World's Most Mouthwatering Microbrews

It’s routine to cling to your go-to brand-name brew when you hit the corner bar. But “routine” is synonymous with “boring”: The best beer you’ve ever had probably isn’t readily available at your local grocer. It’s buried in a corner brewery-pub somewhere, perhaps thousands of miles away, being consumed by dozens of rosy patrons who can’t believe there are people out there who stick to only one brand of beer. These microbrewery creators are meticulous craftsmen, championing the recipes and processes of their forefathers even if it means going out of their way to focus on what seem like the most minor of details. And if these microbreweries are generous—and most of them are—a visit to their digs will end in a thirsty traveler sampling the precious fruits of labor. Yes, free beer. There’s no time to waste—here are a few of Where I’ve Been’s favorite small-scale breweries from around the globe.

Brouwerj t’IJ, De Gooier Windmill – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam stands as the Heineken headquarters, but look beyond the over-saturated advertising and you’ll find a crop of small city brewers offering a great variety of tasty and cheap beers as an alternative.

Walk from Centraal Station and look for the big De Gooier windmill and you’ll find the beloved Brouwerj t’IJ next door, a classic small brew-pub rife with aficionados. T’IJ packs in daily throngs of visitors into their large U-shaped bar and giant picnic table seating area inside, which projects a smoky, quaint and fun atmosphere. It’s all about the beer, of which they offer a dozen varieties for around two to three euros each—cheap enough to sample many without worrying about your budget.

Anchor Brewery – San Francisco, CA

Big brands like to boast about living their traditions and “brewing the way Dad did” and all that, but few go the lengths that Anchor Brewing Co. has to preserve the old-fashioned methods of beer craftsmanship.

Every piece of the brewery, from the building to the beer itself, is virtually handmade. The building itself is a throwback to the brewhouses of old, and if you’re fortunate to book a tour, you can watch its old-fashioned methods in action as their popular Anchor Steam Beer is processed. Just in case you doubt their belief in tradition, in 1989 Anchor helmed the creation of Ninkasi, a beer with a recipe from the 4000-year-old Sumerian empire.

Brewery Ommegang – Cooperstown, New York

While Cooperstown is known for its shrine to baseball’s traditions and heroes, another landmark has quickly made a name for itself: Ommegang Brewery. Begun just 12 years ago on the site of a 136-acre hop farm, Ommegang strives to put a modern twist on the strict artisan method of old-school Belgian brewers. Take a tour and you’ll get a look at Ommegang’s unique take on aging beer in a dark, cool cellar, and at the end of the tour you’ll be able to sample the five pillar beers Ommegang produces. Free beer is always a draw, but the trip may be worth it alone to view the rolling hills and attractive colonial style architecture offered in the upstate area. Ommegang proves you don’t need a storybook history to brew a tasty, well-regarded beer.

Paulaner Brewery – Munich, Germany

Sure, their parties may have been a bit less exciting, but make no mistake—17^th-century monks knew how to get down, if only because of their shrewd beer selection. The Paulaner Brewery in Munich is named after these friars, the order of St. Francis of Paola. Their bock beer, Salvator, was so popular that many big breweries tried to prevent the monks from selling it. Later, the big companies then tried to use the Salvator name for beers of their own until it was trademarked in 1895, and Paulaner lives on. Tough their monastery became secularized, Paulaner still employs the monks’ age-old beer recipe to stand as one of the more popular and most historic small-time breweries in the beer junkie’s heaven, Germany. Take a tour of the site today and watch their high standards for cleanliness and quality.

Batemans Brewery – Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, England

Family heritage is a touchstone of many breweries, and Batemans have fought to keep it that way. A proprietor of what they call “Good, Honest Ales,” Batemans recently took home the award for Pub Company of the Year by The Publican Awards. Despite almost being overtaken numerous times, they’ve remained one of the oldest independent family breweries in all of England, and their grounds, with the trademark old-fashioned brick and ivy, are a throwback to the Victorian era. Tours are extensive and fun, featuring a virtual-reality tour and a collection of documents and artifacts from the days of old. And they don’t forget about the family during visits—there’s a children’s play area and adjacent restaurant should someone get restless. Relax at their Windmill Bar and wax poetic on times past with your mates over Batemans’ well-regarded cask beers.