Brewery Discoveries on Vacation

[CloniesForLife]

We will have a toddler with us, so I probably won't do any of the places with reservations, even though they all sound amazing. If there is a good local place that delivers pizza, we are looking at that for our first night in. A good brunch place for Saturday or Sunday would be good too.

Thank you for all of this information. I have copied it into a Google doc for my travel group.

Let me brainstorm on pizza delivery. Young Joni does takeout if you are wanting to try a place.

Brunch- Vivir, The Briar Bar (kind of a small space if you have a big group), Treehouse across the river in north loop is always a solid option. I'll try and think of others. I'm a little out of the brunch game.

 

[GMackey32]

If anyone is ever goes to Nassau, Bahamas, there's a brewpub called "Pirate Republic Brewing Company" that makes some pretty good beer. Actually ran into some Cyclones fans there.

 

[baller21]

Surly's legitimately slipped in quality over the past 8 years, pretty damn hard too. Furious and Abrasive are still really good beers, but that's about the extent of it. Schell's is fairly big time and I think they're the best brewery in Minnesota. One of my favorite breweries, period. So it's not just size and scope, IMO.

Blackstack is kind of a one trick pony to me. All they care about is IPAs. They're excellent at making them, but that's kind of all they do.

Twin Cities breweries that I would recommend that don't get as much love as some of these others would be Bauhaus and Fair State in north Minneapolis, Town Hall near downtown Minneapolis. I really like Pryes and Utepils, but have never been to either tap room. Steel Toe out in St Louis Park is good too.

Never been to Fair State’s brewery but the beers I’ve had of theirs have all been solid. Big Doinks is one of my all time favorite IPA’s but I love the floral dank hops.

 

[dmclone]

Not really a vacation, but spent a long weekend in Omaha. A few observations:

Lumen-My god this place kills it. Had a couple IPA's that I would put on my top 10 of all time list.

Bearded Brewer-Ddidnt go this time, but we did last time and liked a lot of there offerings.

Kros Strain-They are ok.

Lincoln. We spent a day in Lincoln. We were going to Boiler Brewing and realized when we walked in that they were having some anniversary thing, so we left. Went to Corn Coast and I was underwhelmed.

Now let's talk about liquor stores, and how embarrassing des moines is when it comes to liquor stores. Lincoln is a lot smaller than DSM and they have Wall to Wall, Wine Beer and Spirits, and a brand new Total Wine. WB&S had taps where you could drink while shopping. Why in the hell doesn't DSM have anything more than Wall to Wall?

 

[CloniesForLife]

Not really a vacation, but spent a long weekend in Omaha. A few observations:

Lumen-My god this place kills it. Had a couple IPA's that I would put on my top 10 of all time list.

Bearded Brewer-Ddidnt go this time, but we did last time and liked a lot of there offerings.

Kros Strain-They are ok.

Lincoln. We spent a day in Lincoln. We were going to Boiler Brewing and realized when we walked in that they were having some anniversary thing, so we left. Went to Corn Coast and I was underwhelmed.

Now let's talk about liquor stores, and how embarrassing des moines is when it comes to liquor stores. Lincoln is a lot smaller than DSM and they have Wall to Wall, Wine Beer and Spirits, and a brand new Total Wine. WB&S had taps where you could drink while shopping. Why in the hell doesn't DSM have anything more than Wall to Wall?

Lumen is amazing. Was in Omaha and made it a point to go try because of CF and will absolutely go back.

 

[dmclone]

The more I travel, the more I appreciate the selection we have in Iowa. Just spent a week in Tampa, and Des Moines has a much stronger beer scene despite being 1/4th the size. Angry Chair and Corporate Ladder were two standouts, but overall not super impressed.

Maybe it's just a southern thing because I've felt the same way about Austin, Atlanta, and Nashville as well. Places like KC, Minneapolis, DSM, Omaha, multiple places in Michigan, etc. just kill it.

 

[clone136]

Oden Brewery in Greensboro NC is pretty good.

 

[BACyclone]

One place I'm somewhat desperate to try in Lincoln, NE but have yet to make it work is Zipline Brewing.

Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales is another, they have a satellite location in Longmont, CO but somehow I haven't yet made that one work either.

Colorado beer I've enjoyed:

Cerebral Brewing
Outer Range
Odd13 (hole in the wall location worth the side trip)

In Aruba there is ONE legit craft brewery with a very tiny brew system, north side of the island but it's worth the stop in: Fireson Brewing. No cans so (don't tell anyone) I literally drove home with two full plastic cups after I drank one at the brewery and enjoyed it!

Nashville - Bearded Iris is well known but I found the beer underwhelming. Southern Grist seems higher quality to me.

Florida, Texas - I liked an earlier comment how mystifying it is that I find it difficult to find great beer in "the South". Maybe I just have bad luck. We have it good here in Iowa in my opinion.

Textile in Dyersville - worth the stop in if you are nearby, they have a WIDE variety of beer and most are really good.

 

[CloniesForLife]

The more I travel, the more I appreciate the selection we have in Iowa. Just spent a week in Tampa, and Des Moines has a much stronger beer scene despite being 1/4th the size. Angry Chair and Corporate Ladder were two standouts, but overall not super impressed.

Maybe it's just a southern thing because I've felt the same way about Austin, Atlanta, and Nashville as well. Places like KC, Minneapolis, DSM, Omaha, multiple places in Michigan, etc. just kill it.

I was just in DC and the craft beer scene was almost non existent and the couple near me were not appealing. Iowa and Minnesota both have pretty underrated beer scenes IMO

 

[dmclone]

One place I'm somewhat desperate to try in Lincoln, NE but have yet to make it work is Zipline Brewing.

Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales is another, they have a satellite location in Longmont, CO but somehow I haven't yet made that one work either.

Zipline is not that great. I've only been to the Omaha location for bearded brewer and it was amazeballs.

 

[Zed_One]

The more I travel, the more I appreciate the selection we have in Iowa. Just spent a week in Tampa, and Des Moines has a much stronger beer scene despite being 1/4th the size. Angry Chair and Corporate Ladder were two standouts, but overall not super impressed.

Maybe it's just a southern thing because I've felt the same way about Austin, Atlanta, and Nashville as well. Places like KC, Minneapolis, DSM, Omaha, multiple places in Michigan, etc. just kill it.

Eh I dunno, moved to Tampa over 10 years ago, the beer scene is different than up north for sure. Dont get me wrong I am a huge Iowa/midwest beer advocate, but I have had some dogs up there as well (Barn Town I am talking to you). Depends on what you are looking for and like to enjoy. Barrel aged or pastry stouts are not super popular when its sweltering outside most of the year, so if that is your jam, that could be why. There are a few exceptions of course. I have found some real gems, but no one brewery kills it on all styles. Our home grown sweetcorn always tasted better at my Grannies house rather than mine. Peace : )>.

 

[BACyclone]

Early onset Barn Town, I was a huge fan. They killed it in the height of the IPA wave and with stouts. Now those styles seem to be much less of their profile.

I don't know what happened, maybe a different brewer, but it seems like they are super focused on SOURS which is just not my style. Maybe sours are a lot more profitable for them than IPAs and big stouts.

Food was always incredible, but the beer offerings IMO are meh which frankly leads me to go elsewhere. (Lua)

 

[CycloneEggie]

Favorite vacation spot for our family is Estes Park, CO. A few years ago I discovered Rock Cut. Nice little Brewery, They have food trucks.


Just went back to Estes a few weeks ago. They have another Brewery called Estes Park Brewery that had a full restaurant. Daughter and Son-in Law went while we watched the grandkid and they said it was also good.

 

[Messi]

Early onset Barn Town, I was a huge fan. They killed it in the height of the IPA wave and with stouts. Now those styles seem to be much less of their profile.

I don't know what happened, maybe a different brewer, but it seems like they are super focused on SOURS which is just not my style. Maybe sours are a lot more profitable for them than IPAs and big stouts.

Food was always incredible, but the beer offerings IMO are meh which frankly leads me to go elsewhere. (Lua)

I’m convinced barntown makes half their beverages for the suburban moms in waukee to drink (see: my MIL)

• peanut butter and jelly sandwich sour
• nerds sour
• rum pinapple dole whip sour

etc

they still make some solid IPA (Neon is top 3 staple hazy ipa in Iowa)
but theyve really leaned into the whacky sours/seltzers. food is still amazing as always which keeps me going back once a month

 

[Cyfan1965]

If anyone happens to find themselves in Dungarvan Ireland try this cider made there. They have a dry and a medium

 

[JP4CY]

I’m convinced barntown makes half their beverages for the suburban moms in waukee to drink (see: my MIL)

• peanut butter and jelly sandwich sour
• nerds sour
• rum pinapple dole whip sour

etc

they still make some solid IPA (Neon is top 3 staple hazy ipa in Iowa)
but theyve really leaned into the whacky sours/seltzers. food is still amazing as always which keeps me going back once a month

I don't drink sours/the ones you mentioned but maybe it just makes sense for them to not battle Lua, Singlespeed, Confluence, Big Grove in the beer battles?

 

[NickTheGreat]

Early onset Barn Town, I was a huge fan. They killed it in the height of the IPA wave and with stouts. Now those styles seem to be much less of their profile.

I don't know what happened, maybe a different brewer, but it seems like they are super focused on SOURS which is just not my style. Maybe sours are a lot more profitable for them than IPAs and big stouts.

Food was always incredible, but the beer offerings IMO are meh which frankly leads me to go elsewhere. (Lua)

I’m convinced barntown makes half their beverages for the suburban moms in waukee to drink (see: my MIL)

• peanut butter and jelly sandwich sour
• nerds sour
• rum pinapple dole whip sour

etc

they still make some solid IPA (Neon is top 3 staple hazy ipa in Iowa)
but theyve really leaned into the whacky sours/seltzers. food is still amazing as always which keeps me going back once a month

I was a huge craft beer guy, but the industry passed me by sometime between sours and pastry stouts. I love me a bourbon barrel stout, but I've drain poured most of the pastry stouts I've bought.

There's been at least two times this year we are wanting to go somewhere, and I'll pull up the Barntown beer list, and decide to go elsewhere. I still like the place, and the food is always really good.