January 2022
January brought a plethora of fantastic beers—from bottle shares, to a Charleston trip, to a Southern California trip visiting some of the top breweries in the country, there was no shortage of delicious brews. In no particular order, here are the best beers I had in January 2022:
Everything at Monkish Brewing in Torrance and Anaheim, CA
Is this cheating? Yes. Too bad. Everything Monkish brews is incredibly delicious and I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to visit both of their taprooms on my SoCal trip! I had the following beers and I would recommend them all:
Conscience Be Free: Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, and Simcoe
Foggier Window: Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Citra, Nelson Sauvin, and Galaxy
Sticky Traffic: Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Nelson Sauvin, Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy
Biggie Biggie Biggie: Triple IPA with Galaxy and El Dorado
One Tree: Triple IPA with Strata and Idaho 7
M 9.5: Saison aged in oak barrels for 18 months and conditioned on spent Blenheim apricots
Nelson!!! (It’s What We Like Here!) at Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa, CA
Nelson!!! (It’s What We Like Here!) is a West Coast IPA with hand selected—you guessed it—Nelson Sauvin hops from Freestyle Farm in New Zealand. I generally always choose a Hazy IPA over a West Coast IPA but I decided to branch out while on the West Coast because that’s where they are done best. This was easily the best West Coast IPA I’ve ever had. Shout out to Green Cheek for truly crushing the game.
Luxurious Luxury Volume 10 Collab from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA and Evil Twin BRewing in New York, NY
Luxurious Luxury Volume 10 is a Pastry Sour with blackberry, pear, marshmallow and vanilla salt. This latest installment in The Veil and Evil Twin’s collaboration series was absolutely epic. The flavors were exploding and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip.
Double Lightning at Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC
Double Lightning is a Hazy Double IPA with Citra, Mosaic and Galaxy hops. This is the double version of their Flagship Beer, Lightning Drops. I was incredibly impressed with the quality of Double Lightning and look forward to hopefully seeing more of it released.
Study Break, Intrepid Orchid (2022), and Memory Systems at Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA
Bottle Logic crushes the Stout game so I of course ordered each one they had on the menu when I visited and they were all delicious!
Study Break: Imperial Stout with lactose, caramel malts, cacao nibs and peanuts
Intrepid Orchid 2022: Bourbon Barrel-Aged English Style Vanilla Barleywine with Madagascar vanilla
Memory Systems 2022: Bourbon Barrel Aged Cinnamon Bun Stout—Imperial Stout aged in a braid of Old Fitzgerald, Heaven Hill, and Elijah Craig barrels and conditioned with a four-day marshmallow steep and a recirculation through Madagascar vanilla beans, Vietnamese cinnamon, and cassia bark
Tomorrow Today from Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA and La Ruche from Side Project Brewing in St. Louis, MO
Tomorrow Today is a West Coast IPA with Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic hops. Sante Adairius has long been on my list of breweries I’d love to try so I was absolutely stoked to get to taste some of the draft beer while in SoCal.
La Ruche is a Saison fermented using a blend of local microflora and a traditional Saison yeast. Orange Blossom honey was added for refermentation in a Missouri Oak Foedre and then it was aged to maturity before being naturally conditioned in the bottle. Side Project is always a top-notch brewery and this beer was exceptional.
I enjoyed both of these at Windsor Homebrew Supply in Anaheim. They have a killer tap list and bottle/can selection alongside their homebrew supplies.
Eternal Forever at Pure Brewing in San Diego, CA
Eternal Forever is a blend of Single and Double Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stouts with Cacao & Wild Thai Banana. Pure released this in celebration of their 6th Anniversary and I luckily was in town for the release. I actually had this beer twice while I was in San Diego, at Pure Balboa Park and at Pure Carlsbad, because it was just so good. The banana flavor was epic.
Fros’e Sour Blackberry Puff at Kings Brewing Company in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Pictured left, this is a Fros'e with blackberry, blueberry, cherry, grape, double vanilla & double marshmallow. Kings is best known for their thiccc Fruited Sours and this brew was the best of the three I had on tap. The fruit combination was fantastic!
Rosé de Gambrinus from Cantillon in Brussels, Belgium
This is a blend of Lambics and raspberries from the famed Cantillon in Belgium. Every brew they create is great and this was a light, fruity, and tart sipper.
Pliny The Elder from Russian River Brewing Company in Russian River, CA
Pliny the Elder is a Double West Coast IPA with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops. This is probably the best known West Coast IPA in the country and deemed a classic. I’ve had Pliny several times before but I couldn’t pass up the chance to have it on draft on the West Coast at Mostra Coffee’s 4s location. It is always delightful—clean, crisp, and delicious.
Check back next month to see what my top beers of February will be! CHeers —ALexis
My Top Beers in 2021
2021 was a wild ride:
I visited 191 new-to me breweries and somewhere around 275 breweries total
I had roughly 1300 unique beers
Other Half Brewing in New York remains my top brewery for the third year in a row with 5 beers on this list
I finally leaned into the Pilsner game and have deepened my respect and love for a well-made Lager
In no particular order, here are the best beers I had in 2021:
ELEANOR FROM FAIR ISLE BREWING IN SEATTLE, WA
Eleanor is a Farmhouse Ale refermented on elderberries with Hallertau Mittelfruh hops. It has a berry body with notes of cinnamon, clove, and earthy flavors. Fair Isle was my absolute favorite stop in Seattle! They specialize in creating mixed-culture Saisons and they absolutely crush it.
Pear Sauvie FROM THE ALE APOTHECARY IN BEND, OR
Ale Apothecary is a super unique little spot in Bend where all of their beers are 100% barrel aged, wild fermented, and naturally carbonated. I had every beer available when I visited and they were all delicious, but in choosing my absolute top beer that would have to be Pear Sauvie. It is brewed with @meccagrade barley and rye malts, @sauvieislandhops Crystal hops, and pear juice.
BANANA VANILLA ALMOND APPLE BRANDY CIRCLE OF WOLVES FROM THE VEIL BREWING CO. IN RICHMOND, VA
Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves is an English Barleywine aged in @lairdsapplejack Apple Brandy barrels for 20 months then conditioned on bananas, Madagascar vanilla, and Marcona almonds. The banana hits heavy but in a delicious way and the apple brandy kicks in on the back. Perhaps the best beer I had all year.
LAX2JFK: IN THE CLOUDS COLLABORATION BREW FROM MONKISH BREWING IN TORRANCE, CA, OTHER HALF BREWING IN NEW YORK, NY, AND TRILLIUM BREWING IN BOSTON, MA
LAX2JFK: In The Clouds is an Imperial Oat Cream IPA with Citra, Mosaic, Motueka, Simcoe, Citra Cryo, and Simcoe Cryo hops. This brew has incredible mouthfeel and is loaded with flavor thanks to that stacked hop profile. Funny enough, the original Other Half/Monkish version of this collaboration made it on my top beers of 2020 list! Hopefully they keep the train rolling and we can see another release in 2022!
EUNOIA BATCH 6 FROM PHASE THREE BREWING COMPANY IN ZURICH, IL
Eunoia Batch 6 is a Barrel-aged Imperial Stout with Tugboat coffee, maple syrup and Ghana cocoa nibs. Phase Three is a Chicagoland powerhouse and Eunoia is arguably their best series. The coffee comes through strong but not in an overpowering fashion while the maple and chocolate even everything out.
NATIVE/WILD ESTATE HONEY FROM OXBOW BLENDING AND BOTTLING IN PORTLAND, ME
Native/Wild Estate Honey is a Spontaneously Fermented Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale with Maine grains, aged hops, well water, and estate honey. Oxbow crushes the Farmhouse Ales and this one was top notch. The addition of honey sweetens up the barrel funk but not in an overpowering way.
Triple Thiccarus from Wax Wings Brewing Company in Kalamazoo, MI
Triple Thiccarus is the Triple IPA version of their loved single IPA, Thiccarus. I enjoyed this on tap at 8 Degrees Plato, a beer bar and bottle shop in Detroit, MI. Wax Wings has been putting out some stellar brews in Western Michigan for a few years but they are finally getting a little more distribution around the state thankfully. This brew was smooth, juicy, flavorful, and absolutely delightful.
SAINT LAMVINUS FROM CANTILLON BREWERY IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Saint Lamvinus is a blend of Lambics aged 16 to 18 months and of Merlot grapes. I enjoyed this fantastic brew at Zwanze Day hosted by The Veil Brewing. This was my top Cantillon beer of the day and truly phenomenal.
ONE OF US WILL HAVE TO BURY THE OTHER COLLABORATION FROM BURIAL BEER CO. IN ASHEVILLE, NC AND OTHER HALF BREWING IN NEW YORK, NY
One Of Us Will Have To Bury The Other is a Foudre-Aged Mexican-Style Lager with pale pilsner with a touch of Vienna and Munich malt. I cannot begin to count the number of these beers that I absolutely crushed this year. Thankfully Burial released this locally twice this year and hopefully they will do so again next year!
NEED A HUG FROM FONTA FLORA BREWING IN MORGANTON, NC
Need A Hug is an Appalachian Wild Ale brewed with blueberries and elderberries. Fonta Flora makes some of the best Wild Ales and Lagers in the game and this one is at the top of the list for me. I absolutely loved how packed with flavor yet simultaneously light and refreshing it was!
DOUBLE SUNSET FROM OTHER HALF BREWING IN NEW YORK, NY
Other Half has made many versions of this Imperial Stout, this one is made with Coava Coffee Roasters Guatemalan Nayo Ovalle Coffee, vanilla and milk sugar. This was a deliciously thiccc Stout packed with flavor.
I MADE THIS MAP MYSELF COLLABORATION FROM BURIAL BEER CO. IN ASHEVILLE, NC AND OTHER HALF BREWING IN NEW YORK, NY
Burial and Other Half are two of the best breweries in the country, particularly for IPAs, so it is no surprise this Double IPA from them was epic. I Made This Map Myself is a Double IPA with oats, whirlpooled with Incognito and Cryo, triple dry-hopped with hand-selected Citra, Motueka, El Dorado, and Nelson hops, and finished with Citra Cryo hops.
SELF-RELIANCE: MOTUEKA FROM HILL FARMSTEAD BREWERY IN GREENSBORO BEND, VT
This batch of Hill Farmstead’s Farmhouse IPA, Self-Reliance, has hand-selected Motueka hops from Freestyle Farms, their agricultural partner in Upper Moutere, New Zealand. It was conditioned in oak puncheons for 3 months and then bottled since March 13, 2019. Hill Farmstead continues to put out bangers and I am hoping 2022 will finally bring a visit to their brewery and taproom for me!
SUMMER JAM: FROSE COLLABORATION FROM BARREL CULTURE BREWING AND BLENDING IN DURHAM, NC AND KINGS BREWING IN RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA
This collab is a tiki-drink inspired Fruited Sour Ale with pineapple, mango, coconut, and key lime. At 7% ABV, this is a powerful Sour from two fantastic breweries. It is thick, packed with flavor, and super easy to drink.
TRIPLE JUICY DIAMONDS COLLABORATION FROM OTHER HALF BREWING IN NEW YORK, NY AND WELDWERKS BREWING IN GREELEY, CO
You know it’s a juice bomb when two of the best in the game come together for a Triple IPA collaboration! This was brewed with Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops. I didn’t get my hands on too many WeldWerks brews this year but as I reminisce on how good this beer was I am determined to change that for 2022!
What were your favorite beers of 2021? Let me know in the comments and cheers to 2022!
Schlafly Beer Salted Caramel Stout
November 2021
November brought the least amount of beers I’ve drank in quite some time, so this month’s list is short and sweet! In no particular order, here are the top beers I had in November 2021:
Time is a Flat Circle collaboration brew from Heist Brewery in Charlotte, NC and Fidens Brewing Co. in Albany, NY
This is a Hazy Double IPA dry hopped with Rakau, Nelson Sauvin, and Motueka hops. A local collaboration with one of the hottest breweries in the country right now? Yes please! This is an absolute juice bomb and incredibly smooth.
Potato at New Origin Brewing Co in Asheville, NC
Potato is a New England IPA dry hopped with Idaho Gem and Citra hops. New Origin is Asheville’s newest brewery and they are already making waves. Their IPAs and Lagers were fantastic, I highly recommend checking them out next time you’re in AVL.
Like Whoa collaboration brew from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA, Other Half Brewing in New York, NY, and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA
Like Whoa is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Galaxy, Motueka, Topaz, & Wai-iti hops. This is part of the Freaky Friday collaboration series and a true delight. That should come as no surprise given the three breweries involved!
LAX2JFK: In The Clouds collaboration brew from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA, Other Half Brewing in New York, NY, and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA
LAX2JFK: In The Clouds is an Imperial Oat Cream IPA with Citra, Mosaic, Motueka, Simcoe, Citra Cryo, and Simcoe Cryo hops. This brew has incredible mouthfeel and is loaded with flavor thanks to that stacked hop profile. Yes this is the second beer on this month’s list that is a collaboration from Monkish, Other Half, and Trillium—this stacked team can do no wrong.
Deep Orbit Centaurus from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY
This is an Imperial Stout with vanilla, figs, almonds and cinnamon. Other Half’s Stouts are frequently overlooked and Deep Orbit is just another reminder that they can make more than Hazy IPAs. The adjunct combination is delightful and pairs nicely with the thick body of the base Stout.
Check back next month to see my top beers of december and my overall top beers of 2021! Cheers —Alexis
The Best Breweries in North Carolina
North Carolina is a mecca for beer lovers—Asheville has continually been rated Beer City USA, Charlotte has almost 50 breweries itself, and essentially every other city in the state has their own local brewery they support. But which ones are making the absolute best beer? In alphabetical order, here are the best breweries in North Carolina:
Burial Beer Co. in Asheville & Raleigh, NC
Burial first opened it’s doors in the summer of 2013 and since then has become one of the best breweries in the country and arguably the best in North Carolina. They now have 3 locations—their original brewery and taproom in the South Slope neighborhood of Asheville, their Forestry Camp brewery and taproom in the Biltmore area of Asheville, and their downtown Raleigh location. They also are getting close to opening their Charlotte taproom and they are in the works of opening another space in Asheville. Burial is best known for their juicy New England IPAs, but they also make incredible Stouts and Lagers.
Dssolvr in Asheville, NC
Dssolvr is located in the heart of downtown Asheville and opened in December 2019. They focus on doing both worlds of beer well—old school Lagers, West Coast IPAs, Wild Ales + new school Hazy IPAs, Fruited Sours, and Pastry Stouts + everything in between. Their Fruited Sours can get a little crazy but everything they put out is well crafted and delicious.
Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, Nebo, and Charlotte, NC
Fonta Flora is one of the OG’s of the NC brew scene, having opened in 2013. They now have three locations—their original brewery and taproom in downtown Morganton, their Whippoorwill Farm location in Nebo, and their Charlotte taproom in Optimist Hall. Their award winning Wild Ales are the standout, but their Lagers and Hazy IPAs are phenomenal as well.
New Anthem Beer Project in Wilmington, NC
New Anthem opened in 2016 and they now have two locations in Wilmington—their original brewery and taproom at 116 Dock Street in downtown and their larger taproom and brewery at 110 Greenfield Street. New Anthem is best known for their New England IPAs which is reflected by their IPA-heavy tap list and can production.
Newgrass Brewing Co. in Shelby, NC
Newgrass opened in August 2015 and they are located in the heart of downtown Shelby right off Highway 74. Newgrass is an ideal stop between Charlotte and Asheville for Pastry Stouts, Hazy IPAs, and Fruited Sours. They have leaned into the hype beer game and it has treated them well—you can now find Newgrass cans and taps throughout the Carolinas.
Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC
Resident Culture is located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte and opened their doors in September 2017. They are also close to opening a second brewery and taproom in the Gold District of Charlotte. The motto at Resident Culture is “where your weird is welcome” and they mean that—walking into their taproom you find a different vibe than most breweries. Their tap list is constantly changing but no matter the style RC does it well. Whether it’s a Mushroom Stout, Sour Patch Kids Sour, Lime Lager, Juicy IPA, or a Crisp Pilsner, if Resident Culture has leaned into it, they won’t steer you wrong.
Honorable Mention: Casita brewing Company
Casita is located in Wilson, North Carolina, a small town an hour east of Raleigh. They opened their taproom in 2020 after contract brewing for years at Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont and Duck-Rabbit Brewery in NC. Casita has already produced some phenomenal beers and as they continue to get comfortable in their new home the future looks bright.
If you’re exploring North Carolina, here are my guides to Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Wilmington!
Cheers!—Alexis
The Best Breweries in Louisiana
I lived in Louisiana for about five years and spent my weekends exploring the brew scene across the state! In ranking order, here are the best breweries in Louisiana:
Parish Brewing in Broussard, LA
The G.O.A.T. of Louisiana beer, hands down. Ghost in the Machine has long been a favorite for IPA drinkers across the country and Double Dry Hopped Ghost has now gained a national reputation as well. Their quaint taproom in Broussard understates how good their beer is and how sought after it is becoming.
Courtyard Brewing in New Orleans, LA
Courtyard is one of my favorite breweries of all time! Their beers are spectacular—specifically their IPAs, but don’t sleep on their other styles as well. They have navigated more hurdles in their 7 years of operation than any small business I know, but they are still grinding and still brewing great beers. Check them out for delicious beers and chill vibes.
Parleaux Beer Lab in New Orleans, LA
Parleaux is located in the Bywater neighborhood of NOLA and has fantastic brews. Their outdoor space is delightful and the perfect spot to spend an afternoon. Their beers are constantly changing, so I would recommend sampling several in order to get a real picture of how well they execute each style.
Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport, LA
Grace and Grit from Great Raft was one of the first IPAs that I truly loved—it is an extremely well-balanced and approachable beer, especially for an 8% Double IPA. Their Belgian series is also something not to be missed. Great Raft has been a powerhouse in the Louisiana brew scene since they opened in 2013 specializing in getting the Western half of the state to “drink real beer” and have since expanded to Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Urban South Brewery in New Orleans, LA
Urban South is a fun spot in NOLA with a frequently changing tap list filled with great beers. They opened their New Orleans taproom in 2016 and just three years later opened their second taproom in Houston. Their specialty seasonal releases are what they do best which are mostly Hazy IPAs and Fruited Sours, but don’t sleep on the Lime Cucumber Gose that took home a gold medal at the 2020 Great American Beer Fest.
Have you explored the Louisiana brew scene? Let me know your favorite spots in the comments! Cheers —Alexis
October 2021
October is arguably the best month of the year—college football is in full swing, leaves are changing, and the month is full of beer fests! For us October meant two bottle shares, a massive fall beer side by side tasting, Barrel Culture Brewing & Blending’s Invitational in Durham, glamping in Lenoir, and an epic Michigan State football victory over Michigan. All of these obviously also meant delicious beers, so this month’s top beers list is a little longer—check out all of the best beers I had in October 2021 below, in no particular order:
Childish Games from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA
Childish Games is a Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Enigma and Nelson Sauvin hops. Monkish has absolutely nailed the juicy IPA game and this brew is no exception—smooth, flavorful, and fantastic.
2020 Barrel Aged Cuppa Peanut Butter Coconut from Maplewood Brewing in Chicago, IL
This is an Imperial Stout blended from Cuppa aged in Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and Weller barrels for 12-18 months and conditioned on cacao nibs, vanilla, coffee, toasted coconut and peanut butter. I enjoyed this one at the Barrel Culture Invitational and it reaffirmed my belief in just how good Maplewood is!
Holding This Moment (Blue) collab brew from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY And Horus Aged Ales in OCeanside, CA
Holding This Moment is a Double IPA brewed with Motueka and Citra hops. Fidens is hot right now in the craft beer scene and Horus is always something to be chased after as well, so it’s no surprise this collaboration was incredibly delicious!
Dairelynerweisse: Raspberry, Blackberry, Pomegranate from Salud Cerveceria in Charlotte, NC
Dairelynerweisse is Salud’s Berliner Weisse series and this variant was made with blackberry, raspberry and pomegranate. You can always expect this series to be thicc, fruity, and packed full of flavor. My favorite is still the Mixed Berry version, but this one is excellent too!
Insert Hip Hop Reference Anywhere collab brew from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA and Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA
Insert Hip Hop Reference is a single-hop collaboration series from Trillium and this version features Mosaic hops in collaboration with the IPA powerhouse, Monkish Brewing. It is a 10% Triple IPA but is extremely easy to drink.
Watermelon Incipient from Speciation Artisan Ales in Grand Rapids, MI
Watermelon Incipient is a Foeder Aged Solera Sour with watermelon. Speciation always brings the funk! This one is tart, fruity, and light-bodied. I always recommend anything from Speciation that you can get your hands on!
Double Dry Hopped Ghost in the Machine from Parish Brewing in Broussard, LA
Yes I have talked about this beer before, and no I will not be stopping anytime soon. DDH Ghost is an Imperial IPA with Citra hops. I first had this beer when it initially released in 2020 and every time I have it I am continually blown away by how delicious it is. Luckily Parish brought this one to the Barrel Culture Invitational and it was the first keg to kick if that tells you anything about how fantastic it is!
Everything is Connected Collab Brew from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC and Tripping Animals Brewing Co. in Doral, FL
Everything is Connected is a Barleywine with roasted pecans, Cook's Island vanilla, Ugandan vanilla, Ecuadorian cocoa nibs, and graham crackers. Eighth State crushes the Imperial Stout and Barleywine game so it is no surprise that this brew was exceptional! Thicc, heavy on the vanilla, and boozy—everything I wanted out of it.
Get Puft from Liquid Roots Brewing Project in Lenoir, NC
Get Puft is a mango and marshmallow Sour Ale. This was super flavorful! It’s the first in the new sour series at Liquid Roots so I look forward to seeing what other flavors they develop. In the meantime I’ll take 64oz of this fruit bomb!
Flat Dayz collab brew from Other Half Brewing in New York, NY and Commonwealth Brewing in Virginia Beach, VA
Flat Dayz is a Double IPA with Citra in the whirlpool and dry hopped with Motueka, Waimea, Riwaka and Kohatu hops. Juicy, fruit-forward, and smooth. Another banger from Other Half with the help of Commonwealth.
Eunoia Batch 6 from Phase Three Brewing Company in Zurich, IL
Eunoia Batch 6 is a Barrel-aged Imperial Stout with Tugboat coffee, maple syrup and Ghana cocoa nibs. Phase Three is a Chicagoland powerhouse and Eunoia is arguably their best series. The coffee comes through strong but not in an overpowering fashion while the maple and chocolate even everything out. Highly recommend this brew!
Barrel Culture Invitational Recap
City Brew Tour Charlotte Experience
City Brew Tour Charlotte just launched in the summer of 2021, providing all-inclusive tours of breweries in Charlotte! They let us join a tour to see what it is all about and share our experience with you!
Your ride for the day!
What is City Brew Tour Charlotte?
“You drink…we drive, guide, and educate.” —sound pretty good to me! City Brew Tour Charlotte is a way to experience multiple breweries with a designated driver and learn more about both the brewing process and the breweries themselves in Charlotte. You get to go behind the scenes at breweries, learn about the history of beer on your journey, and taste a variety of local beers.
City Brew Tour Charlotte has both public and private tours for events such as bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, and corporate functions. The tour starts and ends in front of The Westin in Uptown, Charlotte.
Things to know:
You need to wear closed toed shoes, as you’ll be going into the brewing space at breweries.
The breweries change for each tour, so what we experienced may be different than what you experience! City Brew Tour Charlotte partners with several breweries in the city so it’s not the same set stops each time.
The van has a cooler in the back, so if you purchase any beer to-go you can keep it cold for the rest of the tour.
The beers are selected for you by the guide, but if you want to try something different you’re welcome to buy it separately.
Overall we enjoyed our experience and it would be great for people visiting Charlotte or new to the CLT beer scene. My one critique would be that we did feel quite rushed at stops 2 & 3, but overall I would recommend it!
The brewery dog at Armored Cow
Stop 1: Armored Cow Brewing
Armored Cow Brewing was the first stop on our brew tour! They opened in 2019 in the University City neighborhood in North Charlotte. They have multiple gluten-free beers which is pretty unique for a brewery! We tried four beers at Armored Cow and got to go into the brewhouse to see where the magic happens. We also got to meet their adorable brewery dog and learn about the first half of the brewing process.
Delicious Juicy IPAs at Resident Culture
Stop 2: Resident Culture Brewing Company
Resident Culture was the second stop for us on City Brew Tour Charlotte! Resident Culture is my favorite brewery in Charlotte so I was super excited it was included on the tour. They opened in 2017 and are located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte. Resident Culture is known for their IPAs, but their Lagers and Stouts are not to be overlooked either! At Resident Culture we went behind the scenes to see and learn about the second half of the brewing process and tried three beers.
Lunch flight at Midwood Smokehouse with local brews
Stop 3: Lunch at Midwood Smokehouse
Our third stop on the brew tour was Midwood Smokehouse for lunch. We visited the location in Park Road Shopping Center, and their original location is in Plaza Midwood. City Brew Tour Charlotte orders ahead for everyone, so be sure to mention on your reservation if you have any dietary restrictions. The menu included their famous BBQ and a few side dishes. There is also a preset beer flight of local brews. Our flight included beers from The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Wooden Robot Brewery, NoDa Brewing Company, and Catawba Brewing Company.
Behind the scenes at Lower Left Brewing
Stop 4: Lower Left Brewing Co.
Our final stop of the tour was Lower Left Brewing Company. Lower Left opened in 2019 and they are located in the Lower Southend (LoSo) neighborhood of Charlotte. They always have a good variety of beers on tap and a nice patio. Here we sampled a few more beers and went behind the scenes to see their small brew space. From Lower Left we headed back to Uptown to be dropped off at City Brew Tour Charlotte’s hotel partner, The Westin.
Behind the scenes at Resident Culture
Want to check out City Brew Tour Charlotte? Book your Tour here!
Barrel Culture Invitational Preview
September 2021
September brought the return of college football with lots of game beers and a trip to Richmond, Virginia for Zwanze Day 2021. Check out my top beers in September 2021 below:
Saint Lamvinus from Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium
Saint Lamvinus is a blend of Lambics aged 16 to 18 months and of Merlot grapes. We enjoyed this fantastic brew at Zwanze Day hosted by The Veil Brewing. This was my top Cantillon beer of the day and truly phenomenal.
The Sum of Its Parts from Triple Crossing Brewing in Richmond, VA
The Sum of Its Parts is a Mixed Culture Ale with petit manseng juice and dry hopped Nelson Sauvin hops. Triple Crossing is known for their juicy IPAs, but don’t sleep on their Wild Ales! It is best enjoyed on the Triple Crossing patio with pizza and pretzels!
Lake James Rind: Ashtray Style from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC & Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte, NC
Lake James Rind is an adjunct Lager with heritage corn, lime zest, tajin, and watermelon. This is a classic summer sipper from Fonta Flora and always a delight, but to step up your game I suggest you have it ashtray style at Salud. In the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, Salud Beer Shop offers an even better version of Lake James Rind with lime, hot sauce, pepper, and tajin.
Zwanze 2021 Parasol from Cantillon Brewery in Brussels, Belgium
Zwanze 2021 Parasol is a special blend of Lambic and a citrus blend featuring mostly oranges. This was another delightful brew from Cantillon and it was awesome to get to experience Zwanze Day for the first time. This years release was refreshing and light with a hint of orange.
Zero Drunk Thirty 7th Breakfast Club and Condron Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake from The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA
Zero Drunk Thirty 7th Breakfast Club is The Answer’s 7th Anniversary Barrel Blend Imperial Chocolate Stout. The barrels were Laird's Apple, Rye, and Rum. It is then brewed with Banana Flambé, Saigon cinnamon, Tahitian vanilla and Vermont maple. This was a delicious Imperial Stout that is thick with flavor and booziness. Another killer beer at the answer was one of their Jooses: Condron Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake. This is a Fruited Sour with Raspberry Blueberry Cheesecake. All of the Joose series is great, but these two fruits and the cheesecake flavor made it a perfect indulgence.
Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves from The Veil Brewing Co. in Richmond, VA
Banana Vanilla Almond Apple Brandy Circle of Wolves is an English Barleywine aged in @lairdsapplejack Apple Brandy barrels for 20 months then conditioned on bananas, Madagascar vanilla, and Marcona almonds. This was hands down the best beer I’ve had this month and will go down as one of my top beers of 2021. The banana hits heavy but in a delicious way and the apple brandy kicks in on the back. Highly recommend!
Check back next month to see my top beers from October!
—Cheers, Alexis
Carolina Brewery Sky Blue Kolsch
August 2021
Better late than never right? August involved travels to Maine, Wilmington NC, Athens OH, Columbus OH, Dayton OH, Metro-Detroit MI, Grand Rapids MI, and Lexington KY, so you know a LOT of good beer was drank! Check out my top beers in August below:
Everything at Maine Beer Company in Freeport, ME
Maine Beer Co. is a truly phenomenal place to visit—I highly recommend checking it out! Every beer we had was absolutely delicious and crafted to perfection. Pictured is Wolfe’s Neck, an American IPA brewed with local @blueoxmalthouse and Mosaic, El Dorado, and Sabro hops.
Self-Reliance Styrian and Strata from Hill Farmstead Brewing in Greensboro Bend, VT
Self-Reliance is a dry-hopped IPA brewed with a single hop each time. We got to try the Styrian and Strata hop versions side-by-side and loved them both!
One Of Us Will Have To Bury The Other collaboration from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY
One Of Us Will Have To Bury The Other is a Foudre-Aged Mexican-Style Lager with pale pilsner with a touch of Vienna and Munich malt. This was the ideal beer to end summer with. Refreshing, flavorful, and smooth.
Fundamental Observation from Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA
Fundamental Observation is an Imperial Stout aged in in a blend of Heaven Hill, Elijah Craig, and Willett Bourbon barrels with Madagascar vanilla beans. This thick and delicious Stout hits heavy at 14% ABV, but you wouldn’t know it from how smoothly it drinks. Fundamental Observation is always a treat to enjoy!
I Made This Map Myself collaboration from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in New York, NY
Burial and Other Half are two of the best breweries in the country, particularly for IPAs, so it is no surprise this Double IPA from them was epic. I Made This Map Myself is a Double IPA with oats, whirlpooled with Incognito and Cryo, triple dry-hopped with hand-selected Citra, Motueka, El Dorado, and Nelson hops, and finished with Citra Cryo hops.
Watercolors Synergy 5 from Skygazer Brewing Company in North Haven, CT
Watercolors Synergy 5 is a Berliner Weisse with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, blue-raspberry cotton candy, marshmallow, and milk sugar. Skygazer always crushes their Watercolor series and this one really upped the standard. Cotton candy and all, it was a true winner.
Follow along on Instagram @adventures.and.ales
Strawberry Banana Hard Seltzer Smoothie from Smooj in Ann Arbor, MI
Is it a beer? No. Do I get to make the rules because it is my list? Yes. Smoooooooj is super hyped and super worth it. These are technically hard seltzers but they are really just a boozy fruit bomb in a can. We got to try some of the small batch Smooj flavors at HOMES Brewing in Ann Arbor where they operate and were super impressed with each one.
Hillbilly Hustle from Country Boy Brewing in Lexington, KY
Hillbilly Hustle is a blackberry and lemon Lager. Think of the most refreshing summer drink possible and this is it! This beer was made in honor of the release of their local friend’s book, Hillbilly Hustle. Check it out here! I had a great time getting to visit Country Boy and tour their Lexington brewery while in town.
Raspberry Vanilla Milkshake IPA from Lost Art Brewhouse in Walker, MI
Raspberry Vanilla Milkshake IPA is brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans, raspberries, and lactose. This beer was fluffy, fruity, and delicious. Lost Art is a newer brewery just outside of Grand Rapids but they are already putting out fantastic brews.
CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH TO SEE MY TOP BEERS OF September!
CHEERS —ALEXIS
2 Days in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan—also known as Beer City USA— is one of my favorite places to visit! It can be overwhelming to plan a visit to Grand Rapids because there are just so many great breweries and fun parts of town to explore.
Check out my blog on the best breweries in Grand Rapids here!
I’ve put together this guide for a two day trip to hit the highlights of this fantastic Midwestern city. If you’ve got more time to explore check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!
The beer garden at The Sovengard
Day 1: Downtown & The West Side
For your time in Grand Rapids I highly recommend staying at the AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown. This beautiful hotel is in the heart of downtown, it is walking distance to everything on the itinerary for day 1.
Start your day at Madcap Coffee right in the heart of downtown on Monroe Center Street NW. This popular roastery has several locations in the city and makes a delicious brew.
After your coffee, walk across the street for brunch at Littlebird. This cute little spot has delicious breakfast and brunch all day every day. Enjoy a breakfast cocktail on the patio with a sandwich or a toast.
From brunch walk around the corner to the Grand Rapids Art Museum for some culture. Tickets are $10 to tour the extensive art collection.
After the museum head to lunch at Grand Rapids Brewing, a quick 5 minute walk away. This is the city’s oldest brewery with great beers and delicious food. They’ve also got a game room in the back to have some fun while you’re waiting for your food.
From lunch walk 12 minutes to Atwater Brewery, right near the river. This is the second location for this popular Detroit brewery. They have a large tap list and are best known for their Vanilla Java Porter.
After Atwater walk 8 minutes across the bridge to the poppin’ West Side neighborhood! Your first stop is Jolly Pumpkin Brewing. This is another very popular brewery with quite funky beers.
From Jolly Pumpkin walk across the street to New Holland Brewing—The Knickerbocker. This is the Grand Rapids location for New Holland Brewing, based in Holland, Michigan. Be sure to try some of their Dragon’s Milk variants.
Dinner time! Walk up the block to The Sovengard. The Sovengard is a Scandinavian restaurant and beer garden with a farm-to-table menu and a plethora of beers and cocktails to choose from.
After dinner, choose your own adventure:
Continue to hop around the West Side: Arktos Meadery, O’Toole’s Public House, One Bourbon, Anchor Bar, or Steel Cat Bar are all on the same block as The Sovengard!
Head back downtown and explore more: Founders Brewing, Hopcat, Stella’s Lounge, Mojo’s Dueling Piano Bar, and The Tin Can Bar are all within walking distance of each other in the heart of the city.
City Built Brewing
Day 2: The East Side & a couple of outliers
Decide how you’d like to start your second day in Grand Rapids—a full brunch or a delicious bagel: Terra is a yummy brunch spot or Terra Bagels, right next door, has bagels and bagel sandwiches. Both are located on Lake Drive in the heart of Eastown.
From breakfast head further East to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, a 12 minute drive. Tickets to this massive park are $14.50. Check out the sculptures, horticulture, and notable gardens.
After the park it’s time for lunch back in Eastown at Brewery Vivant. This brewery is located in the chapel of an old funeral home with a farm-scratch food menu and farmhouse-style beers.
From lunch walk 10 minutes to Outside Coffee on Wealthy Street. This adorable outside coffee shop has great vibes with frequent live music and Wealthy Street is a fantastic street to explore bars, restaurants, and shops.
On Wealthy Street be sure to visit Speciation Artisan Ales for some of the best beer in Michigan and Elk Brewing for a PB & J’ale’y on the patio.
After your time on Wealthy Street I would recommend dinner at one of the following options, all just a quick drive/Uber away:
Seven Monks Taproom: A fantastic beer bar with an extensive tap list and a menu full of sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and apps.
City Built Brewing: A great brewery with a Puerto Rican Food menu.
Mitten Brewing: A baseball themed brewery with delicious pizzas and solid beers.
From dinner head to Arvon Brewing Co. for some of the best beers in the city. Arvon specializes in Hazy IPAs and Sour Ales.
That’s it! You’ve survived & thrived for 48 hours in Grand Rapids, Michigan— AKA Beer City USA! Have you been to Grand Rapids? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! —Cheers, Alexis
The Best Breweries in Grand Rapids
The Grand Rapids area has over 80 breweries making it a beer drinker’s Mecca! If the pure number of breweries isn’t enough to entice you that you have to visit, the city also was voted Beer City USA, Best Beer Town, and Best Beer Scene from USA Today and other national polls. Narrowing the list of best breweries in the area was tough, but I managed to drink my way through the city and compile the top 4 breweries below, in ranking order.
Check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!
Speciation Artisan Ales
Speciation is the absolute best stop on the Beer City Ale Trail and my favorite brewery in Michigan! They specialize in Wild Ales and Natural Wines and are the only brewery in the area to do so. Speciation has a unique approach to brewing and you can always expect funky and distinct flavors. Their taproom is located on the popular Wealthy Street in the heart of town.
Arvon Brewing Co.
Arvon is located just south of downtown Grand Rapids on Division Street with a cute and cozy taproom that they opened in 2020. Prior to 2020 they only distributed their beers from their production-only facility in nearby Grandville, and they did not have any options for onsite consumption. Arvon was able to grow their name and flagship beers through this method, but having a taproom has really expanded their beer selection and boosted their popularity. They specialize in Hazy IPAs and Sours, but they do well with every style of beer.
Lost Art Brewhouse
Lost Art opened in 2020 and they are already taking the Grand Rapids area by storm. They are right across the city line in Walker, MI and are putting out some incredible beers! Their different variations of IPAs are definitely their strong suit—whether it’s a single IPA, a Double IPA, or a Milkshake IPA they do it to perfection.
Odd Side Ales
Odd Side is located near Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Michigan just outside of Grand Rapids. Their large taproom is a popular destination, especially in the summer months. Odd Side makes a wide variety of beers and are best known for Bean Flicker, a coffee blonde. Their Barrel Aged Stouts and Fruited Sours are the best styles they make.
Have you been to Grand Rapids? What do you think are the best breweries in Beer City USA? Let me know in the comments! —Cheers, Alexis
Check out my full beer and travel guide for Grand Rapids here!
July 2021
Y’all. July was insane. I visited Columbia South Carolina, Portland Oregon, Hood River Oregon, part of the Oregon Coast, Bend Oregon, Seattle Washington, Boston Massachusetts, Portland Maine, Bar Harbor Maine, and had some killer beers at home in Charlotte in-between. Trying to narrow down this list of my top beers in July was ridiculously difficult after visiting 65(!) new breweries in July, a few of which are some of the top breweries in the country. Check out my top beers in July below:
Everything from Great Notion Brewing in Portland, OR
Hi it’s me, already cheating for choice number one. It is impossible for me to pick one favorite beer from Great Notion that I had—I visited two of their taprooms and had a flight at each, so I had 10 beers on tap and 4 beers in cans throughout my trip. Some highlights were: Carnibaal Smoothie-Style Ale with raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cotton candy, and marshmallow flavor that is a collaboration with @baabaabrewhouse, Orrerey Imperial Pastry Stout, Big Papaya Fruited Sour with papaya, Shepherd of the Forest Imperial IPA with Strata, Galaxy, Citra, and Vic Secret, and The Mad Batter Imperial Stout with chocolate, vanilla, almonds, and coconut.
Native/Wild Estate Honey From Oxbow Blending and Bottling in Portland, ME
Native/Wild Estate Honey is a Spontaneously Fermented Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale with Maine grains, aged hops, well water, and estate honey. We enjoyed everything we tried at Oxbow and the highlight was definitely this bottle. Duckfat also has a location onsite to pair your beers with some killer fries.
Everything from The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR
It is impossible to choose again here, so why not just talk about all of the beers? Ale Apothecary is a super unique little spot in Bend where all of their beers are 100% barrel aged, wild fermented, and naturally carbonated. I had every beer available when I visited: Pear Sauvie with @meccagrade barley and rye malts, @sauvieislandhops Crystal hops, and pear juice; Sahalie malted barley & wheat and @goschiefarms Cascade hops, house lactobacillus culture, aged up to 1 year in oak barrels then a month-long dry-hopping in oak barrels; Walking Fish dry-hopped brew transferred onto freshly harvested Crystal hops from @sauvieislandhops; Sahati barley & rye malts with @goschiefarms Cascade hops brewed in a fallen spruce tree; Farmhouse with barley, rye, wheat, and oats aged in barrels 3-4 months, dry-hopped in the barrel, and naturally carbonated with Oregon honey.
Twice the Daily Serving From Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA
I always love this series from Trillium! This version of Twice The Daily Serving is a Berliner Weisse with blackberry, plum, and raspberry. Visiting Trillium was incredible and of course we left with a plethora of cans for the rest of our time in New England! I enjoyed this one with the sunset over the bay in Southwest Harbor, Maine near Acadia National Park.
Speling van het Lot VIII.ii: Schaarbeekse On A Toast (Medium) - Blended & Alive (Season 17|18) Blend No. 47 From Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Lot, Belgium
Did you get all of that? 3 Fonteinen always produces some of the best Lambics around and this one was no exception! It was incredibly smooth and had a nice hint of cherry without being overwhelming. Here is their description of this brew: Speling van het Lot” (Twist of Fate) is a series of small batch experimental brews, barrel maturations, fruit macerations and/or blends. This 8th version features the maceration of Schaarbeekse cherries on charred/toasted barrels. This Schaarbeekse On A Toast has macerated for 265 days on a fresh 1,000 liter medium toasted French oak barrel, in a proportion of 1 kilo of Schaarbeekse cherries per liter of Lambic. After the maceration, the fruit Lambic was blended with young Lambic for a continued fermentation in the bottle.
Pear Mary 2019 From Cascade Brewing in Portland, OR
Cascade is a must visit in Portland! I absolutely loved getting to taste a bunch of their Sours and hanging out in their patio space. My favorite beer I had was Pear Mary 2019, a blend of sour blond ales aged in oak wine barrels then naturally fermented with juice from Northwest-grown pears and infused with fresh rosemary. I also enjoyed Chêne des Fous 2018, Apricot 2019, Garden Party 2017, and Belmont Street Bramble.
Double Dry Hopped Fort Point from Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA
Fort Point is Trillium’s classic juicy Pale Ale, and the DDH version of it was absolutely incredible. It is the classic Fort Point recipe with Columbus hops and then double dry hopped with Citra hops.
Eleanor from Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, WA
Eleanor is a Farmhouse Ale refermented on elderberries with Hallertau Mittelfruh hops. It has a berry body with notes of cinnamon, clove, and earthy flavors. Fair Isle was my absolute favorite stop in Seattle! They specialize in creating mixed-culture Saisons and they absolutely crush it. I can’t wait to visit them again in the future!
The Purple Kriek From de Garde Brewing in Tillamook, OR
The Purple Kriek is a Spontaneous Wild Ale aged in oak barrels with black and red raspberries and Montmorency and Morello cherries. de Garde is a must visit on any trip to Oregon! They are consistently ranked one of the top breweries in the country, with good reason.
Back in the Zone collaboration From Mast Landing Brewing in Westbrook, ME and Orono Brewing in Orono, ME
Back in the Zone is an Imperial IPA with Citra, Mosaic, and Rakau hops. Mast Landing’s IPAs were absolutely stellar. I loved everything at the taproom outside of Portland, Maine and luckily they were on tap at several spots in Bar Harbor as well!
CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH TO SEE MY TOP BEERS OF August!
CHEERS —ALEXIS
A Day Trip to the Oregon Coast
I highly recommend checking out the Oregon Coast! I chose to do a day trip from Portland, which was a long day but absolutely worth it! From Portland I started just below Tillamook at Cape Lookout, drove up to Astoria, and then back over to Portland.
Oregon Coast Tips:
Anticipate that the coast will be much colder than other areas in Oregon—bring layers and a rain jacket for the foggy mist, not necessarily a swimsuit
Each city on the coast is quite different, so definitely check out at least a couple of different spots!
Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your booking!
Check out my full guide to Portland!
Hike on the coast!
There are several hikes along the coast in Oregon, so it really depends on where you want to launch from. I did the Cape Lookout Trail which ended up being about 5.3 miles, 52 flights up, and took about 2 hours. It is just outside of the town of Tillamook, right on the coast.
The trail itself was a bit muddy and overgrown in certain parts, but it provided great views! I recommend starting early, I was the only one there at 8am and when I left at 10am it was pretty busy.
Tillamook
From the hike head into Tillamook, a sleepy little town just inland from the coast. People flock to Tillamook to visit the creamery, but don’t miss de Garde Brewing.
Tillamook Creamery
The hub of creamy cheese and ice cream! This is a massive tourist attraction in Tillamook overflowing with visitors. There is a self-guided tour you can walk through to learn more about the creamery process and then they have ice cream, cheese, grilled cheese, and burgers available on their food menu.
Five Rivers Coffee Roasters
A tasty coffee shop right across the street from the creamery!
de Garde Brewing
de Garde specializes in Spontaneously Fermented beers. All of their beer is produced in a coolship, then barrel aged, and then finally bottle conditioned. They have won a plethora of awards are are arguably the best brewery in Oregon. They are located right downtown in a small little taproom with a nice patio. Their tap list is small but mighty.
Rockaway Beach
A sleepy little beach town just north of Tillamook.
Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is one of the more popular beach towns along the Oregon Coast. As a result, anticipate pretty terrible traffic and parking. The beach itself is dog friendly which makes everything more fun. You can also see the surrounding mountains from the beach.
Pelican Brewing
Pelican is extremely popular and has 3 locations—Cannon Beach, Pacific City, and Tillamook. They have a full food menu that is a bit pricey but tasty. I was honestly surprised by the quality of their beer because it is essentially a tourist hub that is more of a restaurant, but the beer was great!
Haystack Rock
A massive rock in the ocean that is worth seeing!
Astoria
Astoria is pretty large city located at the top of Oregon. The Columbia River separates the city from Washington to the North and the Pacific Ocean borders the city to the West. It is a port city and it is the oldest city in Oregon!
Fort George Brewery
Fort George is housed in a large building in the heart of Astoria. They have both the upstairs and downstairs of the building providing ample seating. They also have an elevated patio with views of the water and the city. They have a full food menu that is focused on pizza. Fort George makes fantastic beers, particularly IPAs and Sours.
Buoy Beer Co.
Buoy is located right on the ocean and provides great views of the surrounding water and mountains. They also have a full food menu if you arrive hungry. The inside space has a glass floor to look at the ocean and creatures below. Buoy can definitely be touristy because of its location but the beers were good and the views were worth it!
Have you checked out the Oregon coast?! What is your favorite spot? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis
A Day Trip to the Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is the perfect day trip from Portland, Oregon. This scenic area is just about an hour away from PDX. It is full of hiking, waterfalls, water sports, and fantastic craft beer.
Check out my full beer and travel guide for Portland!
Here is my day trip itinerary for the Columbia River Gorge:
Hike in the columbia river gorge
Multnomah Falls is the highest waterfall in Oregon and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. I recommend doing the Wahkeena Falls loop which hits five different waterfalls. I did this AllTrails hike which ended up being 5.8 miles, 134 flights up, and took about 2.5 hours.
The trail starts along a ridge heading from Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls are truly an incredible sight. From the base of the falls you head up the trail across the iconic bridge on the falls and into the land of switchbacks. You wind up for quite a while until you’re at the top of the Multnomah Falls, and then head into the woods. First you encounter Wisendanger Falls, and then Ecola Falls which is a bit smaller and harder to see from the trail. From Ecola Falls you wind through the woods for a while until getting to Fairy Falls, which you essentially follow all the way back down the mountain to the trailhead at Wahkeena Falls.
The trail provides great views of the surrounding gorge and was a delight to hike throughout. It was mildly overgrown in some areas when I visited and there were a plethora of large slugs, so just watch your step! I recommend starting your hike early to avoid the crowds. Getting there anytime between 7-8am was fine, but by 10am the parking lot was packed. There are several other waterfalls and hikes along the Historic Columbia River Highway as well!
Multnomah Falls
Hood River
From your hike head further into the gorge to the town of Hood River, the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. The drive is right along the river and absolutely gorgeous!
I recommend making Stoked Coffee your first stop. This cute little coffeeshop is right on Hood River Waterfront Park. Grab a coffee and meander through the park or find a bench to watch the windsurfers!
Hood River also has several breweries worth checking out:
Full Sail Brewing
Full Sail Brewing
Full Sail has a small elevated patio with nice views overlooking the Columbia River. They have a full food menu, average beers, and restaurant-style vibes.
Ferment Brewing Co.
Ferment Brewing Co.
Ferment has a huge deck-style patio right on Waterfront Park. The views here were my favorite in Hood River. They have a full food menu with delicious offerings and fantastic beers—the best of the day! Ferment can be quite popular, so expect a line if visiting during peak season.
pFriem Family Brewers
pFriem Family Brewers
pFriem is probably the most well-known brewery in the area and for good reason—their barrel aged beers are top notch. With that popularity comes long waits for a table, so I recommend heading to Bear’s Den next door. This is their beer-only outdoor section, whereas their taproom has a full food menu and more of a restaurant set-up. pFriem is also right on Waterfront Park, but they are on ground level so you don’t get the views that you do at Ferment.
Views from the Wahkeena Falls trail
Have you visited the Columbia River Gorge? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis
June 2021
June absolutely flew by but it was still packed with some delicious beers! We took two trips to Atlanta, a quick stop in Greenville, and hosted our first fully vaccinated bottle share. In no particular order, here were my top beers in June 2021:
Check out my guide to Atlanta here!
Emergency Chute from Variant Brewing Co in Roswell, GA
Emergency Chute is an Imperial New England IPA. It is brewed with Vic Secret, Simcoe, and Citra hops resulting in a smooth and juicy flavor. This was my first visit to Variant and first time trying any of their beers. I was super impressed!
Self-Reliance: Strata from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT
Self Reliance is Hill Farmstead’s Farmhouse IPA series. This version is brewed exclusively with Strata hops. It was brewed in March 2020, conditioned in puncheons for four months, and then double dry-hopped. Every beer in this series has been fantastic!
The Time Between Dog and Wolf from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC
The Time Between Dog and Wolf is an Imperial Pastry Stout. It was Bourbon Barrel Aged for 14 months in Willett Bourbon barrels that previously housed dark, robust maple syrup from High Low Farm in Woodstock, VT and single origin coffee beans from Finca La Laja in Veracruz, Mexico sourced by Pure Intentions Coffee. It is rich, flavorful, and thick. Best served with Ashworth Cookies.
Dot Matrix collaboration from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC and BlackStack Brewing in St. Paul, MN
Dot Matrix is a Mixed Fermentation Gose with malted wheat, passionfruit, raspberry, guava, grapefruit and black truffle sea salt. This collab is tart, fruity, and delicious. These breweries have been two of my favorites for quite a while now, but I am continually impressed by the beers they produce.
Vary from Halfway Crooks in Atlanta, GA
Vary is a Czech Pilsner with Saaz hops and Czech yeast. This is the malty version of another one of their Czech Pilsner’s, Var. Don’t let the term malt scare you here, it is still clean and crisp as you want a Pilsner to be. Halfway Crooks absolutely crushes the Lager game so it’s no surprise that they are on the list. It was difficult to choose which Halfway Crooks beer to add here out of the 6 beers from them I got to try this month!