As some of you may know — and plenty of you don’t — I recently started a new job and beginning next week I’ll be hitting the road for a good six or eight weeks.
The area of the Northeast that I’m scheduled to cover includes the majority of Vermont, all of the state of Connecticut, a few stops in Massachusetts (mostly Attleboro through Cape Code & the extreme western end of the state) and a few days in the greater Albany area.
While I do know some of the places I should be sure and check out while I’m on the road — American Flatbread and the Magic Hat brewery in Burlington; Thomas Hooker in Bloomfield, CT — I’m very much in need of some more suggestions. I’m looking for every suggestion you can think of – including breweries/brewpubs, bars & pubs, and even top-rate package stores; really, if you think I should check it out, than please let me know!
It’s going to be a long, lonely two-and-a-half months on the road (don’t worry, the blog isn’t going anywhere… not much else to do in a hotel room in Central Connecticut but drink good beer and blog about it) and I’ll need all of the good beer escapes I can get my hands on, so keep the suggestions coming (comment about them on this post, any other post, or feel free to email your suggestions to me).
Thanks so much everyone! And wish me luck…
Comments
You should DEFINITELY stop at Oliver’s Beverage Center?
(105 Colvin Ave # 4 Albany, NY 12206) because its seriosuly the most insanely diverse beer store I’ve ever been in. They have a sign that says they have 999 kinds of beer, and I asked, in jest, whether they really had 999. “Oh, no, we don’t actually. We have more than that now.”
A must-stop if you’re in albany.
When I visited a friend at Bard (in Annadale-on-Hudson, NY) we bought a case of Finger Lakes Brewery beer. It was very good. I don’t remember all the styles we had, but the apricot beer stood out as quite tasty. Of course, this was 5 or 6 years ago, so my memories of it may be off. If you see any of it out there, it may be worth a taste. I’m sure it will be at the store mentioned in the previous comment.
That’s awesome; thanks so much guys! Albany was one of the destinations I was most concerned about…
Keep the suggestions coming!
+2 for Oliver’s. It’s insane. Check out http://www.brew-crew.com/.
Also, while in Albany, check out Mahar’s for when you’re not interested in drinking alone in your hotel room. http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1668/ I like GLB and NR better, but Mahar’s is definitely the best beer bar in Albany.
Let me know when you’re out that way. I have a bunch of beer drinking friends that you could meet up with…
Also in Burlington, the Lake Champlain Chocolate factory; a cheese and beer bar whose name I’ll have to look up for you; and, for breakfast, Willow Street Inn. And a huge food co-op that has a better selection of beer than any beer store in your nation’s capital.
Happy birthday, by the way.
Your first fan,
Mike
Love to have you at Thomas Hooker. If you happen to blog about it we have a new section featuring blogger beer reviews we will add the post to if you want.
Cheers,
Dan