Settling down at sunset with a beer and a few crisps is a holiday ritual, as is enjoying a refreshing lager with a long languid lunch or a cool pint at midmorning accompanied by an exclamation of ‘it’s five o’clock somewhere’. For many, beer goes hand-in-hand with travel, and exploring using your senses is one of the best ways to experience a destination. Whether you are watching the process of beer being made, taking in the hoppy aroma of a bustling beer hall or tasting some of the finest craft beer in the region, your senses have a huge impact on how well you get to know a destination. So, beer fanatics assemble, as we’ve decided that a craft brewery grand tour is one of the best ways to get up close and personal with some of Earth’s truly spectacular destinations, especially as Oktoberfest is just around the corner. Afterall, humankind was built on beer (supposedly), so here is a list of some of the best craft breweries around the world to explore on your travels. Cheers.
- Chit Beer, Thailand
- Shambles Brewery, Australia
- Carakale Brewing Company, Jordan
- White Rhino Brewing Co., India
- Nevada Cervecería, Colombia
- Florida Keys Brewing Co., USA
- Stockholm Brewing Co., Sweden
- Big Sip Co., Botswana
- Abashiri Beer Brewery, Japan
Chit Beer
Koh Kret, Thailand
Amid the sea of washed-out, ill-flavoured lagers that dominate the Thai beer-scape, Chit Beer offers a tastebud-tickling flavour oasis that draws thirsty travellers from far and wide. Sip on a crisp draught beer with your feet in the Chao Phraya River or on the patio of this little open-air craft brewery while the hustle and bustle of Koh Kret continues around you. This is the perfect place to head when you want a break from Bangkok’s skyscrapers – we love hopping on-board a traditional long boat for a tour of all the local sites.
Shambles Brewery
Tasmania, Australia
Despite its small size, Tasmania is teeming with thirst-quenching craft beers, with Shambles Brewery being one of our favourites. Take a brewery tour before setting down in the taproom with a dewy glass of ‘Afternoon Delight’, ‘Dirty Copper’ or ‘Dances with Hops’. Once you are suitably fuelled, don your boots and head up Mount Wellington for a leg-stretching hike, ending with views over Hobart (and maybe a secretly stashed bottle or two of Shambles beer).
Carakale Brewing Company
Amman, Jordan
The Middle East is home to some of the best craft breweries in the world, and Jordan is no exception. In fact, they are Dead Sea-rious about beer, despite the fact that there is no word for ‘hop’ in Arabic. After spending a few days discovering Bedouin life in the desert with its Lawrence of Arabia-esque landscape, make a pitstop on your way to Amman at the Carakale Brewing Company, the first microbrewery in Jordan. Enjoy a pint of harmoniously brewed Jordan lager with hints of hops and caramel, while looking out over Blue Canyon and the desert below.
White Rhino Brewing Co.
Malanpur, India
Pale ale is as synonymous with India as Guinness is to Ireland. They go hand in hand, and rightly so as some of the most mouth-watering IPAs are still brewed in India. The likes of Kingfisher and Taj Mahal line the shelves, but little craft breweries like the White Rhino Brewing Co. (India’s first craft brewery) are the places to head if you want an authentic Indian pale ale. Once your legs are weary from exploring New Delhi’s India Gate, Swaminarayan Akshardham or Humayun’s Tomb, head south to this microbrewery for a chilled bottle of their finest home-grown IPA to round off a great day of sightseeing.
Nevada Cervecería
Santa Marta, Colombia
While out exploring the verdant hillsides that surround Santa Marta in Colombia, you may stumble upon Nevada Cervecería, a tiny craft brewery nestled in the forest along the northern Caribbean coast. Brewing everything from refreshing pale ale to punchy coffee stout, each beer perfectly reflects the brewery’s surroundings. As the only beer made with mineral water from the Sierra Nevada De Santa Marta, you really can’t miss out on a taste when hiking your way through Colombia.
Florida Keys Brewing Co.
Islamorada, USA
Take a pew in the multicoloured bar of the Florida Keys Brewing Co. and be transported to a tropical, beer-filled paradise. Enjoy the palm tree-fringed beer garden where you can play giant Jenga or cornhole with a pint in hand before heading into the taproom for a tasting of true Floridian craft beer. Sample thirst-quenching amber ales and American IPA’s before heading out to explore the rest of The Keys on a bike tour with a local guide, or even aboard a boat to get a glimpse of the coral caye archipelago from the water.
Stockholm Brewing Co.
Stockholm, Sweden
If light table saisons and strong imperial stouts are your thing, then the Stockholm Brewing Co. is the watering hole for you. Using local, organic ingredients in all of their creations, this craft brewery is a hotspot for Stockholmers and tourists alike when they open their doors for the after work/sightseeing rush on a Friday evening. Whether on a Viking tour of the city surrounded by snowy scenes or exploring the pretty old town on a warm summer’s eve, a pint or two of liquid gold at the Stockholm Brewing Co. is the perfect way to end the day. Make sure you pack your Lederhosen if you are exploring in October, as Stockholm is a great place to celebrate Oktoberfest.
Big Sip Co.
Gaborone, Botswana
With clean water being scarce, and hops relying on particular weather conditions, creating a craft brewery in Botswana seemed like an almost impossible task. But in 2017, the Big Sip Co. broke onto the scene as the country’s first microbrewery and hasn’t looked back since. With an elephant adorning the label of every bottle, there really is no excuse to not pack a few of these citrus and passionfruit tinted beers to quench your thirst while exploring the wonderful wilderness of the Kalahari Desert or Okavango Delta and beyond.
Abashiri Beer Brewery
Hokkaido, Japan
A pit stop at Japan's Abashiri Beer Brewery for a sip of their unique Okhotsk Blue Ryuho Draft is a must. Made with melted icebergs from the sea of Okhotsk in the Pacific Ocean, this is the ultimate conversation starting souvenir, especially as the beer itself is bright blue, coloured by natural gardenia pigment to represent the area’s ocean-scape. When you have quenched your thirst, grab your walking boots and head out to explore some of the island’s gems including the rainbow-hued meadows of Furano and the wildlife filled Shiretoko National Park.
Written by Immy Kelly
Header Image © Olivier Romano