(Courtesy Hill Farmstead)

With Christmas now in the rear view mirror and New Years Eve soon to come, it’s a wonderful time to visit one of America’s nation’s more than 9,500 craft breweries. And with everyone all over the country, visiting friends and family at Christmastime, it’s a great way to keep the celebrations going.

And we’ve five ‘must visit’ breweries with impressive taprooms and tour, along with the beers ‘must’ try when you’re there.

Hill Farmstead Brewery (Greensboro, Vermont)

Any great beer destination is a combination of quality and vibe…Ideally the beer’ gotta be excellent, but a cool location and atmospheric taproom setting just makes for an even better experience. And New England’s Hill Farmstead Brewery’s got all that and more.

Founded by Shaun Hill and built on his is family’s Vermont farm in rural Greensboro, Hill Farmstead is just a spectacular place to enjoy serious beer and it’s even more remarkable at this time of year. Must Beer Suggestion: Shirley Mae: American Session Porter brewed with Cocoa Nibs & Lactose (3.8% ABV)

(Courtesy Samuel Adams / Boston Beer)

Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston, Massachusetts)

Boston is a prime holiday destination, and Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams Brewery offers a series of tours that are some of the best in the country.

The Morning Mash-In Tour (every morning at 9:30 am) affords visitors the eye-opening opportunity unto explore the brewery visit their special innovation brew house before things get crowded…And who doesn’t enjoy a light beer buzz at 10 in the morning? Also don’t miss the just opened The Bier Keller: Samuel Adams Barrel Aged Experience. Must Beer Suggestion: American Kriek: Wild Ale w/ Balaton cherries (7% ABV)

(Courtesy Jester King Brewery)

Jester King (Austin, Texas)

Located in Texas’ beautiful Hill Country Jester King is an authentic farmhouse brewery committed to mixed culture and spontaneous fermentation and their tasting room is a one-of-a-kind drinking experience.

Their beers are crafted to incorporate their natural surroundings and local agriculture, and are uniquely tied to a time, place, and people. Must Beer Suggestion: Bière de Syrah, a barrel-aged sour refermented with Texas Syrah grape

(Image credit: Robinson Brown Design)

Stone Brewing (Escondido, Ca) & Stone  Brewing World Bistro & Gardens / Liberty Station (San Diego. CA)

Stone offers a number of brewery tours and taproom experiences and they’re all wonderful to visit for different reasons. But their two Southern California are great places to start.

The mothership, Stone Brewing in Escondido is a great place to start, and I’s also home to the original Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens which has now thoroughly grown in and become a beautiful SoCal drinking oasis. Must Beer Suggestion: Stone 2024 Imperial Stout (10.5% ABV)

And don’t miss their downtown San Diego Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station location either. It’s an architectural masterpiece located in what was once a US Navy installation and they’ve an independent experimental brewery there, that’s uber-innovative! Must Beer Suggestion: Stone Liberty Station Cold Season IPA (7% ABV)

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Stone Escondido image credit: Robinson Brown Design