Best of the breweries

A big portion of my trip through the West was to visit some of the best breweries not only in the country but the world. Here are the best:

10. Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, Mont.
A shed near an airport never produced stuff that tastes this good. Big Sky is known for its Moose Drool brown ale, but they have more adventurous stuff on tap. The brewery skews nice on the inside with lots of swag for sale.

9. Kettlehouse, Missoula
Big Sky gets all the Missoula props,, but Kettlehouse makes better beers. Cold Smoke Scotch ale is their top-seller, but their IPA is darn good. The brewery is a dump -- basically a loading bay. It's usually packed with University of Montana students. Cool atmosphere.

8. Stone, Escondido, Calif.
This is by far the nicest brewery I've ever visited. It's in a huge pristine building. It has a swank restaurant. It even has its own hiking trail that surrounds a beautiful outdoor beer garden.There's a free tour with free tastings. I like some of their beers -- Double Bastard is awesome -- but most don't do a whole lot for me, which is why Stone doesn't rank higher.

7. Avery, Boulder, Colo.
I've been there three times, and it never gets old. They make some awesomely over-the-top beers. Maharaja Imperial IPA is amazing. The Beast is darn good, too. It's all available at the taphouse for $1-4 for small tasters. They offer a free tour but no free booze. The guys there are cool, as are the fellow drinkers.

6. Oskar Blues, Lyons, Colo.
In between Boulder and Estes Park is Oskar Blues. Their known for two things: a great Imperial Stout called Ten FIDY and for being one of the first craft breweries to can their beer. But it's also a very fun place to drink. I had an unfiltered IPA called Gubna that was a really interesting beer. Plus, the ladies tending bar are really cute.

5. North Coast, Fort Bragg, Calif.
As if making the amazing Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout wasn't enough, the brewery sits right along the rugged Northern California Coast. The English-style bar features all the North Coast favorites and a few experimental beers. The brewery is being renovated and wasn't open for a tour, which is a bummer.

4. Ninkasi, Eugene, Ore.
This is one of the top up-and-coming breweries in America (probably behind only The Bruery in the LA area, which I unfortunately didn't get to visit.) Ninkasi makes some really good beers, highlighted by the double IPA Tricerahops. The tasting room has a modern, bright feel. Plus it's close to the Pizza Research Institute, which is a very good thing.

3. Lost Abbey/Port Brewing, San Marcos, Calif.
The atmosphere is awesome in this one brewery that houses two brands. The tasting room is in the loading bay of the brewery. The chairs are kegs topped with bags of sugar. (The resident cat Amarillo is pictured above sitting on one.) The beers are incredible. The Lost Abbey beers are some of the best Belgian styles made in America. The Port beers are hoppy San Diego classics. I was the only visitor there one afternoon and ended up drinking Duck Duck Gooze with head brewer Tomme Arthur at the bar.

2. Russian River, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Best beer. Period. Pliny the Elder. All the world-class sours. When it comes to beer it can't be beat. And the vegetarian sandwich with big hunks of mozzarella and roasted red peppers didn't hurt things either. But Russian River lacks atmosphere. It's just a brewpub with no public tour. That kind of stinks, and it doesn't match up with its reputation. That said, the beer stands on its own. It's worth the trip just for the sips.

1. Diamond Knot, Mukilteo, Wash.
Four words: This place kicks ass. The brewpub sits on the Puget Sound. Just feet away, ferries shuttle cars to and from Whidby Island. A blond little person is the featured waitress. I wanted to be the heavily bearded bartender. Patrons crunch peanuts and toss the shells on the floor. And -- not to be ignored -- the beer is amazing. The IPA is one of my favorites ever. I could hang out in this place all day everyday.