On Tap: A Field Guide to North American Brewpubs and Craft Breweries, Including Restaurant Breweries, Cottage Breweries, and Brewery Inns

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have for the Traveling Beer Fan
Review: This book is exactly the right thing to have if you travel and often find yourself looking for the best local brewpub. Sure, you'll eventually find out where the brewpubs are, and there's nothing like trial and error for determining which ones are the best. But if you're only going to be in town for a few days or a couple of weeks, your dining time might be better spent at only the best brew pub in town.

I've used this book now in something like ten North American cities and have found it to be immensely helpful, providing directions as well as an indication of what the place is like, what hours and foods to expect, and of course, what the beer's like.

The only problem is that with North America's still rapid (though no longer explosive) growth in microbreweries, a book like this one needs to be up dated every couple of years. At six years old, this one is beginning to grow a bit obsolete. It's still worth owning (and traveling with), though--especially since there don't seem to be any real competitors.