Brewery List- as of 2017

Brewery Visit List

As of 2017

I just started to keep a list of the breweries I have visited.  I should have started this a few years back but I didn't think the number of breweries would sky rocket in this country so quickly.  There are so many of them that it is hard to remember them.  I am going to have to be more diligent in keeping my list up to date. So now, to the best of my knowledge, is a list of the breweries I have visited so far.

1. 16 Miles- DE
2. Cannonball Creek Brewing Company- CO
3. DuClay’s- MD- This is one of my favorite breweries.  You can order a full flight of 18 beers.
4. Gordon Biersch Brewing Company- CA
5. Iron Hill- DE
6. Sly Fox- PA
7. Dew Point Brewery- DE- they have an outdoor area that is just perfect to sit outside and drink wonderful beers.
8. Left Handed Brewery- CO- I loved this brewery.
9. McKenzie’s- DE
10. Mountain Toad Brewery- CO
11. Ocean City Brewery- MD
12. Oskar Blues – CO- they have a lot of variety on tap at all times.
13. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery- CA
14. Speak Easy – CA
15. Tired Hands- PA- I do not like the vibes of this brewery.
16. Stoudt's Brewery- PA
17. Locust Lane Brewery- PA
18. McKenzie's Brewery- PA- I haven't been to this brewery for awhile.  I ran in to get a growler for a football game. I got the Route 202 Citrus Pale Ale and it was a big hit at the party.
19. Boxcar Brewery- PA
20. Stewart's Brewing Company- DE- IPA, Smoked Porter, Oyster Stout and Highlander Stout
21. Kennett Brewing Company- PA-
22. Victory Brewery- PA- I went with my nephew and we really wanted to try the porters and the stouts. So we shared a flight of porters. Then we had a flight of IPAs and then a flight of white ales. So we tired 15 of their 22 beers.  We didn't bother with the lagers and pilsners.
23. Iron Hill Brewery- PA
24. Weyerbacher Brewery- PA
25. Earth, Bread, Beer
26. Chestnut Hill Brewery- PA- it was just ok.
27. Sly Fox Brewery- PA- there were 16 beer on tap.  Flights were 6 samples of 5oz beers for $12.  I had the dry stout and coffee porter and liked both of them.  The porter was available in cans to go.  I had an Imperial IPA which was my favorite.  I had a cask English ale that was good but I wouldn't order a full pint of it. I liked this place.
28. Crime and Punishment- PHL-  The food was great.  The service was great.  The atmosphere was fun.  The beer: not so great.  I had the beet beer which was too sweet and tasted like a juice.  I had two IPAs that were nondescript but I did like the regular IPA.
29. Flying Fish- PHL- the place is loud and spacious.  As a matter of fact, there was a birthday party there when we arrived and we were re-assigned seats so that the staff could prepare fro a wedding.  The service was very good. I had an oyster stout and two IPAs.  I liked all three of my beers.
30. Stewart's Brewing Company- DE- The 3 Grain Pale Ale caught my attention.  The Me So Hoppy was a Belgo-American Japanese Ale which may appeal to those who want something heavier than a lager but it was too light for me.  I also tried the Oyster Stout, the Highlander Stout and the IPA.
31. Iron Hill Brewery- DE- I go there several times a year and my favorite time to go is when they have the Vanilla Porter.  I also like their coffee stout and Pig Ore IPA.  Their beers are consistently good.
32. Hollow Earth Brewery- PA- I hate to go in to a brewery and ask for a flight and be told that I can't have one.  I can only drink one beer at a time because their beer is so damn good, they want to tell me that I need to taste each beer for its unique taste.  SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME DRINK MY BEER THE WAY I WANT TO DRINK IT. I invited that give me three beers or I was only going to try one and leave.  They reluctantly agreed and once we settled down, I found the beers to be good.  But I'm not going back here because its a hassle.
33. Big Turtle Brewery- PA- I went here tonight. I thought I was walking on to a tasting room only to find it is a growler filling station. However, the guys accommodated me and let me try everything. Every beer was flavorful and worthy of a second try. I usually only like IPAs, porters and stout. I tried every beer on tap and every beer had a unique taste in its own right. They also have a happy hour deal which is too good to pass up. Growlers were half price and only an idiot would pass up that deal. Stop by and pick something up. You won't be sorry.
34. Happy Valley Brewery- PA- Feb- I am finding that some restaurants are brewing their own beer just to lure people in to their establishment.  And the beer really isn't the draw, the food is.  That's what I found at this place.  The beer was so uninteresting that I left half of my 6 beer sample, gave one away and just drank two of them. I'm not going back.
35. Sierra Neveda Brewery- CA- I have always loved this beer.  So I was so damn excited to go here for a beer. But when I got there, it was in the evening and the place was packed.  I tried 8 beers.  I loved them all. But I didn't stay very long because it was just to crowded. The next time I come her, I will come inn the early afternoon, when it won't be as jam packed..
36. Laugunia's Brewery- CA- a great, great place.  All of the beers were wonderful. The place is full of fun people who want to talk "beer" with you.  There are lots of beer choices.  I want to go back to this place.
37. Happa Brewery- CA- this place is an old warehouse that works very hard to be a fun place to drink beer and hang with friends.  There are games to be played and plenty of tables to sit. There are only three different beer choices.  But all three are enjoyable. This would be a fun place to spend a Friday evening with a large group of friends. A food truck takes care of your hunger.
38. Hale Brewery- WA- they had six different IPAs on tap and I tried all of them.  The beers are served in 5 oz tasters so there really wasn't any room to try any of the other varieties.  They are delicious but by my third beer, the similar tastes confused me.  I should have mixed it up a bit.  I will have to go back.
39. Tin Lizard- PA- this place just opened and already, it has a crowd.  There is food and just four or five beers but the beers are tasty.  I had a Wit, an English Ale, an IPA and a Stout.  I liked the stout the best as it had rich, crisp flavors.
40. Cape May Brewery- NJ- I had several good beers here.
41. Cold Spring Brewery- NJ- this place was hard to find.  My GPA kept taking me to the wrong spot but eventually I found it. The beers were good.
42. Brickwork and Eats Brewery- DE- I went on a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed.  There are lots of beer choices and food choices.  There seemed to be a greater emphasis on the food rather than the beer.
43. Dogfish Brewery- DE- I've been here before and loved it so I was excited to go back again after a few years. The waitress was lousy so it was hard to get information from her.  I ordered a particular IPA that apparently is filtered through ginger and mango. It was great.  I cant tell you much more than that because the waitress didn't want to give up any more info.
44.  Independent Brewery- MD- Two Akers (IPA), Bad Homre (IPA), Knucklehead Porter,  and Carpe Diem ( Double IPA).  All of my beers were flavorful and beers that I would drink again.  the ambience here is pleasant and conducive to sitting and enjoying your beer and good company.  I've passed this place before after 5PM and it was packed.  There are food trucks at various times and craft Jerky is available all of the time.  Check it out.
45. Oliver Brewery- MD- I liked the beer and the ambience of this place.  They serve cheese boards to compliment the beer and that was a nice alternative food choice.  the staff likes to talk about their beers. The place has good beer and good vibes.
46. Waverly Brewery- MD- this is a big brewery that caters to the neighbors who like to spend an afternoon in a pub.  he day was beautiful but this place was packed with people. There are nine beers on tap.  A flight consists of four 4 oz beers for $9. Pints are $6.  I tried the Local Oyster (stout), the Double Kicks (Double NE style Pale Ale), 83 South (an American IPA) and Jerkwater (Double IPA) and the o"bay which has coriander, old bay and lemon. I liked all of these beers but of course, the Jerkwater was my favorite. They also serve wine and cider.  A guy sits outside and sets up a restaurant that sells all sorts o sausage sandwiches which smell delicious. this brewery caters to its clients.
47. Mispillion River Brewery- DE- The beers were nothing special and the waitress had a bad attitude so I didn't hang there very long. if you are in the area, stop by but don't go out of your way to go here.
48. Diamondback Brewery- MD- The surroundings of this brewery are in the midst of a major construction project.  So it was an effort to find those place and get there.  Maybe it will be better in a few months but it is tough now.  The brewery is minimalist in decor and limited in beer choices (5).  They sell beer in the pint size and 5 oz size, no flights. Buy what you want. My three beers were tasty: Green Monster (IPA), Omar (Pale Ale) and Missed Connections (Red Ale).  I liked all of them and would recommend all three of them.
49. 2nd Story- PA- I had a Drinker's table Beer which is a historical recipe from the Drinker family.  It is a dark beer with a low alcohol content.
50. Yard's Brewery- PA- I've been drinking Yard's for years but never made it to the brewery.  So there were no new surprised with their beers.  They consistently brew very good beers.  I tried three of their stouts and while they were all good, I don't think their tastes were distinguishably different.  One beer had more of a chocolate taste and one had more maple.  But if you switched these beers up on me, I am not sure I could have tasted any differences.
51. Evil Genius-  PA-  I tried a Peach IPA that was delicious which surprised me because I do not like fruity tasting beers.  But this was refreshing and not too filling. Flights were $7 which is a good deal.
52. Saint Benjamin- PA- our flight was $12 which I think is a rip-off.  The beers were just OK.
53. Dock Street- PA- I go here about once a year and I am never disappointed.
54. Evolution- MD- I should have gone to the tasting room to try tasty beers. Instead, I went to the restaurant where everyone was too busy to talk about their very tasty beers
55. Boxcar Brewery- PA- I've been here before but this time, the beers tasted so much better.  I had an IPA that was just OK, a coffee porter, a pumpkin ale and my favorite: A Mango Ginger Beer.
56. Oskar Blues- CO- Ive been to this brewery before and liked but this time, I loved it.  I was in search of a coffee IPA. And I found it and it was worth the effort.
57. Montoui Brewery- CO- I didn't like this brewery for a number of reasons: they only offered six of their beers but they had double that number of guest taps; the food wasn't good; the wait staff didn't seem interested in their beers.
58. The Very Nice Brewery- CO- yes, that is the name of the place and it was a nice brewery and it offered everything I like about visiting a brewery: the beer was tasty, the wait staff was also the owner and happy to talk to me about her beers and the bar was small enough that everyone seated could jump in and join our conversations about beer and Colorado and music.
59. Manyunk Brewery- PA- A flight is only $11 for 9 beers.  So I tried everything tap.  I had a coconut porter which was delicious.  I also had a coffee ale which I enjoyed.  And of course, there were three different IPAs on my tray. 
60. Stewerts Brewing Company- DE- I've been here before and I thought I had a delicious coconut beer but apparently, I have my breweries confused.  One of the brew masters researched beers they produced for the last 7 years and my beer is not showing up.  So on this visit, I had the IPA, the Stout, the Red Ipa, the Black & Tan and the Belgian Abbey Tripel.
61. Levante Brewery- PA
62. Ellicott City- MD- this place has the atmosphere of a local pub.  There are about five or six beers on tap. It’s neighborhood atmosphere makes this place an enjoyable experience/
63. Roy-Pits Barrel House- PA- this is primarily a SOURS beer bar so I was limited in what I wanted to drink.  I had an IPA, a brown ale and a smoky porter and all three were delicious.  I liked these beers so much that I am going to go back to this place and get a full flight of sours just so I can taste the bests hours around (or so I hope).
64. Bar Hygge- PA- this place has a very nice ambience.  We sat in the area that resembles a living room and just sat in comfort for longer than we had planned.  I had 8 ohs of their IPA and Sweet Porter. Both were delicious.  And we were there during Happy Hours so that just sweeten the moment.
65. Ruben's Brewer- WA-  This place can accommodate large crowd and there are lots of beer choices.  I picked up 7 samples and I liked every one of them.  I had a milk porter and a regular porter and both were flavorful.  There are several IPA's on tap and I would recommend the Nelson IPA. Prices are reasonable.  There are food trucks that rotate.  I had the grilled cheese sandwich which paired perfectly with my assortment of delicious beers.
66. 7 Locks Brewery- MD- this place is just a big, old warehouse that is welcoming and conducive to trying out good beers. There are games available to keep you busy and to keep you there.
67. Stoup-WA- I went here on a Thursday night and the place had a nice crowd.  To order my beers, I had to stand in line and give my list to the waitress who brought over my beers and moved on to the next customer.  The beers are just listed on a board and you have to look up the description on line.  So ordering was too random for my taste.  I tried the Mosaic Pale, the Citra IPA, Bine, Straya, the Psycho-Tropic and the NW IPA (which was my favorite)
68. Avery Brewery- CO- this place had about 30 different types of beer.  I was with friends who are not craft beer drinkers so I could not spend the amount of time I would have liked to spend here.  I would have preferred to spend the afternoon there and just try one beer after another.  I did try four different IPA’s and each one was distinctly unique from the other.
69. Peddler's Brewery- WA- This is a great place to bring the whole damn family.  It is kid friendly and has an outdoor space that allows them to play while you enjoy your wonderful beers.  I had the milk stout which was delicious.
70. Pineland Brewery- NJ- This brewery has a butternut squash beer as an alternative to pumpkin beer and it is delicious.  I also loved the vanilla porter.  There was a nitro coconut beer that was tasty but could be dangerous to drink because it went down so smoothly.  I could consume too many of these beers on a hot summer afternoon. 
71. High Altitude- WY- Whenever I go to a brewery, I look for the IPAs first.  Much to my surprise, my waiter whispered that the IPA isn’t the best he’s ever had.  I appreciated his honesty.  I didn’t order an IPA but I did like what I had.
72. Peabody- MD- I went in to this brewery with the intent of drinking their beer only to discover that I ordered four samples of beer from a different brewery.  I don’t know what their beer tastes like but I liked the atmosphere of this place and I plan to go back.
73. Ulellee- Tampa, FL- it appears to me that this place only offers their own beer so that they can claim to be a craft brewery.  They do not seem to have any real interest in their beers as they all tasted the same to me.
74. Rail Road Brewery- PA-  I went here for my birthday dinner.  The place is huge and very, very nice.  It’s in a small town and it looks as if the owners want to make this a large venue place.  There is a huge room on the second floor.  It could accommodate a wedding.  I would love to go here for a yearly beer festival of some sort.  With all this space, I would certainly meet other beer kooks.
75. Dunkin- FL- we went here on a Saturday night and the place was packed.  Because of the crowd, I couldn’t get a sampler.  But I did have an oatmeal stout and it was delicious.
76. Madison Brewery- VT- I went here three years ago and didn’t realize it was a brewery. I went back there twice this spring and still enjoyed it.  I had an ale and it was perfect for a cool, spring night. My beer slipped out of my hand and splattered a little.  I went to clean up my mess and a waitress came running over to intervene on my behalf.  And then, there was another waiter right behind her and he had a fresh pour for me.  Now, that is great service.
77. Ironhill Brewery- DE- I always like to come to this brew pub. They have standards that never let me down.  And then there are seasonal beers to try as well.  I particularly like their Vanilla Porter and go out of my way to drop by on a regular basis to get my fill of the porter.
78.  J. Wells Brewery- CO- set in a little warehouse kiosk, this pub serves only beers. So don’t come hungry. There is no ambience to this place but my $6 bar bill explained why no money went in to decorating this small, low-key place.
79. BRU Bolder- CO- “I’m really proud of our beers.” I love to hear a waiter tell me that.  We sat at the bar of this very small place and chatted up the server. I liked everything I drank.
80. Asher Brewery- CO- Good beers and a friendly atmosphere. It’s a really small place, just a few bar stools up front.  But there is a game room in the back that could occupy your time if you wanted to spend a few hours here.
81. Ship Bottom brewery- NJ- this place is small.  The brewery and the tasting room were one in the same.  We had to start with a brewing tour before we could be served.  This apparently is state law.  Then we had to struggle to find a seat and had to read from a glaring blackboard to see what was offered. There were no descriptions of the beer so we had ordered blindly. I ordered two IPAs and could not distinguish one from the other. The atmosphere was noisy, crowded and hectic. I just wanted to drink my beer and get out of there.
82. Kalispell Brewing-MT- this is a very small, friendly place.  I went there mid-afternoon, when most people are still at work. But there were a few people at the bar.
83. The Great Northern Brewing Company, MT- there is a restaurant on the second floor but it was the corner bar on the first floor that captured my attention. This is where the beer kooks congregate to drink beer and compare notes.  It wasn’t long before I was sharing my selection of beers with complete strangers.  The man sitting beside me preferred sours and I preferred my IPAs so we encouraged the other to break out and try something different.  This is where the locals popped in to fill their growlers and offer suggestions of favorites.  This is where the bartender told us what was up next on the brewing schedule.  As I said, this is where the beer kooks hung.
84. Backslope Brewing, MT- there is nothing fancy to this place. It’s a bar/restaurant and there is a large selection of beers to try.  It’s got a great location which made it a busy place in the late afternoon as people who were headed home from work but just wanted to have a quick beer or two.  It must do a great business on weekends because this is the only place that has a sign which lays out the state law on consumption.
85. Flathead Lake Brewing, MT- it was a rainy day when we ventured in to the place so it was a comfortable place to escape.  I think we tried 8 beers and my favorite was a ginger beer.
86. Dock Street Brewery, Philadelphia- I stopped in for a beer just because of the name of the beer: pathological logger. It is a beer named after Donald Trump. The beer is an ale and it’s only called the lager as a point of irony.  I’ve been to this brewery many times and will continue to go here to enjoy the beers and atmosphere.
87. Boxcar- West Chester- I went here with my niece on a Sunday afternoon in the midst of football season and the place was empty.  It should have been hopping.  The beer is great and reasonable.  I liked my food.  Good service and plenty of room for plenty of people.
88. Casca Brewery- Berwyn, PA- I had a cask porter that I liked.  Twelve beers are on tap.  I didn’t notice a lot of difference from one beer to the other.  There was no IPA so I was a little lost on choices.
89. Bethlehem Brewery- I was rushed through this visit because it was on the tail end of a funeral.  No one was in the mood to be here.  But I liked this place.  It has a nice variety of beers.  There are several events to engage all sort of drinkers. The bartenders were friendly.  The food was good. It’s in an accessible location.  Go check it out.