Maui Brewing Company isn’t just for Hawaiians anymore. The canned microbrew is widely available throughout the lower 48 these days and it’s worth seeking out. One of their crowning achievements is the heavily-hopped Big Swell IPA.

The Big Easy is all about boozing. Everybody knows that. It’s a rich tradition extending back hundreds of years. But while spirits have always been plentiful in New Orleans, craft beer is often overlooked. Thanks to NOLA Brewing Company (3001 Tchoupitoulas St), things are starting to change around here.

California’s historic Anchor Brewing Company just unveiled the 3rd release in their ongoing Zymaster Series. Flying Cloud San Francisco Stout is a special style of dry, Irish-influenced dark beer that harkens back to hearty brews of the 19th Century created specifically to survive the long voyage from Western Europe to the West Coast. In fact, it’s very name is a tribute to the legendary sailing vessel that became the quickest clipper to travel around Cape Horn, completing the journey in just under 90 days in 1851.

In celebration of Winter and the annual release of Anchor’s Christmas Ale, Gladstones (17300 Pacific Coast Highway), a Los Angeles landmark, will host An Evening With Anchor Brewing on the evening of December 2nd.

Long overshadowed by well-established craft scenes to the north and south, Los Angeles county is catching up with a handful of microbreweries worthy of recognition. Just beyond the crowded runways of LAX, you’ll find one of these pioneering outposts right along the quaint downtown stretch of El Segundo, California.

At the beginning of the month Anchor Brewing Company unveiled the annual iteration of their Christmas Ale, continuing a tradition that extends all the way back to the mid-70s.

This past Friday, Stone Brewing (1999 Citracado Parkway) in the highlands of Escondido, California hosted their annual Rare Beer Breakfast. A memorable morning to kick off San Diego Beer Week, the event lasted three hours and featured some of the most exclusive craft brews from around the world.

Over the past decade, the sprawling southern metropolis of Jacksonville, Florida has slowly developed into a haven for craft beer. With 7 major producers located within city limits, there’s a lot of fine fermented flavor spread around town.  Unfortunately, dedicating a day to brewery tours requires covering a lot of ground and a very patient set of designated drivers. Thankfully the folks at Jax Brew Bus have come to the rescue, offering up a full-on party bus to take thirsty throngs on ale-inspired adventures around the country’s largest city (by area).