Travel-worthy breweries around the world
Bavaria's scenic abbey brewery, Andechs Klosterbrauerei is accessible from Munich by public transit, and includes a modern brewery, a small distillery, two taverns, a beer garden with views of the Alps, and 17 simple rooms in the guest wing for overnight stays.
Belgium boasts more than 400 active breweries, including the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, which dates back to 1871, in the town of Breendonk. Three tour and tasting experiences can be booked online for Mondays through Saturdays.
The Netherlands are home to more than 400 breweries. Visit Brouwerij ‘t IJ in Amsterdam, which offers tours in English Friday to Sunday and has a bar open every day of the year.
Ireland is home to more than 100 breweries as micro and craft brewing begin to trend. You can’t miss the beer the Emerald Isle’s known for though, and the Guinness Storehouse is open daily in Dublin with a variety of educational experiences.
For an authentic taste of the Czech Republic's beer, visit Budweiser Budvar in České Budějovice. The historic brewery dates back to 1895 and offers daily tours in English, Czech and German.
Denmark hosts about 200 breweries, including historic Carlsberg, which offers a free shuttle from near Copenhagen Central Station to its Vesterbro heritage site, where tastings and guided tours (and horse carriage rides) are available with tickets daily.
Austria has more than 250 breweries. In Salzburg, Die Weisse dates back to 1901, with a brewpub open Monday to Saturday, and brewery tours available by appointment.
Kirin Ichiban offers complimentary tours at nine of its breweries in Japan. Visit the original in Yokohama for 80 minutes of history behind the scenes and a tasting, available Tuesday to Sunday.
South Korea has more than 50 breweries, like Magpie Brewing Company, which serves eight beers on tap at its two brewshops in Seoul, and offers tours on Saturdays and Sundays at its brewery on Jeju island.
Jamaica's known for Red Stripe beer, first brewed in 1928. Tours of the downtown Kingston brewery on Spanish Town Road are offered with requests made on the company’s website.
Paris' young craft beer scene is budding with five makers like La Parisienne, which produces a line of top-fermenting beer in a nondescript parking garage at the base of the Butte aux Cailles, a charming, village-like district in the 13th arrondissement. Visits must be made by appointment, while La Parisienne’s beers can be tasted at restaurants, bars and beer shops across Paris.
Iceland has 14 scattered breweries, including Einstok in Akureyri.
Sydney, Australia's now home to more than two dozen craft breweries (and counting). Visit The Grifter's brewery and tasting bar in Marrickville for eight beers on tap from Wednesday to Sunday.
Vietnam has more than 60 breweries including more than 15 in Ho Chi Minh City. Visit Pasteur Street Brewing Co.'s taproom in Saigon to try five beers made with local ingredients.
One of a few countries in the world to make beer from desalinated sea water, Aruba's known for light golden-colored lager, Balashi. Tours of brewery, Brouwerij Nacional Balashi on the west side of the island, are offered Monday to Friday with a tasting included.
Banks Barbados Brewery opened in 1961 in Wildey, east of Bridgetown, and offers three tours daily, with samples and a souvenir shop.
Mexico's Baja Sur state boasts more than 50 breweries, namely around Cabo. Baja Brewing Company hosts three cantinas, including a restaurant adjacent to the brewery in San José del Cabo.
Fans of Mexico's Tecate beer can tour the factory in the city of the same name by scheduling in advance. The site includes a beer garden and is debuting renovations in the fall.
Canada has hundreds of breweries, with more than 60 in Alberta, where you can tour The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company in Canmore. A variety of tours are offered on Wednesdays and weekends, and a pub is open daily.
In the U.S., Colorado has been called the Craft Beer State and the Napa Valley of Beer, with more than 250 craft breweries. Visit the state's original brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Company, in Denver for tours Tuesday to Saturday, or dining daily.
Aspen Brewing Company's is right by the airport and offers tours by reservation. The company also has a taproom open daily with live music and specials.
One of America's early craft beer hubs, San Diego has more than 75 breweries (and more in the metro area). Stone Brewing Co. has a massive campus in the city with a restaurant, cinema, games and gardens, and offers daily tours at its brewery in Escondido, Calif.
Oregon boasts more than 225 breweries. Visit Deschutes in either of the state's main beer cities, Bend or Portland.
Grand Rapids, Mich. boasts 60 breweries, from famous Founders to new Greyline Brewing Co. Fans of nationally acclaimed Founders Brewing Co. can tour the facility on weekends or visit the massive taproom and beer garden, which seat 600 with 25 beers on tap daily.
Traverse City, Mich. is home to 20 breweries, from
The Fate of the Submarine H.L. Hunley
On February 17, 1864, in the waning years of the Civil War, the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley pressed a black powder explosive against the side of the Union ship USS Housatonic and sank it, becoming the first submarine ever to be successful in combat. Even though the submarine was raised in the year 2000, efforts to conserve her only deepened the mystery of why she sank, as the remains of the crew were all found seated peacefully at their battle stations with no signs of trauma or attempts to escape the doomed vessel. Dr. Rachel Lance, an expert in biomedical engineering from Duke University, will present an illustrated lecture on her research, and findings as to the fate of the Hunley and her crew.
Presented in partnership with the Washington Area Maritime Archivists Curators and Historians Group.