The ninth largest brewery in the U.S., and the largest in Southern California, Stone Brewing Co. prides itself on creating beers with honesty, integrity and craftsmanship. Take a brewery tour or enjoy a meal at either of their breweries on both coasts, or visit one of their six taprooms — five in California and one in Virginia.
Courtesy Stone Brewing
San Diego and Richmond, Virginia
The ninth largest brewery in the U.S., and the largest in Southern California, Stone Brewing Co. prides itself on creating beers with honesty, integrity and craftsmanship. Take a brewery tour or enjoy a meal at either of their breweries on both coasts, or visit one of their six taprooms — five in California and one in Virginia.
Russian River’s 85,000-square-foot Windsor brewery includes a brewpub, outdoor beer garden, gift shop, tasting room/growler fills, guided and self-guided tours. Besides their four flagship beers, you’ll find several beers that are aged in wine barrels.
Randy Pench/Sacramento Bee/TNS
Windsor, California
Russian River’s 85,000-square-foot Windsor brewery includes a brewpub, outdoor beer garden, gift shop, tasting room/growler fills, guided and self-guided tours. Besides their four flagship beers, you’ll find several beers that are aged in wine barrels.
The third-oldest craft brewery in Colorado, Breckenridge Brewery’s original location in downtown Breckenridge, and its larger facility in Littleton both offer brewery tours, delicious food and beers on tap. After taking one of their 90-minute brewery tours, you can enjoy views of the Rockies while sitting around a fire pit or playing bocce or corn hole. Their beer lineup includes nitro and seasonal brews.
Catharine Hamm/Los Angeles Times/MCT
Breckenridge and Littleton, Colorado
The third-oldest craft brewery in Colorado, Breckenridge Brewery’s original location in downtown Breckenridge, and its larger facility in Littleton both offer brewery tours, delicious food and beers on tap. After taking one of their 90-minute brewery tours, you can enjoy views of the Rockies while sitting around a fire pit or playing bocce or corn hole. Their beer lineup includes nitro and seasonal brews.
November 16, 2018 Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com PENNLIVE.COM
Multiple locations
Iron Hill’s 21 locations — most are in Pennsylvania — all have an on-site brewery. Plan a long visit so you can enjoy some brews and delicious food. You won’t want to skip dessert, either. With every purchase of their signature Triple Chocolate Hill dessert, they donate to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer.
November 16, 2018 Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com PENNLIVE.COM
Multiple locations
Iron Hill’s 21 locations — most are in Pennsylvania — all have an on-site brewery. Plan a long visit so you can enjoy some brews and delicious food. You won’t want to skip dessert, either. With every purchase of their signature Triple Chocolate Hill dessert, they donate to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer.
Opened in 1996, Smoky Mountain Brewery is the oldest craft brewery in eastern Tennessee. Starting as a small operation in Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountain now has four locations in Tennessee, with six flagship beers and delicious food to accompany them. Enjoy a Black Bear ale while listening to live music.
Opened in 1996, Smoky Mountain Brewery is the oldest craft brewery in eastern Tennessee. Starting as a small operation in Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountain now has four locations in Tennessee, with six flagship beers and delicious food to accompany them. Enjoy a Black Bear ale while listening to live music.
Founded in 2014, Other Half is “dedicated to collaborating with breweries both in New York as well as across the world in an effort to constantly move the industry forward while elevating the craft.” Try Green City, a hazy IPA, or the double IPA, Stacks on Stacks at their two locations in Brooklyn, or their taprooms in Washington D.C. and in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
STEVE ORBANEK/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Brooklyn, New York and Washington, D.C.
Founded in 2014, Other Half is “dedicated to collaborating with breweries both in New York as well as across the world in an effort to constantly move the industry forward while elevating the craft.” Try Green City, a hazy IPA, or the double IPA, Stacks on Stacks at their two locations in Brooklyn, or their taprooms in Washington D.C. and in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Each Golden Road beer connects to California in some way: from the fruit cart vendors of LA, to Heal the Bay IPA, which benefits a nonprofit organization dedicated to cleaning Southern California’s waters. Tour the brewery in Atwater Village, or visit one of the five pubs throughout California.
Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times/TNS
Los Angeles
Each Golden Road beer connects to California in some way: from the fruit cart vendors of LA, to Heal the Bay IPA, which benefits a nonprofit organization dedicated to cleaning Southern California’s waters. Tour the brewery in Atwater Village, or visit one of the five pubs throughout California.
Alchemist’s Stowe location hosts a brewery, tasting room and a lawn for parties and special events (they often have live music to enjoy while you sip your beer). The brand is done growing, making just 20,000 barrels a year, so visiting them and getting a signature Heady Topper brew is a special event.
Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune/MCT
Stowe, Vermont
Alchemist’s Stowe location hosts a brewery, tasting room and a lawn for parties and special events (they often have live music to enjoy while you sip your beer). The brand is done growing, making just 20,000 barrels a year, so visiting them and getting a signature Heady Topper brew is a special event.
Pronounced “da shootz,” this brewery started small and now sells over 225,000 barrels of beer each year. There’s the Bend tasting room at the brewery, the Bend Public House, the Portland Public House, the Portland Airport Pub (perfect if you are merely in Portland for a layover) or, their East Coast tasting room in Roanoke, Virginia.
Oregonian file photo
Bend, Oregon
Pronounced “da shootz,” this brewery started small and now sells over 225,000 barrels of beer each year. There’s the Bend tasting room at the brewery, the Bend Public House, the Portland Public House, the Portland Airport Pub (perfect if you are merely in Portland for a layover) or, their East Coast tasting room in Roanoke, Virginia.
The Bellaire brewpub is housed in their former brewery inside a 120-year-old hardware store, now with a beer garden, food and a “brewtique.” You can tour the new brewery at their Elk Rapids location. Shorts has also released new drink brands Starcut Ciders and Beaches Hard Seltzer.
Courtesy of Short's Brewing Company
Bellaire, Michigan
The Bellaire brewpub is housed in their former brewery inside a 120-year-old hardware store, now with a beer garden, food and a “brewtique.” You can tour the new brewery at their Elk Rapids location. Shorts has also released new drink brands Starcut Ciders and Beaches Hard Seltzer.
Inspired by drinking Belgian beers while vacationing in Europe, founder John McDonald was determined to bring quality beer to the United States. Opened in 1989, Boulevard now has nine year-round brews, and several seasonal and special-edition ones. Plus, they expanded to produce signature cocktail cans as well as hard seltzer.
David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/MCT
Kansas City, Missouri
Inspired by drinking Belgian beers while vacationing in Europe, founder John McDonald was determined to bring quality beer to the United States. Opened in 1989, Boulevard now has nine year-round brews, and several seasonal and special-edition ones. Plus, they expanded to produce signature cocktail cans as well as hard seltzer.
There is a Twitter account dedicated to Tree House Brewery’s famously long lines, so be prepared when planning your visit. But don’t let that deter you. Their online ordering system will ensure you get the beer you want, and Tree House recently opened two new locations, one in Sandwich on Cape Cod, and the other in Deerfield in western Massachusetts. You can buy up to two draft pour tickets in advance online to use at the brewery’s original Charlton location, but the tickets must be redeemed on the day you buy them.
There is a Twitter account dedicated to Tree House Brewery’s famously long lines, so be prepared when planning your visit. But don’t let that deter you. Their online ordering system will ensure you get the beer you want, and Tree House recently opened two new locations, one in Sandwich on Cape Cod, and the other in Deerfield in western Massachusetts. You can buy up to two draft pour tickets in advance online to use at the brewery’s original Charlton location, but the tickets must be redeemed on the day you buy them.
Bell’s Brewery has come a long way since founder Larry Bell brewed his first beer in a 15-gallon soup pot 35 years ago. With nine signature brews, several seasonal and special edition brews, you can tour the Comstock brewery for a first-hand view of the modern brewing process, or the original Kalamazoo brewery, also featuring the Eccentric Cafe, Bell’s full-service restaurant.
Joel Bissell | MLive.com/Joel Bissell | MLive.com
Kalamazoo and Comstock, Michigan
Bell’s Brewery has come a long way since founder Larry Bell brewed his first beer in a 15-gallon soup pot 35 years ago. With nine signature brews, several seasonal and special edition brews, you can tour the Comstock brewery for a first-hand view of the modern brewing process, or the original Kalamazoo brewery, also featuring the Eccentric Cafe, Bell’s full-service restaurant.
Allagash’s Belgian-inspired beers are some of the best in the country, and to ensure the Belgian tradition, the company treats employees who have been with the company for five years to a trip to Belgium. Make sure you try their For Maine, With Love series, which is made exclusively for drinking and purchasing at the brewery.
Joel Bissell | MLive.com
Portland, Maine
Allagash’s Belgian-inspired beers are some of the best in the country, and to ensure the Belgian tradition, the company treats employees who have been with the company for five years to a trip to Belgium. Make sure you try their For Maine, With Love series, which is made exclusively for drinking and purchasing at the brewery.
Besides the patio, fire pit, games and ocean views in Long Beach, fun events like “Sips and Succulents” and beginner homebrew classes make Ballast a favorite spot. Started in the late 1990s by a group of homebrewers, Ballast features year-round beers including the award-winning IPA Sculpin and the official craft beer of the San Diego Padres, Swingin’ Friar Ale.
K.C. Alfred
San Diego, Long Beach and Anaheim, California
Besides the patio, fire pit, games and ocean views in Long Beach, fun events like “Sips and Succulents” and beginner homebrew classes make Ballast a favorite spot. Started in the late 1990s by a group of homebrewers, Ballast features year-round beers including the award-winning IPA Sculpin and the official craft beer of the San Diego Padres, Swingin’ Friar Ale.
Dear EarthTalk: Is blimp travel really making a comeback? Is it eco-friendly? — J. Roe, Islip. New York
The blimp, forever besmirched due to the Hindenburg explosion in 1937 — when one of the first commercial blimps caught on fire — never really fulfilled its potential as a commuting vehicle.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and companies like Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) are taking steps to reintroduce airships safely. HAV’s Airlander 10, for example, uses inert helium for buoyancy instead of flammable hydrogen (which the industry began doing right after the Hindenburg disaster), thus eliminating the threat of disasters like the Hindenburg. Today’s blimp can be an efficient cargo carrier, and can also seat 100 passengers and travel 200-300 miles quickly on hybrid (diesel/electric) power — making blimp travel one of the greenest ways to travel medium-length distances.
Traditional commercial jets are not only much more costly to make, but also accelerate global warming and impact local air quality. Commercial aircrafts use large amounts of fossil fuels and emit harmful greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfate or soot particulates.
As a hybrid vehicle with a helium-filled balloon for buoyancy — the Airlander 10 drastically reduces the amount of fuel necessary to keep it airborne. HAV reports that the Airlander will emit 90% less carbon dioxide per passenger than a commercial jet. However, the company plans to replace all hybrid versions with 500 kW electric motors — two forward motors by 2025 and two rear motors by 2030 — to make the aircraft fully electric and producing zero emissions.
HAV adds that while blimps created in the past could not withstand rough weather conditions, the Airlander “will be able to withstand lightning and icing and operate in most weathers.” With the ability to cover 4,000 miles, reach the altitude of 20,000 feet, and travel approximately 80 miles per hour, the Airlander maximizes energy efficiency and is designed to remain airborne for up to five days at a stretch.
“This isn’t a luxury product, it’s a practical solution to challenges posed by the climate crisis,” HAV Chief Executive Tom Grundy tells The Guardian.
In addition to commercial passenger and cargo transportation, the Airlander may just be the newest eco-tourism vehicle. With large windows that provide a clear view of the landscapes below and little predicted turbulence due to reduced engine usage, the Airlander is perfect for luxury eco-travel. In fact, Swedish travel firm OceanSky has already purchased an Airlander that will include a customized luxury cabin, where passengers can enjoy stunning, unparalleled views while flying over places like the North Pole.
Although an Airlander prototype crashed during a 2019 test flight, another test flight performed in 2021 proved successful. As with all commercial aircraft, the Airlander requires certification from regulators before operation. Though the Airlander does not yet have approval, HAV looks forward to building 12 Airlanders yearly with hopes of producing upwards of 250 over the next few decades.
