Recently, I’ve been able to do a lot more traveling, and this is taking me to many breweries that I have enjoyed over the years. I have gone back to these spots with the anticipation of enjoyment, and have rarely been disappointed. Often times my favorite beer is still on draft, and though the staff may have changed, the place still has warmth. For me, it often feels like I’ve stepped back in time for great memories. Maybe you have a brewery or two that you have great memories of, and if so, I encourage you to stop back and see them for a similar experience.
It was about 20 years ago that I was living in Pennsylvania, and really began to learn about craft beer. On multiple trips to Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, I cut my teeth on very creative beer in what was the early stages of the craft beer movement. Penn Brewing, The Church, Yards, and later Sly Fox, Iron Hill, and Bullfrog would all solidify my feeling that Pennsylvania was a great place for craft beer. I would then watch breweries develop in Indiana and Ohio, and it became evident that I could find good craft beer anywhere. It was also in 2003 that I made a trip to St. Louis where I discovered Schlafly. And since that summer, I have been on a wonderful journey.
And now that I’ve visited over 1000 breweries, there are many places across the last two decades that I consider warm and friendly places that I would go back to in a heartbeat. I was in northern Indiana last weekend for a homebrew competition, and there were many breweries that I wanted to visit, but I was limited on time, so I only got to see a handful. But Hoplore, Ruhe, and others were excellent stops, and it was nice to actually get to Westwind again. And later on in the weekend, I stopped in at the Lakeville Brew Crew. They may have the smallest tap room in Indiana, but they might also be one of the most warm and inviting places in the state.
And of course, my travels take me all over the state of Ohio as well. And while I am currently trying to visit new breweries on most of my trips across the state, I will be in Cincinnati this weekend, and I look forward to visiting some of my favorite places. Streetside has been a favorite of mine, but I also am a huge fan of Esoteric, and Urban Artifact. I discovered others in January that intrigue me, and I may even visit a new brewery. And that’s what I like about visiting cities because there’s always so much good beer to choose from.
So while I always like visiting new breweries and finding new places to drink craft beer, I will never forget the places where I first learned to love this amazing beverage. And my favorite places are spread out across the country and that’s what makes traveling so much fun. I haven’t been to southern Indiana in a long time, and stops to many breweries in places like Aurora, Seymour, and Bloomfield are long overdue. And while I’m at it, I’ll definitely have to stop at Cedar Creek. They are one of the most exciting breweries in southern Indiana, and I’m always looking forward to seeing what they are doing next.
So with the summer coming up, I plan on visiting a lot of new breweries, but there will be old friends to see as well. I don’t know exactly where my travels will take me, but I know there will be good beer wherever I go. I hope your adventures help you find good beer too, and should our paths cross, let’s have one together.
So Much Beer So Little Time 