The Top 5 Breweries With The Best View

I’ve been lucky enough to visit some of the coolest breweries and taprooms from coast to coast, and while I’ve always given thought to who has the best beer, I’ve never thought about who has the best view. After all, beer is a very social drink, and what better way to spur conversation than to have an amazing view to go with some amazing beer?

I’ve decided to stick to breweries and taprooms and leave bars out of the competition. This is pretty arbitrary, but with so many bars out there, it would be hard to pick just five. As far as the criteria, I think the view is most important, but with many breweries having seasonal seating, I’ve decided that the view doesn’t necessarily have to be year-round or exclusively outdoors. If the brewery has a great view, then it’s included, even if you can’t sit outside and see the view year-round.

My choices aren’t in any order since they are all amazing places with amazing beers and amazing views. These are my top five breweries with a view:

Zion Canyon Brew Pub (Springdale, Utah):

If you look at the featured photo above for this article and you don’t find yourself wanting to sit down and enjoy a beer there, then it may be time to visit the eye doctor. Located just north of Springdale, Utah, the Zion Canyon Brew Pub taproom is located not only within walking distance of several hotels as well as the Zion National Park campground, but it’s also just a few steps from the Zion National Park Visitor’s Center and the shuttle stop for the Zion National Park shuttle. There’s also a town shuttle from the town of Springdale to deliver you to and from the brewery, so you don’t have to drive.

We were lucky enough to stay just steps away at the Cable Mountain Lodge on our visit, so we not only enjoyed their beer, but we also had dinner there several nights, and it was tasty and vegetarian-friendly. As you can see, the view from Zion Canyon Brew Pub features The Watchman, which towers over the pub and lights up every evening at sunset.

My Favorite Beer: Ascender Hefeweizen. Perfect after a day of hiking Angel’s Landing.

Pelican Brewing (Pacific City, Oregon):

I probably don’t need to say much here except, “Look at the picture!” Pelican Brewing has several facilities located along the Oregon coast, but you can’t beat the scenery and views from the Pacific City location. Located right on Pacific City Beach, the brewery and pub have a great selection of beer on tap, and we loved the food as well.

I ordered a beer and stared at Haystack Rock for over an hour. This 327-foot-tall rock dominates the view, and it is actually the largest of three rocks at Cape Kiwanda. This is a great place to enjoy a beer.

My Favorite Beer: Beak Breaker DIPA

Von Trapp Brewery (Stowe, Vermont):

The Von Trapp Brewery in Stowe, Vermont, has some of the best four-season views I’ve encountered. Located on the hill just northwest of Stowe, Vermont, the brewery has a lager-heavy selection of beer, and yes, the brewery was founded by the very family featured in the movie The Sound of Music. On our visit, the vegetarian choices weren’t great, so we had a few beers and just enjoyed the views in every direction. With views of Mount Mansfield (The tallest mountain in Vermont) and Smugglers Notch, this brewery has some incredible sights to see.

I should also mention that if you need a hoppier selection of beers, The Alchemist Brewery is just a five-minute drive away.

My Favorite Beer: Radler Trail Bier

Ballast Point Brewing (Long Beach, California):

You have to see Ballast Point Brewing to believe it, and when you do visit, you’ll want to come back again and again. Ballast Point has some of the best ocean and bay views, and it doesn’t hurt that the beer and food are amazing. We found the parking a bit challenging on the weekend day we were there, but this is a small price to pay for a great view and some great beer.

My Favorite Beer: Grapefruit Sculpin

Half Moon Bay Brewing (Half Moon Bay, California):

The views from Half Moon Bay Brewing are hard to beat, and it helps that the surrounding town is a really fun place to visit as well. The beer selection was really diverse when we were there, and the food, while a bit seafood-heavy, was really good; and the staff were really knowledgeable about the beer they were serving.

Favorite Beer: Peach Mango Blonde

Honorable Mentions:

I’ve been to some amazing breweries, and while many have great views, great beer, and great food, some don’t quite have a view without driving a bit away from town. In any case, we loved these breweries, so I wanted to include them as honorable mentions: New Belgium Brewing (Asheville, NC) – Sierra Nevada Brewing (Mills River, NC) – Moab Brewing (Moab, UT) – Maine Beer (Freeport, ME), The Alchemist (Stowe, VT) – Grand Teton Brewing (Victor, ID), Stone Brewing (Escondido, CA) – Jester King (Austin, TX) – Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Waitsfield, VT) & Tree House (Sandwich, MA).

Agree or disagree…let us know in the comments…