The first “dry January” was an act against aggression, not alcohol. Today’s version of teetotalling to start the new year has blossomed into a year-round trademarked movement, as well as a way of life for those leading sober lifestyles. The restaurant industry is fully embracing it, as well.
Beer production started in Green Bay in 1851, with names like Blesch, Rahr, and Hochgreve emerging to pioneer the drink locally. The city itself was incorporated in 1854, and today dozens of breweries call the Green Bay metropolitan area home. And hence, the city’s craft beer scene has flourished.
Wherever I travel, I always seek out great coffee. Edward Harris, the president and CEO of Discover Lancaster, tells me I am not alone in this practice. We recently chatted over an Americano and an iced drink at a local coffee shop so I could learn more about one of the marketing organization’s newest offerings, the Lancaster County Coffee Trail.
Beer was not always welcome in the land of fire and ice. In an effort to control the sobriety of foreign visitors and its own youth, Iceland deemed alcohol illegal in 1915. Thirsty Icelanders changed this restriction in 1922 and 1935 by opening up the sale of wine and specific spirits. But beer would not get its day until the first of March, 1989.
Brewing is not solely dedicated to major metropolitan areas. In fact, many towns and small cities offer everything a beer traveler is looking for in a destination. We’ve compiled a list of 20 of the best beer towns in the US based on size (population under 100,000), with a minimum number of two breweries, and the area’s overall appeal to beer fans. The list spans the country from east to west and if turned into a road trip would cover 9,315 miles over 33 states.
When Jason Best visited a small beer fest in western Pennsylvania, his gears started turning. As a member of the Lititz AMBUCS – a chapter in a national organization with a mission to inspire and provide mobility and independence for everyone – he knew there was a need for a greater inflow of cash to fund philanthropic projects. A few weeks later he visited another festival and the beer fan knew he had to bring the idea to Lititz.
The first breweries in Pennsylvania opened in 1683 when the nation was still a series of English colonies, although it was an influx of German immigrants who buoyed beer brewing in the state. By 1794, because of its lager brewing prowess, the small city of Lancaster, PA was dubbed an equal of Munich, Germany. The most recognizable name in PA brewing is Yuengling, which dubs itself as “America’s Oldest Brewery” and relies on its massively popular, hometown Lager beer.
Virginia’s brewing scene is growing rapidly in popularity. Annually, the commonwealth produces almost two gallons of beer for every adult, but it is not just Virginians enjoying the suds explosion as travelers seek out breweries in Virginia’s major cities and rural countryside. Here are seven destination breweries in Virginia worth visiting.
Roanoke, Virginia, has blasted onto the American beer scene. Some locals even call the city of 96,000 nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia the “new Asheville,” a nod to the well-established beer city of Asheville, North Carolina. It’s a worthy comparison. With over 20 breweries in the Roanoke region, Virginia’s “Magic City” has blossomed into a destination for craft beer fans.
Destination weddings have been a popular idea for a long time. For most, the idea of a destination wedding conjures the idea of exotic locations of surf and sand.
But extensive travel is not always on a wedding party’s ideal to-do list, and the idea of being far from home may be the last thing a bride and groom want on their wedding day.
For those couples minding their travel budget, there is a state south of the Mason-Dixon Line which has embraced the idea of love. Virginia is for lovers, and naturally, weddings. Two destinations – one in the east and the other in the west – offer unique experiences steeped in tradition and allow for the entire family and wedding party to be included in the special day, or days.
