be a challenge.

  • Aslin Beer Company: A popular brewery with a large outdoor space. Aslin has three taprooms—DC, Alexandria, VA and Henrico, VA.

  • Dacha Beer Garden: A cute little beer garden with mainly German and local beers on tap. They also have a small food menu, Happy Hour and frequent events. Visit them at their Shaw or Navy Yard locations.

Pearl’s Bagels

Explore the Metropolitan Beer Trail!

This is DC’s first ale trail and links 7 bars and breweries along the Metropolitan Branch Trail. You can bike along the trail between the various locations or walk between some as well. Download the free digital passport and check in at each location to receive a free t-shirt!

  • Wunder Garten: A large beer garden and event space with an extremely nice outdoor area. They have a large draft list, cocktails and wine. They also have a couple of food partners if you are hungry. The Happy Hour specials are great!

  • Metrobar: A very unique bar with an old metro car. They have fun vibes, DJs and food trucks. The drink selection includes draft beers, canned beers and cocktails. The team here is also super nice!

    • Metrobar is a great spot to try Urban Garden Brewing—a black, Latin, woman owned brewery that does not have a taproom but makes great beer.

  • Right Proper Brewing Company: A neighborhood brewery with board games, frequent live music, and chill vibes. They have two locations, the Brookland Production House and Shaw Brewpub and Kitchen.

  • Red Bear Brewing Company: An average brewery with a full food menu that includes brunch. They have a small patio and are located in an artsy area.

  • The Eleanor: This is a bar, grill and bowling lounge with a full food menu including brunch, happy hour, a large beer list and an extensive cocktail list. They have pin ball, bowling and a couple other games. The parking here is in a paid garage under the building.

  • The Dew Drop Inn: A beer and cocktail dive bar with daily food trucks. They also do beer cocktails combining local beers with liquors into delicious creations.

  • City-State Brewing Company: A brewery with a small tap list of below average beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating and some games.

National Museum of American History

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Explore the National Mall: This area is home to the Lincoln Memorial, the Tidal Basin, Washington Monument, Smithsonian Museums, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Memorial, the White House, the Capitol, World War II Memorial, and more! You can start at one end (the Capitol or Lincoln Memorial) and wander throughout the area. It does get a bit crowded at the popular stops so go early or later in the day for less people around.

  • Visit a Smithsonian Museum:

    • National Museum of African American History and Culture: This Smithsonian requires free advance ticket reservations that go very quickly so be sure to plan ahead! The museum is massive and full of history, pop-culture and more.

    • National Museum of American History: This Smithsonian is focused on innovation, democracy and history.

    • National Air and Space Museum: This Smithsonian has been going through renovations for several years to expand their galleries. They are focused on the history and modern inventions around space exploration and flying. Entry requires free advance ticket reservations.

    • National Museum of Natural History: This Smithsonian is focused on the origination of the earth with exhibits around fossils, animals, mummies, gems, geology, and more.

Metrobar

Other ideas:​​​

  • The Bruery: This California-based brewery has a small taproom and bottle shop in DC. They have limited hours though so be sure to plan ahead if you’d like to visit.

  • Pizzeria Paradiso: A delicious spot for pizza with a solid craft beer selection.

  • Matchbox: A restaurant with 3 locations in the DC area offering brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks. The Penn Quarter spot is near the National Mall with well-priced food and drink.

  • Gregory’s Coffee: A local chain coffee shop with a small food menu and tasty coffee.  

Baltimore Beer and Travel Guide

Baltimore is a gritty city on the harbor with some nice neighborhoods to explore

Charm City Tips: 

  • Baltimore gets a relatively bad rap—if you’re planning a trip here plan to hear the phrase “be safe!” at least 100 times. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point, but I always travel very aware and make smart decisions, so just be conscious of your surroundings.

  • As a heads up most of the breweries in Baltimore don’t open until pretty late in the afternoon, unlike other cities where some open as early as 11am or 12pm.

  • Check out my guide to neighboring Washington DC here and my guide to the nearby Delmarva Peninsula here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Sapwood Cellars: A stellar brewery in Columbia, a suburb just southwest of Baltimore about 20 minutes from downtown. They are located in an industrial park but have a nice taproom and new patio. They have a great variety of beers and everything they make is extremely good. Highly recommend!

  • The Local Oyster: A fantastic restaurant with two locations—Locust Point and Mount Vernon. The oysters and beverages are superb and the folks are incredibly nice. Highly recommend.

  • Crooked Crab Brewing Company: A great brewery just south of downtown in the suburb of Odenton. They are located in an industrial park and have only indoor seating along with a pizza menu. IPAs are what they do the most and what they do best.

  • Pariah Brewing Company: My favorite brewery in Baltimore proper—the beers here are great and the team is incredibly nice. Overall great vibes. They also have a nice patio space and frequent food trucks.

  • Sam’s Bagels: Tasty bagels and nice folks—in the heart of the Federal Hill neighborhood.

  • Wet City Brewing: A great brewery located downtown. Their Sours and IPAs are delicious, they have a food menu, and they have great vibes.

  • Checkerspot Brewing Company: A nice brewery near the stadiums. They have a small food menu and patio space. IPAs are what they do best here!

  • Peabody Heights Brewery: A solid brewery with a large taproom and patio. They have a full room dedicated to arcade games here.

The Local Oyster

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

  • Federal Hill Park: A lovely park with great views of the skyline and harbor. 

  • Walk the Harbor for water views, there is a park along the water.

  • Cross Street Market: A nice food hall with a variety of vendors. Located in the Federal Hill neighborhood.

  • Wander the Federal Hill neighborhood—this area is full of bars, restaurants, shops, coffee and more.

Pariah Brewing

Other Ideas:

  • Pure Raw Juice: They have several locations in the Baltimore area for juice, acai and smoothies. Delicious but expensive.

  • Diamondback Brewing: An urban brewery with indoor and outdoor seating and average beers. The beer selection is limited and the pizza is not great.

  • Morning Mugs: An average coffee shop, but they are super dog friendly!

  • Skip Nepenthe Brewing Company: I had a truly horrible experience here and they reached out to apologize but I can’t imagine ever supporting such a business.

Wheatland Spring

The Surrounding ARea:

  • Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery: This is a stellar brewery in Waterford, VA set on a farm. They have a small and delicious food menu, insanely fantastic vibes, and great beers. Highly recommend!

  • Idiom Brewing: A solid brewery in Frederick, MD with a large taproom and a back patio. They have a nice team and are dog-friendly inside and out. They also have frequent food trucks and live music.

  • Adroit Theory: This brewery is in Purcellville, Virginia, but if you happen to be anywhere nearby it’s a great stop! Their beers are absolutely delicious, particularly their IPAs and Sours. They have indoor and outdoor seating and slushies in the summer.

  • Bear Chase Brewing Company: Located in Bluemont, Virginia, 15 minutes from Adroit Theory. They have fantastic views and average beers. This is a casual spot with a ton of seating on the elevated patio and along the lawn. They also have a small food menu.

Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor Guide

Acadia National park is a treasure on the coast of maine & The bayside town of Bar Harbor is full of restaurants and shops for after your time in the park!

​Acadia/Bar Harbor Tips: 

  • If you are visiting during the summer, anticipate a lot of tourists. Acadia & Bar Harbor are very popular spots. Bar Harbor is set up to be a tourist magnet with restaurants, bars, shops, and attractions.

    • If you’re looking for a quieter stay I’d recommend staying in Southwest Harbor, which is located on the other side of Mount Desert Island but is still convenient to everything!

  • You’ll need a parking pass to visit Acadia from May to October. You can buy it online ahead of time and print it out to place on your dashboard.

    • They are quite strict on parking, so be sure to always have your pass and follow the parking regulations! We saw lots of tickets for folks parked on the curb, not far enough off the road, without passes, etc.

    • Expect paid (and crowded) parking throughout Bar Harbor as well.

    • The Island Explorer is another way to get around if you want to ditch your car!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Explore the Ocean Path and Gorham Mountain: You can drive the Ocean Path to the main tourist spots (excluding Gorham Mountain), but I’d always recommend the hike over the drive!

    • This trail on AllTrails went along the Ocean Path and up Gorham Mountain. It was about 4.3 miles, 40 flights up, and took about 2 hours. The trail starts at Sand Beach, a popular and beautiful beach for sunbathing and swimming. From the beach the trail heads along the road to Thunder Hole, a popular tourist spot where the combination of the waves hitting the rocks and the release of air from a cavern cause a thunderous boom and large splash to happen. From Thunder Hole the trail heads to Gorham Mountain, where you climb up a rocky trail to the summit with fantastic views. The last section of the trail is working your way down the mountain, and The Beehive Trail is right at the end where you can turn off to add another 1.5 miles on. This is a popular loop with some challenging rung and ladder sections.

  • Thruston’s Lobster Pound: A great spot in Southwest Harbor for fresh lobster! They have a full menu with counter service and the restaurant is located right on the water.

  • Tap & Barrel Tavern: A small sports bar with a killer beer selection! Highly recommend.

  • Bar Harbor Beer Works: A bar/restaurant in the heart of Bar Harbor with a plethora of Maine beers and delicious food.

  • Blaze Brewing: A restaurant-style brewery with several locations in Maine that has solid beers and great guest taps.

  • Leary’s Landing: An Irish pub with a solid beer list and food located right in the heart of Bar Harbor.

  • Milagro Coffee: A nice coffee shop in Southwest Harbor with breakfast options as well.

  • Atlantic Brewing: A brewery with two locations on the island. Their newer spot in central Bar Harbor has a rooftop and a kitchen, but a very limited beer selection.

Ocean Path

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Cadillac Mountain: The highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and the first place to view sunrise in the United States from October 7 through March 6. You can drive up (with a specific parking pass) or you can hike up!

    • This trail on AllTrails was around 7 miles, 95 flights up, and took a little over 3 hours. It was a moderately difficult hike and very rocky, but the views at the top are fantastic! This is one of the most popular spots on the island, so expect there to be a ton of people at the top of the mountain who drive up, but on the trail itself it was pretty quiet. Also to note, there is limited parking at the trailhead but you can also park on the road just below the trailhead and cut through via a footpath.

  • Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse: A nice lighthouse in Southwest Harbor. Go at sunset for fantastic views and be sure to go down the trail on the left where you can hang out on the rocks for better views!

  • Echo Lake Beach: A popular beach with nice views.

  • Agamont Park: A public park overlooking the harbor in Bar Harbor. The perfect spot for a picnic or to enjoy an ice cream!

Leary’s Irish Pub

Spots to avoid:

  • Fogtown Brewing Company: A small brewery in Bar Harbor with quite honestly terrible beer. I could not finish a single beer on the flight.

  • Jordan Pond House: A restaurant on a pond that is swarming with tourists and nearly impossible to park at. I’d recommend taking the shuttle if you’re interested in visiting as the parking lot is not sufficient for the number of people trying to visit.

  • Silent City Coffee/Saint Dreux’s: Absolutely would NOT recommend. I went for breakfast and coffee to-go and spent almost $50 for two people + it took over 30 minutes to get the to-go food + the customer service was terrible.

Portland, Maine Beer and Travel Guide

Portland, Maine is consistently rated one of the best beer cities in the US and is super gorgeous! I highly recommend this cute little city!

​Portland Tips: 

  • Walk! Portland is small enough that you can walk from spot to spot most of the time instead of needing to drive/Lyft.

  • Go whale watching! But don’t be surprised if your tour is cancelled multiple times due to weather.

  • Portland is pretty small so you don’t need much time here, 2-3 days is perfect. Acadia National Park is another great spot in Maine to explore, check out my guide here! are It is also easy to hop on the Amtrak to another Northeastern city if you’ve got more time! Check out my guide to Boston here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Novare Res Bier Cafe: A great beer bar with a killer selection! They also have a nice patio and food options—I highly recommend the charcuterie board!

  • Tandem Coffee and Bakery: Delicious breakfast spot! I’d recommend ordering online as it can be quite busy.

  • Mast Landing Brewing: Fantastic spot just outside of town in Westbrook, Maine. They have a huge tap list exploding with delicious IPAs and a small food menu—I highly recommend the pretzel!

  • Maine Beer Company: Located in Freeport, Maine, about 30 minutes north of Portland, this is a must-visit. They have a beautiful space, delicious pizzas, and phenomenal beers.

  • Belleflower Brewing: An under the radar brewery that is crushing it. Definitely recommend checking out this little spot, particularly for their IPAs.

  • Oxbow Blending & Bottling: A terrific brewery specializing in Farmhouse Ales. This spot has awesome vibes plus they have Duckfat onsite for drool-worthy fries and other goodies.

Allagash Brewing Company

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Hang out on the Eastern Promenade: Walk the trail and gaze at the sailboats!

  • Wander around the adorable downtown and pop into shops!

  • Peak’s Island: Grab the ferry and adventure around! We rented a cheap and fun little golf cart to go around the island for a couple hours.

  • Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse: Gorgeous and totally worth the short drive from downtown Portland!

Portland Head Lighthouse

Other Ideas:

  • Liquid Riot Bottling Company: A variety of local beers + check out the view from the back deck!

  • Rising Tide Brewing Co.: Another great brewery in Portland! They have cute little flight trays and a wide array of options!

  • Austin Street Brewery: Located right next door to Rising Tide, this is a solid brewery with a small tap list.

  • Little Tap House: A restaurant with a farm-to-table menu and a large tap list. This spot is especially great for brunch and happy hour!

  • Lone Pine Brewing Company: Solid brewery with nice staff members and a large patio outback. The Oh-J is a must try!

  • Goodfire Brewing: Right behind Lone Pine, this a cool spot with experimental flavors + shuffleboard in the back.

Boston Beer and Travel Guide

Boston can get a bad rap for its weather and aggressive locals, but it’s a cool city to spend a few days in!

Boston Tips: 

  • Expect terrible driving. Parking is bad. Drivers are bad. Lanes end with no warning. I’d avoid driving if you can!

  • I would not recommend going in the winter unless you really enjoy the snow and cold—Boston gets slammed with winter storms.

  • Be sure to venture into Cambridge while in the area as well!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Trillium Brewing: Trillium is consistently one of the best breweries in the country and you absolutely must try their beers while in Boston! Trillium has four locations in the area: Fort Point, Fenway, Canton, and on the Greenway!

    • Trillium Fort Point: This location has a large tap list, a rooftop bar, a full food menu, and a nice outdoor patio. Highly recommend checking out this location!

    • Trillium Fenway: A smaller tap list and a small taproom, but the outdoor space is nice. This location is right next to Time Out Market which has a bunch of different food options.

    • Trillium Canton: Their newest space is a bit further outside of the city center. Full food menu, spacious taproom, and great views!

    • Trillium on the Greenway: A seasonal taproom located right on the Rose Kennedy Greenway!

  • Fenway Beer Shop: A bottle shop close to Fenway Park with a really good selection of cans and bottles. Highly recommend!

  • Mike’s Pastry: Touristy but worth it. Cannolis are not usually my favorite but I loveeeeee Mike’s. The peanut butter chocolate is clearly the best. Cash only!

  • Rose Kennedy Greenway: A fun outdoor space in the heart of the city. The city’s best food trucks park here for lunch time—get on it! Trillium Brewing also has a location on the greenway!

  • Tatte Bakery & Cafe: This fantastic bakery has numerous locations throughout the Boston area for you to try their delicious baked goods. I recommend going to the location near the Boston Commons and taking a stroll with your coffee/snack!

  • Sam Adam’s Brewing: Super touristy of course, but at least they have brewery-only releases to try when you visit! They have a nice outdoor space as well.

  • Night Shift Brewing: They have several taprooms throughout town, so we checked out the Love Joy Wharf location. It is right on the water and they are a solid brewery.

  • The Lawn on D: This is basically an adult playground with games, swings, alcohol, dogs, and more.

  • Harpoon Brewery: This massive brewery is definitely worth a stop. Be sure to get a pretzel.

Trillium Brewing

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Fenway Park: You gotta do it! It’s such a cool little stadium. Even the cheapest seats have a great view because everything is compact.

    • Bleacher Bar is a great place to pre-game with lots of craft beer options right across from the stadium

  • Newbury Street: Wander the shops & admire the brownstones!

  • Boston Public Garden & Boston Commons: The swan boats are iconic and the park is gorgeous!

  • Wander North End: This neighborhood is full of fantastic Italian restaurants! For something casual grab sandwiches from Pauli’s and enjoy them on the waterfront of the Boston Harbor at Langone Park with Mike’s Pastry!

  • Boston Public Market: A great food hall with lots of options. Makes for a great stop for lunch!

Fenway

Cambridge & Somerville Recommendations:​​

New York City Beer and Travel Guide

New York City! So much to see! So much to do!

The Big Apple Tips: 

  • Have cash on you! Lots of places are cash only or have a high minimum for cards

  • Use the Subway to get around, it is super easy and convenient. Each ride costs $2.75, just get a card from any station and refill it as you need.

  • NYC is massive, plan to spend a good chunk of time in the city if you want to be able to truly explore.

  • La Guardia is a bit of a pain to fly in/out of because only cars/buses can get you there and it’s in the northeast corner of the city, plus they are doing a massive renovation right now making the traffic atrocious. At JFK you can take the Subway and therefore not have to worry about traffic. You can also fly into Newark as an option. From Newark you can take the train into Penn Station and then subway from there. Rideshares from Newark are particularly expensive because there are a lot of tolls to cross into the city.

  • Per usual I will remind you that it is much nicer to visit when it is warm outside and not in the dead of winter so that you can actually enjoy walking around the various boroughs.

  • Want a more slow paced and scenic adventure while you’re in the area? Head up to the Hudson Valley area! Check out my guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​

  • Other Half Brewing: A fantastic brewery with phenomenal beers. They are mostly an IPA brewery but they also make great Lagers and Stouts. Other Half has 3 locations in NYC:

    • Center Street: This is their original taproom. It is a small space and can get packed but it is a fun atmosphere.

    • Domino Park: A beautiful, modern taproom located right across from the river. Domino Park itself is across the street and is a beautiful park with great views.

    • Rockefeller Center: A small taproom in the heart of Manhattan. They have a beer garden in the summer months as well!

  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway: AMAZING! So magical. Highly recommend. If Harry Potter isn’t your thing (you’re crazy), I would still recommend seeing a show on Broadway for the experience.

  • Empire Fulton Park: Grab a bagel and a coffee and sit by the water admiring the skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge!

  • Torst: A killer beer bar with chill vibes and an insane tap list. Very sleek space with extremely nice staff and a small food menu. Pricey but worth it!

  • Fifth Hammer Brewing: Delicious beers, frequent food trucks, dog friendly. Located in Long Island City.

  • Beer Street: A great beer bar with two locations: the OG is located between Williamsburg and Greenpoint and Beer Street South in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Beer Street is a small beer bar with a killer tap list, reasonable prices, and chill vibes. Beer Street South is much larger than the original space and has even more taps.

  • Proletariat: A small unassuming beer bar with 12 taps, some of which are local, some of which are not. They also have some cans and bottles to choose from.

  • Grimm Artisanal Ales: Tasty beers in a vibrant setting. This is a popular spot so it can be very packed and loud as a forewarning, but the beers are worth it!

  • Evil Twin Brewing: A top-notch brewery with two locations in NYC—Ridgewood and Dumbo. Ridgewood has a nice airy taproom and patio space but it is definitely a hike from most spots in the city. The Dumbo taproom has great views outside and both have similar tap lists.

  • Finback Brewery: Another great brewery with two locations—Glendale and Brooklyn. The Glendale taproom is their original spot and definitely off the beaten path. Their newer spot in Brooklyn is within walking distance of a bunch of other breweries and a cool space. They have a huge tap list at both spots full of great beers. In Brooklyn they also have a small food menu via Dumpling Up

Grimm Artisanal Ales

Grimm Artisanal Ales

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Central Park: The absolute “must” in NYC, but be forewarned it is absolutely massive! Plan ahead if there is something specific you want to see/do in the park. The Central Park Zoo, The Met, dog parks, and more are housed here.

    • Liberty Bagels is a touristy but delicious bagel spot nearby Central Park

  • Walk the Brooklyn Bridge: If you do it on a weekend mentally prepare yourself for hoards of people, but a must!

  • The Met: A fabulous art museum located in Central Park. Tickets are $25 and you can buy them online ahead of time to skip the line. The museum is massive, so plan to spend a good chunk of time here.

  • Bryant Park: It’s just another park, but it’s pretty and a nice place to sit and relax

  • Times Square: Honestly just walk through it once on your way from point A to point B to see the giant signs and shops, otherwise you don’t need to spend time here.

  • The High Line: An elevated park with tons of greenery. Beware it gets very packed!

    • The Standard is a beer garden on the High Line with limited hours.

  • Staten Island: Take the free ferry to SI—you don’t need a ticket or anything, just line up and board. On the way to SI you’ll want to be on the right side if you want to see the Statue of Liberty, left coming back. The ferry ride is ~25 minutes each way.

  • 9/11 Memorial and Museum: A somber visit to the World Trade Center recognizing the victims of 9/11.

  • Grand Central Terminal: A rail station that is absolutely beautiful inside!

  • Tenement Museum: Immigration museum with various exhibits and experiences. Buy tickets in advance or you might not get in!

Empire Fulton Park

Other ideas:​​

  • Threes Brewing: A Lager-focused brewery making quite delicious beers. They have 5 taprooms across the city: Gowanus, Greenpoint, Governors Island, Huntington and Moynihan. The Gowanus taproom has a full food menu from their onsite kitchen The Meat Hook. They also have several guest beers and wines.

  • Talea Beer Co.: I visited their Williamsburg taproom which is a cute little spot with good beers. They also have a Cobble Hill taproom and a Grand Central space.

  • Wild East Brewing: This brewery is in the heart of Brooklyn and makes a wide variety of beers. They have a nice space and solid beers.

  • Interboro Spirits and Ales: A chill brewery with good beers and a small food menu. They are right around the corner from Grimm.

  • Devocion Coffeeshop: Several locations in NYC filled with plants and delicious coffee!

  • Kills Boro Brewing: They are on Staten Island and have super delicious beers. They have more dive bar vibes than brewery inside and a cute outdoor space.

  • Chuko: A solid spot for Ramen in Brooklyn. Right across from Bier Street South!

  • Baba Cool: A cute spot for breakfast, lunch or coffee! They have two locations: Fort Greene and Williamsburg.

  • Flagship Brewing: Another brewery on Staten Island with lots of games and a very chill space.

  • The Bushwick Collective: Located at 427 Troutman Street, there is a ton of street art and some nice bars and restaurants in the area as well.

  • Bridge and Tunnel Brewing: A small spot with lots of taps and funky vibes.

  • Queens Brewery: Another brewery option with a large space, frequent live music, arcade games, and a coffee bar.

  • Sey Coffee: A cute coffee shop with skylights, plants, and delicious scones!

  • Circa Brewing: Their lunch special is a great deal—pizza, salad, beer for $15! They have outside seating in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. Their menu is mostly pizza but they have a few other things along with wine and cocktails. They have happy hour and weekend brunch specials as well.

  • The Bronx Brewery: Extremely nice staff and a backyard to hang out in when the weather is nice. A small tap list but solid beers.

  • King’s County Brewer’s Collective: A dog-friendly brewery with board games and chill vibes. Pricey, average beers.

  • The Wheelhouse: A yummy grilled cheese restaurant!

Fifth Hammer

  • Wander East Village: Lots of cute bars and restaurants to explore here!

  • Boris & Horton: A cute little dog-friendly café.

  • Tompkins Square Bagels: Super touristy and packed bagel shop with a plethora of options. Don’t get your bagel toasted—they are freshly made. You can also order online!

  • Chelsea Market: Food hall/shopping combo in an old warehouse.

  • Big aLICe Brewing: In Long Island City, this is a small brewery with average beers.

  • Rockaway Brewing: A small brewery near Fifth Hammer with 11 taps. They have a second location at Rockaway Beach.

  • East Harlem Bottling Co.: A beer bar and restaurant with a decent draft list, stop by if you’re in Harlem!

  • LIC Beer Project: A small brewery in Long Island City with solid beer options.

  • Pier 66: Frying Pan is a bar on the pier that has cute nautical vibes but is a bit pricey. It moves with the water so if you get seasick I would not advise it.

Skip:

  • The Charging Bull: it’s surrounded by tourists most of the time and nearly impossible to actually see. When you do catch a glimpse it’s not as exciting as the hype.

  • BierWax: A beer bar with two locations in Brooklyn and Queens. I was not super impressed here—they served my beer in a plastic cup, the staff was rude, they only offered 16oz pours and everything was very over priced.

  • Keg & Lantern: A brewpub with average beers and mediocre service. They have specials every day and a full food menu.

  • As Is: A beer bar in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood with mediocre service and mediocre food.

  • Strong Rope Brewing: Pricey, average beers.

Rochester Beer and Travel Guide

Rochester is a really nice city full of fantastic food & drinks!

ROC Tips: 

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Fifth Frame Brewing: A killer brewery located in downtown Rochester. Their beers are absolutely fantastic. Their tap list is Sour heavy, but each style of beer I tried was delicious. They also have a small food menu and some outdoor seating.

  • Strangebird Brewery: A fantastic brewery with a wide variety of beers and specializing in Farmhouse Ales. They also have a full food menu with delicious, locally sourced and seasonal options. Their taproom is beautiful and they also have an outdoor patio.

  • Living Roots Urban Winery: An adorable winery with delicious wine and food and the nicest team! They have a great patio and a cute indoor space as well. Living Roots offers flights of wine, 3oz pours, 6oz pours, glasses and bottles. The small food menu has the perfect snacks to accompany wine including a great cheese board. Reservations are recommended but you can also walk in. They also have a location in the Finger Lakes.

  • Mortalis Brewing Company: A great Sour and Stout brewery in south Rochester. Their taproom has very limited hours so be sure to plan ahead to visit.

  • R.O.C. Brewing: A nice brewery downtown with solid beers and a lovely patio. F.L.X. Weinery shares the space with the brewery so you can get hot dogs, burgers, fries and more with your beers.

  • Black Button Distilling: A fun distillery right near the market with a super nice team and tasty spirits. Their Bourbon Cream is their top seller, but they have a wide variety of spirits to choose from. They use all natural and local ingredients and aren’t afraid to go against the norm, such as with their award-winning citrus-forward Gin. They also make their own syrups, create canned cocktails, and host classes.

Strangebird Brewing

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Genesee Brew House: This historic brewery is a must visit in Rochester. Downstairs they have a tasting room, gift shop and to-go beer selection. Upstairs they have a restaurant-style setup with a full food menu, a balcony with views of High Falls, and a rooftop terrace. They generally make light, easy-drinking beers and their Cream Ale is what they are famous for.

  • High Falls: A large waterfall in the heart of downtown. Walk out on the bridge for the best views of the falls.

  • Rochester Public Market: A massive market with indoor and outdoor sections full of food and drinks. A lot of booths are cash only so be prepared. Don’t miss Juan and Maria’s Empanada Stop inside and Flour City Bread Company along the perimeter.

  • Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park: Check out this state park with access to Lake Ontario, a pier, fishing, a beach and the Lakeside Trail. Located 15 minutes north of downtown Rochester.

  • Sam Patch Erie Canal Boat Cruise: This 1.5 hour canal cruise takes you down the Erie Canal and through Lock 32 with history along the way. There are snacks and drinks available on the boat and it launches from Pittsford which is 15 minutes from downtown Rochester. There are also walking and biking trails that run along the canal.

Living Roots

Other ideas:​​​

  • Sager Beer Works: A solid brewery right behind Living Roots. They have a full food menu, a small patio, and frequent events. Sager focuses on classic, easy-drinking beers with a neighborhood pub vibe.

  • Swiftwater Brewing Company: An average brewery with an IPA heavy tap list and a small food menu.

  • Copper Leaf Brewing: Located in Pittsford, a 5 minute walk from the Sam Patch canal cruise. This is a small brewery with solid beers.

  • Lock 32 Brewing: Another brewery in Pittsford, right behind the Sam Patch canal cruise.

  • Stay at the Courtyard by Marriott: This hotel is a great base for exploring Rochester. It is right downtown with clean and modern rooms. They also have a full restaurant and bar.

  • Melo Coffee and Kitchen: A cute coffee shop with a food menu and outdoor seating options.

  • Hop on a shared bike or scooter with HOPR

Buffalo Beer and Travel Guide

Buffalo is an old, industrial city with a vibrant beer scene

Buffalo Tips:

  • Buffalo is a very proud city and they love their Bills. Everywhere you go, football season or not, Bills insignia dots the city. In all of my travels I have never seen a city so obsessed with their NFL team. If you happen to be in town during football season prepare for a bit of madness.

  • I found the driving in Buffalo to be alarming—folks are running red lights and driving aggressively everywhere you look. Be aware and be cautious.

  • The Buffalo Roam app is what the city uses for parking. You’ll need to add a $10 deposit to start an account.

  • On a Western New York road trip? Check out my Rochester guide and my Finger Lakes region guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Froth Brewing Company: An extremely good brewery specializing in Fruited Sours. Their taproom hours are a bit more limited than other spots in town so be sure to plan ahead.

  • Other Half Brewing: The Buffalo outpost of the popular NYC brewery. They are located right across from the baseball stadium with a bit of an odd set-up. Inside they have a couple of arcade games with limited seating and only 8 taps. Outside there are a few tables and corn hole.

  • The Beer Keep: A fantastic bottle shop and beer bar in the Elmwood Village neighborhood. They have great vibes, patio seating, a small food menu, and a killer selection of beers.

  • Thin Man Brewery: A good brewery on Elmwood Avenue with games, a rooftop patio, a full food menu, and good vibes. Their tap list is Sour heavy but they still make a wide variety of beers.

  • Belt Line Brewery & Kitchen: A great brewery with a plethora of IPAs and Sours. They also have a food menu and some outdoor seating.

  • Big Ditch Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a full food menu in downtown Buffalo. This is a popular spot for workday lunches due to its location. Their Sours are what they do best!

Niagara Falls

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Check out Niagara Falls: Touristy, yes, but still awesome to see. The Canadian side offers better views, so be sure to bring along your passport or enhanced license to get across the border. Expect it to be very busy. Niagara Falls is 30 minutes from downtown Buffalo.

    • If you’re just making a quick stop to see the falls, park at Niagara Garden Place near the police station. The falls are right across the street and it is $10 for 30 minutes of parking which is the perfect amount of time. There is conveniently a public restroom nearby as well.

    • If you want a more robust experience you can do a boat tour or walk behind the falls. You will get soaked as a forewarning. There are several different tour operators in the area with various options.

  • Explore Elmwood Village: This is definitely the nicest neighborhood in Buffalo and Elmwood Avenue is full of bars, restaurants and shops to hop around and visit.

  • Canalside Park: A nice park on the Buffalo River and Lake Erie. There are walking trails, boat tours and a Naval and Military Park.

Big Ditch Brewing Company

Other ideas:​​​

  • Resurgence Brewing Company: A popular brewery with a spacious taproom, an outdoor patio and some food options as well. They share a courtyard with Hartman’s Distilling Co. if a cocktail is calling your name!

  • Hofbrauhaus: The Buffalo outpost of the German brewery. They are located downtown with a great patio space and stay true to the German roots with their beer and food menu. Hofbrauhaus also has a great happy hour, but the service I had here was truly awful.

  • Gene McCarthy’s Old First Ward Brewing Company: A little dive bar with a full food menu that makes their own beer. They have a nice outdoor patio.

  • The Intersection: A little coffee window in the Allentown neighborhood with coffee, tea, muffins and bagels.

Hudson Valley Beer and Travel Guide

Hudson Valley is a gorgeous area just north of NYC full of great brews & views!

Hudson Valley Tips: 

  • This area stretches 150 miles along the Hudson River from just north of Manhattan to Albany and things can be a bit spread out so be sure to plan ahead!

  • I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Poughkeepsie/Fishkill because it was centrally located to everything I wanted to do and a good price! It was your average hotel stay.

  • While you are in the area head into the city too! Check out my New York City guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Hudson Valley Brewery: A fantastic brewery specializing in Sour IPAs and Farmhouse Ales. They are located in the heart of downtown Beacon and have a nice outdoor patio space.

  • Suarez Family Brewery: One of the top breweries in the country for Mixed Fermentation beers and Lagers! They have limited hours unfortunately so if they are closed while you are in town you can try to snag their beers at local bars/restaurants.

  • Equilibrium Brewery: Located in the heart of Middletown, Equilibrium makes some fantastic beers. They have a nice outdoor space, a full food menu via Equilibrium Bonfire that specializes in BBQ, and overall a very nice aesthetic. They also have a full retail section with merchandise and to-go beers.

  • Plan Bee Farm Brewery: This is a nice farm-style brewery with tasty beers, chill vibes, and frequent food trucks. They use all local ingredients and focus on Wild Ales, Sours, and easy-drinking beers.

  • Obercreek Brewing Company: A very popular brewery known for their Wild Ales and IPAs. It is a very small taproom and larger outdoor space. They have frequent food pop-ups and I highly recommend Busbys Pizza if they are there while you visit!

Hudson Valley Brewery

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Get out and hike: Hudson Highlands State Park Reserve is close to everything and has some great views. I did the Bull Hill Full Loop Trail which was 5.7 miles long with 1391 feet of elevation/122 flights up. It took about two and half hours total. The trail follows along the Hudson River for a section with nice views and was very quiet overall. I would recommend bug spray in the summer months, and there is a parking lot but it is a bit small and it is shared for several trails I would recommend starting early.

  • Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park: A nice large park with great views right near downtown. There are kayak rentals here if you are interested. This is a great spot to catch the sunset as well.

Melzingah Tap House

Other Ideas:

  • Industrial Arts Brewing: An IPA-heavy brewery with two taprooms in the area, Garnverville is their original spot and Beacon is their newer taproom. The Beacon taproom has a large patio, food trucks and axe throwing next door.

  • Sloop Brewing Company: An IPA focused brewery in the old IBM plant. They have more of a restaurant set-up and a full food menu.

  • Melzingah Tap House: A beer bar and restaurant in downtown Beacon with a solid craft beer selection.

    • Fishkill Overlook Falls is right across the street and very pretty at sunset

  • District 96 Beer Factory: Located in New City, District 96 is makes some great IPAs. There is a nice patio out back and they have a restaurant set-up. The Burger Loft has a food menu and a full bar with cocktails and more. Overall I enjoyed the beers but I wasn’t super impressed with the food, service, to-go options and dirty glassware.

The Finger Lakes Beer and Travel Guide

The Finger Lakes Region of New York is a Gorgeous area full of Wineries, Breweries and Outdoor activities!

FLX Tips: 

  • Summer or fall is the ideal time to visit! Book your lodging as far in advance as you can as it is a popular area to explore.

  • This region is surprisingly very affordable—the food, wine and beer were all really quite cheap.

  • Watkins Glen is a great home base for exploring this area—the restaurants in town are not great but it is a central location for the various lakes.

  • In terms of wine, this region is mostly Riesling and Cabernet Francs.

  • On a Western New York road trip? Check out my Buffalo beer and travel guide here and my Rochester beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Tin Barn Brewing: A fantastic brewery on Seneca Lake with great views and killer beers. They also have a kitchen offering tacos and appetizers. Their main taproom is in the Hudson Valley area of New York.

  • Other Half Brewing: The Bloomfield outpost of this popular NYC-based brewery has a fantastic outdoor space and delicious beers. Their Finger Lakes taproom is also home to their Wild Ale program so be sure to give some of these brews a try in addition to their fantastic IPAs and Stouts. The vibes are great here and it is a must visit.

  • Standing Stone Vineyards: A phenomenal winery on Seneca Lake with beautiful views. Their building is also gorgeous. They offer various sizes of pours, if you are splitting with a friend(s) the 5oz pours a la carte are a very affordable way to try a variety of different wines. They also have a small food menu. Reservations are recommended.

  • Keuka Spring Vineyards: A lovely winery on Keuka Lake with great views. They offer tastings, glasses or bottles with indoor and outdoor seating.

  • Weis Vineyards: An award-winning winery on Keuka Lake with solid views and some snacks. They offer tastings, flights, glasses or bottles.

  • Climbing Bines Brewery & Hop Farm: A lovely outdoor space with a hop farm onsite. The beers here are average but it is a nice spot to visit overall. They also have a pizza food truck in the summer.

  • Grist Iron Brewing Company: A popular brewery on Seneca Lake with solid beers, a full food menu and nice views. They have a large outdoor space with picnic tables. This spot gets very busy and the food wait can be quite lengthy.

Watkins Glen State Park

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Indian, Finger Lakes and Gorge Trail Loop at Watkins Glen State Park: This trail is 5.8 miles long with 875ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. The gorge is quite nice, the lake is just mediocre so you could skip this section to make the trail shorter. It is $10 to park.

  • Taughannock Falls via Gorge Trail at Taughannock Falls State Park: This 1.9 mile trail on Cayuga Lake is mostly flat and easy. It leads to a nice 215ft high waterfall. This trail is quite popular because it is easy and has great views. It is $9 to park, but that pass is good at all New York State Parks for the day.

  • Lucifer Falls via Gorge Trail at Robert H Treman State Park: This trails is 1.6 miles long with 282ft of elevation gain and takes about 45 minutes to complete. Start to the right, it is easier than the stairs on the left. There is a nice view from the top with a large waterfall. You need to pay to enter at certain times.

Two Goats Brewing

Other ideas:​​​

  • Two Goats Brewing: An average brewery on Seneca Lake with spectacular views. They have set flights of beer and a small food menu.

  • Lamoreaux Landing Vineyard: A nice winery with solid views on Seneca Lake, but the wine and the service here was not as impressive as the other wineries in the area. They are 100% solar powered. Reservations are required.

  • Lucky Hare Brewing Company: An average brewery on Seneca lake with a nice back porch. Babes Burgers is onsite for food.

  • Seneca Mill Falls: A nice waterfall that is just a 5 minute walk from the parking area. The Keuka Outlet Trail runs along here as well.

  • Scuteri’s Cannoli Connection: A small family run business with cannoli, desserts and pizzas in Watkins Glen.

  • Irish Mafia Brewing Company: A brewery in Bloomfield across the street from Other Half with a full food menu and average beers.

Upstate New York Beer and Travel Guide

Upstate New York is beautiful and full of small towns worth exploring. I spent time in Albany, Troy, and Saratoga Springs.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations—Albany:

  • Speakeasy 518: Who would’ve thought an amazing speakeasy would be located in Albany, New York? This place is awesome. I don’t have a picture to show you because phones are banned. But the drinks are yummy, the atmosphere is SO cool, and the live music is great!

  • Druthers Brewing Co.: Beer cheese everything and a large quantity of beers in their flight—need I say more?

  • C.H. Evans Brewing: A huge historic space cranking out some tasty beers right in downtown Albany!

  • New York State Capitol: The biggest and most grand building in the city. Tours are available by request.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations—Saratoga Springs:

  • Saratoga Springs is a super cute little town just a quick train ride from Albany, I highly recommend!

  • Get outside! Check out the State Park or one of the many local parks

  • Artisanal Brew Works: The owner is so nice, the beer is pretty tasty, and the taproom is nice and sunny.

Artisanal Brew Works

Artisanal Brew Works

Troy adventure:

If you decide to head to Troy, be sure to check out the two spots below!

  • Rare Form Brewing: Worth the venture, probably the best beer I had on the trip! A cute little taproom with friendly bartenders

  • Brown’s Brewing: A bumping taproom and a full menu in a fun two-story set-up

Lexington Beer and Travel Guide

Lexington is a fun city to explore with numerous breweries and plenty of bourbon!

Lex Tips: 

  • Lexington is pretty small but I would definitely recommend having a car as it is a little bit spread out.

  • Be aware of events at the University of Kentucky—it is right in the heart of Lexington so basketball/football games and graduation can lead to a packed city and lots of traffic.

  • Red River Gorge is just over an hour away from Lexington and a great place for outdoor adventuring—check out my RRG guide here!

  • Louisville is also just about an hour from Lex, check out my guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Mirror Twin Brewing: A great brewery with a large tap list and Rolling Oven Pizza in-house. Their Hazy IPAs, Fruited Sours and Pastry Stouts are delicious and they also offer cocktails if that is more your style. They are dog-friendly inside and out.

  • The Manchester: A fantastic hotel with two restaurants and bars onsite. The entire hotel is insanely gorgeous with keen attention to design details. Their rooftop bar and restaurant Lost Palm is a tropical tiki paradise. Their lobby bar and restaurant Granddam exudes Kentucky charm. They are located in the Distillery District so they are nice and close to everything along with being dog-friendly.

  • Ethereal Brewing: A popular brewery with tasty beers and 3 locations in town. Their Manchester location has a large patio and is located directly next to James E. Pepper Distilling Company so I’d recommend setting up a distillery tour and then checking out the brewery after! The Slice House is on the UK campus in a shared space with tasty pizza. The Public House has a full food menu downtown.

  • Country Boy Brewing: A great brewery near downtown with a smaller taproom but it still boasts a large tap list with a wide variety of beers. They also have a small patio. They are the oldest brewery in Lexington and are putting out beers that can please everyone no matter your palate. They also do their part to connect back to the community and partner with Earthly Labs to reduce their CO2 impact on the environment.

  • West Sixth Brewing: The second oldest brewery in Lexington and the first brewery to can beer in Kentucky! They are now KY’s best selling craft beer, but they intentionally keep their distribution small. Their number one seller is West Sixth IPA and their Oktoberfest is super popular as well. I recommend the different variants of the Snake Eyes Stout. They have four taprooms—Lexington, Louisville, Newport Kentucky near Cincinnati, and the farm near Frankfort.

    • Their Lexington taproom and brewery is an old Rainbow Bread factory with a massive 90,000 square feet footprint. They have several tenants in their space that focus on nonprofits and giving back to the community. One of their tenants is Smithtown Seafood which has plenty of food options to enjoy with your brews, including non-seafood options if that’s more your style!

  • Goodwood Brewing and Spirits: A solid brewery with incredibly delicious food, a covered patio, and Happy Hour specials. Their Lexington location is just south of downtown.

  • Blue Stallion Brewing Co.: A large German-focused brewery with a massive tap list that has a variety of styles of beer. The taproom has fun games such as darts and pool as well as frequent live music and events. They also do liter specials on beers on different days of the week.

Country Boy Brewing

Other Ideas:

  • Lussi Brown Coffee Bar: An eclectic coffee and cocktail bar downtown with great coffee.

  • Rock House Brewing: This brewery has very interesting vibes in an old warehouse with rustic and homey furniture. The beers were solid!

  • Whiskey Bear: A super fun bourbon bar with delicious drinks.

  • Pivot Brewing: A brewery and cidery that mostly focuses on their ciders which are quite tasty.

  • The Beer Trappe: A beer bar and bottle shop with taps and to-go beers. The selection was a little underwhelming but I am also quite a beer snob, overall it was solid.

    DV8 Kitchen: A breakfast and lunch spot doing good for the community.

Louisville Beer and Travel Guide

Louisville is bourbon filled horse-loving city on the river

Derby City Tips: 

  • Louisville is full of bourbon and horses—if those are your interests lean into them and hop around to various distilleries and horse museums and races.

  • Louisville is a bit of a gritty city—I never felt unsafe but just be aware.

  • Add Louisville to your road trip! It’s just over an hour from Lexington and 3 hours from Nashville. Check out my Lexington guide here and my Nashville guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Atrium Brewing: A fantastic brewery specializing in Sours. They have two locations—Logan Street has food from Daryk’s with a nice patio space. Norton Commons works with Noco Delivery for eats. They’ve also got cocktails for your non-beer friends.

  • Stay at The Bellwether Hotel: An art-deco hotel that is set up as individual apartments in the Highlands neighborhood. They are dog-friendly with cute touches like a selfie check-in station and a great patio space.

  • Butchertown Brewing: A great brewery inside an old mill that is the Mellwood Art Center with a few other businesses. Their tap list is Sour and Stout heavy with some gluten free options.

  • Sergio’s World Beers: This beer bar has a great tap list and can/bottle selection. The prices are quite high and they are cash only. They have dive bar vibes and a small food menu.

  • Against the Grain: A solid brewery with two locations in town. Their downtown Public House has a nice patio space, a full food menu, and is connected to the baseball field. Their second location Highlands is a bit outside of town.

Atrium Brewing

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Big Four Bridge: A bridge you can walk or bike across the Ohio River into Indiana. It lights up at night which is nice to see. The bridge is not pet friendly unfortunately. The Waterfront Park around the bridge is nice with lots of seating and playgrounds.

  • Muhammad Ali Center: A nice museum telling the story of Muhammad Ali’s life, activism and boxing career. It is downtown and a $20 entrance fee.

Mammoth Cave National Park

Other ideas:​​​

  • Mile Wide Beer Company: A solid brewery with indoor and outdoor seating. They have a game room with pinball and a pizza focused food menu.

  • Gravely Brewing Company: Average beers, great vibes. They have a beer garden and various seating options inside, and they are dog-friendly. Gravely’s food menu is focused on melts and apps. Located right around the corner from Mile Wide.

  • Venture to Mammoth Cave National Park! It is 1.5 hours south of Louisville (and 1.5 hours north of Nashville). This park is home to the longest cave in the world.

    • The only way to go into the cave is via a tour, so I opted for the Historic Tour. I recommend booking in advance as many tours sell out. This one was 2 hours long, about 2.5 miles and some stairs. It is a smooth walking surface throughout and a only a little bit chillier than the ground level. There were some narrow spots both horizontally and vertically and a couple of cool things to see.

    • Green River Bluff, Echo River Springs, Sinkhole and Heritage Trail: A moderate 4 mile long trail with 564ft of elevation gain that takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. This trail was pretty boring but the green river is in fact quite green. There is a portion of the trail that is paved and we encountered many deer.

    • Cedar Sink Trail: An easy 1.6 mile trail with 206ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete. I was not impressed with this highly reviewed trail that was basically a walk through the woods with a small hole in the ground.

    • If you are traveling with your dog they have kennels available. You can rent a lock at the lodge check-in desk for $10. They do not take reservations, it is first-come first-serve. Vaccination proof is required.

Nashville Beer and Travel Guide

Nashville is a fun city that is home to more than just country music—there are so many neighborhoods to explore!

Music City Tips: 

  • Get off of Broadway. Sure, pop into some honky-tonks, see some live music, but then explore the rest of the city!

  • The city is pretty spread out so plan ahead to make the most of your time.

  • If you don’t have a car, you don’t need a car. Parking is difficult and costly in a lot of neighborhoods so if you can use ride shares and walks that is much more convenient.

  • On a road trip? Louisville is 3 hours north of Nashville, check out my guide here + Chattanooga is 2 hours southeast—recommendations here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Southern Grist Brewing: A stellar brewery absolutely killing the game + they’ve got two taprooms for you to choose from:

    • East Nash Taproom: A restaurant-style brewery with tasty eats and a dog-friendly patio.

    • The Nations Taproom: A smaller taproom with food options from nearby restaurants. Located on the West side of town.

  • Barrique Brewing and Blending: Such a great brewery! They specialize in Wild Ales and Lagers and make fantastic beers. Their team is super nice as well and they allow dogs outside. 

  • Living Waters Brewing: A great brewery with a Lager and IPA heavy tap list. They also have coffee and a small breakfast menu. It is a cute spot that also has a small dog-friendly patio.

  • Bearded Iris Brewing: Great IPAs and two taprooms:

    • Sylvan Supply has Black Dynasty Ramen inside for delicious (though pricey) eats. Their patio here is heated and dog-friendly.

    • Their original taproom is downtown and very dog-friendly with chill vibes.

  • Ladybird Taco: A delicious spot for tacos near 12 South. They have an Austin-style taco menu with breakfast tacos, coffee, lunch/dinner tacos, and starters. It is a popular spot so you can also order online to save time!

  • Smith & Lentz Brewing: A tasty Lager-forward brewery with a pizza menu. They have a spacious dog-friendly back patio and are located in East Nashville.

  • Monday Night Preservation Co.: The Nashville location of Monday Night Brewing is a gorgeous space. It is a converted warehouse that used to be a meat packing facility giving it super unique vibes. The outdoor space is partially covered and huge. They have classic MNB beers, wine and cocktails.

Southern Grist Brewing Company

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Tootise's: The most popular bar on Broadway, with good reason. Three different floors of live music and bars. The rooftop patio is also fun!

  • Explore the 12 South neighborhood: This is a super cute area with plenty of bars, restaurants, stores, and murals to explore!

  • Pedal Bar: Soooo touristy. Surprisingly fun. BYOB and ride the city! 

  • Acme Feed & Seed: Rooftop bar and restaurant on the end of Broadway near the river!

  • Union Station Hotel: This is a gorgeous hotel in an old train station. Even if you don’t stay here it is worth wandering into their lobby that is stunning and home to a bar.

12 South Neighborhood

Other ideas:​​​

  • The Pharmacy: A tasty spot for burgers and beer in East Nashville.

  • Fait la Force Brewing: A solid brewery specializing in European style beers and eats. Their dog-friendly patio has skyline views.

  • Waymore’s Guesthouse and Casual Club: A nice hotel in East Nashville that is art deco themed and very trendy. Their rooftop bar is coming soon and their lobby bar has delicious cocktails. I would have enjoyed a fridge and microwave in my room.

  • Bongo Java East: A good spot for coffee, breakfast, lunch, board games and beer in the 5 points neighborhood.

  • Marble Fox Brewing Company: A cute spot with solid beers. They are located downtown in The Gulch and the tap list is IPA heavy.

  • Five Points Alley Shops: A nice little array of shops and small businesses.

  • Pinewood Social​: A fun spot for upscale bowling with a bar and restaurant.

  • Fat Bottom Brewery: Average brewery with a large taproom with great outdoor space.

Knoxville Beer and Travel Guide

Knoxville is a fun city with plenty of good spots to eat and drink and frequent festivals, markets, and outdoor concerts to keep you entertained!

Knox Tips: 

  • The city is pretty small so you don’t need a car to get around to the different neighborhoods.

  • Old City is a great hub of activity in Knoxville but be sure to explore the other neighborhoods as well!

  • Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee so be sure to take that into account for game days and events!

  • Add Knox to your road trip! Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are just an hour away and Asheville is two hours! Check out my guide to the Gatlinburg area here and my guide to Asheville here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​

  • Xul Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery with a wide array of beers on tap. Their Sours are my favorite! They have two locations—downtown and Hardin Valley. At the downtown location Abridged Burgers food truck is onsite for eats. They have a nice dog-friendly patio space outside and multiple seating options and TVs inside.

  • Stay at The Tennessean Hotel: This luxurious hotel is located in the heart of everything. It is steps away from Old Town and has great Sunsphere views. There are a plethora of amenities here including black car service, golf carts, e-bikes, concierge service, and more! The rooms are spacious, clean and dog-friendly.

    • Their restaurant The Drawing Room is housed on the second floor and specializes in Smoked Old Fashions alongside farm-to-table eats. Their cocktails are superb.

  • Pretentious Beer Co: Great beers and cool glasses as they are also a glass company. Hongs Kitchen is inside for eats and they also have a great back patio space that is dog-friendly and heated.  

  • A Dopo Pizza: Extraordinarily good pizza, staff that goes out of their way to be incredibly nice, local taps, wine carafes and gelato all in a cute open-concept setting.

  • Albright Grove Brewing Company: A good brewery with an interesting mix of styles available. They are dog-friendly inside and out.

  • Schulz Brau Brewing: German-style beer garden with classic German brews following the Reinheitsgebot purity laws. They’ve got fire pits, frequent live music, and snacks!

  • Crafty Bastard Brewing: This brewery has three locations—downtown, West Knox, and South Knox. They always have a very unique tap list. The vibes are good and dogs are allowed inside.

  • Merchants of Beer: A beer bar and bottle shop in an old diner space. They have a great outdoor space and dive bar vibes inside. They are super dog-friendly inside and out.

  • Bearden Beer Market: A beer garden/bottle shop combo with a mix of local and afar taps. Frequent food trucks and dog friendly.

  • Abridged Beer Company: Tasty beers and a wide variety of colorful sours. They’ve got a great outdoor space and delicious food. Located in the Bearden neighborhood west of downtown.

Xul Brewing Company

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Market Square: The hub of downtown with several bars, restaurants, and shops.

  • World’s Fair Park: Be sure to see the Sunsphere and if you’re lucky there might be live music at the amphitheater!

  • Ijams Nature Center: A great spot to get outdoors! There are many different trail options here, many of which are on the easier side for family outings.

    • The River Trail Loop takes about 30 minutes and is just 1 mile long with 114ft of elevation gain. It leads to a boardwalk on the river and part of the trail is a paved greenway.

    • Mead’s Quarry is a cool section across the road from the visitor’s center. The Rock Bridge Trail via Imerys Trail is 1.1 miles long, mostly flat, and takes about 25 minutes to complete.

Ijams Nature Center

Ijams Nature Center

Other ideas:​​

  • Alliance Brewing: Solid beers at this ‘active lifestyle’ brewery with outdoor seating.

  • Balter Beerworks: A brewpub with solid food and beers and a super friendly staff!

  • House Mountain State Park: Great hikes close to the city!

  • Next Level Brewing Company: This brewery has a wide variety of beers on tap. They are dog-friendly inside and out and have frequent food trucks. They are located just up the block from Xul and Crafty Bastard.

  • Ebony and Ivory Brewing: A solid brewery that is dog-friendly and working to improve the beer industry. They’re the second Black-owned brewery in the state and are located right down the block from Elst Brewing.

  • Elst Brewing Company: This brewery is dog-friendly with a food truck out back focused on burgers. They have a nice back patio space and chill vibes.

  • Old City Market: If you happen to be in town on the second Sunday of the month or fourth Thursday of the month be sure to wander through this market in Old City! It features local artists and makers selling a variety of goods.

  • Printshop Beer Co: Classic brewery vibes with a good variety of beer. Located in South Knoxville near Alliance Brewing.

  • Last Days of Autumn Brewing: Average beers, a bit off the beaten path and known for their eats. They are opening St. Lucille’s Cajun Kitchen next to Crafty Bastard soon!

  • Downtown Grill and Brewery: Average brewery with outdoor seating and a full food menu. Located in the heart of Gay Street.

Chattanooga Beer and Travel Guide

Chattanooga is a nice little city surrounded by nature

Chatt Tips: 

  • Get outside! Be sure to take advantage of all of the nature activities in and around Chattanooga.

  • Expect a lot of paid parking—even in brewery parking lots.

  • On a road trip? Nashville and Knoxville are each about 2 hours away—check out my Nashville guide here and Knoxville guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

  • Oddstory Brewing: The best brewery in town, by far. Oddstory has two locations—their original taproom that has a full food menu and dog-friendly patio and The Greenhouse that has a beautiful space, taco truck out back, and is dog-friendly inside. They have great specials and they also have cocktails and wine.

  • Pax Breu Ruim: A great beer bar that has a legit selection available. They are dog-friendly inside and located right near the original Oddstory taproom.

  • Mean Mug Coffeehouse: A great coffee shop with locations downtown and on the Northshore. They have coffee, breakfast, lunch and chill vibes. I was very impressed with my massive biscuit sandwich that was only $6.

  • Timberroot Rustic Retreat: I booked a cabin through them on Airbnb and enjoyed my stay. It was a cute and cozy cabin with a hot tub and communal fire pit. It was only 10 minutes to downtown by still surrounded by nature—though there is some street noise.

The Greenhouse by Oddstory Brewing

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Cloudland Canyon State Park: This is a great park just across the border in Georgia. It is about 30 minutes from downtown Chattanooga and worth exploring! There is a $5 entrance fee to the park. They also have camping, yurts, and cabins here.

    • I chose to combine the Cloudland Canyon West Rim Loop and Cherokee and Hemlock Falls Trail which was 5.5 miles long with 1,180ft of elevation gain and took just under 3 hours. The Rim Loop was pretty boring—there were a couple of viewpoints but they were not as nice as the viewpoint at the parking lot. The waterfall trail was nice with two large falls, but be aware there are a lot of stairs on this trail. It also connects to the Sittons Gulch Trail.

  • Ruby Falls: An underground waterfall tour that it lit up. It is touristy but cool.

  • Walk the Market Street Bridge: This pedestrian friendly bridge connects downtown and the Northshore. Coolidge Park on the Northshore is a nice spot for bridge views. Grab a coffee from Provisions at The Edwin Hotel right before the bridge for your walk!

  • Sculpture Fields at Montague Park: A 33 acre park with sculptures to wander around outside. It is free and a nice activity.

Ruby Falls

Other ideas:​​​

  • Wanderlinger Brewing Company: An average brewery with a solid food menu including build your own grilled cheese. Their parking lot requires payment.

  • Hutton and Smith Brewing Company: A brewery with a very unique tap list just down the block from Oddstory’s Greenhouse. Dog-friendly and nice folks.

  • Cherry Street Brewing: An average brewery with a wide variety of beers. They have a food menu and two different taproom spaces—the left side is more of a restaurant and the right side is a casual taproom. Cherry Street is located on the Northshore across the river from downtown. They also have two locations in Georgia.

  • Rock City Gardens: An “enchanted trail” where you walk through rock formations. It is touristy and a bit odd. You can see 7 states from the midway viewpoint which is neat. Dog-friendly.

  • Tailgate Brewery: An average brewery with locations across Tennessee. I had really bad service at this brewery and would recommend exploring the other spots in Chattanooga ahead of this one. They have a dog-friendly back patio and pizza menu with sports bar vibes. Their parking lot is paid.

Savannah Beer and Travel Guide

Savannah is a gorgeous, quintessentially Southern city that is super fun to visit!

Savannah Tips: 

  • It gets incredibly hot and humid in Savannah, be mindful when planning your trip—I would recommend spring or fall for the best experience, but if you visit in the summer be sure to stay hydrated!

  • It’s a pretty small city overall, you can easily do it all in a weekend!

  • Savannah is near the ocean, but not on the ocean—this isn’t a beach vacation, which some people misunderstand. You can easily do day trips to the surrounding beaches though!

  • Drink on the streets! Savannah allows folks to walk around with beverages so most places offer to-go drinks. Just make sure you have a plastic cup!

  • Not just based on the open drink law, but in general Savannah has very similar vibes to New Orleans. If you like Savannah I would recommend NOLA and vice-versa.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​

  • Two Tides Brewing: I LOVE Two Tides. Every beer I have had there has been absolutely incredible, and trust me, I have drank a LOT of their beers. I highly recommend a visit! They are located in a super cute renovated house with a balcony, games, and snacks available.

    • Smol Bar: They also have a tiny taproom on the side of their building with beer, cocktails, and snacks.

  • Starland Yard: A food truck park directly next to Two Tides. The food trucks rotate, but Vittoria Pizza and the Yard Bar are always there. The pizza is outrageously delicious and overall it is a cool spot!

  • Hop Atomica: A great brewery that offers food as well. They have a nice patio space and make their own liquor for cocktails too! I particularly enjoyed their IPAs.

  • Electric Moon: A fun rooftop bar on top of the JW Marriott with a slide and other fun games plus stellar river views. It’s a great place to catch the sunset and I highly recommend the boozy cakepops!

  • Service Brewing: A Veteran-owned brewery with tons of games and a fun space

Two Tides Brewing Company

  • Stay at The Alida Hotel: The Alida is a luxurious hotel with adorable rooms and thoughtful touches everywhere you turn. They have a gorgeous pool, fire pits, and even a daily wine happy hour that I highly recommend taking advantage of! It is conveniently located in the heart of the city and easily one of the nicest places I’ve had the pleasure of staying at.

    • The Lost Square is their rooftop bar with nice views of Savannah and the river. They also have a small food menu up here if you’re hungry!

    • Rhett is their full-service restaurant located on the ground floor. It is a super cute spot offering brunch, dinner and a bar. The brunch was incredibly delicious! If you’re going for dinner I would recommend a reservation.

  • Bull Street Taco: Great tacos, a few local beers on tap, and outside seating options.

  • Perc Coffee: A coffee production facility/coffee shop combo. The staff is super nice, coffee is amazing, and breakfast snacks will make you drool! The everything croissant was SO good.

  • The Grove: A fun restaurant and rooftop bar near the City Market. The rooftop food menu is slightly smaller than the downstairs menu but it is worth it for the views and vibes.

  • Alley Cat: A speakeasy style bar in an actual alley. It is super cute and the drinks are delicious. They also have a small food menu.

  • Big Bon Bodega: Bagels and hot or iced coffee in a super cute space with really nice staff! They also have pizza at night.

Electric Moon

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Forsyth Park: A gorgeous park in the center of the city, definitely worth walking through at some point during your stay!

  • Wander the Squares: Savannah has 22 historic square parks throughout the city that are charming and make for a perfect stroll through the city. Some have fountains, some have statues, some are full of locals picnicking—find your favorite!

  • The City Market: This is not exactly a market anymore but more of a street with restaurants and bars. It is a fun spot to hang out and people watch.

    • Georgia Tasting Room is a good spot in the Market with extremely cheap wine tastings and a variety of beers, mixed drinks, and frozen drinks as well!

Tybee Island

Other ideas:​​

  • Tacos + Tequila: A fun spot for you guessed it—tacos and tequila! They have a variety of Latin-style food items and the queso is delicious! They also have a nice outdoor space.

  • Moon River Brewing: You’re at Moon River for the atmosphere more than for the beer. It is located right in the heart of the Historic District with a huge outdoor patio

  • Coastal Empire Beer Co.: Another brewery you can check out, this one has a pretty small beer selection

  • Foxy Loxy: A cute cafe with Tex Mex, wine and beer, cheese plates, kolaches, and a nice outdoor space!

    • They also have another location named The Coffee Fox downtown that is strictly coffee and pastries.

  • Southbound Brewing: Another solid brewery a little off the beaten path with a warehouse style taproom

  • White Whale Craft Ales: A craft beer market and taproom with ten beers on tap

  • Starland Strange and Bazaar: An eclectic shop and ice cream parlor directly across the street from Two Tides Brewing.

  • Paris Market and Café: An adorable shop and coffee stop!

  • Peregrin Rooftop Bar: Located inside the Perry Lane Hotel, this rooftop has nice views, small plates, a few beers on tap, full bar, and in the summer frose! You’re paying for the view, so if you’re budget conscious don’t plan to spend a lot of time here.

  • Rise Biscuit Co.: A Southern chain offering delicious breakfast biscuits in the heart of downtown.

  • Riverside Biergarten: A cute spot along the river for some beers! They have limited hours so be sure to check before heading over.

    • Graffito Pizza is right next door if you’re hungry but I will forewarn that my experience there was not great.

  • Urban Poppy: An adorable shop with a variety of flower arrangements and fun accessories.

  • Take a day trip to Tybee Island—it wasn’t my favorite beach but if you don’t live close to the ocean you might want to go get your beach fix! Heads up, it can get really crowded and the parking is quite expensive. The tide can come up really high so watch your stuff if you’re in the water!

    • I ate at Fannie’s on the Beach and wasn’t super impressed but they do have a cool balcony upstairs with beach views (open Wednesday-Sunday during the summer only)