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After many high level discussions, thousands of hours of research, consultations, and untold sleepless afternoons, the blueprint or shall I say, brewprint, is ready for public consumption...
As it stands, the plan is a framework, with details, such as transportation, dates, etc. yet to be finalized. The idea however, is simple:
1. Gather large group of friends and family
2. Rent vehicle
3. Travel around midwest and visit breweries
4. Have good time
So, if you're interested in the below listed potentiality, let me know!
Itinerary
Day 1: The Departure
Gather in Cleveland at Great Lakes Brewing Co. to begin mission. Enjoy lunch and fabulous beer(s) - I humbly suggest the Blackout Stout and the Commodore Perry IPA. Board luxurious accommodations (perhaps slightly exaggerated) and head west, towards Michigan. Specifically, Ann Arbor, Michigan (AKA: the belly of the beast). Trust me, I know what I'm doing... Enjoy dinner and a tour of the Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Brewery.
Celebrate, socialize, at some point check into a hotel, and sleep.
Day Two: Go West(er)!
Arise at a reasonable hour, board our transportation vessel and rocket towards Kalamazoo! Visit the one, the only, Bell's Brewing Co.
Enjoy their inventory of fantastic beers with lunch in the Eccentric Cafe. Journey out to the Beer Garden to take in the sheer marvelousness of the day. Re-board bus, van, RV or clown car.
On to Muncie! The home of Three Floyd's Brewing, one of the most highly respected and buzzed about (and on I suppose) breweries in the US.
Their Dark Lord Day (it's not as menacing or satanic as it sounds) brings people from all over the country to buy one of the most limited beers in the country. Plus, their beer is no longer available in Ohio, and it's been too long since I've enjoyed an Alpha King (pictured above; again, not as menacing as it looks).
At this point, we will have visited two of the greatest breweries in the United States in one day, and we will be...let's say... ready to let loose a bit.
What better location to let loose than only 3o minutes up the interstate in Chicago!
Gather in Cleveland at Great Lakes Brewing Co. to begin mission. Enjoy lunch and fabulous beer(s) - I humbly suggest the Blackout Stout and the Commodore Perry IPA. Board luxurious accommodations (perhaps slightly exaggerated) and head west, towards Michigan. Specifically, Ann Arbor, Michigan (AKA: the belly of the beast). Trust me, I know what I'm doing... Enjoy dinner and a tour of the Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Brewery.
Day Two: Go West(er)!
Arise at a reasonable hour, board our transportation vessel and rocket towards Kalamazoo! Visit the one, the only, Bell's Brewing Co.
On to Muncie! The home of Three Floyd's Brewing, one of the most highly respected and buzzed about (and on I suppose) breweries in the US.
At this point, we will have visited two of the greatest breweries in the United States in one day, and we will be...let's say... ready to let loose a bit.
What better location to let loose than only 3o minutes up the interstate in Chicago!
Hit the spots around the Windy City during the evening, then wake up refreshed (or at the very least just wake up) ready for....
Day Three: Gooses and Cubbies and Foodies, Oh My!
A terrible name for what promises to be a much better day. I figure that if we hit it right, we could tour and lunch at Goose Island Brewery
then head over to Wrigley and catch a Cubs game at the magnificent Wrigley Field! (Screw the White Sox, in my opinion, unless they're playing the Tribe.)
Day Four: The Journey Home
With our whirlwind weekend drawing to a close, we'll hit the road back to the CLE with visions of HopSlam dancing in our heads. I've debated the possibility of turning this into a five day event with two days in Chicago, but five days is a REALLY long weekend, and quite frankly I'm not sure we'd all make it. But I am up for the challenge...
Day Three: Gooses and Cubbies and Foodies, Oh My!
A terrible name for what promises to be a much better day. I figure that if we hit it right, we could tour and lunch at Goose Island Brewery
Day Four: The Journey Home
With our whirlwind weekend drawing to a close, we'll hit the road back to the CLE with visions of HopSlam dancing in our heads. I've debated the possibility of turning this into a five day event with two days in Chicago, but five days is a REALLY long weekend, and quite frankly I'm not sure we'd all make it. But I am up for the challenge...
