When Ron Jeffries began brewing the original test batches for Jolly Pumpkin Brewery in Dexter, MI, a pale ale was considered "really crazy" in the craft beer industry. But Jeffries took crazy to a new level when he turned his evolving business plan into a craft brewery focused on sours. "We saw a spot in the market for French and Belgian beers. No one in the US had an emphasis on sours," explains Jeffries - so he and his wife Laurie opened the sour-focused Jolly Pumpkin Brewery in 2004. As it stands today, Jolly Pumpkin is known as the only brewery that ages all of its beers in oak barrels and is the only US brewery to make its name brewing only sours.

Thanksgiving conjures up different visions for everyone, but for me, it's about spending time with family in the comfort of a home, surrounded by copious amounts of both new and beloved craft beer. So when I decided I wasn't flying home to Virginia as I normally do over the holiday, my husband and I braved the roads and drove 11 hours to Omaha, Nebraska to spend time with my twin sis, Tiffany, and her husband Nathan.

It's probably fitting that the next place I chose to imbibe was Lucky Bucket Brewing Company, a growing brewery with 15 employees and a well-balanced assortment of seasonal brews overseen by acting president Jason Payne and partner Brian Magee (who is also, as I mentioned previously, president of Upstream Brewing Company).