This blog post was updated on May 1, 2020.
Beer lovers unite! Whether you crave refreshing pale ales or hearty stouts, the most popular craft beers to please your palate can be found at one of these four excellent West Coast breweries.
Deschutes Brewery
Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon, affectionately dubbed “Beer Town USA”, is home to a number of high-quality craft breweries (more breweries per capita than any other city in Oregon). One of the most popular ones to visit is Deschutes. During the guided tour, you can visit the production facility, learn how Deschutes makes its beers, and then relax in the tasting room and discover your new favorite brew. If you want to check out some other breweries while you’re there, download the Bend Ale Trail app or see what other travelers are doing (and drinking!) by searching the hashtag #bendaletrail.
Anchor Brewing
San Francisco, California
A San Francisco institution, Anchor Brewing offers two guided tours per weekday. Before you even begin planning out the schedule of your trip or looking for cheap flights to San Francisco, it’s best to book this popular tour well in advance. As you explore all three floors of the brewery, you’ll learn a bit about the history of the company. After the tour, you’ll head to the tasting room to sample the latest suds. The whole experience takes about 1½ hours. If you’re feeling energized afterward, the hashtag #sfbeer will give you plenty of ideas for where to go next.
Georgetown Brewing
Seattle, Washington
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The largest independent brewing company in Washington State, Georgetown offers tours on Saturdays at 4pm (get there 10 minutes early to check in) where you can see the production operation close up and learn about all of the different processes they use to make their distinctive brews. If you want to taste the beer, show up at the tasting room before the tour. After 14 years of draft-only production, Georgetown started canning select full-time beers in May of this year. That means you now can grab a six-pack at the brewery’s retail shop to take home with you! Of course, Seattle is a huge beer town. To see what else is going on, check out the hashtag #seattlebeer to find the next spot on your self-guided beer tour.
You may also enjoy: Bottom’s Up! A Beer Lover’s Guide to Minneapolis
Angel City Brewery
Los Angeles, California
This aptly named brewery is located in the heart of the L.A. arts district. In addition to tours and tastings, Angel City also hosts tons of community events, including art exhibits, yoga classes, open mic nights, art classes, pop-up shops, trivia nights, concerts, and more. There seems to usually be a food truck or two on hand to feed ravenous visitors. And we can’t forget the beer! Stop into the public house and try the Angel City Lager (honey grapefruit), the California Common (amber lager), or the LoLo (loquat wheat), among other delicious options. If you’re in the mood to hit up another brewery or taproom after, check out the hashtag #labeer to see where other beer lovers are.
Have you visited any stellar West Coast breweries you would add to this list? Which ones? Let us know in the comments section!
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