Celebrating a good day outdoors requires just a few key ingredients: friends or family, a scenic spot to gather, and a just-right wine to toast the adventure. What makes a wine just right for the occasion? An approach that prioritizes balance, terrain, flavor profile, value, and an unfussy connection to the way moments like these make people happy. That’s the formula follows in making wine from western Oregon’s diverse vineyards. Tim Jones, Acrobat’s winemaker, was born in Oregon and says he loves the challenge—and reward—of making wines from the state’s varied terrain. Here’s what he has to say about making wine that pairs with everyday outdoor adventure.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű: Why are Acrobat wines such a good match for people who enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle?

Tim Jones: Acrobat wines are known for being crisp, refreshing, and versatile. This makes them perfect for pairing with friends around a campfire or with a wide range of foods, whether you’re enjoying a casual picnic or a more elaborate outdoor meal. These wines are designed to be approachable and easy drinking. Acrobat wines come from vineyards that emphasize sustainable farming practices—obviously a big plus for everyone who loves nature. They offer excellent quality at a reasonable price point, which makes it that much easier to enjoy a bottle of wine while camping or hiking or after a long day of outdoor activities. Overall, this balance of refreshing taste, affordability, and sustainable practices makes Acrobat wines a great choice for those who love to stay active and spend time outside.

How did you become a winemaker?

I first became interested in winemaking while a student at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. My dad was a forester, and I grew up with a connection to the outdoors, and I loved the way winemaking blends nature and honest craftsmanship. On weekends, I would go wine tasting in the Yamhill and Dundee regions, but as a college student, I had way more enthusiasm than money to buy wine! A bachelor’s degree in Spanish and history gave me the opportunity to study wines abroad in Chile and Argentina. My growing passion for wine continued and led me to working harvests in Sonoma and Napa counties in Northern California. Later, I studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis. (I met my wife while pouring at a wine event in Davis.) In 2018, I jumped at the opportunity to go back to my roots and return to Oregon to make wine for Acrobat. I love the challenge of winemaking in Oregon, the diversity of the wine regions here, and the wildly varying landscape. I find that it satisfies my varied interests, including the outdoors, chemistry, and cooking.

What’s the origin story of Acrobat Wines?
Acrobat was established with the intention of creating wines that are both active and balanced. We began with the goal of making wine that complemented the Oregon region. We focus on striking a balance between quality; sourcing from sustainable vineyards throughout the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue valleys; and affordability to give people an approachable wine that fits easily into an active, outdoor lifestyle. Our winemaking philosophy is dictated by being true to the place and true to the varietal. Oregon is a unique and exciting wine-growing region, and Acrobat aims to capture the freshness and complexity of our local wines.

Why are Acrobat wines sourced from a spectrum of Oregon vineyards?Ìę

Oregon is a challenging but rewarding place to make wine. Our top varietals, pinot gris and pinot noir, are also famously difficult to grow. They are thin-skinned and susceptible to every influence in the vineyard and winery. But when you get them right, they can make incredibly compelling expressions that reflect the time and place they were grown. With Acrobat, we source grapes from several regions to create blends that deliver a consistent and balanced flavor profile that is classically Oregon.

Where are Acrobat wines made?

Acrobat wines are harvested typically from late August to October and produced at our winery in Oregon. We also work with some smaller local custom-crush facilities throughout the region. A new technique we’ve begun experimenting with for our pinot gris is pressing the grapes in the vineyard within minutes of harvesting. This reduces skin contact and preserves freshness. Then we transfer the juice to our production facility for fermentation and bottling. This approach allows us to maintain meticulous control over the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle, keep the juice crisp, and lock in as much freshness as we can to ensure that our pinot gris captures the essence of Oregon.

Established by Bill Foley in 1996, (FFWS) is a portfolio of highly acclaimed wines and spirits from some of the world’s greatest estates. The company owns more than 24 wineries, including Acrobat Wines, and a distillery, each with a distinct style, legacy, and approach to hospitality.

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When it comes to adventure, there’s nowhere more exciting than our planet’s oceans. There’s also nowhere more imperiled. The threats come from so many fronts—from overfishing to plastic pollution to warming temperatures—that you need to ask more of your marine adventures. You need salty trips that pull double duty: putting you into the wildest depths of this dynamic environment and providing actionable ways to give back.

What’s more, experiencing this kind of cause-driven adventure can change you for the better, too. The right amounts of adversity and awe grant you a new perspective—one you should celebrate with a wine to match. Juggernaut Wines also intentionally seeks out challenges when it comes to growing conditions, whether it’s hillside vineyards with thin, well-draining soils where vines burrow deep in search of moisture, or coastal vineyards where fog, wind, and limited sunlight create stress—seemingly hostile conditions that bring out the best of each vine. Under duress, a hardy vine diverts resources into the grapes, ensuring that the resulting fruit yields complex and flavorful wine.

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“This was one of the first recipes I brought home from France,” Alecia Moore says, offering me a pour of rosĂ©. “In 2015, I went to Scamandre, in the south. It’s fully sustainable, regeneratively farmed. It’s beautiful. It’s wild.”

While she was at the vineyard, a grower named Franck Renouard gave her a glass of delicately colored, aromatic grenache rosĂ©. “I did not want to put out a pink wine,” Moore quips. “Though Costco would’ve really liked that!” She asked Renouard about his process. “ ‘Well, you’re American, you’re a woman, and you’re a pop star,’ ” he said, skeptical of her ability to master it. “ ‘Absolutely!’ ”

“So he gave me the recipe,” Moore says. “I’m like, ‘OK, fucker, watch this.’ ”

We take a moment to go through the steps of tasting the wine: tilting the glass in the sunlight to assess color (not pink, but more like white with a blush of peach); swirling to release aromatics from the liquid (basil, citrus peel, and piecrust); and then taking a small sip while inhaling, to experience the acidity, body, and flavor passing over our tongues. One sip and I’m stunned. Alecia the winemaker is not messing around.

Moore and I are sitting under an outdoor pergola, next to a small reservoir on her 25-acre vineyard, which is situated on rolling land just outside Santa Ynez, California, in Santa Barbara County. She’s on a two-week break from her world tour, , and she’s come home to throw herself into the September wine harvest. “Winemaking is not as physically grueling as performing, but it’s still laborious enough to be fun,” she says.

If you’re one of the millions of people who attended a concert in 2023, you know that she’s physical onstage, and that she makes singing upside down—while being hurled through the air, attached to a harness, over a stadium full of fans—look easy. The appearance of effortless grace requires an enormous amount of conditioning and grit. Being home at the vineyard means decompressing from that intensity, even if doing so involves waking up before dawn to pick grapes with the crew. “I don’t remember to breathe until I get to the end of the driveway,” she says. “This place reminds you to just stop.”

“We’ll start picking Block 2 tomorrow,” Moore continues, pointing to a defined, hilly section of neatly organized sauvignon blanc vines that are always the first to ripen. Moore bought this place in 2013. She’s kept most of the 17 acres of certified organic grapes—including cabernet sauvignon, grenache, graciano, syrah, petit verdot, grenache blanc, and cabernet franc—that were planted here before she arrived. She’s since added eight acres and introduced sĂ©millon and merlot to the mix; in all, her crew will harvest over 55 tons of grapes, yielding about 2,500 cases of red wine and 500 cases of white.

Moore opens a 2022 graciano, made from an inky Spanish grape that typically produces a rich, tannic, almost savory wine. As an experiment, she fermented the grapes in whole clusters, using a process called carbonic maceration. The result is fresh and bright, with notes of crunchy tart cherries.

“I got demo-itis on this vineyard,” she says, borrowing a term from her musical life. “As a musician, when you make a demo, if you listen to it more than five times, you’re never going to record the actual song, because you’re now in love with the demo.” She takes a sip. “If you listen to some of the acoustic deep cuts on my records, sometimes I’m not saying the right words. The person doing the harmonies is drunk. I think it’s perfect, because it’s a vibe.”

She tries to bring a vibe to her wines, which are all single varietals. “Why blend?” she says. “I don’t care what the French say. Grapes have their own personalities. They don’t necessarily play well with others.”

“This is my home, this is my place,” she laughs. “This is how I express myself in plants.”

The graciano goes perfectly with a panzanella salad Moore made. She came to this interview from her home garden on a Polaris UTV, with two kids along for the ride and a large ceramic bowl cradled in her lap. Her husband—professional motocross racer Carey Hart, who helps with winemaking tasks but mostly leaves it to her—is also on hand. Their son, six-year-old Jameson, harvested the salad’s heirloom tomatoes; their daughter, 12-year-old Willow, picked the sweet basil. Moore made sourdough bread using freshly milled flour from the famed baker Josey Baker, of the in San Francisco. (They became sourdough pen pals during the pandemic.) She used a starter named Quarantina, which is kept going by wild local yeast.

Over time, Moore has gotten intimate with the land and its microclimate. “We wake up in a cloud every morning,” she says. The vineyard is next to the western slope of the San Rafael Mountains, whose 6,800-foot peaks trap moisture from the Pacific, and the fog hovers until the sun burns it off.

Makes sense. If I were a mist, I’d want to stick around here, too.

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If summer is the season of refreshing drinks by the water, then fall is the seasons of cozy beverages by a bonfire or curled up in a quilted blanket. Whether you’re warming up at home after a long hike or settling in for an evening by the campfire, the perfect beverage pairing is essential. While we’ll never say no to a flask of Knob Creek, mixing it up a little can feel celebratory (and taste delicious).

For outside-the-box recommendations on what to sip this fall, we tapped four food and beverage professionals to get their take on the ideal fall cocktails.

Farm and Fish House Punch

Danny Childs, the bar manager at New Jersey’s Farm and Fisherman Tavern and the mind behind , an Instagram account that chronicles Childs’ constant exploration of the region’s foraged and farmed products, offered an Applejack-centered bourbon and rum punch. This sip should be prepared ahead of time, as the base requires overnight steeping. Oleo-saccharum is made by steeping lemon peels with sugar and spice overnight, or for at least eight hours. It has a strong taste of apple cider vinegar, albeit sweetened with sugar, and can be served hot or cold.

Get the recipe

Ivy Mix’s Fall Cranberry Spritz

Ivy Mix, who runs Leyenda, a pan-Latin bar, and Fiasco Wine and Spirits, both in Brooklyn, offered a cranberry gin spritz that somehow lands both refreshing and cozy, perfect for those still-a-little-warm fall afternoons. This spritz is like a spiced lemonade with a hint of tartness and a lot of cranberry. It’s intentionally low in alcohol, but you can add more gin if desired.

Get the recipe

Fall Espresso Spritz & Mezcal Negroni

Cybille St. Aude-Tate and Omar Tate, the husband and wife team behind Honeysuckle Provisions, a trailblazing culinary concept in Philadelphia, have opposite approaches to the autumn drink. Tate recommends an espresso spritz lightly sweetened with apple cider, which has a bit of caffeine so he can keep up with his kids. This drink mixed unfiltered apple cider with sparkling water so it’s still bubbly but the espresso gives it a nutty, lovely taste. On the other hand, St. Aude-Tate prefers to sip on a mezcal negroni during a rare quiet moment at the end of a busy day. Even though an ice-cold negroni isn’t what most people think of for a cozy fall drink, this classic cocktail is spiced up by using mezcal rather than gin.

Get the recipes here and here

Whatever your needs for a fall-weather drink, we’ve got something to suit your fancy all season long.

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Think about the most rewarding experiences you’ve had outdoors, the ones when you had to dig deep and fight for every mile: that rocky summit scramble, stormy hike, or sweltering bike ride. As conventional wisdom goes, the tougher the adventure, the sweeter the payoff. And it’s not some empty bromide meant to make you feel better about suffering. Psychological research demonstrates that struggle is over time. When you push yourself, you. Thus adversity has the power to make you stronger, bolder, and better able to unlock your true potential.

With wines, it’s much the same. Steep slopes and challenging growing conditions create beneficial stress, forcing vines to work harder and develop more character. The result is a wine with deep, complex flavor—not to mention a pretty heroic backstory. That’s why harnesses the power of nature, making wines that pair perfectly with an adventurous spirit.ÌęÌęÌęÌę

3 Reasons Wine Is the Best Post-șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Drink

Toasting the end of a long day outdoors is a beloved ritual. It’s about celebrating the good things and acknowledging the bad. It’s about beginnings, endings, and hopes for the future. So it only makes sense that your choice of drink should reflect your values and adventure philosophy. Through that lens, , which invites seemingly hostile vineyard conditions to bring out the best of each vine, quickly emerges as the best choice.ÌęÌę

1. Wine Grapes Thrive in Challenging Conditions, Just Like You

Most alcoholic beverages are distilled from grains, which require pretty cushy conditions (rich soil, flat ground, and mild temperatures). Wine grapes, on the other hand, are versatile. They can adapt to their surroundings. Give them fertile soil and plenty of sun and rain, and they’ll grow simple root systems, thick foliage, and fat, water-filled fruits. Stick them on dry, rocky slopes where water is scarce, or inhospitable locations lashed by wind and fog, and they’ll transform. The best coaches don’t coddle you; they make you push harder to reach your full potential. With more stress, the vines expend more energy to survive, undergoing a beneficial level of struggle, forcing the plant to get scrappy, fighting for moisture and nutrients. When it’s in survival mode, the vine diverts resources into the grapes, ensuring that the resulting fruit yields complex and flavorful wine.

2. Good Wine Imparts a Deep Sense of Place

We’re all shaped by the landscapes we explore. It’s often easy to distinguish a climber from a cyclist at a glance, or a swimmer from a distance runner. Likewise, a wine’s flavor is a direct reflection of the terrain, sun, and rain it lives in—yet another reason to feel a kinship to wines from Juggernaut.ÌęÌę

3. Wine Is Easy to Pack

Unlike carbonated beverages, wine is easy to repackage and store. It offers a great ratio of alcohol and flavor to volume—which means it’s not too heavy, and it’s not too potent. It’s also easy to drink with a variety of foods and in a variety of settings. Pack a chilled chardonnay into an insulated bottle for your campfire after a rewarding desert hike, or enjoy a red in the lodge after an epic powder day. Wine always pairs well with tired muscles, belly laughs, and tall tales at the end of the day’s accomplishments.

The Best șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Wines

Myriad grape varieties are grown in diverse climates around the world, and not every winemaker pays meticulous attention to identifying the ideal location for each specific varietal. Many choose to plant vines where they will thrive and produce the maximum tonnage of grapes each season. That means not all wine grapes are grown in the best place for them to reach their true potential.

Juggernaut, however, puts terroir front and center. A premium California winemaker, Juggernaut seeks out vineyards with growing conditions that challenge the vines and bring out their strongest flavors.Ìę

The is a case in point. Grown on hillside vineyards in premium California growing regions, these cabernet vines have to survive in nutrient-scarce, well-draining soils where they have to dig deep and fight for every drop of moisture and every inch of purchase. As a result, their grapes are small but intense and bursting with complex flavors. (Think: anise and black currant, with a rich, velvety feel.)Ìę

ŽłłÜȔȔ±đ°ùČÔČčłÜłÙ’s is also a solid bet. Grown amid the foggy weather and dry soil of Northern California’s Russian River valley, this red balances graceful notes of cherry and vanilla within a powerful oaky finish.ÌęÌę

If you’re more into whites, try the Juggernaut . These grapes reach their peak potential thanks to the rugged California coast, where they’re constantly buffeted by fog and cool winds. But year after year, they prove their resiliency, turning meager sunlight and nutrients into a bright, balanced wine. This chardonnay features flavors of vanilla, apple, and pear—which makes it perfect for toasting on summer nights.Ìę

Now go find a challenge out there and after a day of adventure, raise a glass to reward your determination and accomplishments.

Juggernaut Wines believes that overcoming challenges builds character, for both people and grapevines. Founded in 2018, Juggernaut Wines grows grapes in extreme conditions to create wines of untamed character and unrestrained complexity. Juggernaut Wines harness the power of nature to produce wines as expressive as the powerful alpha-predators adorning the labels. Visit.

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This article was originally published in .Ìę

Whether drinking a beer after a workout is aÌęÌęis up for debate, but you can’t argue with the fact that a hard-earned crisp beverage during a steamy shower is one of life’s simple pleasures. Once the mainstay of the college-hangover crowd and post-lawncare dads, the shower beer has infiltrated the swim-bike-run set in a big, refreshing way. After a hard run or a 100-mile ride, few things are better thanÌę, shower beer, andÌę. If you haven’t tried it yet, crack one open after your long run this weekend – you’re in for a treat.

Below we suggest the best shower beers to follow 10 typical triathlon workouts.ÌęTo help guide our picks, we turned to two people more qualified to have opinions on the matter: Advanced Cicerones Shawna Cormier, co-founder ofÌę, andÌę, founder ofÌę.

Looking for a zero-proof shower beer? Check out our roundup ofÌę.

Workout:ÌęMile repeats on the track

The shower beer:Ìę, 5.2% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęYou need something refreshing and not too heavy on a post-run stomach. “Dark beers aren’t all heavy or high ABV!” Blair says. “Czech dark lager, or tmavy, is medium-bodied with moderate alcohol (less than 6%) reminiscentÌęof a cold brew with a crisp finish.”

Workout:ÌęA frigid open-water swim

The beer:Ìę, 9% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęAfter fighting chop in the cold, a warmup is in order. “This Imperial Stout has a big body, with hints of dark roast coffee, dark chocolate-covered raisins, and a bittersweet finish,” Cormier says.

žé·ĄłąŽĄ°Ő·Ą¶Ù:Ìę

Workout:ÌęA spicy group ride

The beer:Ìę, 7% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęSurviving the spontaneous attacks of a group ride deserves a celebratory party punch. “Napoleon Bonaparte is credited for dubbing the tart and refreshing Berliner Weisse ‘The Champagne of the North,’” Blair says. “A refreshing wheat beer, Berliner Weisse is highly carbonated and has a clean tartness. The addition of citrusy yuzu and acidic raspberry enhances the refreshing quality while milk sugar adds a bit of sweetness for balance.”

Workout:ÌęA hot, humid tempo run

The beer:Ìę, 4.9% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęTo recover from that sweaty situation, you need something invigorating with enough character to make it all feel worth it. Cormier describes this pilsner as “crisp, clean, moderately bitter; fresh herb, grainy/white bread, refreshing carbonation. A classic.”

Workout:ÌęMonster morning session in the pool

The beer:Ìę, 3.7% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęNo one needs a dense gut-filler straight out of the pool to start the day. “Bell’s Light-Hearted IPA delivers the bright hop character of a classic IPA with the light body and low ABV of a light lager,” Blair says. “It has a ton of flavor with low ABV and low calories, perfect for a midday quaff.”

žé·ĄłąŽĄ°Ő·Ą¶Ù:Ìę

Workout:ÌęSweaty indoor trainer ride

The beer:Ìę, 2% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęBeer blended with lager and the tartness of grapefruit juice? Sounds like a match for that intense Zwift session. “Radler was invented by a German innkeeper one busy Saturday afternoon outside of Munich when 13,000 cyclists arrived thirsty for Helles lager,” Blair says. “Not having enough beer to satisfy everyone, the innkeeper came up with the idea of mixing lemon soda with his Helles. He told the cyclists the drink was called a Radler he invented so they could slake their thirst but still cycle back to Munich.”

Workout:ÌęMany, many hill repeats

The beer:Ìę, 9.5% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęYou need high strength without showing off. A Trappist classic, a tripel has high alcohol and is also highly attenuated (aka dangerously drinkable). Cormier describes the taste as “grainy/bread dough malt with fresh cracked pepper, low clove with a hint of tangerine peel and low pear drop candy.”

Workout:Ìę100-mile solo bike ride

The beer:Ìę, 9.6% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęAfter a long slog by yourself, you might grab whatever’s convenient. But the ideal would be a beer with some sweetness, balanced bitterness and pleasant alcohol warmth to help you relax and recover. Cormier describes this ale as having a “big body with a balance of grapefruit and naval orange peel, a hop aroma with high bitterness, and a caramel malt backbone.”

Workout:ÌęEvening weight session in the gym

The beer:Ìę, 8% ABV

°ÂłóČâ:ÌęA strength workout calls for a beer with strength, and “at 8% ABV, Ghost in the Machine is consistently rated one of the top double IPAs out there,” Blair says. “It has lots of grapefruit and tropical fruit flavors with less bitterness than many double IPAs.”

Workout:ÌęThe final big brick before a race

The beer:Ìę, 4.2% ABV

Why:ÌęYou’re so close to the start line and the training is behind you, so treat yourself – without overdoing it – before race day. Cormier recommends this “salty, sour old German style” beer with Gatorade-like saline content and flavors of “white bread dough, and spritzy lemon yogurt acidity,” all in a 120-calorie can.

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This article is part of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Run’s complete 2023 Boston Marathon race coverage.

Running 26.2 miles is wicked fah!

If you run from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, all the way to Copley Square in Boston, you’ll definitely work up a good appetite and earn your beverage of choice.

It’s too bad the late Tommy Leonard can’t serve you a cold draft at the old Eliot Lounge. Located three-quarters of a mile from the Boston Marathon finish line, the erstwhile Massachusetts Avenue bar was a runner’s hangout for two decades before it closed in 1996. That was largely due to Leonard, once the marathon’s official greeter, who had also been voted Boston’s best bartender—even though, legend has it, he was never known to serve anything more than a shot and a beer.

With a nod to Leonard and an assist from local runner Natalie Obssuth, lead Run Concierge at The Westin Copley Place, Boston, we present the best post-race hangouts within a few miles of the finish line, plus some notable post-race parties and a few of the best beers brewed in Boston.

Best Local Hangouts

1648 Beacon Street, Brookline

This family-owned bar and restaurant serves up good pub food and Belgian, German, and American artisanal beers. It’s been voted the best beer bar in Boston several times and is known for its legendary mac and cheese. “The Publick House is a dive located right around Mile 23 and serves up craft brews and carb-loading dishes that are ideal for a post-marathon celebratory moment,” Obssuth says.

40 Edwin H Land Boulevard, Cambridge

Known for its creative seasonal cuisine from chef Dave Mahady, ArtBar, located at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, is a warm, intimate retreat for food, wine, art lovers, and runners interested in relaxing on its famous patios. “ArtBar is one of the most popular places to go for post-marathon celebrations, and it’s one that I always try to pop into when I’m in town,” Obssuth says. “On Marathon Monday, the restaurant offers a curated Marathon 26.2 menu—for runners, friends, families, and fans.”

181 Newbury Street, Boston

Located on Boston’s historic Newbury Street, Joe’s has been a classic hangout of the Back Bay community for years. It has an extensive beverage list and serves New England steak and seafood classics, seasonally inspired dishes and made-from-scratch comfort food you’ll crave after running a marathon. (Hint: You must try the braised short rib meatloaf!)

“Joe’s American Bar & Grill encourages marathoners to stop by and fuel up before the race, and celebrates those runners who come back when they finish,” Obssuth says. “They also have a ‘Thank You Mural’ for first responders working throughout the race.”

100 High Street, Boston

High Street Place dates back to 1930, when it was originally built for the United Shoe Machinery Corporation headquarters and became Boston’s first skyscraper. Nowadays, it features 19 food and beverage options, including Wheelhouse (voted Boston’s best burger), Fuji as HSP (one of the best sushi restaurants), Alewives Taproom (craft beers), Dive Bar (seafood and raw bar), and Bubble Bath (champagne and wine bar).

“High Street Place Food Hall is one of my favorite places to fuel up in the days leading up to the race,” Obssuth says. “They serve a wide array of choices—including locally sourced options and healthy alternatives. You’ll always spot other runners out and about here, which makes for an electric energy leading up to the race.”

Post-Race Gatherings

Fenway Park, 4 Jersey Street, Boston

The Boston Marathon’s official post-race party presented by Samuel Adams returns to Fenway Park this year for the first time since 2019. The event will feature live entertainment, a presentation of champions, concessions, and access to the edge of the outfield to take photos. All participants were emailed a notice about buying tickets, which are $5 for runners and $15 for guests, and can. (Kids 12 and under are free, but they must be accompanied by an adult.)

Brooks Hyperion House, 137 Newbury Street, Boston

The Hyperion House will be hosting pre-race events all weekend, but once the race is over, it will serve cold beers and be giving away limited-edition finisher scarves, while supplies last, from noon to 6 P.M.. on Marathon Monday.

Harpoon Beer Hall, 306 Northern Avenue, Boston

Head down to Boston’s Seaport District to visit one of the city’s most popular local brewpubs, as it hosts a post-race party from noon to 8 P.M. on Marathon Monday. The event will feature deals on drinks and food, and the first 75 runners who show their finisher’s medal will receive a commemorative pink glass. If that’s not enough, massage chairs will be available for reservations from 4 to 6 P.M.

Samuel Adams Downtown Boston Taproom, 60 State Street, Boston

In addition to brewing its 26.2 Brew Gose style ale, in partnership with the Boston Athletic Association, Samuel Adams will be celebrating Marathon Monday with runners and local band Brick Park performing down from 3:30-6:30 P.M. The next day, (a.k.a. Marathon Tuesday), Des Linden will drop in to

Tracksmith Trackhouse, 285 Newbury Street, Boston

Every year since 2017, this Boston-based running apparel and footwear brand recreates a little Eliot Lounge magic to celebrate marathon finishers at its Trackhouse. This makeshift Eliot Lounge is flanked with throwback running paraphernalia—a nod to the adornments of the original—with cold beer on tap from noon to 7 P.M. on Marathon Monday.

Five Refreshing Boston Beers

– Samuel Adams
A beer list for marathoners must include this easy-drinking Boston Marathon-themed golden beer.Ìę The 26.2 Brew is a light-bodied, refreshing Gose-style ale with 4 percent ABV. It might not be Gatorade for adults (which is how the brewery refers to it), but it goes down easy if your intent is to rehydrate with beer.

–ÌęNight Shift Brewing Company
You might be craving a hot tub to soothe your legs, but this Whirlpool will quench your thirst. This mild New England Pale Ale has notes of peaches and citrus fruits, which makes it a favorite for runners who are looking for refreshment over staunch flavor. It’s hazy, juicy, and extensively hopped, but also flavorful and easy to drink (4.5 percent ABV) with the post-race meal of your choice.

–ÌęExhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company
Clearly the name of this beer is a reference to your carbon fiber-plated marathon racing shoes! This crisp Kölsch-style ale (4.5 percent ABV) brings the vibe of Cologne, Germany, to the streets of Boston. Brewmaster Matthew Steinberg, who founded Exhibit ‘A’ in 2016, studied the brewing craft in Europe to create this refined, light-bodied, effervescent brew with a lemony zeal.

– Harpoon Brewery
While the Boston Marathon isn’t exactly the rec league of running, this hop-forward hazy pale ale (4 percent ABV) is a refreshing, crushable brew that Harpoon says is the perfect way to celebrate life’s victories—like crossing the finishing line on Boylston Street. It’s brewed with buckwheat kasha, chia seeds, and sea salt, so there are rejuvenating qualities to go along with its refreshing tropical notes.

– Trillium Brewing Company
If you’ve run the Paul Dudley White Bike Path along the Charles River, then you know the name of this beer—colloquially known as “BuTuCuP”—is a reference to a spot along the Charles where rowers (or runners) can pass under a railroad bridge that crossed the river under the Boston University Bridge, which, of course, is under a sky filled with planes coming in and out of Logan. While this tart and fruity American pale ale (5.5 percent ABV) evolved out of a love of rowing, Boston-based Trillium Brewing Company loves runners, too—so much it sponsors the Spring 5K race in early May in Canton, Massachusetts.

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I was standing in a Whole Foods in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the beer was such a foul sight to see.

Just eight days earlier, while straddling the Utah border at the northern terminus of the Arizona Trail, I’d taken a single slug of whiskey and savored its sting’s slow fade like some doomed lover’s last kiss. If all went well, that would be my final booze for about five weeks, or the time I intended to take to hike the 800 miles south to Mexico.

This would, in fact, be my first long-distance hike without alcohol of any sort, and this refrigerated grocery aisle—meticulously stacked with colorful suitcases and satchels of beer, each as alluring as Daisy’s green dockside light—was my first true temptation. I’d now finished a quarter of the trail, and tomorrow would be my first day off, either feat a reasonable explanation for a standard trailside bacchanalia. So I scanned the vast selection, opened a frosted glass door, and tossed two six-packs into my grocery cart: Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects Hoppy Amber and Athletic Brewing’s Run Wild IPA, both beers without the booze. If I was indeed going to take it easy, this would have to do the trick.

It’s little secret that these are boom times for the sans-alcohol set. Emerging from the pandemic’s extended global binge, non-alcoholic beer is pouring out of craft taps and ordinary aisles alike, with a 24 percent increase in sales during 2021. If the market maintains current growth projections, it could be a $25 billion industry by the time we finish 2024. The president is a , and the unfortunately dubbed “sober-curious” movement remains fashionable at year’s end. I recently visited a chic non-alcoholic bottle-store boutique in Los Angeles, and liquor.com even maintains an index of the best “non-alcoholic spirits.”

What may come as a surprise, though, is how much long-distance hikers, myself included, drink while actually hiking. The Appalachian Trail is often called the country’s longest pub crawl, a playful sobriquet that cuts to the tension I was feeling in front of that Flagstaff beer cooler: we disappear into the woods for days at the time, all our food strapped to our back and our water waiting wherever we can find it, only to emerge in towns or even roadside convenience stores looking to get fucked up or, at the very least, put some imbibed space between our aching feet and exhausted minds.

After 6,000 miles of repeating that cycle, I wondered if that liquid courage might be exacerbating some of my resulting pains. I went to Arizona in part to find out; I left wondering if I will ever drink again.

Consider this routine thru-hiking scenario. You’ve been climbing mountain gaps or passes for a week, covering 150 miles while filtering water you at best flavor with electrolyte powder and stuffing down rehydrated food by day and night. You’re dirty and tired, with cravings galore.Ìę When hikers arrive anywhere, we typically want three things: liquid with most any flavor, calories in most any form, and relaxation of any sort. See where booze fits in, the easily attainable and millennia-tested panacea for pain?

But it’s rarely, of course, one beer. If you plan to spend a night or two in a town, you start with a six-pack or a case, toting them back to your hotel room or hostel bunk and drinking until your mind begins to blur, your joints begin to ease. The custom is to drink until you leave and, should there be extras, pound them with collegiate ardor on the way out the door. And, natch, you leave town with two tallboys, indulgent treats for your first night back at it, a soft landing into the woods. You hike more, then repeat.

For most of my thru-hiking life, I have participated in this binge-drinking loop with unequivocal ardor—sometimes too much, if I’m being honest. After rounds of free drinks at a swanky pizza restaurant in an ostentatious Connecticut trail town, I drunkenly pitched a tent behind a dumpster only to be harassed around 3 A.M. by a fox shrieking in heat. (Terrifying!) During a particularly inebriated break from the Pacific Crest Trail, I got so badly lost at night in Yosemite Valley that a tour guide tried luring me back to her car. (Blissfully married, thanks!) And while drinking a Four Loko while navigating a road shoulder along the Florida Trail, I fell in a mud pit so seemingly deep I spent ten shameful minutes extricating myself. (It was a mud puddle, but at least hilarious pictures exist.)

Off trail, in my day-to-day life, I am the pedestrian two-beers type, motivated by the threat of a hangover and a family history of sometimes-violent alcoholism to stop just beyond buzz’s edge. Avoiding addiction has long seemed a shortcut to not becoming my father or grandfathers. But thru-hiking presents a rare and paradoxical combination of endless vacation and extreme effort, where the only bosses to whom you answer for strenuous but exhilarating 12-hour days are yourself and the trail. It is a kind of sweat-stained Spring Break, where there are no rules but forward motion. You party because, otherwise, you just walk. Thru-hiking is the closest I have come to courting alcoholism, or, at least, a habit.

Early into the Appalachian Trail, I met the manager of a small-town North Carolina outfitter who had seen many new and zealous hikers never make it to thru-hiker status; they quit before they could. He offered a compelling edict: For the next five months, I was a professional athlete, and I needed to respect my body for the work it was doing. I began massaging my legs every night, stretching most mornings, and eating salads at most opportunities. An hour after he said that, however, I was at the aptly named .

“It might be what your mind needs, but the worst fuel you can put in your body at that point is alcohol,” quips , a research fellow at Australian Catholic University who helmed an often-cited study a decade ago about how drinking limits muscle synthesis after workouts. “Even if you do have protein with the alcohol, you are slowing down the muscle-recovery process.”

To reach this conclusion, Parr and a team basically loaded a set of amateur Australian rules football players with nine-to-15 “standard drinks,” then performed muscle biopsies. The results were staggering. The muscles of those who drank rebuilt nearly 40 percent less efficiently than those who didn’t.

Parr’s findings represent only one link in a mounting web of damning evidence about alcohol, which often seems like an epidemic we’ve chosen to ignore despite all we now know, not unlike climate change or smoking. We’ve all heard about moderate alcohol consumption and its potential benefits for the heart, but that has lately been called into question. And we’ve heard that booze can be a great way to refuel after endurance sports, but that, too, has been scuttled.

“Again, probably the best amount of alcohol to drink would be zero glasses per week or ounces per week,” Stanford neurobiology professor Andrew Huberman said recently with some fatigue near the end of of his popular science podcast, Huberman Lab, about the trouble with booze. And there was lots of trouble.

The U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Nutrition Team reminds its athletes not only that injuries are more common among those who drink but also that the fat deposition and fluid retention it causes lead to weight gain. How are you going to spend $100 to cut an ounce from your backpack’s base weight with the latest piece of ultralight gear only to put it back on with a tallboy in town?

Nearly three months have passed since I lifted that last glass bottle of whiskey to my lips at the Arizona-Utah border and two months since I reached Mexico. I’ve yet to take another drink, and I don’t actually know that I will. I began my break as an experiment and, somewhat cynically, a readymade prompt for the very piece you are reading.

But I am not, it turns out, some exception to the science. I felt better on trail without booze. I woke up every morning ready to roll, having fallen asleep quickly and then woken up early as if rigged to a switch. My muscle aches were minor in spite of the rough terrain, and my mood was practically sunny in spite of the cacti and assorted thorns cutting constantly into my legs. I walked fast. I laughed. When I reached Mexico, I could have kept going—a first in my thru-hiking life.

And I feel better off trail in most every conceivable way. I’m better rested and sharper, with a longer attention span and much less moodiness. After the Appalachian Trail, which was indeed one long booze cruise, my body and brain hurt in extremis for months. I could barely run ten miles for the better part of a year, and I saw several therapists about the new-to-me sensation that perhaps I shouldn’t exist. It was the lowest point of my first four decades after perhaps my highest achievement, like descending into some valley with no apparent bottom.

I’ve hiked more miles this year than I did that year, but I haven’t even approached that anguish. I am running faster, more consistently, and with less pain than I have since long before I began hiking such extended distances. When I can find a trail or a mountain on a day off, my body is light and limber, as if perpetually renewed. And my mind seems more pliable, ready to ask better questions and process more complicated information. Is this, I wonder some days, what it feels like to be clear-eyed and ready for the world to come?

This isn’t some call for prohibition or even temperance. I have had far too much fun for far too long with the aegis of alcohol to criticize anyone else or even suggest that they change, and I don’t know really know if I’ve had my last drink. Maybe this is my self-righteous phase, conveniently backed by science? But drinking, and drinking hard, often seems an ineluctable part of distance-hiking and sports culture at large. I think it’s worth having a conversation about the compromises it entails and what we may gain when we back off or away.

No, I still don’t treat my body like that of a professional athlete—too much ice cream, too few massages, too few superfoods. But I am finally treating it like an equal partner, not something I ask to work for a reward that simply poisons it. On the long trails of my past, booze was self-care, the thing my mind needed, to paraphrase Parr.

Like the kids in the who always chose to gobble their treat instantly, I’ve made that decision dozens of times, from the hollers of Appalachia to the ski towns of the Sierra. Maybe I’m old enough to know better now, to have the sort of self-control that may keep me moving longer.

5 Booze-Free Beers for the Trail

Bill Shufelt did not intend to quit drinking, let alone become a mogul of the non-alcoholic beer movement. But a decade ago, Shufelt put his love of New England IPAs on hold long enough to pause for 50K training. “I just felt so good—so sharp at work, better sleep than ever ,” says Shufelt, then happy at a large hedge fund. “And I realized I wasn’t really missing any elements of the alcohol.”

But what Shufelt did miss was the taste of good beer, especially that complex balance of sweetness and bitterness he knew so well. He decided to make it himself and, in turn, revolutionize the ambitions of this very conservative market. His company, Athletic Brewing, has now been offering such flavors since 2017, becoming the 27th biggest craft brewer in the United States during 2021.

Others have followed Shufelt’s lead, from upstarts hoping to add to the variety to major beer makers expanding their lines to keep up with “sober-curious” consumers. If you find yourself on trail trying not to drink but hoping for something that at least provides a placebo, I’ve done the hard part and sampled loads of non-alcoholic brews. Here are five favorites.

Coors Edge

An old friend intending to scoop me from an Arizona Trail parking lot asked me what beer I wanted. “One without alcohol,” I offered hesitantly, knowing they’d be confused. This is , and it is a surprising delight, sweet and malty despite its 41 calories. More refreshing than Budweiser Zero, it’s the non-alcoholic option you get if you don’t want the drinkers asking you questions.

Best Day Brewing’s West Coast IPA

Based across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, might just be making the best and most complex booze-free IPA right now. Fruity on the front and bitter on the back, it has enough happening to make you think you’ve stumbled into a taproom on a day away from trail and asked the bartender for their favorite pour.

Athletic Brewing’s All Out Extra Dark

Most non-alcoholic beer falls into loose categories of IPAs, lagers, or other light varieties; that’s sensible, given the focus on drinkers who are active. Who wants to run and slam some barleywine? But this —smoky, sweet, almost thick enough to pass for the real thing—is among Athletic’s best accomplishments, perfect for a cold night off trail around a campfire.

Mikkeller’s Drink’in The Sun

The thing about forgoing booze is losing all the flavors it offers, the work not only of centuries of breweries but also the field’s recent explosion of innovations. Copenhagen’s Mikkeller makes some of my favorite strange brews, so I was delighted to learn how much fun they were having with non-alcoholic beer, from raspberry-loaded Flemish ales to yuzu sours. is pure pleasure.

Pabst Blue Ribbon’s High Seltzer

You’ll notice I never used the word “sober” to describe my recent changes, because I’m not. A little weed remains one of my indispensable hiking joys, a near-nightly ritual before bedtime. PBR did us half-sober folks a favor and infused its alcohol-free seltzer water with weed. ? The mind reels, truly.

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This holiday season, there’s one ingredient that will make any event more festive—delicious non-alcoholic beverage options. At the top: Athletic Brewing Company, which continues to surprise and delight with classic and seasonal brews and a variety of hoppy, fruit-essenced sparkling waters that are all non-alcoholic. The cans themselves are great to have on hand for any gatherings. But when cracking open a cold one doesn’t quite feel festive enough, these non-alcoholic drink recipes using Athletic’s brews or sparkling waters as mixers are a great way to add a special touch.

Harvest SangriaÌę

Once you take a sip of this autumn-flavored non-alcoholic beer sangria, you’ll want to serve it all year round. Harvest Sangria combines the light-bodied with the bold and bubbly . The brew and sparkling hop water give the fall-fruit bounty a floral earthiness and bright bitterness to balance the sweet apple, pear, orange, and pomegranate molasses.

Serves 12

Ingredients

24 ounces (2 cans) Athletic Brewing Co. Upside Dawn Golden
24 ounces (2 cans) Athletic Brewing Co. Black Cherry DayPack Sparkling Water
3 cups apple cider
œ cup pomegranate molasses
1 Bartlett or Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 navel orange or blood orange, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup pomegranate seeds (or the yield of 1 pomegranate)
3 cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise

Directions

1. Dissolve pomegranate molasses in the apple cider. Chill that mixture and all other ingredients in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In a large pitcher (at least 95 ounces), stir to combine the cider mixture, Upside Dawn, and Black Cherry DayPack.
2. Add pear, orange, apple, pomegranate seeds, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
3. Pour into ice-filled balloon or rocks glasses.

Note: You can find pomegranate molasses online and at Mediterranean and Middle Eastern grocery stores. In a pinch, substitute ⅓ to Âœ cup honey, which misses out on the flavor complexity but gives a similar sweetness.

Wild Ginger Cider Punch

Heavily hopped is loaded with lots of different flavors, most notably citrus and pine. Its nuance and full body make it ideal for adding flavor to a no-spirits cocktail. Run Wild’s hoppiness pairs beautifully with bright, fragrant orange and earthy apple cider, while homemade ginger syrup turns it into a punchy drink with festive flair.

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 ounces fresh ginger (about 4 inches)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 navel orange
4 ounces apple cider
12 ounces (1 can) Athletic Brewing Co. Run Wild IPA
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Directions

1. Make the ginger syrup: Peel and roughly chop ginger and place in a blender with the sugar and water. Blend until ginger is puréed and sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl or container. Press on the solids to extract as much syrup as possible before discarding them. The recipe makes about 1œ cups of syrup, which will keep covered in the fridge for up to two weeks.
3. Use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to make two three-by-one-inch strips of orange peel. Slice the orange in half and juice 2 ounces (1/4 cup) from it.
4. Place ice cubes in two rocks glasses. Divide apple cider, orange juice, and 1 ounce of ginger syrup between the glasses, stir, and top them off with Run Wild.
5. Rub an orange-peel strip around the rim of each glass and then drop it into the drink. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

All Out Float

Part drink, part dessert, this float is the perfect nightcap. Instead of sickly-sweet root beer, pour a bold, smooth, and complex over a glass of rich and creamy ice cream (non-dairy versions work too) for an ice-cream float with a bite. For fall flavors, go with pumpkin-spice ice cream. This recipe also works well with salted caramel ice cream or coffee ice cream, which lends the vibe of an affogato—an Italian dessert of coffee served over ice cream. Top the ice cream with a drizzle of chocolate syrup that plays off of All Out’s chocolatey notes and malt aroma and mellows out some of the bitterness.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 pint pumpkin-spice, coffee, or salted caramel ice cream
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) chocolate syrup
24 ounces (2 cans) Athletic Brewing Co. All Out Extra Dark

Directions

1. Scoop ice cream into two chilled pint glasses and drizzle with the chocolate syrup
2. Slowly pour 1 can of All Out into each glass, stopping as needed to let the foam subside before adding more.
3. Serve with straws and long spoons.

Named as TIME’s “100 Most Influential Companies of 2022” as well as Fast Company’s “Brands That Matter” in 2021,Ìęis reimagining beer for the modern, active adult. Their great-tasting craft brews provide a refreshing taste of craft beer, without the alcohol or the hangover. As of 2022, Athletic Brewing is proudly B Corp certified.ÌęÌęabout Athletic Brewing and how their non-alcoholic brews are fit for all times.

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On the trail, my friends crave hamburgers and fries, fried chicken, and buttery pastries. Me? I salivate thinking about ice-cold drinks. Not only is hydration essential to recovery, aprĂ©s refreshments are a celebratory treat to look forward to at the end of a journey. While most watering holes are located a drives’ worth away from the trailhead, a handful of wineries, breweries, and sober bars have set up shop right along hiking areas to serve thirsty trekkers as soon as they’re ready to kick up their feet. Smart for business, convenient for you. Below, we’ve vetted 20 gorgeous hikes—of varying distance and difficulty—located near trailside drinking establishments across every region in the U.S. There on their patios and in their taprooms, you can cheers to a day well spent.

The West

North Table Mountain to New Terrain Brewing Co.

Golden, Colorado

If the trailhead shares a parking lot with a brewery, we encourage you to indulge. is situated right at the bottom of Golden’s , a rocky mesa with 360 degree views of the Front Range. Park in the shared lot and start your trek at the East Access Trail, which climbs more than 1,000 feet before looping the mesa’s outer rim for a total of 8 miles. Follow signs for the North Table Loop. Once you finish your hike and descend, a crisp craft beer is waiting for you at the bottom. The spacious taproom and patio hosts live music and food trucks, making it a bustling spot for other thirsty hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, and dogs.

Ocean Beach Cafe to Lands End Lookout

San Francisco, California

For one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge, head to Lincoln Park and the Presidio on the northwest side of San Francisco. The hugs the shore for four miles from Golden Gate Overlook to Lands End Lookout, passing by several beaches and photogenic rock formations, a labyrinth, and sutro bath ruins. Right where Balboa Street ends and the sand begins, you’ll find , a non-alcoholic bar and bottle shop with a daily happy hour. Fall menu items include libations like the Hummingbird with tennyson black ginger and the Devil Mountain with a spiritless Kentucky 74. Reserve a one-hour Temperance Tasting for a sampling of the latest alcohol-free wines, beers, elixirs, and mocktails.

7:30 Mine Trail to Bread Bar

Silver Plume, Colorado

Tired of waiting in traffic on I-70? Reroute to Silver Plume west of Georgetown, a historic mining town tucked in the narrow canyon. Right downtown, hop on the out-and-back from Main Street, then climb more than 1,200 feet in 2.5 miles, one way. Highlights along the route include historic mining structures, closed mine shafts, and the grave of the man who discovered silver and gold in the area. Historians say he used to play the violin outside his cabin. At the bottom of the hill, awaits with treats. In addition to beer, wine, and cocktails, this comfy bar housed in a 1800s-era bakery also caters to sober drinkers. Order the No Bones Tabor, a zingy zero-proof mocktail mixed with blackberry sage jam, citrus, and soda. One caveat: it only seats ten or so people, so plan to go during Colorado’s off-season.

Snoqualmie Pass to DruBru

Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

Up at Snoqualmie Pass, just outside of Seattle, hiking, skiing, and beer-drinking worlds collide. In the resort area, is right next to the iconic Pacific Crest Trail and other Washington day hikes. is an 8.5 out-and-back with a glassy lake at the top, and Lodge Lake climbs the ski hill for two miles to another scenic lake. Once you’re back in the village, choose from 15 active taps or the grab-and-go selection, then kick back on the heated outdoor patios to admire views of Guye Peak and Snoqualmie Mountain. The Lemon Lime Lager is crisp and light, while the Alpha Female Double IPA has a simple malk backbone with floral and fresh-cut-grass flavors.

Eola Hills Wine Cellars

Salem, Oregon

Hiking with wine has its very own terminology: it’s called wiking. In the Willamette Valley, where wineries are as abundant as trails, Eola Hills Wine Cellars combines the two pastimes on private pathways through their 165-acre wooded . The winery provides trail maps for the self-guided hike in the hillsides, and the entry fee is waived with a post-hike wine bottle purchase. Take note: This wiking experience is only available by . Check the calendar to plan your visit around the many other outdoor events, such as Yoga + Wine classes. Camping is also available to , a network of unique overnight RV and campervan spots. Pour yourself a glass and overlook the lake from the private dock during quiet hours.

Treasure Hill Trail to High West Saloon

Park City, Utah

When there’s no snow on the ground, ski resorts become hiking hotspots. Instead of relying on a chairlift, use your legs to travel the from Old Town to the top of the Payday Express Lift, a total of 1,000 feet of vert and six miles round trip through aspen groves. The first payoff for your hard work is panoramic views of the Park City Mountain Resort base, Park Meadows, and Quarry Mountain. The second payoff is down at the base at , an old-timey bar with a wide range of whiskeys and more than a century of history. In 2006, the company became Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870. Whiskey wonks will appreciate the 45-minute tour at the tasting room and distillery 18 miles to the north. You can also scroll through the online recipe book for drink inspiration.

The Midwest

Smale Riverfront Park to Aster Social Sippery

Cincinnati, Ohio

Exploring a city, especially its green spaces and waterfronts, by foot is called urban hiking. In downtown Cincinnati, there’s no better place to enjoy nature than along the Ohio River at . Huge pollinator gardens attract bees and birds, public art like the Black Brigade Monument and Marian Spencer Statue honor historical figures and events, and Carol Ann’s Carousel delights kids and adults alike. You can even walk across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge to Kentucky. Or, extend your adventure by hopping on the Ohio River Trail, which spans over 20 miles to its end point in New Richmond. Aten-minute walk from the water, serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic libations concocted from healthy ingredients like kombucha, lemongrass, fresh fruits, and handpicked herbs.

Mount Tabor Trail to Round Barn Estate and Tabor Hill Winery

Buchanan and Baroda, Michigan

Sip and stroll through the woods of this quaint southwest Michigan town, where a . has been making small-batch wines, craft beer, and spirits for more than 30 years out of its domed building, while specializes in sweet, sparkling, and dry wines. The sibling locations put the beautiful woodlands around their properties to good use by creating an immersive tasting experience. Access the trail from either winery during normal business hours, and meander through vineyards with drinks and snacks in hand. There’s also an easier 1.3-mile round trip shortcut. The area is especially scenic during harvest time, when the plump grapes hang off the vines.

Superior Hiking Trail to Ursa Minor Brewing

Duluth, Minnesota

Whether you’re preparing for your next thru-hike or just looking for a day outing, the 310-mile offers breathtaking views of Lake Superior and the Sawtooth Mountains. The trail starts in Duluth and ends at the Canadian border, winding through boreal forests, past babbling brooks and cascading waterfalls, and nearby native flora and fauna. Right in Duluth, either before you start your trek or after, fill up at . Set in an industrial space with a pizza oven and outdoor fire pits, this taproom slings brews from its rotating tap, which includes sober-friendly drinks like kombucha, ginger beer, and their own non-alcoholic cream ale called N/A Time N/A Where. If you’re local, keep an eye on the calendar for various community events and fundraising initiatives.

Crow Peak Trail to Crow Peak Brewing

Spearfish, South Dakota

Spearfish is where South Dakota’s outdoorsy people live and visit. There are waterfalls, cross-country skiing tracks, and hiking and biking routes galore. While the brewery isn’t exactly next to the trail, it’s on our list because it’s pretty damn close. is at the mouth of Higgins Gulch Road, which leads to the trailhead to 5,760-foot Crow Peak, a 6.8-mile out and back overlooking the Black Hills National Forest. Wildflowers pop in the spring, and trees turn golden in fall. The brewery is housed in a cool two-story building with a long bar and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Year-round beers from the five-barrel brew system include the 5 ABV Canyon Cream Ale and 6.5 ABV Pile O’Dirt Porter.

Katy Trail to Good News Brewing Company

August, Missouri

Similar to the inn-to-inn style footpaths in Europe, the is a converted railroad trail spanning nearly 240 miles through some of Missouri’s smallest communities. Few have thru-hiked the route, but many more consider it for scenic day outings. Some sections of the trail follow the Missouri River, varying from rolling farmland, forests, tallgrass prairies, and metro areas. Pick up the path in the little towns of Defiance or Augusta, where has two locations located near trailheads servicing hikers and cyclists with seasonal beers, ciders, and guest taps. The Augusta trail entrance is also nearby and . Spring and fall are the best times of year to hike the trail to avoid Midwestern heat and chill in summer and winter.

The South

Hot Springs National Park to Superior Bathhouse Brewery

Garland County, Arkansas

You’ve heard of beer brewed with snowmelt, but what about thermal spring water? is the world’s first to use the ingredient for making beer, from sours to saisons. Built in 1916, the brick building with green window casings operated as a bathhouse for nearly 70 years and sat vacant for another 30 until the brewery inked a deal with the U.S. Department of the Interior. With 26 miles of hiking trails in the park, catch views of the surrounding Ouachita Mountains: the 1.4-mile Oertel Trail ascends a staircase from the visitor’s center, and the 1.2-mile Whittington Trail is an easy stroll. When your muscles grow tired, head to Bathhouse Row for a soak in the ancient thermal springs. Unfortunately you can’t take beer into the baths. But at the brewery, order the Beer Bath to sample 18 beers on tap.

Shelby Farms Greenline to Wiseacre and Hampline Breweries

Memphis, Tennessee

The product of the city’s commitment to walkability and accessibility, the is a 10.65-mile bikeway and pedestrian network right in Midtown Memphis that connects several neighborhoods, landmarks, bicycle shops, and parks. One section of the route, , features the city’s first bicycle-specific traffic signals. At one end, Overton Park, or Old Forest State Natural Area, is the only old-growth forest in the Southeast that’s located in an urban environment. At the other end, the community-supported Shelby Farms Park has loops of hiking and biking trails around clusters of ponds. Fuel up on snacks and beer at or , steps from each other right off the route. Order a few snacks alongside a rotating tap of seasonal and year-round brews.

Lady Bird Lake and Boggy Creek Greenbelt to Sans Bar

Austin, Texas

Mocktails have come a long way from Shirley Temples, and there’s a serious craft to elevating alcohol-free drinks beyond soda water with syrup. A first for Texas, creates a space for the sober serious and sober curious to imbibe on non-alcoholic bubbles in a cozy environment. It’s only open from 7 P.M. to 12 A.M. on Fridays, so we recommend spending the day exploring the nearby waterfront trails. Start at the Lady Bird Lake Trail, which stretches for ten miles along the Colorado River. The Zilker Botanical Garden and the lake’s boardwalk are highlights. Then in the afternoon, make your way into town and stop at the Boggy Creek Greenbelt, which has a 1.7-mile trail through fields and over bridges. From there, you’re four blocks from your end-of-day destination at the bar.

Gulf State Park to Big Beach Brewing

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Along the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama’s shoreline spreads for 60 miles. For folks in the South, Gulf Shores is one of the most popular beach getaways for enjoying the balmy waters, and the namesake state park encompasses 6,5000 acres. A string of boardwalks, campground roads, and trails create a lovely walking path around Shelby Lake, and seven trails through six distinct ecosystems make up more than 15 miles of the . Look out for butterflies in the gardens, white tailed deer on the ridges, and alligators in the marshes. On the northern outskirts of the park, invites beach goers to enjoy the ocean breeze from the taproom.

Art Loeb Trail to The Hub and Pisgah Tavern

Pisgah Forest, North Carolina

In Western North Carolina’s land of mile-high peaks and gushing waterfalls, the was one of the first outdoor gear shops to moonlight as a tavern, attracting connoisseurs of both beer and gear. The shop is located at the southern terminus of the 30-mile , which is considered one of the most challenging point-to-point hikes in the state because it traverses high points. Shorter out and back segments are also possible. At the end of your trek, you might be in need of a new tent or hiking boots. Peruse the shelves of the warehouse-like shop in search of gear to replenish your backpacking setup. Then head to the tavern to order from eight rotating taps and sit at one of the picnic tables under the string lights on the front deck.

The East

Nordic Trails to Oxbow Beer Garden

Oxford, Maine

Some of the best aprĂ©s experiences are found in unassuming places—like in the small town of Oxford in western Maine. is half taproom, half restaurant in a renovated 200-year-old barn that’s so quintessentially New England with its cabin-curated interior. Wood-fired pizza topped with fresh ingredients from the surrounding farmland pairs with the reviving farmhouse ales and fruited beers. Adjacent to this local hotspot is an extensive that loops for several miles around primitive hut, camping area, and Whitney Pond and the Little Androscoggin River. The trails are ideal for hiking, running, and walking the dog during the dry months, and when the trails are frosted with snow, the local nonprofit Portland Gear Hub rents out nordic skis, fat bikes, and snowshoes.

Hoodlebug Trail to Levity Beer and Noble Stein Brewing

Indiana, Pennsylvania

Even easy hikes deserve to be celebrated. The stretches for ten flat gravel miles from Indiana to Black Lick in Western Pennsylvania, over creeks, under tree canopies, and through wooded areas. Multiple access points at road crossings and parking lots allow you to begin and end your journey wherever you decide. A connector trail also links the 46-mile Ghost Town Trail near Saylor Park. In Indiana, order hoppy refreshments at , where you can sit around fire pits, listen to live music, or watch a friendly game of wiffle ball. Only a 20-minute walk to the north, has a robust menu of sours, ciders, lagers, and saisons. The two breweries have been known to collaborate on tasty brews.

Hunter Mountain to West Kill Brewing

West Kill, New York

Compared to out west, New York has a smaller percentage of public land. That’s what makes places like the Hunter-West Kill Wilderness so special. Right near , link up with the Hunter Mountain Trailhead for a strenuous climb about 2,000 feet to a fire tower. Keep following Diamond Notch Trail to Devil’s Path to Hunter Mountain Trail to reach the summit at 4,039 feet. Your reward at the bottom is a cold one on the 127-acre historic dairy farm, where breweries use foraged and locally-grown ingredients along with mountain water to brew beer. The Basil IPA has hints of strawberry and pine, while the Oyster Stout was brewed with, you guessed it, fresh Barnstable oysters.

Trapp Family Lodge to Von Trapp Brewing’s Bierhall

Stowe, Vermont

Paying homage to the Von Trapp family history and mountain resorts of Austria, the is a four-seasons, all-inclusive property for outdoor adventurers in Vermont’s Green Range (from $245). Visitors can either come for the day (requires a day pass) or book an extended stay in the suites and villas, and cater to people who love moving their bodies in the mountains. Spend your energy exploring that lead to summits and ridges. Snowshoe and cross-country ski in the fall and winter, mountain bike and hike in the spring and summer. A steep hike leads to the family-built chapel, and an educational tour leaves from the outdoor center. End the day hunkering down with a crisp and clean Austrian lager at Von Trapp Brewing’s Bierhall, a cozy lodge with high ceilings, wooden beams, and touches of Bavarian influences.

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