V. I.P. VIE W The are no formal tours,
but LAB hosts an eclectic mix of live
concerts, ranging from rock bands to
string quartets. Check the website.
WHAT ELSE TO DO “This is a mountain
town. Hiking, biking, and kayaking
are huge,” says co-owner Mike Healy.
Karl Strauss
Brewing Company
San Diego, California
858-587-2739; karlstrauss.com
Strauss brews its beer at the downtown San Diego location, but the
place to savor it is at the brewery’s
garden restaurant nearby in Sorrento
Mesa (858-587-2739). Settle down in
the rocky Japanese garden or stroll
over the little wooden bridge, Amber
Lager in hand, and watch the koi fish.
POPULAR BRE W Red Trolley Ale won
gold at the World Beer Cup 2010.
V. I.P. VIE W Tour times at the downtown brewery vary (619-234-2739).
WHAT ELSE TO DO Nearby is the Museum of Photographic Arts, with works
by the world’s finest shutterbugs.
Kelly’s Caribbean Bar,
Grill & Brewery
Key West, Florida
305-293-8484; kellyskeywest.com
Pan Am welcomed its first customers
here in 1927 (Flight 1 to Havana); now
the former ticket office is home to the
southernmost brewery in the continental United States. Top Gun star
Kelly McGillis opened and co-owns
it. You can dine indoors or under the
stars in Kelly’s tropical garden.
POPULAR BRE W The food and ambiance are the draws here (the flash-fried yellowtail snapper gets raves).
Of the three house beers, aficionados
favor the Southern Clipper Wheat.
V. I.P. VIE W There are no tours, but
you’re two blocks from the most
beautiful sunsets in North America.
WHAT ELSE TO DO Just a few steps
away is a taste of local history at the
Audubon House & Tropical Gardens.
SweetWater
Brewing Company
Atlanta, Georgia
404-691-2537; sweetwaterbrew.com
Breweries aren’t allowed to sell beer
directly to the public in Georgia. “So
we give it away,” says Sweet Water’s
marketing director, Steve Farace.
Some 2,000 people
turn up weekly for
samples at the downtown Atlanta brewery.
POPULAR BREW
Georgia Brown Ale
won gold at the Great
American Beer Festival in 2001.
V.I. P. VIEW Tours are
Wednesday through
Friday at 5: 30 P.M.,
Saturdays at 2: 30 P.M.
WHAT ELSE TO DO Atlanta’s nearby
Piedmont Park is a bird watcher’s
haven and perfect for a picnic.
In a poll,
Asheville,
North
Carolina,
and
Portland,
Oregon,
tied for
the title
“Beer City
U.S.A.”
BARRIO BREWING COMPANY, ARIZONA
Downtown Tucson’s warehouse district is enjoying a
renaissance, thanks largely to
Barrio’s presence. The desert
air makes Barrio a great place
for a beer, indoors or out.
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, Colorado
970-221-0524; newbelgium.com
The employees at the Liquid Center
tasting room are cheery; each gets a
fat-wheeled bike for commuting.
POPULAR BREW It’s the Fat Tire Amber Ale—named for a 1980s Belgian
bike trip by the company’s cofounder.
V.I. P. VIEW Free tours and sampling
are Tuesdays through Saturdays from
10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Reserve online.
WHAT ELSE TO DO Locals say nearby
Horsetooth Rock is the petrified
heart of an evil giant.
Woodstock Inn,
Station and Brewery
Woodstock, New Hampshire
603-745-3951;
woodstockinnbrewery.com
Nestled in the White Mountains,
Woodstock offers free tours—and
