📍 Avondale, AZ

It honestly pains me to say this… this was my first visit to 8-Bit Aleworks… right after they celebrated their 10 year anniversary. Yeah… I’m late.

Avondale is a good hour or so from me, which is a long Uber ride when the plan is to have a few… or a few dozen beers. But after finally making it out there, it absolutely would’ve been worth it sooner.

I actually planned this as part of a Between Two Beers mobile show. Talked with Ryan ahead of time, super friendly, had everything lined up to end the show with a live brewery review…

…and then the internet completely sold us out. WiFi issues, stream cut, brewery segment gone. Internet goblins win again.

I’ll be back soon for a full video, but for now…

8-Bit is just straight up fun. Retro games everywhere, beer names that hit you right in the childhood, and a great vibe to hang out while your friends play and you pretend you’re still good at those games.

Beer was really solid. Favorites were White Mage Wit and Princess Peach. Ryan still brews everything himself, and it shows. He’s a nerd in the best way and a hell of a brewer.

No food, but he pointed us over to Parry’s Pizza & Taproom down the street, which was a great call… and they even had some 8-Bit beers on tap.

Merch was on point, had to grab a hat.

Bathrooms were clean and close, no issues.

Don’t be like me… don’t wait 10 years to check this place out.

OUR 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 REVIEW:

Beer: 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Food: N/A
Service: 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere: 🍺🍺🍺
Bathrooms: 🍺🍺

#BrewtifulAdventures #8BitAleworks #AZBeer #DrinkLocal #theadventure …

The Beauty and The Beer took us to Old Quebec City and somehow everything went right… which feels wrong.

We drove up from Maine for a quick weekend and ended up in what felt like a European beer dream.

Stayed at Auberge Saint-Pierre with insane views, drank our way through the city, and basically survived on poutine.

🍺 Stops included:

La Barberie Microbrasserie 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Noctem Artisans Brasseurs 🍺🍺🍺.5
Archibald Microbrasserie 🍺🍺🍺.5

All completely different vibes, all worth it.

Somewhere along the way, after a few too many beers, I got talked into zip lining… with a deathly fear of heights.

Didn’t open my eyes.
Lost about 10 lbs in sweat.
Would absolutely do the trip again.

The city is unreal. The beer is worth it. The poutine might change your life.

#theadventure #quebeccity #craftbeer #beertravel #brewerytour …

📍 Formation Brewing

Don’t go here if you hate affordable beer and having too much space to hang out… 🍺

Finally made it over to Formation Brewing now that they’ve been open for a bit and yeah… it still lives up to the hype. We waited over a year for this one, so expectations were high.

🍺 The Beer
Really solid across the board. Clean, crisp, and easy to drink. When I went, these were some of the most affordable pints I’ve seen at a brewery in a long time. Not sure if that’s still the case now that they’re fully rolling, but if it is… good luck leaving after just one.

🍕 The Food
Grabbed some onion strings and stole a slice of my buddy’s pizza. Both were good, nothing crazy, but exactly what you want while a few beers deep.

✨ The Vibe
This place is big. Huge patio, upstairs area with a second bar, and plenty of room to spread out. Easy spot to settle in and accidentally stay longer than planned.

🧢 Merch and Beer To Go
Skipped the hat this time, but I did grab a six pack that won’t last long. I’ll be back for both very soon.

🧼 Restrooms
They get the job done. Not great, not terrible, just somewhere in the middle.

🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 OUR REVIEW

Beer: 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Food: 🍺🍺🍺
Service: 🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere: 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Restrooms: 🍺🍺🍺

👇 Drop it below
Are the pint prices still this good or did they fix that problem?

@formationbeer

#theadventure #formationbrewing #rooseveltrow #phoenixbeer #azbreweries …

This brewery is so big it feels like it should have a hotel attached 🍺

📍 Great Marsh Brewing, Essex, Massachusetts
Great Marsh was one of those stops that turned into way more than we planned. This was another stop on a Boston trip and actually Veronica’s idea after she saw some photos. Safe to say she nailed this one.

The place is massive and absolutely beautiful. It feels like a full destination brewery where you could easily spend hours and not realize it. The drive out there was already great, but it somehow got even better once we pulled in.

🍺 The Beer
Very Bavarian inspired lineup. Nothing in my flight completely blew me away, but everything was solid and well made. The kind of place where you could hang out for hours and eventually find your go to.

🍿 The Bites
We had just finished lunch before getting there, so I did not try the food. Definitely a mistake I plan to fix next time.

🌄 The Vibe
This is where Great Marsh really stands out. Huge space, great views and one of those breweries that makes you want to stay longer than you planned.

🧢 Merch and Beer To Go
This one hurt a little. No hat came home with me, which feels wrong at this point. Luckily, I came prepared and had my Favorite Drinking Snapback ready to go (and available in my store front 😬).

🧼 Restrooms
Very clean and no issues at all. Above average and exactly what you want.

OUR 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 REVIEW

Beer 🍺🍺🍺
Food N/A
Service 🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
Restrooms 🍺🍺🍺🍺

Bottom Line
We would happily recommend this place even if they were using dishwater in the beer just for the atmosphere. Lucky for them, the beer is actually good too.

Massachusetts beer fans, have you made it out to Great Marsh yet? 🍻

@greatmarshbrewing

#craftbeer
#massachusettsbeer
#beertravel
#brewtifuladventures
#theadventure …

Four breweries on one block and I somehow started here… not a bad decision. 🍺

📍 Definitive Brewing, Portland, Maine

Definitive Brewing was the perfect first stop on a mini brewery run before a long flight home.

On my last winter trip to my girlfriend Veronica’s home state, I found myself with a few hours to kill before heading to the airport. Naturally, I made the responsible decision to hit a few breweries and throw back some beers before sitting on a plane for hours.

I had already been to most of the breweries in the port area, so I grabbed an Uber over to Definitive, where I was literally a stone’s throw from four different breweries on the same block. Not exactly a tough situation to be in.

🍺 The Beer
They had just opened, so I basically had the place to myself. I grabbed a pint and a flight and found a few solid options. Not everything was a home run, but enough good ones to make it a strong start to the afternoon.

🍿 The Bites
I did not notice a food menu, but they do have food trucks. Just not at that hour, which was fine because my focus was clearly on hydration.

🌄 The Vibe
Cool, cozy and easy to settle into. I grabbed a spot on the couch by the fire and took my time enjoying the beer. It is the kind of place where you can lose track of time, especially when you know there are three more breweries within walking distance.

🧢 Merch and Beer To Go
I had already picked up a hat earlier in the trip at their Kittery taproom, so I showed some restraint here. Their merch is unique and worth checking out if you are looking to add to the collection.

🧼 Restrooms
Nothing fancy, but clean and handled the basics.

OUR 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 REVIEW
Beer 🍺🍺🍺
Food N A
Service 🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere 🍺🍺🍺
Restrooms 🍺🍺

Bottom Line
Definitive Brewing is a great place to kick off a Portland brewery crawl, especially when you have three more stops just steps away. Next time I am in town, I will be back on that block doing it all over again.

Maine beer fans, which brewery on this block should I hit first next time? 🍻

@definitivebrewing

#craftbeer
#mainebeer
#beertravel
#brewtifuladventures
#theadventure …

Closest brewery to my house and somehow I still do not post about it enough. That feels like a mistake. 🍺

📍 Bone Haus Brewing, Fountain Hills, Arizona
I do not know why I do not talk about Bone Haus more often. It is one of my favorite spots and easily the closest brewery to my house, which should automatically qualify it for frequent visits.

🍺 The Beer
They always have a few great beers on tap and usually something a little different too. They are not afraid to get creative, like their cream soda and beer combo, which sounds questionable until you try it and realize it actually works.

🍿 The Bites
No kitchen here, but they keep a solid rotation of food trucks coming through. I have never had an issue finding something good to pair with a few beers.

🌄 The Vibe
Nice, cozy and full of killer decor everywhere you look. The weirdest part, no TVs. I will be honest, I wish they had at least one for local games because I know it would lead to at least one more beer per visit. That said, it forces you to actually talk to people and somehow I end up enjoying that and keep coming back.

🧢 Merch and Beer To Go
I already have plenty of Bone Haus gear, but they always have a solid selection available and even more online if you are looking to expand your collection.

🧼 Restrooms
Cool, clean and above average. No complaints here.

OUR 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 REVIEW

Beer 🍺🍺🍺
Food N A
Service 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Restrooms 🍺🍺🍺🍺

Bottom Line
Bone Haus is one of those easy go to spots. Close to home, good beer, great vibe and a place that somehow keeps you coming back even without a TV in sight.

Fountain Hills locals, is Bone Haus in your regular rotation? 🍻

@bonehausbrewing

#craftbeer
#arizonabeer
#fountainhills
#brewtifuladventures
#theadventure …

Dark Sky Brewing Flagstaff, Must Stop Brewery 🍺

Dark Sky Brewing in Flagstaff Arizona is one of my favorite brewery stops during NAU homecoming weekend. Here is my Brewtiful Adventures review.

Early morning drinking at 6 AM, then brewery hopping all day. Flagstaff knows how to do homecoming right. 🍺

Flagstaff is usually an annual or bi annual trek for me from the valley. We go up for Tequila Sunrise, which means getting up at 5 AM to stand in line so you can start drinking at 6. It is an NAU homecoming tradition and somehow it makes sense when you are there.

My favorite part though is what comes after. A few hours of early morning drinking, a quick reset, then brewery hopping before and after the game.

🍺 The Beer
Dark Sky Brewing is one of my go to stops. I do not always love every beer on the board, but they always have four or five that hit perfectly for me. I grabbed a flight before the game and had no problem finding some favorites.

🍿 The Bites
The food is what really keeps bringing us back. Before the game we shared a pretzel that was ridiculously good. After the game Veronica ordered the shepherds pie, which was fantastic and not something I usually even like.

🌄 The Vibe
Very cool setup with multiple levels and plenty of space to hang. It is a great spot during the day, but it really comes alive at night when the energy picks up.

🧢 Merch
A hat joined the collection, obviously. Their merch is solid across the board and hard to pass up.

🧼 Restrooms
A little rough compared to the rest of the place, but usable. Not quite the level of confidence you want after a heavy meal, but it gets the job done.

OUR 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 REVIEW

Beer 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Food 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Service 🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Restrooms 🍺🍺

Dark Sky Brewing is always a must stop in Flagstaff.

#craftbeer
#arizonabeer
#flagstaff
#brewtifuladventures
#theadventure
@darkskybrewingco …

Snow falling, beer in hand, farm brewery in Maine. Not a bad way to end a trip. 🍺❄️

📍 Sidereal Farm Brewery, Vassalboro, Maine

On my last trip to Maine our final night was spent at my girlfriend’s home in Augusta. As someone who tends to get bored easily without beer, I did what any responsible traveler would do. I Google machined the nearest breweries and found one just a few minutes away.

My girlfriend had never heard of it, but she was amazing enough to drive us over anyway. I am very glad she did.

🍺 The Beer
True farm to glass in the best possible way. Everything felt fresh, thoughtful and well crafted. Exactly the kind of beer you hope to find when you randomly discover a small farm brewery in Maine.

🍿 The Bites
This stop was more about the beer and the setting, but the place truly lives the farm to table philosophy. Local ingredients and farm vibes everywhere you look.

🌾 The Vibe
Very cool property with things happening all over the farm. People were friendly and welcoming. I was perfectly content wandering around the brewery with my beer and staring out at the snow falling with Veronica by my side. Honestly it was the perfect way to end an amazing trip with her family.

🧢 Merch and Beer To Go
Not a huge merch selection, but I did grab a very cool hat. Even better, I made a new contact to source some farm fresh ingredients for my home brewing.

🧼 Restrooms
Small, clean and easy to find. Exactly what you need after a couple pints.

OUR 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺 REVIEW

Beer 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Food N/A
Service 🍺🍺🍺
Atmosphere 🍺🍺🍺🍺
Restrooms 🍺🍺🍺

Bottom Line
Sidereal Farm Brewery was an unexpected gem and the perfect final stop to wrap up a great trip to Maine. Great beer, great people and a setting that is hard to beat.

Maine beer lovers, have you been to Sidereal Farm Brewery yet? 🍻

@siderealfarmbrewery
@yourmaineconcierge

#craftbeer
#mainebeer
#beertravel
#brewtifuladventures
#theadventure …