Top Global Brewery Experiences
Everybody likes lists on the internet, right? Top 10. Best 5. World’s Ugliest.
You know what everybody’s favorite thing about internet lists is? The paragraphs of writing you have to read before you get to the actual list!
Let’s be honest, you probably didn’t even make it this far (I should buy you a beer if you did) so let’s get in to this list of my favorite brewery experiences from different places I’ve visited.
But wait, there’s a list before the list. I have to preface the main list with a list of criteria I used to build my main list;
- This list is subjective. Don’t @ me saying “you’re wrong” or “I can’t believe you picked X over Y”. Opinions are like assholes, we all have em’.
- This list isn’t necessarily about the beer. It’s about the all-encompassing experience I personally received at the brewery. That could be the atmosphere, the way I stumbled on to it, the people I met and, yes, it could be the beer as well.
- This is a list of my favorite brewery experience in each province, state or country I’ve traveled to. Just one in each geographical area (and some honorable mentions). See my BEER MAP for the full list of breweries I’ve visited.
- I had to have visited at least 5 breweries in that geographical area. For example; I could list Other Half in Brooklyn on here but I’ve only been to 2 other breweries in New York, so that’s not a good sample size.
- I’ve been to a lot of breweries but not all of them. I guarantee I’ve missed some great experiences in areas I’ve traveled to. Your recommendations are welcomed. Comment below or DM me on Instagram.
Without further ado, here’s my list of favorite brewery experiences throughout my travels….
British Columbia, Canada
Let’s start with my home province. You might think this would be the hardest for me to choose but when you read what my fav brewery experience has going on, you can see why it wasn’t too hard.
Locality Brewing (Langley)
They have everything, I mean besides a full tasting room, but who needs it when you have a little lake (that you can ice skate on if it gets cold enough), walking trails, a giant slide, a brewery dog running around (good boy, Atlas), outdoor seating and fire tables, super friendly owners and staff, farm-to-glass beer and, the pièce de résistance, the secret skateboard ramp. Sometimes I just want to bring a tent and camp out there for a weekend. Can I do that, Mel & Andy?
Honorable mentions: Fieldhouse Brewing (Abbotsford) & The Beer Farmers (Pemberton)
Ontario, Canada
Blood Brothers (Toronto)
I remember walking in the door late night on my first visit to Blood Brothers. It was dark and gloomy. There were gothic inspired art pieces throughout the tasting room. Triangle mirrors on the wall. Lit candles. I was digging the vibe. The second time I went back during the day and it was lively on the patio, bright inside the tasting room with the bay door open. The food was good. The vibe was good. The beer was fantastic and still is.
Honorable mentions: Beau’s (Vankleek Hill), Rorschach (Toronto)
Quebec, Canada
Messorem (Montreal)
Probably the most hype brewery in Quebec right now, and for good reason. Not only is the beer some of the best in the country but their tasting room is beautiful. Plus, they got extra points from me for having a branded hockey puck in their merch section. Also, since the last time I’ve been there they added a large patio and the Obey Giant himself, Shepard Fairey, came and did some wheat paste art on the brick wall above the patio. How cool is that?? I can’t wait to go back and see it in person.
Honorable mention: Dieu Du Ciel (Montreal)
Washington (state), USA
Skookum Brewing (Arlington)
Yes, in the state that has Structures (disclaimer, I haven’t been to their new tasting room and I hear it’s amazing), Holy Mountain, Cloudburst, Great Notion and many more amazing breweries, I chose the unassuming farm brewery in the middle of nowhere. I discovered Skookum on a drive back from Lynnwood, WA. I asked Google Maps to “show me breweries along my route” (there’s a pro tip for ya’) and Skookum showed up on the next exit. The brewery looks like it’s inside an agricultural building. Inside is all wood, exposed barrels and foeders. Nothing fancy but I loved the vibe it gave off. The staff were also super nice and the beer was really good. I guess this one stands out to me because it really beat my expectations.
Honorable mentions: Holy Mountain (Seattle), Great Notion Ballard (Seattle)
Oregon, USA
Great Notion Northwest (Portland)
I mean, how could I not have Great Notion on the Oregon list? The hype was already built up for me before I visited and it lived up to it. Really cool spot in a warehousing area of Portland. The beer was great (duh), the staff were nice, the tasting room design was cool, the merch was on point and it was overall a great experience.
Honorable mention: Modern Times (Portland) rest in peace
California, USA
Modern Times Lomaland Fermentorium (San Diego)
It’s been a few years and I’m not sure if it’s changed but I remember being blown away by the tasting room. Lots of light coming in from the bay doors. Really cool art and décor throughout (see the big “BEER” sign). They also had a separate coffee shop inside where I bought some beans that were aged in bourbon beer barrels. Overall just a great experience that left me wanting to go back.
Honorable mentions: The Bruery (Placentia), Ale Smith (San Diego)
Colorado, USA
Let me preface this by saying I think Colorado, and more specifically Denver, has one of the best brewery scenes in the world. Out of the 20+ breweries I’ve been to in Colorado, I’d say I’ve had exceptional experiences at a dozen of them (if not, more). From the amazing views at Outer Range to the death metal vibes at TRVE to the slow pour Pils at Bierstadt to the hospitality at the now closed Black Project, Colorado has given me some great memories.
Cerebral Brewing (Denver)
This was a hard choice because there are so many good options and, really, I could’ve listed 5. Cerebral is just an all around cool spot and I find myself going back there every time I go to Denver. A nice, intimate tasting room that still breathes a lot of excitement. Friendly and fun staff, especially my buddy @crushquest who’s always down to meet for a beer (or 4). Cerebral is also conveniently located on the way to the airport if you’re heading out of downtown Denver. To top it all off, consistently great beer.
Honorable mentions: Burns Family Artisan Ales, TRVE Brewing, Outer Range, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Black Project (R.I.P), Avery Brewing
Utah, USA
Templin Family Brewing (Salt Lake City)
The antiquated liquor laws in Utah leave a lot to be desired with their beer scene but despite that, there are still some great options. Templin Family has a beautiful tasting room with a barrel room on one side and bench style festival seating on the other. Plus they had a hat for sale that said “Ferda” on it. I mean, c’mon, that’s pretty great for a Letterkenny fan. I still can’t get over the fact that anything over 5% ABV in Utah needs to be poured from a can though. Let’s get out of the dark ages, Utah!
Honorable mention: Beer Zombies (SLC)
Belgium
Cantillon (Brussels)
Did you expect anything else? How could it not be at the top of the list? I guess for the untrained beer nerd, visiting Cantillon could be seen as disappointing but I personally liked the poor customer service, the dark dungeon-like atmosphere, the musky smell and the grain bags and boxes on the floor. I think that’s what gives it it’s character. That’s just me though.
Honorable mention: Delerium Cafe (Brussels)
France
Mikkeller (Paris)
The beer scene in Paris is good but not great. Especially when you compare to Belgium, Germany, Denmark and other Euro countries. That being said, there are a few standouts, Mikkeller being one of them. The tasting room is a small, two-level space. It has very tight quarters and a thin staircase to get upstairs. The walls are adorned with Mikkeller style artwork and the views from that top level are great. I felt like I was in a traditional French cafe except I had a beer & a sausage instead of a latte & a croissant.
Honorable mentions: Brussels Beer Project (Paris), Le Triangle Paris (R.I.P.)
Denmark
Mikkeller Baghaven (Copenhagen)
I should say, I just went in to the brewery, grabbed a couple cans to go and then walked outside to enjoy but this is what made the experience so great! This Mikkeller location is located in the Reffen Street Food Market in Copenhagen. It’s at the far end of town at an old industrial harbor. It’s now a bustling food market with over 30 vendors. It’s all outdoors and right on the edge of the canal. I rode a bike there and enjoyed beer and food at sunset overlooking the water. It was actually one of my overall favorite experiences on my trip to Denmark and I would recommend it to anyone travelling to Copenhagen.
Honorable mentions: War Pigs (Copenhagen), Bicycle Brewing (Copenhagen)
Well, there you have it. The completely subjective list of my favorite brewery experiences from around the world. Did I miss any in these cities, states and provinces? Reach out and let me know.
For anyone that couldn’t stand to read this whole thing (I feel ya’), here’s the condensed list without all the boring words:
- British Columbia: Locality Brewing
- Honorable mentions: Fieldhouse & The Beer Farmers
- Ontario: Blood Brothers Brewing
- Honorable mentions: Beau’s & Rorschach
- Quebec: Messorem
- Honorable mention: Dieu Du Ciel
- Washington: Skookum Brewing
- Honorable mentions: Holy Mountain & Great Notion Ballard
- Oregon: Great Notion Northwest
- Honorable mention: Modern Times (R.I.P.)
- California: Modern Times Point Loma
- Honorable mentions: The Bruery & AleSmith
- Colorado: Cerebral Brewing
- Honorable mentions: Burns Family Artisan Ales, TRVE Brewing, Outer Range, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Black Project (R.I.P), Avery Brewing
- Utah: Templin Family Brewing
- Honorable mention: Beer Zombies at Hall Pass
- Belgium: Cantillon
- Honorable mention: Delirium Cafe
- France: Mikkeller Paris
- Honorable mentions: Le Traingle (R.I.P.) & BBP Pigalle
- Denmark: Mikkeller Baghaven
- Honorable mentions: War Pigs & Bicycle Brewing