A new year brings about reviews of the past year, so of course we’ve got our top 5 of 2023. Top five of what you ask? Top 5 craft breweries, of course. But also top 5 mountain biking trails, camping spots, paddleboard sites, and beer events.
And if that isn’t enough, we’ve also got the top 5 stout life stories and podcasts from 2023 as measured by how much love you all gave these stories.
Plan Your Adventures for 2024
We plan our life around adventures, so choosing the top 5 craft breweries and more is really to give you a place to start to choose your own adventures. We have many more breweries, trails, and more that we love, too.
So, if you need recommendations on what to do and where to go and can’t find it on our site, give us a holler, we’d love to help you plan your 2024 adventures.
We visited them for you first; now you just have to show up.
2023 Top 5
Craft Breweries
- Roses by the Stairs Brewing – Phoenix, AZ
- Fait la Force Brewing (shown) – Nashville, TN
- OddStory Brewing Co – Chattanooga, TN
- Crooked Tooth Brewing Co – Tucson, AZ
- Lucky Envelope Brewing – Seattle, WA
Medellín Craft Breweries
We spent a month in Medellín, Colombia, in 2023, exploring the adventures and the craft beer scene and found many great breweries, there, too. If you want to experience Medellín breweries, check out our Medellín Craft Brewery Guide along with tips and tricks to get to and enjoy Medellín.
More Breweries to Visit in 2024:
- Superior Bathhouse Brewery – Hot Springs, AR (Superior is the Opening Night Social Sponsor for Camp Carpe Diem May 16 – 20, 2024.)
- Woods Boss Brewing Co – Denver, CO (Cottonwood Institute Beer Release Party and Fundraiser is here June 20, 2024. Stay tuned for more info.)
- Breweries in Baja – We’re here all of February 2024 – Come see us!
- Breweries in Germany and Belgium – If you’re interested in traveling with us this summer and fall, send us an email.
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2023 Top 5
MTB Trails
- Sedona and Cottonwood, AZ (shown – We’ll be there for the Sedona MTB Fest, Mar 8-10, 2024)
- Gold Canyon – Phoenix, AZ
- Jackson Hole Bike Park – Jackson Hole, WY
- Spencer Mountain – Whitefish, MT
- Catalina State Park/50 Year – Tucson, AZ
More Trails to Ride in 2024:
- Northwoods Trails in Hot Springs, AR (We’ll be there for Camp Carpe Diem. Will you?)
- Bentonville Trails in Bentonville, AR (We’ll be in Bentonville for the Bentonville Bike Fest May 23 – 26, 2024!)
Where do we find our trails? Other than recommended rides, Trailforks is our go to app. And when we find them and match them up with nearby breweries, we put them on our map. To find breweries and trails close together, head on over to the beer and biking map.
2023 Top 5
Other Adventures
- Paddling rivers: Upper North Fork Payette River in McCall, ID; Clark Fork in Missoula, MT; and Teton River in Victor/Driggs, ID
- SUP Senator Wash – Yuma, AZ (Bonus: you can camp right at Senator Wash North Shore)
- SUP Palisades Reservoir – Alpine, WY (Bonus: you can camp right on the water and right next to Melvin Brewing)
- Hiking at Avalanche Lake, Iceberg Lake (shown), and Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, MT
- Snowboarding at Mt. Lemmon in Tucson, AZ
More Places to Explore in 2024:
- Hot Springs, AR, for off-roading and paddling (Camp Carpe Diem’s base camp is at an off-road park this year. Something to think about!)
- Anywhere in Baja for paddling especially Playas La Gringa, Santispac, and Coco (all found on iOverlander)
- Mazatlán is a fun city to explore with the world’s largest Malecon (beach walk), several craft breweries, and gorgeous coastlines. We’ll be there in 2024!
- Belgium and Germany are sure to offer us up many adventures. If you’re interested in traveling with us, send us an email.
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2023 Top 5
Camp Spots
- Senator Wash at Imperial Dam LTVA – Yuma, AZ (great for paddling Senator Wash)
- Gold Canyon Dispersed Camping – Phoenix, AZ (bike trails right outside your door)
- Big Eddy-Rainey Campground – Victor/Driggs, ID (great for paddling the Teton River)
- Toppings Lake Dispersed Campsites (shown) – Moose, WY (easy access to Teton National Park)
- Melvin Brewing – Alpine, WY (a Harvest Hosts right next to BLM and Palisades Reservoir)
More Places to Camp in 2024:
- Hot Springs Off-Road Park in Hot Springs, AR (We are hosting the 4th annual Camp Carpe Diem here. You should join us!
- So many places in Baja (We’re still here in February 2024! If you need some resources, reach out and we’ll tell you where to go. Updated travel guides coming soon.)
- Raspberry Gulch Dispersed Camping in Salida, CO. (We may be heading back there for a bit early this summer. Come camp with us.)
- The previously known as Forest Road 525 camping area is still one of the coolest places to camp in Sedona, and we’ll be there in March for the Sedona MTB Fest.
Wondering how we find our camp sites? We use many apps and recommendations from others, but our top two apps are Campendium and iOverlander (iOverlander is especially helpful in Baja), both of which are free to download and use.
2023 Top 5
Fun Events
- Camp Carpe Diem (shown) – Kalispell, MT (Join us 2024 in Hot Springs, AR. Click here to get your tickets.)
- Craft Brewers Conference – Nashville, TN (We’ll be at CBC in Vegas April 21-24, 2024, helping out at Malteurop Malting Co’s booth.)
- Colorado Collab Fest – Denver, CO (Join us March 30, 2024. Click here to get your tickets!)
- Fresh Hop Ale Festival – Yakima, WA
- Sedona MTB Festival – Sedona, AZ (We’re volunteering in 2024. Get your tickets here.)
More Events to Experience in 2024:
- Bentonville Bike Fest – Bentonville, AR (Timed perfectly. Sign up for CCD and then come play at the Bike Fest with us, too!)
- Great American Beer Festival – Denver, CO (We might just make it back in time to hit up GABF in 2024. We’d love to see your smiling faces October 10-12, 2024! Get your ticket here.)
- Munich Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany (Bucket list item about to be crossed off Sept 21 – Oct 6, 2024. Maybe you should come with us!)
- Cottonwood Institute Beer Release Party – Denver, CO (If you’re in Denver, we’d better see you on June 20, 2024. More details coming soon.)
PRO TIP: Subscribe to the Stout Life newsletter, so you don’t miss out!
2023 Top 5
Beer & Travel Guides
2024 New Beer & Travel Guides to Look Forward to:
- Baja guides
- Oktoberfest in Germany
- Germany guides
- Belgium guides
- Phoenix Quick Sips
- Michigan craft beer guides
- Fort Collins craft beer guide
- Vegas Quick Sips
- Arkansas craft beer guides
- And more!
PRO TIP: Subscribe to the Stout Life newsletter, so you don’t miss out!
2023 Top 5
Podcast Episodes
2024 Podcast Episodes to Look Forward to:
- Mulege Brewing Co and more Baja breweries
- Baja travel podcast episodes
- Germany brewery stories
- Belgium brewery stories
- European travel guides
- Additional brewery interviews everywhere we travel
- And More!
PRO TIP: Subscribe to the Stout Life newsletter, so you don’t miss out!
Words of Wisdom for 2024
“Say yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards.” (Tina Fey)
What type of travel are you comfortable with? Now go a small step above and beyond that comfort. Not only will you experience a new perspective, but you’ll also train your brain to start becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. From that, comes insight, wisdom, education, and an entirely different way of looking at travel.
That’s why you’ll start to see expanded beer and travel guides here on Living a Stout Life. Guides to Medellín and Baja, for example. Guides to Germany, Belgium, and more. There’s a lot to experience on this gorgeous planet we call home, and we want to bring as much of it to you as we can.
When it’s time for you to get out there, look to us for your craft beer travel and adventure guides. Step out of what makes you comfortable.
Say yes!
