60. Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA (#78)

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Stumblingpiper

This entry will catch me up on my Growler List visits … I’ve now made it to 78 out of 125. Whew. What a concerted effort! But I am determined to complete as much of the list as I can — all in the name of good beer drinking!

#60 on the Growler List is the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, CA. I visited this place a few days after visiting Deschutes in Bend, OR in 2019. I loved both places — the difference in the vibe (to me) is that Deschutes is employee-owned (similar to New Belgium) and Sierra Nevada is family-owned … although the people loved working there (Sierra Nevada), you still felt like it was just their job–but what a great job! lol. Fantastic people and awesome beer.

They have a selection of different tours — we took the in-depth one … they showed you around everywhere, answered all my esoteric questions, and generally had a great time doing it. If you can make it to Chico, it’s well worth the stop and visit. Highly recommend!

Beer Mentor

The Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die.

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Stumblingpiper

As I stated in a previous post, All About Beer magazine published a list of 125 places to drink beer before you died … Kind of a bucket list without calling it a bucket list. They published it in 2008 — however, the magazine went out of business a few years ago. So I decided to publish the list here for reference.

You should note that this list is with my modifications — there are a few places on the original list that were 1) closed, 2) defunct festivals, 3) or what I considered “experiential activities”–in other words: subjective. I have bolded those entries and recommend you come up with your own experiences. I’ve also bolded those places that I know have closed (or are defunct)–of those I haven’t visited, don’t know if they are open or not. The entries I have visited have the year visited in parentheses.

	The Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die (My Modification)
1	Great American Beer Festival, Denver, CO (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2016)
2	The Grand Place, Brussells, Belgium (2010, 2012)
3	U Fleku, Prague, Czech Republic (2012)
4	Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London, England
5	Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany (1998, 2012)
6	Augustiner Keller, Munich, Germany (2012)
7	Abbaye de Notre-Dame d’Orval, Orval, Belgium (2009) (2012)
8	The Gravity Bar, Guinness St. James Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland
9	Monk’s Café, Philadelphia, PA
10	The Great Canadian Beer Festival, Victoria, BC (2017)
11	Hofbrauhaus, Munich, Germany (1997, 1998, 2001, 2012)
12	The Brickskeller (now Bier Baron), Washington, DC (2011)
13	Rick’s Café, Negril, Jamaica
14	The Market Porter, Stoney Street, London, England (2010)
15	Cat’s Eye Pub, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD (2011)
16	Mod: Camden Yards drinking Clipper City on Tap (2007, 2008)
17	Mondial de la Bière, Montreal, Quebec
18	Horizon’s Café, CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario (2016)
19	Mod: Beer Tent, Glengarry Highland Games, Maxville, Ontario (2003)
20	Beer Club Popeye, Tokyo, Japan
21	The Publick House, Brookline, MA
22	Mod: Hahnenfest (Queidersbach, Germany [1995-1999])
23	Henry’s 12th Street Tavern, Portland, OR (2018)
24	The Hopleaf, Chicago, IL (2013)
25	World Beer Festival, Durham/Raleigh, NC (2011)
26	Mod: Mardi Gras Festival, Shreveport, LA (1999, 2000)
27	Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy
28	Zum Uerige, Dusseldorf, Germany (2012)
29	Toronado, San Francisco, CA (2017)
30	The Olde Mitre Tavern, Ely Court, Hatton Garden, London, England (2010)
31	Mod: Cowboys/Redskins Game, FedEx Field, DC (2009)
32	Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR (2017)
33	The Wynkoop Brewery, Denver, CO (2011)
34	Spuyten Duyvil, Brooklyn, NY
35	Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, OH
36	McMenamins Kennedy School Hotel, Portland, OR (2018)
37	Atelier am Dom, Cologne, Germany (2012)
38	Anchor Brewing Tasting Room, San Francisco, CA (2017)
39	The Flying Saucer, NC, SC, TN, AR and TX (2010)
40	Arend’s Nest, Amsterdam, Holland
41	Mod: Mercury’s, Stone Town, Zanzibar) (2012/2013) (Original entry closed)
42	Mod: Great Divide Barrel Bar (Denver) (2016) (Sandlot was always closed)
43	Clark Street Ale House, Chicago, IL (2013)
44	Mod: Tailgating at a Frankfurt Galaxy Game (1997, 1998)
45	Selin’s Grove Brewing, Selinsgrove, PA (2009)
46	The Great Lost Bear, Portland, ME
47	The Map Room, Chicago, IL (2013)
48	The Blue Tusk, Syracuse, NY (2010)
49	Woolwich Arms, Guelph, ON
50	Beach Bar at the Atlantis Hotel, Paradise Island, Bahamas
51	The White Horse Pub, Parsons Green, London, England (2010)
52	Redbones Restaurant, Somerville, MA
53	Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel, Sydney, Australia [2019]
54	Falling Rock Tap House, Denver, CO (2011) [CLOSED – 2021]
55	Sleeping Lady Brewery/Snow Goose Restaurant, Anchorage, AK
56	In de Wildeman, Amsterdam, Holland
57	Andechs Monastery, Andechs, Germany (2010, 2012)
58	Charlie’s Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark
59	Mod: Fruhlingsfest, Stuttgart, Germany (2010)
60	Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA [2019]
61	Krcma, Ceske Krumlov, Czech Republic (2012)
62	Sapporo Beer Garden, Higashi-ku, Japan
63	Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI
64	Sail and Anchor Brewpub, Fremantle, Australia
65	F.X. Matt Brewery Tasting Room, Utica, NY
66	Delerium Café, Brussels, Belgium (2010, 2012)
67	Birreria l’Orso Eletricco, Rome, Italy
68	Gösser Bierklinik, Vienna, Austria (2012)
69	Bariloche Ski Resort, Rio Negro, Argentina
70	d.b.a., New York, NY
71	Brewer’s Art, Baltimore, MD (2009)
72	Au General Lafayette, Paris, France
73	Schlenkerla Brewery Tavern, Bamberg, Germany (2012)
74	De Hopduvel, Antwerp, Belgium
75	Mr. Sancho’s Beach, Cozumel, Mexico
76	City Tavern, Philadelphia, PA
77	Die Weisse, Salzburg, Austria (2012)
78	Halve Maan Brewery, Bruges, Belgium (2012)
79	Tinkoff, Moscow, Russia
80	Le Bier Circus, Brussels, Belgium (2010, 2012)
81	TY Harbor Brewery, Tokyo, Japan
82	Irseer Klosterbrauerei, Irsee, Germany (2010, 2012)
83	Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
84	Goose Island Brewing, Chicago, IL (2013)
85	Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2014)
86	Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
87	Deschutes Brewery & Publick House, Bend, OR [2019]
88	Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern, Monroe, WI (2014)
89	Icebergs Bar, Sydney, Australia [2019]
90	Cantillon Brewery and Gueuze Museum, Belgium (2012)
91	Dogfish Head Ale House, Rehoboth Beach, DE (2010)
92	Belgo Centraal, London, England (2010)
93	Mod: Big Beers, Belgians, and Barley Wines Festival (Breckenridge) (2015, 2016, 2017) (Other Festival Defunct …)
94	Felix in The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong [2018]
95	Brasserie Federal, Bahnhof Zurich, Switzerland
96	Heineken Brewery, Amsterdam, Holland
97	Clark’s Ale House, Syracuse, NY (2010)
98	The Shakespeare, Aukland, New Zealand [2019]
99	Mahar’s, Albany, NY
100	Steamworks Brewing, Vancouver, BC (2015)
101	Cooter Brown’s, New Orleans, LA
102	McSorley’s Ale House, New York, NY
103	Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery, Key West, FL (2007)
104	Rose & Crown Pub, Epcot Center, Orlando, FL (2006)
105	The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
106	Brick Store Pub, Decatur, GA (2011)
107	Sunset Grille & Tap, Boston, MA
108	The Ghost Bar at the Palms Hotel, Las Vegas, NV (2015)
109	Norwich Inn/Jasper Murdock’s Brewery, Norwich, VT
110	The Gingerman, Austin, TX (2010)
111	Library Ale House, Santa Monica, CA
112	t’BrugsBeertje, Bruges, Belgium
113	beerbistro, Toronto, Canada (2016)
114	The Dubliner, Washington, DC (2010)
115	John Barleycorn, Chicago, IL (2013)
116	Anchor Bar, Buffalo, NY
117	Gritty McDuff’s, Portland, ME
118	Top of the Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Chapel Hill, NC (2011)
119	The Bell, Aldworth, Berkshire, England
120	The Golf Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland
121	Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington, DC (2010)
122	5 Seasons Brewing, Atlanta, GA (2011)
123	Mod: In de Vrede, Westvleteren, Belgium) (2009, 2012) (Original Entry Closed)
124	Stumbling Monk, Seattle. WA (2011)
125	The Happy Gnome, St. Paul, MN (2014)

Wherever you end up drinking a beer — I hope it is a fantastic experience!

Beer Mentor

87. Deschutes Brewery and Public House, Bend, OR (#77)

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Stumblingpiper

I had decided (previously) to quit trying to accomplish All About Beer Magazine’s “Growler List: 125 best places in the world to have a beer” a couple of years ago [Now more than ever since the magazine no longer exists — an excellent article on that here]. However, being a Type A personality who enjoys task accomplishment, I just couldn’t put my incomplete list away. Haha. So, although there are even more challenges now in completing the list, I’m still slowly working through it.

As mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I have made some of my own substitutions for locations/activities that are either: 1) closed, 2) defunct, or 3) “experiential in nature.” So, by my reckoning, when I visited Deschutes Brewery in 2019, it was my 77th place on the list.

Since the Growler List was published in 2008, the original idea was that you would visit the Public House in Bend, Oregon. This is the original brewpub opened in 1988. What an awesome locale! As a family and employee-owned business, you can really feel the passion when you visit the place (and the funky vibe–see photo below of the men’s room mirror). The food is excellent, they typically have Pub-exclusive rotating taps (see pictures below), and plenty of room to enjoy yourself!

Deschutes have done a great job of growing their brewery and they built a beautiful state-of-the-art facility in 2012. We scheduled a tour and took the opportunity for an in-depth look.

It’s just an absolutely beautiful facility, the tour is very fun–you end up in the tasting room at the end (obvious). Great tour guides, great ideas, and well worth a visit–definitely deserved a place in the top 125!

Beermentor

3 Places in 3 Days … 3/125 Places to Drink Beer Before you Die!

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Stumblingpiper

Still following All About Beer Magazine’s “Growler List” 125 best places in the world to have a beer.

I found myself in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand … as such I was able to hit 3 of the places in 3 days on the list!

It’s kind of funny … the order I visited these places is their numerical order on the list! They were #53, Lord Nelson’s Brewery and Hotel, #89, Iceberg’s on Bondi Beach, and #98, The Shakespeare Brewery. Let’s start in order.

#53: Lord Nelson’s

This is the oldest pub brewery in Australia along with the oldest licensed hotel. It is in the heart of the historic district and a great location to visit. They have an excellent selection of their own beers–and the bonus was you could do a tasting flight!

I thought the Three Sheets was an excellent Pale Ale.I also recommend the Anileation … the Stout. I had high hopes for the Nelson’s Blood, a porter, but it was just a little off. Everything else was really good.

To include the food.

This was an excellent stop; great atmosphere, very nice beer, and good food … what more do you want in your combination? Definitely deserves a spot on the 125.

#89 – Iceberg’s on Bondi Beach.

Ok, check out this location first and you’ll see why it is on the list.

The building closest to the ocean over there is Icebergs.Here’s a panoramic shot of the beach with Icebergs again on the right.Walking up to Icebergs you get a great view of the pool and the ocean.Looking back to the beach you can see the folks in the water … surfing. This beach is the birthplace of surfing in Australia.

We found a great seat at the bar inside and ordered some lunch and a couple of beers. The beer menu was not extensive, but so what.

This Little Creatures Pale Ale hit the spot and the service was excellent. Very nice folks and the food was very tasty.

I can see why this place is on the list … well worth a stop …

(Here’s a detour for you … we also took the ferry over to Manly Wharf (check my post about MTB’ing on my other blog). The ferry was $15 AUD there and back. It provided excellent views of the opera house on the way there.

After the ride, I enjoyed a nice Corona (haha).

Then we went back to the Wharf and had an excellent meal at the Bavarian Restaurant while watching the sunset. Here’s a couple of shots … I would say that this location rivaled Lord Nelson’s for setting, ambiance, and beer. You never know where the best beer place is gonna pop up!

Ok, finally, #98 — The Shakespeare Brewery and Hotel.

We landed in Auckland, checked into our hotel, and walked over to this place. The Boutique Hotel has been there over 120 years … the bar … i don’t know.

The brewery is the oldest brew pub in New Zealand. They are making really good beers AND they serve them in flights … bonus!

Perusing the menu, I noticed I could also have The Gentleman, a Stout, in the bottle. It was a lovely beer and made the end of our visit to this iconic location memorable.

I can definitely recommend this place too and agree with it being on the list if simply for the fact it is the first brew pub in NZ.

Although moving along what some might consider slowly (I’ve been working on this list for 10 years now), I feel like visiting on average 7+ places a year is pretty good! I’ve completed visits to 74 of the 125 (see my modifications) … only 51 to go … at 7 a year that means I should be finished in the next 7 years! A worthy goal.

Enjoy!

Beer Mentor

94. Felix in The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong (#71)

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Stumblingpiper

This is #94 on the list … over 70 places on the list now. Yes, I’m still making my way on the All About Beer Magazine’s “Growler List” 125 best places in the world to have a beer.

Some of the recent entries have seemed a little “dated.” I know they are great places, but they seem to be a little worn or have lost the “vibe” to newer places. Not The Felix. This is an exceptional bar with a fantastic view of the Hong Kong Harbor.

This bar is on the 28th floor of The Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon. If you are familiar with the James Bond films, you will recognize this hotel from Roger Moore’s “The Man With the Golden Gun” movie. However, the Felix didn’t exist when that movie was filmed in 1974. The hotel is known for its fleet of courtesy cars … Rolls Royces. Unfortunately, they didn’t pick us up from our hotel … we had to walk.

The bar doesn’t open until 1730 … but once it does, you ride the elevator specifically for the bar / restaurant. You get to the top, walk into the restaurant and open your mouth to the view, just like everyone else.

I ordered a beer and sat at the bar before we had dinner. It was a special IPA, made locally, with a slang name: “gwei-lo.” It means “pale guy” (or whitey) in English … slang for foreigner. Kind of funny. It was quite tasty though!

We reserved a table by the window to watch the everyday 8pm light show across the harbor. The dinner was ok … you can just visit the bar and enjoy a beer if you’d like. I highly recommend a stop if you are in Hong Kong. Definitely deserves to be on the list!

Oh, finally, what beer goes in must come out. If you go to the men’s room, you have a fantastic view while standing at the Urinal as well. Haha.

Enjoy!

Stumblingpiper

#63: Bruxellensis Festival of Characterful Beers (93) [DEFUNCT]

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Stumblingpiper

Note: Finalizing blogs on “Places on the Growler List.”

This is #93 on the list … I hit a milestone with this entry … I’m made it over halfway there on the All About Beer Magazine’s “Growler List” 125 best places in the world to have a beer.

However, this is also a substitution … if you’ve read through my blog, you will see that some of the entries I’ve modified slightly. There are two types of modifications–first, if the venue is closed, I substitute (what I feel) is an appropriate replacement. The other is a “suitable sub.” For instance, I’m not a fan of SEC football, so I substituted another “experience” entry. I did that for about 5 entries (I think). This entry, #63 for me, is a substitute for a defunct festival: Bruxellensis. I’m sad about that because the festival looked very interesting. My replacement, though, is a fantastic option (I believe).

The Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines Festival (formerly in Vail, CO but now in Breckenridge, CO is incredible. If you go to just more than the festival — you can spend the whole weekend celebrating beer at this event — all the better. Sign up for seminars, sessions, cigar tastings, etc, etc.

IMG_20170107_101627792

This event entered its 16th year in 2017 and you can really appreciate the maturity. There are scheduled activities starting even earlier in the week and continuing through Sunday. The basic format is — beer dinners/tastings/seminars/competitions early (Monday through Friday) and then the big Festival on Saturday. And this is about Big Beers! How about a 1994 Triple Bock from Boston Brewery? The Utopias at 28%?

IMG_20170107_150556669

Many of the craft industries long-time members really go all out in support of this (Dogfish Head, Avery, and the Lost Abbey to name a few (Oh, and Boston Brewery? see above)).

However, you also get the newer entrants in the industry as well — all focused on big beers or Belgians … and not just big, but great beers. If you look at the link above and walk through some of the activities, i’m sure you’ll agree … worthy of a place on the list and as a replacement for Bruxellensis.

Finally, this is also on Beermentor’s 100 Places list … now there are two officially, this Festival and Russian River Brewing. I will be adding my list soon … really. 🙂

Enjoy!

Beer Mentor

Russian River Brewing: Great Selection/Awesome Place (Beer Mentor’s 100 Places)

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Stumblingpiper

Hello Beer Mentees! As I have moved away from completing my “Growler List” I still have a couple of tasks on my list to complete … first, I’d like to post the entries for those places I did visit. Secondly, I intend to build my own list of “100 Places to Drink Beer.” This place is on that list! Russian River Brewing!

Entrance to the Russian River Brewing “Brew Pub.”

If you are in San Francisco or are visiting Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley you can make a quick detour over to Santa Rosa, CA and stop at the BrewPub for a bite to eat and a few brews. You can order a sample flight … and what a sample flight!

All the beers on the tap list at once … 18 beers. Did anyone say Pliny the Elder? Yes! All the beers are excellent but there is an obvious focus on the Hops. If you are a West Coast Hophead you definitely want to visit!

Not only is it a great place for beer, the food was excellent (and so is the service). If you visit on the weekend you should plan on standing in line for a little while — and that includes your whole group! They have a “no cut” policy in their line — so, if you think you might show up early and hold a spot you’ll be drinking alone for a while waiting on your group to clear the line! However, it’s worth the wait! There’s parking in back.

Here’s a look at the bar … even that takes standing in line! 🙂 Within 50 miles or so? Worth a drive over. If you don’t want to stop at just one place on the detour, you can also add Fogbelt or Third Street Aleworks to your list of places too. Enjoy Santa Rosa!

Beer Mentor

Beer Mentor

A simple exploration of beer …

Category Archives: Beermentor’s 100 Places

60. Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA (#78)

The Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die.

87. Deschutes Brewery and Public House, Bend, OR (#77)

3 Places in 3 Days … 3/125 Places to Drink Beer Before you Die!

94. Felix in The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong (#71)

#63: Bruxellensis Festival of Characterful Beers (93) [DEFUNCT]

Russian River Brewing: Great Selection/Awesome Place (Beer Mentor’s 100 Places)