My wife and I do a lot of beer-centric travel. I have long wished for a map of breweries that focused on brewing traditional British and European beers (one might say, non-American) in North America. Has anyone ever found one? Could AHA, or maybe our friends at BA, produce a map of breweries with filters that would allow such a search?
That would be pretty sweet. We’re lucky here in the Santa Cruz area with Steel Bonnet and Balefire. They both have well crafted English ales on tap, with occasional cask conditioned beers. They both make nice German lagers as well.
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Don’t know about any particular lists, but here in New England we have two very good European lager centric breweries. Notch here in Mass with their German/Czech beers, locations in Salem (north of Boston) and Brighton (western part of Boston); and my fave Schilling in Littleton NH. They make amazing Czech/German lagers and also put out some great Belgian beers. Their location is beautiful, right on a river up in the White Mountains and their center of town is quinessential 1950’s New England like.
A few others are Sacred Profane in Biddelford, ME and with a taproom in Portland, ME. They basically make only two beers, a pale Czech lager and a Dark Czech lager. Or you can get a blend. They are very good too. Fox Farm in CT is another beautiful spot, they do mostly lagers but do have a few other styles and currently have English Pale and Dark Milds on cask, not sure if they always have English beers though.
As for British beers, I am really drawing a blank on any breweries in New England that are focused on British beers, sure plenty of spots have one or two at times. Portland, ME has the most breweries in one particular city in New England and I am racking my brain on any that British styles last time my friends and I did a weekend hitting a lot of the places. Geary Brewing in Portland, but I don’t think their beers are very good. Oh just found Backbeat Brewing in Beverly, MA, currently 4 cask British beers on tap.
If you really like British styles, plan a trip to New England next March. Here in Mass every year there is a beer festival called NERAX (New England Real Ale eXhibition), Usually 35-50 different cask ales and ciders to try. https://www.nerax.org/
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Good to know. I hope I get out that way some time. Thanks! 
A wonderful list. Thanks!
I am up in Maine just a bit past Ellsworth. Airline Brewing in Ellsworth and Amherst and they focus on English ale and have English pub food in Ellsworth along with four cask ales.
I too am a fan of Notch in Salem. I do appreciate all the suggestions.
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Trapp brewery in Stowe Vermont has traditional German/Austrian beers in their own beer hall. I live not far away but have not visited. I hear good things.
Queen City brewery in Burlington Vermont does traditional styles very very well.
Though not “traditional” for all their brews, Hill Farmstead has stunning beers in a stunning location. Not all are IPAs there.
I have visited and enjoyed all three of these breweries. I do in fact often enjoy aged sours and Hill Farmstead produces some great ones. Thank you for your excellent suggestions!
I suppose any one of us could write all these great suggestions down but that would do the community no good. If AHA recorded and shared such a list (or a map with the same data) that would be brilliant and a boon to all lovers of traditional brewing!
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We have a camp up in Northern Maine (end of I 95) and always try to stop at Sacred Profane. Great beer and nice people. I get a kick out of their “taster” which is a full glass of foam. And their dispensing setup is awesome.
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Sounds like I need to check it out.
I want a new saying for brewers brewers to sit beside “Don’t fear the foam”, “Don’t waste the foam!” 
and “Bury your nose in the foam!”
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Here in Denver we have a few.
Hogshead focuses on British beers and cask service. They are probably my favorite brewery in town.
Pints Pub is a British brewpub near downtown. Has that English pub feel and an incredible range of whisk(e)y. Food is great. The beer is always full of diacetyl.
Bierstadt focuses on German styles. They get a lot of hype although I’m hit or miss on their beers. I am in a small minority about that.
Prost also focuses on German styles. They used to get a lot of criticism for variable quality but I’ve never had a bad beer from them.
Cohesion exclusively brews Czech lagers. Fantastic beers. Sleek taproom although it is in the shadow of a Purina factory so it often smells like cat food outside the brewery. If you’ve ever driven into Denver from the airport, you’ve seen and probably smelled the factory from the freeway.
Bruz has a couple locations and focuses on Belgian beer styles. They cover the whole range of Belgian styles. Pretty good although like most American breweries, their Trappist styles are too heavily bodied. They make a stellar campagne-style beer like Deus which has the right body so not sure why they miss the mark on those Trappist styles.
To OP’s question about a map, it would be a great option but I would worry that every brewery that pumps out some lagers or an English beer (which is most these days) would want to get themselves included on the list.
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Denver is such a great beer city and that is quite a list. Thanks!
I know what you mean about the map. It would have to be limited to breweries that focus on traditional old world styles and would have to be carefully reviewed and policed.
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I’ve tried a few of those during my travels to Denver over the years. I can heartily endorse Hogshead and Cohesion as my two very favorite “traditional style” breweries in Denver. Bierstadt is also quite good (and they have nailed presentation with the Slow Pour Pils); I’m so-so on Prost, but they are worth a try for anyone who likes German-style beers.
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Backbeat Brewing in Beverly, MA always has several british cask ales pouring. Gentile Brewing, just up the street, usually has a british cask ale on as well. Both are conveniently located across from the commuter rail station.
I’ll second Notch in Salem and their German, Czech, and other eastern European styles, and food.
I’ll also second Schilling in Littleton, NH for german beer.
I’ve not been in a few years, but Canterbury Aleworks in Canterbury, NH is/was a funky little place with traditional beers.
Earth Eagle in Portsmouth, NH did gruits and other lesser known styles for many years. A bit less so know, but still make interesting beers.
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How could I forget Allagash in Portland, ME. The first belgian style brewery in New England. Mostly known for Allagash White - a quintessential NE summer/seafood beer - they do make other belgian beers.
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Bayern Brewing in Missoula, Montana brews only German beer. It’s brew masters, 2 since they opened in 1987. have been native Germans. Besides great beer, they also have a restaurant that serves German food.
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Royal Bavaria south of Oklahoma City is a brewery/restaurant that specializes in traditional German beers. Their food is really good, too.
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Still kicking myself for not knowing about Bierstadt when I was in Denver, in 2017, on a free trip to GABF that I won after winning a local brewery’s comp here in Mass. Trying to convince by buddies that we need a guy’s trip to Denver in order to go there…but it’s not a cheap trip.
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Bierstadt is widely available these days in cans around Denver. If you’re looking to get these beers I could help swap a box of beers.
Denver travel isn’t cheap for sure but it’s a lot more expensive during the touristy parts of the year which is all of ski season, the fall for driving into the mountains to see fall colors and around any of the holidays. Early and late summer seem to be the cheapest flights IME.
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