NOTE: Zephyr Adventures’ 2016 active beer adventures include the Greater Yellowstone Multisport & Beer Adventure and the Colorado Beer, Hike, & Bike Adventure.
The more time I spend amongst the beer blogging community, the more I begin to realize that destination travel to indulge in fine adult beverages is no longer limited to Napa, Burgundy and Tuscany for wine or the Caribbean for fruity rum drinks in coconuts with tiny umbrellas. With the craft beer industry growing at incredible rates, the desire to travel and discover another perfect pint makes beer tourism a whole new way to adventure.
Why is Beer Tourism so cool?
Support local communities. While a great deal of the country is struggling with unemployment issues, the craft beer industry is exactly the opposite. Over the past three years, big beer sales have gone down about 5%, while craft beer sales have gone up 21%. In fact, it is estimated that last year craft beer created 100,000 jobs in the United States. So next time you’re on vacation and sitting down to peruse the drinks menu, ask your server what local brews they carry.
Get a (free) tour. Many breweries have regularly scheduled tours of their facilities (usually for free! And sometimes even with free beer tasting!). And if you’re planning ahead, it’s always worth sending an email in advance to ask if there is anyone available to take you on a private tour. I have found that if they can, craft beer folks love to show off their facility and talk beer with someone who is genuinely interested in learning more.
Try something brand new. While you might be familiar with your own state’s brews, there are literally thousands of breweries’ beers that are not available at your local liquor shop. Because of distribution limitations, being at your destination may be the only chance you’ll get to experience some of these beers. And even if their beer is available in your state, drinking it where it’s been brewed means it will be a heck of a lot fresher (read: more delicious!) than if you picked up a 6-pack at your grocer 600 miles away.
As you become a more seasoned beer tourist, you will find that each location has a deep passion for their local craft beer scene. From the more obvious “beertopias” like Portland, Asheville, St. Louis and Colorado to some more allusive locations like Louisiana, Minnesota, and Ohio, you’ll be blown away by the enthusiasm and dedication the local communities have for their hometown suds.
A beer lover will be delighted to hear that Colorado alone has more than 120 breweries. If this tickles your fancy, Zephyr’s Colorado Hike, Bike, Beer & Brewpubs Adventure is perfect for the adventurer who is looking to experience some delicious brews. And to make it even better, the trip ends with the Great American Beer Festival, which will give you an opportunity to expand your craft beer-loving palate beyond the Rocky Mountains.
Is Beer Tourism the new Wine Tourism?
| by: Allan
This fridge looks like it has the right balance of the two basic food groups: beer and everything else.
If you’re a fan of good beer and want to do a reasonable amount of exercise to work off some of the attendant calories, you’ll like Zephyr’s beer tours. And if you’ve always wanted to goto the GABF in Denver, this is a great way to do it!
For photos and a cool video of the 2011 Yellowstone and Grand Teton Beer tour, goto: http://www.meadowneck.org/Places/US-National-Parks-Forests/2011-Yellowstone-Grand-Tetons
Ha! That fridge is a result of telling a friend I was coming to visit and would like to try some of the local beer.
More and more people are discovering craft beer. I think that beer tourism will continue to grow, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for craft beer lovers!
I totally agree! My appreciation of craft beer has gone through the roof in the past year and I love supporting the local scenes where ever I am. Guess I’m an accidental beer tourist!