SOUTHPORT, CONNECTICUT

In a tan commercial building on Route 1, this foremost SOUTHPORT BREWING COMPANY crafts many of the same beers the other four SBC locations rely upon. A small outdoor deck and right side dining area compensate 20-seat left side bar with wood furnishings, exposed ducts, windowed brew tanks, and four televisions.

Brewer Frank Del Greco joined me as I sampled his suitable dry-bodied offerings, March ‘09. Regulars regale grass-dried raw-grained honey-soured Bighead Blonde (first tried four years hence at…

SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA

One mile from Delmar Raceway & Fairgrounds, the beautiful beach town of Solana Beach housed busy PIZZA PORT. A dive-y local hangout with “create your own” pizzas, hot wings, and Caesar salads, its cafeteria-style seating, fantastic jukebox, multiple televisions, arcade space, and aluminum brew tanks offered a magnificent assortment.

In fact, Pizza Port (with other locations in Carlsbad, Ocean Beach and San Clemente) was so crowded upon first April ’07 nighttime visitation, I sent wife and kids to…

SMOKY MOUNTAINS, TENNESSEE

Eastern Tennessee’s Appalachian Mountain range is home to Dollywood and Country & Western-influenced arts & craft resort town, Gatlinburg, visited August ‘08.

Just up the main road in Pigeon Forge at Old Town-styled mall, Waldens Landing, lies freestanding two-storied ivory-bricked sportsbar, SMOKY MOUNTAIN BREWERY.

Peculiarly, neighboring eatery CALHOUN’S RIBHOUSE (with a second location at Knoxville’s riverfront a half-hour west) also sold middling craft brews from this post.

A green neon light leads customers into Smoky Mountain’s spacious…

SELINSGROVE, PENNSYLVANIA

Initially visited countrified Susquehanna River-bordered town situated in the heart of Penn, November ’06. Located inside a stone Victorian-styled dwelling, SELIN’S GROVE BREWING’s right side cove-like entrance may be inconspicuous, but it’s literally a back door portal to a cozy l’il neighborhood oak bar with limited seating and outstanding brews. Back dining area with hearth provides suitable country comfort and light menu offered sandwiches-wraps-salads.

Caroused sweet corn-sugared wheat-honeyed Captain Selin’s Cream Ale, biscuit-y cereal-grained malt-smoked bark-dried twig-leafed Scottish Style Ale, and unassuming…

SEDONA, ARIZONA

Discovered picturesque red-rocked canyon refuge (backdrop for many Western movies) on way back from surreal three-night Grand Canyon retreat, January ‘05. At scenic Sedona’s Tlaquepaque Village, hit upscale OAK CREEK BREWERY & GRILL, located at second floor of adobe clay mini-mall.

Prominent copper kettle brew tanks built into bar area are viewable from windows backing patrons in comfy couch-lined dining booths. Outdoor seating available. Fine cuisine included rotisserie chicken, barbecue ribs, and fire-kissed pizza. Splendid red-peppered pesto-onion-lined Smoking…

SCRANTON / TANNERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA

Five miles from Barley Creek in northeast Pennsylvania village of Swiftwater, visited POCONO BREWING COMPANY (opened 1998 and affectionately known as PBC), December ‘07. Though its ‘brewing’ allegation is a misleading misnomer (since windowed copper kettle remains dormant and original recipe brews get crafted by nearby microbrewer Lion Brewing), ski chalet sportsbar boasts 100 tapped-bottled beers and affordable pub grub.

A large fireplace warms central bar while cozy right side family dining area (with TV/ sports…

TANNERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA

South of Scranton in the Pocono Mountains lies BARLEY CREEK BREWING COMPANY, a ranch-styled post with exterior canopied tiki deck, fake palm trees, flaming torches, spacious spires, and nearby pavilion visited April ’06 while staying at Tannersville’s Great Wolf Lodge (an indoor waterpark).

Inside, wood booths and upholstered seats bedeck central bar area with TV’s at every conceivable angle. Alongside appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, ribs, crab, and flounder, large glass-encased brew tanks provided gently-hopped fare (bottled versions are listed…

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

Ranch-styled cowboy steakhouse PINNACLE PEAK, with its sawdust floors, home-style dining hall, ceiling-hung neckties, and business card-decorated walls drew hearty meat eaters, January ’05. But its pedestrain lighter-bodied brews were plain and ill defined.

Sedately diacetyl Blonde, bitter-hopped grapefruit-lemon-smitten Pale, mellow lemony-spiced Amber, dull-spiced gourd-charmed Pumpkin, and unassumingly citrus-y Hefeweizen paled next to excellent coffee-deep black chocolate-aided licorice-prune-accented Porter.

www.pppatio.com

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

Visited beautiful village of Scottsdale January ’05, stopping in plaza strip sited ZONA BREWING COMPANY (formerly Cowboy Brewing) and northerly Old West outpost PINNACLE PEAK. Zona, one of the Canyon State’s finest brewpubs, featured outdoor picnic area, spacious indoor dining, centralized bar, and plush billiards room. But the brewery ceased operations a few years hence.

Brewer Ryan Ashley’s antique beer can collection lined shelves at bar and pool room with brew tanks stationed at the rear. Soft-watered fig-soured…

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Only spent few hours in sylvan Southern charmer, Savannah, April ‘04, but sampled soft-toned entries by MOON RIVER BREWING. Briskly-hopped wheat-backed Moon Light, lemon-spiced German-styled Savannah Fest, pungent green tea-like Ogeechee Amber Ale, and excellent mocha-sweet coffee-roasted Bomb Dry Stout hit the spot before long journey back to Jersey.

www.moonriverbrewing.com

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

While on hiatus at brother-in-law (and ex-Connecticut beer distributor) Rob Neuner’s Gulf Coast summer retreat in Naples during November ‘08, plowed local Dunedin Pipers Pale Ale while relaxing at nearby Sanibel Island and Siesta Key beaches wife and kids. 100 miles north of Naples in strip mall-lined Gulf Gate section of Sarasota lied cozy restaurant-sportsbar, SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY.

Windowed silver brew kettles greeted customers to stone-walled wood-sided low-ceilinged pub, where multiple TV’s, sports banners, and beer mugs adorn…

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

The 1849 Gold Rush, 1906 earthquake, and 1967 Summer of Love, along with renovated Victorian houses and seductive skyscraper architecture, provide only an inkling of this Bay Area’s boomtown frontier history. A veritable bohemian delight first visited with wife, Karen, June ’01, its splendid Golden Gate Park can only be topped by Stinson Beach, a tropical paradise serving as a hippie haven body surfers relish. Windy Fisherman’s Wharf on north pier had recommended JACK’S AT THE CANNERY,…