Is there anything better than that first holiday beer? Whether it’s a cheeky pint with a fried brekky at the airport or a well-earned bottle of the local brew under the blazing sun, nothing gets you settled into the holiday swing better than a beer. And, wherever you go in the world, you’re almost certain to find local lagers and ales you can’t get back home – which makes cruising perfect for craft beer lovers looking to try something new.
So, here we’ll take a little look at seven of our favourite cruise port cities for sampling craft beers. Cities which are home to brilliant bars and breweries, serving up hoppy little tipples we just love.
But first things first, what is craft beer?
It’s everywhere nowadays, craft beer. If you’d offered us a craft beer just 10 years ago, we’d have thought you wanted to nip out the office for a crafty half at lunchtime – but now it’s hard to raise a glass without a can of craft beer emptied into it.
But it can be a little confusing what makes a beer ‘craft’. After all, craft beers can include lagers, ales, stouts, milds, sours, porters and pretty much every type of beer you can think of.
The craft part just relates to how the beer is brewed – it’s got to be made by a craft brewery, usually in a small quantity. Craft breweries can include microbreweries, nanobreweries, farm breweries and even one-person-in-their-garage breweries. As long as it’s brewed with passion and an emphasis on flavour, then it’s craft.
Anyway, that’s the (kinda) science-y bit out the way. Let’s have a look-see at the cruise destinations that are perfect for craft beer lovers.
1. Seattle
Away from the glitz of LA and the hustle and bustle of NY, Seattle is well up the list of USA’s trendiest cities. Street food, street art, confusing coffees, tattooed knuckles – all the hallmarks of a trendy city are all over Seattle, and that goes for craft beer, too. There are over 60 craft beer breweries in Frasier Crane’s hometown, pumping out delicious brews of all colours and cloudiness.
Old Stove Brewing Co is probably our pick of the many taprooms in Seattle. Plonked on the side of Queen Anne’s Ship Canal, the views from OSBC are as spectacular as the beers they brew right on site. The food is decent too – pizzas, burgers, and butties, all the goodies that go perfectly with a pint.
2. Copenhagen
Bet you’re not surprised one of the Scandi capitals made this list, right? Anything trendy, cool, and right now always seems to come from Copenhagen or Stockholm, and unusual beer is no different.
So, where to go when you dock in Ariel’s hometown? One name jumps right out of the list for us, and that’s Warpigs. Beyond the amazing name, Warpigs certainly delivers, with a huge selection of beers brewed on site, and the most delicious-smelling BBQ food. If you love everything around the craft beer culture (large beerhalls, minimalistic furniture, loads of bearded people), Warpigs is definitely for you.
3. Lisbon
The drinking culture of Lisbon is one of our very favourites anywhere in the world. 11am brandy and a pastry? Don’t mind if we do. A little drop of ginjinha served out of a shop window? Sounds perfect. So, it’s a lovely little boost that the Portuguese capital is well on board with the craft beer explosion, too.
Over the last 5-7 years, craft beer has gone from being super niche to ultra-chic in Lisbon, and now the locals are bypassing the Super Bock and Sagres for something a little more interesting. If you’re looking for a beer that brings the true taste of Lisbon, we reckon you could do worse than the Casamentos and Baptizados by Dois Corvos – a heart stout with more than a hint of the city’s delicious egg custard, pastel de nata.
4. Santorini
We’re bending the rules here slightly, and including an island in place of a city, but Santorini’s a bit smaller than Coventry, so we’re allowing it (plus we make the rules). All the Instagram pictures of Santorini might include flutes of pink fizz or small sups of ouzo, but the beautiful white and blue island has its own craft beer credentials.
The Donkey Brewery on Santorini is super popular, and its beers are equally delicious as they are wonderfully named. Sample a Red Donkey, taste a Yellow Donkey and experience a Crazy Donkey – all made with the salty water around the island. Plus, there aren’t many better backdrops for sinking a brew or two than the Greek island of Santorini.
5. Melbourne
Thankfully, Aussie beer isn’t all Fosters (they barely touch the stuff) and XXXX (let’s be honest, there’s a lot better out there). So, if you’re venturing to the other side of the world for a once-in-a-lifetime cruise around Australia rest assured you won’t be sipping sub-par amber fluid.
Melbourne, in particular, is a hotbed of brilliant brews and you’ll barely be able to round a corner without seeing a barman in board shorts pull an interesting-looking schooner.
If you’re in Melbourne for a couple of days, we’d recommend heading inland to the Preston district and the frankly ridiculous Moon Dog World brewpub. It looks more like an indoor swimming park than a pub thanks to its lazy rivers, waterfalls, deck chairs and umbrellas. But once your brain has made sense of what you’re seeing, it’ll have to engage and choose from over 70 beers on tap. This is genuinely unlike anywhere else on Earth.
6. Norwegian Escape
So, if we bent the rules to include an island on this list, we’re completely writing them off to suggest booking a cruise on Norwegian Escape and making a beerline (sorry) for District Beer House. With a very impressive 24 beers on tap and over 50 different bottled options, you’ll be spoiled for choice, even if District becomes a part of your daily routine on a cruise aboard Norwegian Escape. With top sports on the telly, and an urban bare-brick interior, you’ll almost forget you’re at sea (until you turn round and clock the panoramic ocean views).
We hope we’ve got you in the mood for a little travel (or at least a trip to the fridge for a cold one. But, if you’re ready to set sail, and explore the brilliant beers of the world, head to our homepage and have a look through the world’s best cruise deals!