As you all know I hit my 100th brewery in Ontario recently so I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the top 10 most memorable experiences that I have had at breweries over the years. Most of which are outside Canada but a couple from here at home; just some great experiences from my travels I wanted to share. Also it was difficult to narrow it down to ten, so they aren't in any particular order, just a top ten. Number one not being any better than number two, etc. Well, here we go!
1.) La Cave à Bulles - Paris, France. A tiny little beer shop in the heart of Paris that I found while wandering the streets with a coffee in my hand one rainy morning. It houses not only local French beers but also beers from all over Europe and the world. I visited this shop twice as I was so enthralled with everything there was to look at. The owner was helpful and this was the first time I learnt that employees from different breweries or beer lovers from around the world will bring beer on their travels to trade and share with locals in other countries. I will never forget that advice and now travel with beer from my home wherever I go. You never know when you are going to run into another craft beer enthusiast that you want to trade with! If you are a beer lover and are ever in Paris, this is a must stop for sure.
2.) Modern Times - San Diego, California.
What a beautiful and awe-inspiring taproom and brew space! Modern Times has got to be one of the leading breweries in North America for quality IPAs. I had the privilege of receiving a private tour from a brewer when I visited and it was fantastic. Their taproom is spacious and made me homesick for my Flying Monkeys as it was slightly eclectic in style. I got a lot of advice from brewer Megan, or as you may know her @isbeeracarb. She taught me to know my worth in the beer industry, especially as a female. She exemplifies what it means to be a female brewer in a male dominated industry and I applaud her for helping to pave the way and showing people women can be just as talented that men and that we are all equals.
3.) The Porterhouse Brew Company - Dublin, Ireland.
A brewery I happened on by accident; usually these are my favourite spots as they are always better than you imagined as you never imagined them to begin with! I was starving, walking the streets of Dublin, looking for somewhere to sit down for an hour or so and eat some good food. I wandered through the Temple Bar District and everywhere was too busy, I was nearing the midway point of my trip and all I wanted was the comfort of my own home and my own food and my own bed... and while I was wallowing in my own self-pity and homesickness I saw it. A brewery. I wandered in and right up to the bar and ordered stew. I sat on a stool and drank some of the best Porters I have had to this day. The stew tasted like something my grandmother (who is Irish) would make me as a child and it brought my spirits right back up. That brewery and it's stew saved me from abandoning my trip and flying home that day.
4.) Bryggjan Brugghús - Reykyjavik, Iceland.
Do the beer tasting dinner. Don't skimp, make this night worth it! You get a tour, you get authentic Icelandic food and stories. You get to meet people from all over the world while you sit at a table and enjoy something you all love: beer. I think I felt safer in Reykjavik than I do in many Canadian cities. Iceland is such a beautiful and friendly country and I think we all have a lot to learn about society and how we treat one another from the culture there. I shared this brewery night with my mother, who I don't think I have ever talked into going into a brewery with me besides Flying Monkeys and we were both stumbling when we left. The tour was amazing, the woman who was our host for the evening was fantastic and everyone had a great time.
5.) Girdwood Brewing Company - Girdwood, Alaska.
Just an hour or so outside Anchorage is the seasonal town of Girdwood where ski bums and backwoods beauties meet. My dad and I hung out here for an hour or so and watched the staff treat everyone who walked through the door with kindness. The drive from Anchorage was definitely a factor in my choosing this place for the list. Snaking down the edge of Turnagain Arm with a view of the mountains and (if you are lucky, which we were) some beluga whales. Alaska is a great place to go if you want to learn to slow down and enjoy every moment. No one is in a rush, no one is wishing they were somewhere completely different. Sitting at the bar in the brewery you can read this on every customer's face. They are happy to be right where they are sipping the offerings from Girdwood Brewing Company.
6.) BrewDog - Edinburgh, Scotland.
As I was backpacking alone when I went to Europe, I did most of my drinking during the day and made sure I was back at the hostel around dark. But this night in Edinburgh I decided to give the real drinking scene a chance. BrewDog is somewhere you have to visit when you're in Scotland and there are a few different locations so you're never too far to make a trip to one. The Edinburgh location was packed, I found a seat at the bar between some burly Scottish men and got a flight. Not too long afterwards I was being chatted up by a friendly older Scottish gentleman. I don't remember his name, and I will never see him again, but I will never forget the stories he told me about growing up in Scotland, the politics, the schools, the landscape, the family, the friendship, and the lessons. He was wise and made be feel a little less homesick, like I was talking to an uncle or a grandparent. We had BrewDog's Jet Black Heart together, which if you haven't had this, it is amazing and even better on tap right from the source.
7.) Brou Haha - Gatineau, Quebec. I sadly can't find a picture of this place but I couldn't deny it it's rightful spot on this list. On a road trip to Ottawa with Shannon (@hops.and.hikes) before she moved there, we made a side trip to Gatineau for an hour or two to go to this store. It really is too bad that Ontario doesn't have craft beer shops such as these because we would all benefit. I know I am fortunate to be able to travel to breweries when I want to try their beer, but many can't get away from work or they have kids so they can't travel for beer. Having a store like this would really help those people as they could do a one stop shop and get beers they wouldn't normally be able to access. Anyways, this store is amazing! It has so many Quebec brews as well as American and otherwise. We were like kids in a candy shop walking the aisles with our shopping cart, filling it to the brim. The perfect Quebec edition to an Ottawa trip for any beer traveller.
8.) Red Barn Brewing Company - Blenheim, Ontario.
I have never met a couple of beer lovers more humble, family oriented, and dedicated than those creating Red Barn Brewing Company out in Blenheim. Denny, Sandy and Daniel hadn't opened their doors yet and I found them on Google while I was searching for beer exploration opportunities. I reached out to see if I could purchase some beer from them that they hadn't released yet and I got invited into their home to try it right from the tap. The beers not only were amazing but Denny, Daniel, and Sandy are so kind. I wish all the best for them and I hope to be able to make it out to Blenheim for their grand opening whenever it happens to be. Watching such amazing people have their dreams come true is such an inspiring sight and I want a front row seat to this one!
9.) Guinness - Dublin, Ireland.
I know Guinness isn't craft beer but it sits in a special place in most beer lover's hearts. There's always that one drunken St. Patrick's Day or greasy pub night where you drank it all night or it was the last thing you remember having before things got messy. You can't go wrong with a good pint of Guinness. Visiting the Storehouse in Dublin took my breath away. What an amazing experience; the ticket says you'll be there for the full day and it is right. There's a museum, there's different bars, you'll learn to pull your own pint of Guinness, you'll make your way to the top of the beer glass-shaped escalator on the top floor to the entirely glass circular bar where you can settle in with a pint and some food and over look the entire city of Dublin. I distinctly remember that this point in my trip was one of moments where I just couldn't stop smiling to myself and feeling completely amazed at where I was. How did I ever get so lucky? Oh and P.S. They aren't lying, the Guinness is better in Dublin.
10.) The Grizzly Paw - Canmore, Alberta.
Canmore is one of the most beautiful places I have been in Canada, sitting at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, laid back and full of all my favourite things: small cafes, hippies, and good brews. The Grizzly Paw was one of the last stops I made in town before moving through to Calgary and back home so I made it count. A full menu and a full tap list, naturally I got a flight. Sitting there at a table in Alberta, on my first trip on my own, I realized a lot. Being able to do things on your own and be okay being alone is important. Whether you're tossing back beers in a brewery across the country or sitting at home reading a book in bed, being okay with being on your own is important. You have to be happy with yourself and your choices in life before you can move on to anything else.
Well, that's my top ten! I hope you find something in the above that makes you think or inspires you to create your own adventures. Life is about exploring, learning, and the relationships we create while doing so. Go out there and take advantage of your time here on Earth. Cheers friends!