Before we left on our ambitious trip across the US to end up out west, we needed to decide how we were going to approach the drive. Last time I went across country, the goal was speed. This time we had 2 weeks to putz around and enjoy the scenery. Neither of us had ever attempted this kind of a road trip before, so we didn’t really know what to expect. Of course we’d made lists of stops and stuff to see, but there’s no way you can anticipate conditions, desires, attractions or the rest stops. Museums were up there tentatively, the White House, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco, and ocean. But other than that, we didn’t exactly have similar tastes in travel type. Except one thing. The one thing that kept us on course. The only stop that united us in our journey. The pursuit of good beer.
Now, everyone from up here and around the globe immediately react as if they’re regurgitating lunch when you mention American beers. The first thing that always comes to mind are the horrid reminders of Coors Light or Budweiser. Flavoured water some say, or coloured fizzy urine. But we knew better. We knew that behind that veil of bland lagers was an entire world of microbrewed and finely tuned beverage. This would be driving force for ten days. This would be why we woke up in the morning and kept going! (Of course, the running out of money, and need to do laundry also helped us going too).
There was only one problem with this. When you’re on a road trip, you drive. And when you drive, you can’t exactly drink. This hampered our beer excursions a little as we had to properly plan where we were staying in relation to the pub we wanted to attend. As such, we were only able to make it to 6 distinct pubs and record these stories. The other times we just picked up beer and went camping. Here is the story of those chronicles.
Washington DC
This city is simply monumental. There are no better words. It shines as a tribute to the United States and there is no shortage of statues, monuments and beautiful stately buildings. From The White House, to the Capitol and all the memorials throughout the Mall, you’ve gotta see it.
Capitol Hill
But it was definitely an immense amount of walking and after a long day, we needed a nice place to relax. A quick search led us to the Capitol City Brewing Company within sight of Capitol Hill. We did show up near closing, but we were still able to try some samplers.
Capitol City Brewing Company
Verdict: Good beer, and good food.
St. Louis, MO
Another long drive led up to this stop. Didn’t even bother to stop in the city and take a picture of the arch from up close. Cat did however manage to get this wicked pic while crossing the bridge into the city.
St. Louis Arch
Our arrival to the Schlafly felt a little weird. It was definitely in a very quiet, industrial part of town. There were cars parked out there, but no movement from inside. But we ventured in anyways.
Outside the brewery. Felt a little sketchy.
The place was huge. Rooms everywhere, a few different bars, a pool room, a tap room and the most amazing hand dryer in the bathroom I’ve ever seen. The beers here were no less than fantastic. We had to take some with us. Luckily they offer bottles “to-go”.
Schlafly Brewery
Denver, CO
After a long and painfully boring drive across Kansas, we arrived in what is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the US, Denver. The downtown is dwarfed by the incredible landscape directly behind it. The Colorado Rockies are immense and teeter just beyond the city border. The main street beside our hotel was really cool. They have a free shuttle bus which passes every two minutes all day and we definitely used that to get to our pub.
Main Street, Denver
The Wynkoop is a pretty neat pub. Right across from Union Station, its a three floor brewpub with an enormous selection of pool tables up top. The food was excellent and the beer wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t say its a must try but they’re beers were very hoppy which isn’t always my thing. Got myself a cool pint glass, tried a few drinks, and we merrily took the bus back to our hotel.
The Wynkoop
Fortuna, CA
After the Rockies, we had a few days of camping and traveling through Utah, Nevada, and California. The desert is boring and best to be avoided. A stop in San Francisco was nice, but by then we were just maxed out on the sightseeing. We continued driving north on the US-101 which is a fantastic coastal highway with breathtaking views and windy roads. Along the way, we saw a billboard for Eel River Brewing Company. Hunger and curiosity got the better of us and we had to stop. This place is between a couple crappy hotels in the middle of nowhere.
Eel River Brewing Company
All I can say is this: If you’re ever driving along this stretch, YOU MUST STOP HERE. The food was excellent, and the beer was the best of the road trip, period. So good that we had to take some with us. Their IPA is one of my favorite beers I’ve ever had. And this is apparently the first certified organic brewery in the US. Good for you beer, I like it.
Eel River IPA
End Journey
Although along the way we stopped and picked up samples from local stores, these were the highlights. It’s quite amazing to go from having the opinion that the only beer Americans drank was Coors and Bud Light, to find out that there is a long history of amazing brewing. This experience has definitely convinced me that I am a beer snob and proud of it.
