These Scenic Microbreweries Offer Killer Craft Beers With a View

While beer is easy on the eyes, the aesthetic of it poured in a glass—its color, foam, and carbonation—is only half of what makes drinking at a brewery a memorable experience. “The other important part is the environment you and that beer are in,” says Garth E. Beyer, certified cicerone and owner/ founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, WI. It changes everything when scenic microbreweries are set in a beautiful location.

Some could argue it makes the beer taste better. Think about it like this: Would you rather sit in a cramped, dark taproom or on a bright, outdoor balcony overlooking an epic mountain range, a sprawling valley, majestic fall foliage, or a beautiful body of water?

“If the name of the beer game is to be remarkable—as in, being unique enough that someone remarks about you—then having a great view is a must-have after making great beer,” says Beyer.

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The scenery in the beer-drinking experience is only second to the company you’re with. It can make a mediocre beer taste better and make a great beer extraordinary.

“Sight is such an important sensory element to fully appreciating a beer that it shouldn’t be taken for granted,” Beyer adds.

The importance of location

Still not sold on the importance of great scenery? Go and take a look at any negative ratings for a brewery. You’ll read as many comments about the aesthetic of a place as you do about the beer itself. People drink with their eyes, too.

Beyer has found that the breweries with the best views are the ones near large bodies of water or a sizeable river. “Not only is the ride to and fro guaranteed to be an aesthetically pleasing drive, but once you have a beer in your hand, there’s something special about viewing a landscape with water. It’s harmonic with the liquid that’s in your glass; it’s nearly always spacious, filled with wildlife, and creates a feeling of escape from the normal stressors we deal with on the daily.”

Now it’s time to tell you about some of these gems. Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite craft and microbreweries with great beer and even better views.