Thwarted!

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

How do you handle being thwarted?  Susan and I Do Not Like it when we have a set idea of how things will go and then are prevented from executing them.  While we do enjoy being lackadaisical with our planning, when we do have plans, we like to stick to them!

We were having a very nice visit to Prescott- one of our favorite destinations when we lived in Phoenix.  We had become accustomed to going to Granite Mountain Brewing. As we walked up the doors, we encountered: A) a crowd and B) loud bagpipe music.  We have no real aversion to bagpipe music, but we don’t like crowds and we don’t like anything loud. We peeked through the windows and decided we were definitely not going there.

Well what now?!?  We had our laptops, we were going to settle in for the afternoon for one of our work dates.  Thwarted, we hit the pavement and wandered somewhat aimlessly. We didn’t know the town well enough to have a backup place we liked.  We began wandering vaguely in the direction of another brewery we disliked but were willing to try again. And then we stumbled on Rickety Cricket Brewing!

Rickety Cricket was quiet, comfortable, had a good lineup, and had food!  A great place to settle in and do some work. We were so happy that, even having been thwarted, we were able to carry out our plans nonetheless.

When we travel, if we have a plan, we try to have a backup plan.  If we don’t have a backup plan, we can get thwarted and then get frustrated.  So we have learned to make backup plans and sometimes have backups to our backup plans.  This way, even if we’re thwarted, we still have a plan we can hang on to!

How to Plan your First Alcohol Tourism Trip

Okay, so you think you may want to try this out.  You like wine, or beer, or spirits, and you are interested in going to the source.  It’s a terrific way to travel. It helps you see the sights, meet the locals, and can serve as a focal point for an otherwise meandering journey.  So, you’ve decided to make an adventure. We are here to help. Let’s break down the essential elements of a successful first alcohol tourism trip.

1) Where to go.  This is surprisingly easy, although the staggering amount of offerings can cause a decision paralysis.  For your first trip, I would strongly advise a relatively simple journey nearby.  Almost anywhere you live in the U. S., there is a nice winery, brewery, or distillery within no more than two hours.  If there is a known cluster of these nearby, head that way. Otherwise, even a single locale can start you on your path to adventure!

2) When to go.  Again, this is hopefully simple- choose a weekend or, if it’s a bit far to drive, a long weekend.  We routinely go to Asheville, a 3 hour drive from Athens, for a weekend. Just identify a free weekend and GO!

3) What do do.  Alcohol tourism isn’t about just drinking alcohol.  You can do that at home, for a lot less money. Alcohol tourism is about finding new experiences, going to the source, and finding out about those who craft your favorite drinks.  We enjoy talking to proprietors about their craft and trying out what they make. We enjoy being analytical and comparing what we try with what we expect. Go out and try a bunch of different drinks!

At the end of the day, we recommend making your first alcohol tourism adventure nearby, simple, and interesting.  You don’t need to go somewhere like Asheville- even somewhere with a single brewpub or winery can be a fun adventure.  The important thing is to first get out your door.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

How to Identify Alcohol Tourism Locales

So you want to go on an adventure focused on breweries, wineries, and/or distilleries, but you’re not sure where to go.  How do you decide on your destinations, and how do you find them in the first place? Here are some recommendations to help you get started.

1) This blog.  We have reviewed many destinations, found under the ‘locations’ category.  Check them out and decide if they fit what you are looking for. Our favorite destination is Asheville, NC- if you can get there, go.

2) Google Maps.  This is what we use predominantly.  We find a place which seems fun and interesting for various reasons- such as Tombstone, AZ- and then try to find fun alcohol-oriented destinations near it.  You can try searching “winery”, “brewery”, “brewpub”, and “distillery”. Realize that Google Maps is sometimes not very ‘smart’, and will display liquor stores or general bars when you do these sorts of searches.  Check out the individual entries to see if they actually make an alcohol product on premises.

3) Local business publications.  If you find yourself somewhere interesting, the local business marketing and publications may have some locales for you to check out.  Be aware, though, that these may be touristy and not particularly authentic.

4) Word of mouth.  Talk to your friends- maybe they have been somewhere interesting and they would like to share it with you!  We got a personal recommendation to go to Julian, CA- which we would have never thought to visit- and it was terrific.  You can always ask friends, “Is there anywhere fun to go nearby?” or, if you are going somewhere specific, “Do you have any recommendations for This Location?”

You can either look specifically to go on an alcohol tourism adventure or, if you are already going somewhere, identify places which may be fun to get and check out.  What strategies do you use when identifying great places to visit?