The most interesting brewery openings right now aren’t happening in Portland or Denver or Brooklyn. They’re happening in places that have been quietly building a beer culture for years without much national attention — and a few of them are worth a dedicated road trip.
Shoals Brewing (Florence, AL) opened earlier this year in the Tennessee Valley and has already become a regional anchor, drawing visitors from Nashville and Birmingham who didn’t expect much and left genuinely impressed. Their lager program in particular is getting serious attention.
Confluence Brewing House (Sioux Falls, SD) is doing what the best new breweries do: reading their community accurately. South Dakota doesn’t have a strong craft tradition to build on, so they’re building one — neighborhood events, local ingredient sourcing, a taproom designed to be a gathering place first and a brewery second.
High Desert Collective (Roswell, NM) — yes, that Roswell — opened in a renovated warehouse and is producing some of the most interesting New Mexico-influenced ales we’ve seen, using local chiles and herbs with real restraint and skill rather than as novelty.
Lakeview Fermentory (Marquette, MI) is tapping into Upper Peninsula pride with a lineup of cold-climate styles and a lakeside taproom that’s already become a summer destination.
The geography of great American craft beer keeps expanding. That’s a good thing for everyone who drinks it.
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