Beercation Hotels Stumbling Distance From Craft Breweries

Giant copper brew kettles protruding through the atrium remind guests that the Brewhouse Inn & Suites in Milwaukee is no ordinary hotel. The posh and boutique digs were once a working Pabst Brewery from 1882 to 1996. While now dormant, those giant kettles helped Pabst brew the beer deserving of the infamous blue ribbon.

Today, they make for great Instagramable moments. The steampunk theme extends to the accommodations where industrial elements are countered with sleek and modern finishes, including full kitchens. While the rooms don’t come stocked with PBR, the onsite Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub will help you get your fill.

Calistoga Inn Restaurant and Brewery is an oddly-placed, all-in-one inn and brewery in the heart of Napa Valley’s wine country. Of course, the proximity (downstairs) to a Great American Beer Festival medal-winning brewery does come with a few inconveniences. None of the historic hotel’s 17 rooms have an en-suite bathroom. Each room has a sink, but toilets and showers are down the hallway. The rooms also don’t come with TVs or phones.

School’s out forever at McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland. While all the hotels in the northwestern McMenamins chain are beer forward, Kennedy School stands above the rest. Not only is the hotel located in the craft beer mecca of Portland, but the 1915 school turned hotel also houses a brewery.

Think about the possibilities – drinking beer in the hallways, sipping whiskey in the gymnasium, and then passing out in the classroom that is your accommodation for the evening. The rebellious teenager that still lives inside you will love it!

With its location in the White Mountains and an abundance of outdoor activities, any time of the year is a great time to book a stay at the 40-room Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery — a boutique hotel spread out across six different buildings.

The craft beer-savvy, however, seek out a Brewers Weekend. The special event – held a few times a year – includes a hands-on experience learning how to brew beer in the onsite brewery. The weekend ends with a celebratory beer pairing dinner.

At the Inn at Turkey Hill, the second B in B&B doesn’t just stand for breakfast, it also stands for beer. The farmhouse inn is not only known for their historic yet comfortable accommodations, they also have both a fine dining restaurant and an onsite brewpub. Beer varieties range from refreshing golden lagers to sour ales – all meant to pair well with the hearty regional fare like chicken pot pie.

The Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont delivers an Austrian experience so authentic, you might find yourself belting out, “The hills are alive with the sound of music” after a few too many pints from the onsite Bavarian-inspired brewery. Drink order tip? Try the GABF medal-winning Bohemian Pilsner.

Everything about the mountain resort has that Old World feel from afternoon tea to fine dining restaurants specializing in hearty dishes like saddle of venison and Wiener schnitzel – food designed to quench your hunger from an afternoon of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Ale House Inn is another hotel housed in a former brewery where guests are welcomed with a pint of beer from nearby Smuttynose Brewing. The building, originally built in 1880, is the setting for this chic inn conveniently located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth.

When you’re not busy enjoying a pint at the hotel, you can explore area shops, restaurants, and breweries with the inn’s free bicycle rentals. Foodies will love the discount Ale House Inn guests receive at nearby Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School.

You can’t get any closer to a farmhouse brewery than with a stay at McMenamins Edgefield. The once-struggling farm – originally built in 1911 – is now a restored destination resort complete with an onsite brewery, distillery, and winery. When guests aren’t imbibing, they can enjoy strolls through the organic gardens, treatments at the spa, or watch the onsite artists at work.

Accommodations themselves range from plush king rooms to bare bones hostels. Note that none of the rooms come with TVs. The idea is to urge guests to explore the many amenities on the hotel’s grounds – including a recent run movie theater.

Above SLO Brew’s original brewery in downtown San Luis Obispo is SLO Brew Lofts. All five of the individually-designed, apartment-style hotel rooms include full kitchens and separated living rooms. Sizes range from one to three bedrooms.

The downtown location of the hotel makes it ideal for travelers looking to explore all that San Luis Obispo has to offer. The best part, however, is the Great American Beer Festival award-winning beers available downstairs like the Feelin’ Your Oats Oatmeal Stout or the Mustang IPA. If there happens to be a concert downstairs at the brewery, SLOW Brew Loft guests receive free admission.