Beercation Tips from Beercation Pros

The growth of craft beer in America has spawned all kinds of things – and the concept of a beercation is one of them. What, you may ask, is a beercation? A beercation is when someone takes a trip specifically to attend a beer event, to celebrate a beer release, or even to drink a different region’s available brews…and we consider these trips absolutely worthwhile.

What goes into planning a worthy beercation? Is this just a weekend tour or will you be drinking your way across the country? Are you planning it around a big event like the Great American Beer Festival in Denver or Oktoberfest in Germany, or taking in one of the many beer trails that states such as Montana have so elegantly designed?

The more I thought about how to craft the perfect beercation, the more complicated and intimidating the whole process became. Clearly it was time to turn to industry experts – seasoned beer travelers who know what they’re doing – like Ben Keene and Schuyler Ward.

Ben Keene is a wanderlust-stricken writer, a licensed outdoor guide, and the author of three books including, most recently, The Great Northeast Brewery Tour. His work has appeared in DRAFT, the Village Voice, Beer Connoisseur, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, BeerAdvocate, Perceptive Travel, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and he currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

I sat down with Ben, of course over beer, and asked him what beercation tips he could share with us – and he kindly obliged:

In general, I’d say it’s better to take a beercation with one or more friends or family members. That way, you’ve got a designated driver at all times and someone to compare your tasting impressions with. And you’d be wise to pack snacks, and especially water, on any road trip involving stops at breweries. You can’t count on every location to serve food or nonalcoholic beverages. 

Do a bit of research in advance. Tasting room hours change with the seasons and not every brewery offers regular tours. What could be more disappointing than turning up somewhere only to discover they’re closed? Follow the places you intend to visit on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Don’t be overly ambitious. You’ll enjoy the trip much more if you spend more time at breweries and brewpubs and less time in the car, trying to adhere to Siri’s turn-by-turn directions. Bring cash. And a spare growler or two. That way, you can tip the taproom manager or tour guide and save a few dollars by filling a reusable container with your favorite beer.

Another seasoned beer traveler, Schuyler Ward is a self-proclaimed “beercation master” who once served as head brewer at the “now closed” Do Can Brewery in Lowell, Massachusetts.

He recently returned home after a three-month-long beercation in Europe and he had all kinds of beer touring tips for us. 

First off – choosing the right beer city was of primary importance to him. Great bars and breweries can be found everywhere nowadays – but some cities obviously have more history and are richer beer environments than others. And choosing a city with a well-developed public transportation system is helpful as well.

Secondly, Mr. Ward suggests that you study up to try to understand the beer drinking culture to some degree before traveling:

In many areas of the world and even from county to county inside countries, beer drinking culture is very different. For example, dark beer in Leipzig, Germany, is considered the female beer because darker beers tend to be sweeter and maltier.

In the UK, a session beer is anywhere below 3.8% ABV and if you are drinking a beer above 5% ABV in a pub, it’s clear to everyone that you are looking to get tipsy. While in Koln, Germany, Kölsch beer is served in 200ml glasses because the locals believe that is the perfect pure way to enjoy beer, they look down on those locals of Dusseldorf who drink 250ml glasses of Alt beer that is slightly high in ABV. Just a little knowledge about the beer drinking culture of the area will save you from appearing to be an uneducated tourist. 

I’d like to thank Ben and Schuyler for taking time with me and sharing what they’ve learned from their years of beer touring. But it all starts with a map, a growler, and that first step out the door – so now it’s on you, pilgrims.