Hop to It: Visit These Waterfront Breweries
Most boating enthusiasts have enjoyed a trip or two where they witnessed an epic sunset and great views. But what if we told you there’s something better than boating with a beautiful backdrop? How about boating with a view and a brew at waterfront breweries?
We found four of America’s finest waterfront breweries. Find out what they are, where they’re located, if you can access them directly from the water, and what their specialty beers are.
Brews and Boats
Fun and boating go hand in hand. The joy of watersports, swimming, fishing, snorkeling, or even just hanging out in the sun with friends is a huge part of boating culture. For some, that may include imbibing, especially if one or two passengers enjoy craft beers.
Even though you know, we’re going to remind you of the crucial importance of being a sober driver on the water. Even “just a beer or two” can impact your decision-making and motor skills in such a way that can endanger lives. Don’t drink and operate your boat.
Ballast Point
Long Beach, California
Ballast Point Brewery has surprisingly humble origins. According to the official company bio, a loose-knit group of homebrew enthusiasts founded Ballast Point in 1992. They just wanted to share their passion for beer and swap brewing tips and recipes. By 2015, they were the 17th-largest brewery in the country. That same year, Constellation Brands purchased Ballast Point for $1 billion.
Today, Ballast Point’s Long Beach location harkens back to the old days. The wildly popular brewpub is located mere steps from Basin 1 in the marina in Alamitos Bay, and they have public docks that front the establishment. Patrons enjoy waterfront views of Catalina Island, Seal Beach, and Alamitos Bay.
It is a two-story space with a 600-person capacity, outdoor patios, indoor space with floor-to-ceiling glass, a rooftop deck, fire pits, and 60 or so beers on tap. Be sure to try their old-school Sculpin IPA or a lighter Speedboat Blonde with a touch of salt and lime.
Dockside Brewery
Milford, Connecticut
Let’s jump across the continent to a waterfront brewery with a decidedly East Coast vibe. Dockside Brewery in Milford runs 40 beer lines and features slips for boaters to roll right up to the entrance via the Housatonic River. They feature their own brews and lean on a variety of high alcohol-by-volume (ABV) India pale ales. Plus, they pour various lagers and something called Coco-Mocha Java Boat. It is a hearty oatmeal stout that sounds perfect for a chilly day.
Dockside Brewery features beautiful views of the river, a huge biergarten, an outdoor bar, a laid-back “Grassy Knoll” upstairs, and semi-private cabanas. Guests can enjoy a beach right on the water with capacity for 150 people, along with four other party spaces. And for the cold months, they have an indoor lodge with a massive fireplace. Speaking of fire, one of their featured foods is brick-oven New Haven-style pizza, a big hit in the area.
Prairie Street Brewing Co.
Rockford, Illinois
With all the rivers and lakes that criss-cross the U.S., let’s not forget the Midwest as a location for waterfront breweries. Prairie Street Brewery is a landmark destination on the Rock River in the heart of downtown Rockford. Its rich history dates back more than a century.
Check out the challenges the brewery has faced over the years:
- A fire.
- Not one but two owners died of tuberculosis.
- Prohibition and an aborted attempt to continue operating outside the law but finally shutting down the brewery part of their business until the amendment’s repeal.
Yet, Prairie Street is still thriving.
Prairie Street Brewing features an indoor restaurant, a full bar, an arcade, and an outdoor dining space that opens up onto a wide vista overlooking the water. A trio of docks makes up the brewery’s private yacht club. It includes 60 rentable slips and the only fuel on the Rock River within the city of Rockford. (Inquire here as to slip availability.) Six more event/dining spaces and a 2,800-square-foot outdoor dockside venue space that can seat up to 300 round out the facility.
In addition to their standard IPA, lager, stout, and blonde ales, the brewers offer a rotating set of intriguing specialty beers. Depending on when you go, expect to find a champagne beer, a hefeweizen, a double IPA, and various fruited sour ales.
Waterfront Brewery
Key West, Florida
Finally, let’s head south and visit one of the best-known waterfront breweries in the U.S., the Waterfront Brewery in Key West. This venerable institution has one of the choicest locations in all of Florida, with spectacular views overlooking the stunning vista of the Key West Bight. The place is huge and hugely popular among locals, vacationers, and cruise ship passengers alike. Be prepared to wait on busy weekend nights. (I must point out that nearly every other review of Waterfront had a complaint about being ignored and rude staff. Only you can decide if that is a fault or a feature.)
One thing is certain: They are running a massive operation here that’s constantly busy. And little wonder. They have those unbeatable views and dockside seating, an arcade, pool tables, big-screen TVs, and much more. A rooftop bar offers the best overlook of the bight.
You can take a brewery tour where you can sample a number of their great beers. Be sure to check out the ever-popular Crazy Lady Blonde, a high-ABV lager called the Kyoto Crisp, several varieties of standard IPAs, and TruMan, an imperial IPA that weighs in at a whopping 9.5 ABV.
Waterfront breweries and boating go together amazingly well, as long as you partake responsibly. You can find plenty of opportunities to take advantage of these waterfront suds all across the country.
Images are courtesy of the breweries.
Kurt Brighton
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