Minneapolis–St. Paul has been ranked as “the best” on several national lists. It’s not surprising. We have abundant green space, a sophisticated bike lane and trail system, world-class theaters, and a wide variety of boutiques, high-end restaurants and, of course, breweries. Now, imagine all that the Twin Cities have to offer and squish it down … [ Read more]
The Wide World of Beer with Stephen Beaumont: Drinking in Thoroughly Modern London
August 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment
During the latter part of his enormously successful career, the late Michael Jackson, beer writer extraordinaire, employed an assistant named Owen Barstow. Like Michael, Owen was London based and beer fixated, which on one memorable occasion led to he and I enjoying a rollicking discussion about drinking on each of our respective sides of the … [ Read more]
The Wide World of Beer with Stephen Beaumont: Kansas City
July 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come It may well be possible to visit Kansas City, Missouri, without making a special trip to the corner of 18th Street and Vine, a historic cradle of American jazz, but for me it was not. So, after the beer tasting and dinner I hosted at … [ Read more]
The Wide World of Beer with Stephen Beaumont: Something About Buffalo, NY
June 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s leading beer writers, Stephen Beaumont is the author or co-author of 10 books about beer, including The World Atlas of Beer (2012) and two editions of The Pocket Beer Guide (2013 & 2014), all co-written with Tim Webb. His new book, The Beer & Food Companion, will be … [ Read more]
10 American Craft Beer Road Trips
May 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
From “On The Road” to “Dumber and Dumber,” the road trip is firmly entrenched in American culture. In honor of American Craft Beer Week, May 11–17, we’re looking back at our “Chasing the Beer Scene” series to spotlight 10 craft beer destinations across these 50 great states. Now in its 10th year, American Craft Beer … [ Read more]
Chasing the Beer Scene in Austin
April 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Jack White, the former White Stripes front man, recently played a stellar concert at the Austin Music Hall in Texas. As soon as the house lights went down and the speakers switched on, the crowd found itself surrounded by a non-medicinal smoke cloud threatening to burn up every lung in the house. When you find … [ Read more]
National Treasures: Touring America’s National Parks on a Beer Adventure
February 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
50campfires is the camping authority with camping tips, recipes, gear reviews & more! Visit for more content about the great outdoors. Illustration by David Witt How many National Parks can you name? Be honest. We’re guessing the answer isn’t all 58. The marquee parks like Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone seem to get all the … [ Read more]
Chasing the Beer Scene in Eastern Wisconsin
December 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Eastern Wisconsin is a land of opportunity for the beer traveler. Exploring this region can make for a memorable long weekend or even inspire multiple return visits to experience the seasonal brews throughout the year. There are incredible vistas, winding ‘coastal’ roads, historic towns, and some of the most distinctive local cuisine including unforgettable Wisconsin … [ Read more]
Chasing the Beer Scene in Alaska
September 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Even if you’ve never been, Alaska needs no introduction. With dark, impossibly bitter winters, majestic spruce forests, and countless lakes, streams and marshes, it’s like an uber-Minnesota. Of course, Alaska also has thousands of miles of saltwater coastline and several towering mountain ranges that make the North Shore’s Sawtooth Range look like a collection of … [ Read more]
Peruvian Biologist/Brewer Visits Summit Brewing Company
December 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Originally posted on Summit Brewing Company’s Blog By Chip Walton Recently, Summit’s Quality Assurance/Quality Control Lab Staff hosted an international visitor. Daniella de la Puente is a brewer and biologist for Cervecería Barbarian in Lima, Peru. Daniella spent more than a week shadowing and working with our lab, brewing and packaging crews learning what processes, procedures and … [ Read more]
Chasing the Beer Scene in Chicago
September 28, 2013 by 1 Comment
The Growler wonders what’s brewing in the City of Big Shoulders. By Anthony Cefali The first half of the 1900s formed Chicago, the City of Big Shoulders, as we know it today. After recovering from the Chicago Fire of 1876, Chicago maintained its place as the second largest city in the United States through two … [ Read more]
Chasing the Beer Scene: Michigan, Part Two
June 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
By Brian Martucci Thus far, the Growler has chased the beer scene in all of the states that share a land border with Minnesota, plus the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. In this issue, it’s only fitting that we traipse across the northern Wisconsin wilderness to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which shares an extensive water border with Minnesota via … [ Read more]
Chasing the Beer Scene in the Dakotas
March 8, 2013 by 1 Comment
By Emily Weiss In previous issues of The Growler, we’ve played match-up with fun and interesting outdoor (and sometimes indoor, because we all need an occasional break from the weather) activities with craft beers from our neighboring cities and states. Now that we’ve covered Duluth to our north, Wisconsin to our west, and Iowa to … [ Read more]
