Craft Beer Crawl of the Midwest USA

The next two days are yours to get acquainted with the USA’s craft brewery scene. After mornings taking selfies in front of the Cloud Gate, ogling modern art at the Museum of Contemporary Art and admiring the ‘Windy City’ from the Bloomingdale Trail (Chicago’s answer to New York’s High Line), afternoons are strictly reserved for the city’s tap rooms. Start at the independent Crushed By Giants. This craft-brewery-come-restaurant serves up an ever-changing menu featuring everything from hoppy IPAs to sours and funky saisons, as well as a menu of simple but stellar dishes designed to pair perfectly with their brews. Consider lunch sorted.

In the evening, the city’s South Loop neighbourhood comes alive with breweries such as Moody Tongue and the Duneyrr, which brings a Nordic twist to its menu of barrel-aged brews. Make sure to leave room for their ‘Sauvyn Blanc’ sour ale, co-fermented with sauvignon grapes, or their ‘Mymosa’ grape ale brewed with oranges and chardonnay grapes.

Soak up last night’s drinks with a hearty hotel breakfast before picking up your rental car (once suitably sober) and hitting the open road all the way to Saugatuck, Michigan. This 143-mile journey packs a punch with sights, from the shores of Lake Michigan to Gary, the town and birthplace of Michael Jackson, so keep your eyes firmly peeled on your surroundings.

Once in Saugatuck, a sleepy coastal city on Lake Michigan, check in to your bed and breakfast. Spend the rest of the day soaking in its waterfront jetted spa or unwinding in front of your own private fireplace overlooking the harbour. Or, stretch your legs along its award-winning beaches or state park, where you can hike across 13 miles of trails and coastal dunes.

As a state home to more than 350 breweries, it’s no secret that Michigan enjoys a drink. So, after a salubrious morning at one of the city’s spas or post-three-mile run along the shores of the Kalamazoo River (we know which activity we’d opt for…), it’s on to the Guardian Brewing Company, Michigan’s first 100% LGBTQ+ and women-owned craft brewery. Continue your tour to The Mitten Brewing Co., a vintage baseball-themed microbrewery that expertly pairs handcrafted beers with gourmet pizzas, before finishing the tour at Waypost Brewing Co, a small farmhouse brewery. Focusing on traditional farmhouse styles and craft lagers, and situated on a 58-acre fruit farm, it’s the perfect place to toast the day (and sample food from an ever-changing array of food trucks).

With a drive of only around 40 miles on the cards today, we recommend taking it easy. Maybe your version of easy is kayaking on the lower Kalamazoo River, or perhaps it’s scheduling one last spa treatment; we’ll leave it to you. Once you reach Grand Rapids and check in to your next hotel (for one night only), you’ll join other brewery buffs on an afternoon tour of the city’s best tap rooms (there’s a reason it has been voted Beer City USA in two nationwide polls). As well as sampling 12 beers between Perrin Brewing Company, Cedar Springs Brewing Company, Rockford Brewing Company and Brick Haus Brews, you’ll also meet the brewers and see how each beer is made. Afterwards, head to the Downtown Market to refuel and take advantage of its artisan foods.

Ignore David Bowie (on this occasion), there’s no need to Panic in Detroit. Once you’ve journeyed the two-and-a-half hours across Michigan’s waistline, you’ll be in the ‘Motor City’. Drop your bags at your decadent downtown hotel, brimming with intricate arches and mouldings, before heading out again on a guided tour of the Motown Museum. Founded by Esther Gordy Edwards in 1985, it’s home to the world-famous Studio A, where The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and countless others recorded with the Funk Brothers.

In the evening, after a few hours of relaxation, it’s time to find a bite to eat. Consult your Concierge for their best restaurant recommendations, or go taco truck hunting. Locals love El Parian, just off Vernor Highway, and their tacos al pastor, topped off with pineapple slices.

The next two days are yours to spend how you like. Of course, on a craft beer crawl, we’re always going to suggest the Detroit Brew Trail. Featuring four trail sections: Downtown Detroit, as well as Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties, it’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in all things Detroit-centric and pick up some stickers, koozies, bottle openers, pint glasses, coasters and more on the way. And if you need a break from beer, why not spend the day kayaking or paddleboarding on the Detroit River, or venture further afield for a day of fishing on one of the many lakes and streams surrounding the city? Evening entertainment abounds in this neck of the woods too. Just ask your Concierge where to head first.

If you prefer to be up and at ‘em, rise early for your three-and-a-half-hour drive from Detroit to Columbus. Cross the state line at sunrise and relish having the highway to yourself. Reward your efforts with a coffee and a cream puff once in the state capital, before heading out on foot to explore its Short North Arts District, home to more than 30 murals, or the Columbus Museum of Art. If you’re peckish, swing by the North Market, a public market featuring more than 30 butchers, bakers, grocers and restaurants. But if you’re thirsty, we recommend waiting until you can check in to your hotel. The world’s first hotel inside a craft brewery, there are 32 beer-themed rooms with a draft beer tap in each. Inside its signature taproom, you can grab a game of shuffleboard or pinball and tuck into one of their epic burgers – the perfect place to start before testing out the rest of Columbus’ nightlife.

Beat the crowds at North Market, home to more baked pastries, bagels and cream puffs than you can imagine, to stock up for the day ahead. From there, wander over to Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Ogle at its 400 species of plants and exhibitions before heading to The Old Bag of Nails pub (conveniently just around the corner) for a plate of their signature fish and chips. In the evening, if the season is in full swing, head to Huntingdon Park to catch the Columbus Clippers hit a homerun.

After a good night’s sleep, deep between 800-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, it’s time to pack your bags once more and head across state lines (again) to Kentucky – Louisville to be precise. The three-and-a-half-hours will go by in a flash. So, once you’ve dropped your bags at your hotel-come-museum on the city’s historic West Main Street, we recommend heading out on a walking tour to really get under the skin of this historic town. Start in Old Louisville, the largest Victorian architecture district in the USA, replete with stately mansions dating from 1880 to 1910. Or, step back in time on board the circa-1914 Belle of Louisville steamboat, the oldest of its kind still in operation.

Once you’ve got your culture fill and have spent the evening sampling the city’s dining scene, you’ll be ready and raring to walk the walk on an afternoon beer tour with a local historian. Before starting, we suggest lining your stomach with a hot brown sandwich; an open-faced sub piled high with sliced turkey and bacon and covered in a French Mornay sauce (a béchamel with cheese) and broiled. Once you’ve seen the sights and sampled half pints at each stop, the evening is yours to spend how you want. And if you can’t decide? Just ask your Concierge.

Today, your beer crawl continues to Bowling Green, just a mere 121 miles away. From the moment you drop your bags at your hotel, expect to be charmed by its rolling green terrain, welcoming locals – experts in southern hospitality – and postcard-perfect downtown. But Bowling Green is more than it’s sweeter-than-pie scenery, it’s the birthplace of America’s sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette. Save an afternoon to tour its museum, home to more than 80 antique, collector, concept and one-of-a-kind Corvettes. If you’re peckish, head to a local farmers market before swinging by White Squirrel Brewery for a pumpkin or blueberry ale.

Your headliner on this craft beer tour is Nashville. In a city that attracts wannabe songwriters, musicians and country fans, it’s only natural that it comes with its fair share of bars and breweries. The hour it takes to get there from Bowling Green gives you just enough time to play all your favourite country songs (or listen to our favourites on our specially curated USA playlist), and decide where you want to go first.

Your downtown hotel puts you front and centre on the Honkytonk Highway, so we’d recommend starting there. Head to the HonkeyTonk Brewing Co. for a selection of high-gravity beers and Tailgate Beer Brewery for small-batch brews, including grapefruit IPAs and buttermilk stouts. Continue the party into the evening and hit bars such as Layla’s Bluegrass Inn and AJ’s Good Time Bar. They may not be known for their inventive tipples, but trust us, you don’t need them when you’re toe-tapping along to live country tunes.

Of course, no trip to Nashville is complete without a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Trace the timeline of country and bluegrass roots from Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams to Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw and Kacey Musgraves. And, if you’re a sucker for country ballads, spend your last night watching your favourite band belt out their greatest hits at the Ryman Auditorium or Grand Ole Opry. But before that, you’ve still got time for a few more taste tests. At Corsair Brewstillery Taproom and Tasting Room, you’ll be treated to a tour of its core distillery production space, where you’ll learn all about their unique grain-to-glass spirits, and finish with a sampling of five of them.