PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENDALL KARMANIAN
Scratch Brewing
Ava, Illinois | 1.5 hours
Set in an idyllic location near Shawnee National Forest, this farmhouse brewery is a perfect fall destination. All About Beer magazine named the brewery one of the most beautiful places to drink beer in the world. It has a rotating draft list, including a seasonal barrel-aged strawberry and a farmhouse ale. Scratch Brewing is a cash-only business, but it does have an ATM onsite. @scratchbeer
Bucyrus, Missouri | 3 hours
Located in the Ozarks, this farmhouse brewery has everything for a great weekend getaway, including accommodations. The beer list is extensive and includes a Mexican-style lager Cerveza Rio Ale, which won gold at the 2020 Open Beer Championship. @pineyriverbrewing
Bloomington, Indiana | 4 hours
Upland has breweries in several locations in Indiana, including Bloomington, Carmel, and Indianapolis. It offers an extensive beer menu, with ales, lagers, and experimental beers. And the brewery's opening a new tap house on the north side of Indy later this fall. @uplandbrewco
Photography courtesy of KC Bier Co,
Kansas City, Missouri | 4 hours
The focus of this Kansas City favorite is local pride and German beer. It offers six beer options year-round and a seasonal menu, which includes a Vienna-style lager for the fall. If you’re looking for a place to celebrate Oktoberfest, it has a Bavarian-style Biergarten. @kcbierco
Munster, Indiana | 4.5 hours
With a slogan of “not normal,” 3 Floyds has become a favorite among craft beer devotees. Gumballhead is an American wheat ale that's available year-round. Dreadnought IPA is a limited release and a favorite among those who love hop. @3floydsbrewing
Chicago, Illinois | 4.5 hours
Metropolitan Brewing has been serving up German-style lagers since 2009. Flywheel Pilsner Bier is its version of a traditional German Pilsner. Afterburner Oktoberfest is a lager beer with a malty sweetness that's perfect for the cooler temperatures of fall. @metrobrewing
Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 5.5 hours
Two Milwaukee natives opened Third Space in 2016. Just two years later, the Brewers Association named it one of the fastest-growing craft breweries in the nation. It has a solid lineup of beers, including a Midwest pale ale called Happy Place and an IPA called Heavenly Haze. @thirdspacebrewing
Photography by R.D. Roberts, courtesy of Alluvial Brewing
Ames, Iowa | 6 hours
Alluvial Brewing is located on a 40-acre organic farm just outside of Ames, Iowa. It offers a taproom with hoppy, sour, and seasonal beers. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try the Orange Lazarus Milkshake IPA, brewed with malted and flaked oats, vanilla, orange juice, and mangoes. @alluvialbrewing
Photography courtesy of New Holland Brewing
Holland, Michigan | 6.5 hours
New Holland Brewing has been serving up beer since 1997, when owner Brett VanderKamp thought his hometown needed something new. Today, the company employs more than 500 people and is recognized as one of the craft brewing scene's leaders. In addition to its year-round beers, the brewery has seasonal beers and a release calendar, so you always know what’s coming. @newhollandbrew
Minneapolis, Minnesota | 9 hours
What began in a south Minneapolis garage in 2009 now has two breweries and beer in more than 100 bars throughout the Twin Cities region. The taproom offers a long list of beers, including IPAs, India pale ales, and several lagers, as well as a great food menu. @fultonbeer
