Airport Beer Gets an Upgrade
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I was faced with a four-hour layover in Los Angeles. Ugh. The prospect of spending that much time in a noisy terminal was enough to drive me to drink. Literally. As the plane made its final approach into LAX, I pondered taking a cab to Redondo Beach Brewing Company, a nearby brewpub I'd visited before.
But a pleasant surprise awaited when I entered the terminal: Redondo Beach Brewing had come to the airport. The beer was better than ever; the seasonal selection, an amber ale, exploded with malt and hops. Suddenly my biggest problem became what to have for a second pint (I opted for the Rat Beach Red Ale), and whether I should order something from Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom next door.
Airports have gotten a reputation--and deservedly so--as bad places to eat and drink. Lately, though, they've begun to straighten up and fly right. Most airports are upgrading both the quality and variety of their food. And in doing so, they're putting out the welcome mat for local brewers.
The trend started in 1993, when Host Marriott Services, the nation's biggest airport concessionaire, invited Samuel Adams Brewing Company to bring its beer to Boston's Logan International Airport. Today, pubs serving craft beers can be found in airports throughout the United States.
With 13 airport pubs, Samuel Adams is far and away the leader. In addition to Boston, Sam Adams Brewhouses can be found in Atlanta, Hartford-Springfield, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York (LaGuardia), Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. (both airports). Sam Adams has even invaded enemy territory; there's a pub in Anheuser-Busch's home town of St. Louis.
Not to nitpick, but airport pubs aren't brewpubs per se; the beer isn't brewed on the premises. Furthermore, most airport pubs are managed and operated by concessionaires; the brewers only supply the beer.
But there is one notable exception: Orlando International Airport, where Shipyard Brewing Company actually built a brewery inside the main terminal. Even though Shipyard is based in Portland, Maine, its management spotted some unused space in Orlando, and saw it as an opportunity to set up shop there. Shipyard beers are also available at airport pubs in Boston, Jacksonville, and Portland.
Good airport beer has a way of turning up in unexpected places. Salt Lake City isn't known as a beer mecca, but its airport is home to two pubs: Squatter's, which serves beer from Salt Lake's oldest brewpub; and Wasatch Brew Pub, where the products of from Park City's Schirf Brewing Company are on tap.
Some of the smaller airports are good places to sample local products. For example, Ohio's Port Columbus airport has a pub where you can enjoy beer from the Columbus Brewing Company. And if you've never tasted beer from Gordon Biersch Brewery, San Jose International Airport has a pub where you can give it a try. Other beer oases inside major airports include these:
>More pubs are on the drawing board, and traditional airport bars are adding beers from smaller, regional brewers. For the latest information, check out the "Beer in Airports" section of Richard Steuven's Beer Me! website. In addition, many airports' official websites have maps showing where their pubs are.
It's anyone's guess whether air travel will remain a headache next year, but one thing is certain. It will be easier then ever for business and leisure passengers alike to become Beer Travellers...at least for a little while.