A craft beer trip to the US West Coast

Why the West Coast

The US West Coast was one of the cradles of American craft brewing. It gave the world the West Coast IPA: a pale, dry, clear and very bitter beer, built to show off American hops with citrus, pine and resin aromas. The region still has some of the highest concentrations of breweries in the country.

It is also close to the hops. Washington's Yakima Valley and Oregon's Willamette Valley are major hop-growing regions. Hop harvest runs from late August into September, a good time for fresh hop beers made with undried hops.

Pick two or three bases

The coast is long, so do not try to cover it all. Pick two or three cities and give each a few days:

• San Diego: famous for West Coast IPA and many breweries across the county.
• San Francisco Bay Area: a long brewing history with easy day trips north into wine and beer country.
• Portland, Oregon: a dense city of brewpubs, good for walking and public transport.
• Seattle: close to Washington's hop country and a good base for a harvest trip.

Flights between these cities are short. Trains run along the coast too, though slowly.

A sample week

One week could look like this:

• Days one to three: San Diego. One or two breweries a day, with flights rather than full pints.
• Day four: fly north to Portland.
• Days five and six: Portland brewpubs on foot and by tram, with a day trip into the Willamette Valley if the timing suits.
• Day seven: a quiet morning, a bottle shop for cans and the flight home.

Keep it to two or three breweries in a day. Taste buds tire quickly on bitter beer. Our guide to palate fatigue explains why fewer, slower tastings teach you more.

How taprooms work

American taprooms are relaxed. You often order at the bar, pay by card and sit where you like. Many breweries offer tasting flights of four to six small pours, which is the best way to try a range. Our guide to why craft beer costs more explains some of the economics you will see on the menu.

Pour sizes vary. A US pint is 16 fluid ounces, about 473 ml, smaller than a British pint. Strong beers often come in smaller glasses. Many taprooms also sell cans to take away, often packaged within days.

Tipping, ID and the drinking age

• The legal drinking age is 21 across the US. Carry your passport; bars check ID even for people who look much older.
• Tipping is expected. Bartenders and servers rely on tips. Many people leave a dollar or two per drink at the bar, or a percentage of the bill at a table.
• Prices on menus usually exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.

Card payment is everywhere, but check whether your Indian card charges foreign transaction fees.

Getting around safely

American cities are spread out and public transport varies a lot. Portland and San Francisco are fairly easy without a car. San Diego and the wider Bay Area are harder. Ride-hailing apps are widely used. Several cities have brewery tour operators who drive groups between taprooms.

Do not drive between breweries. US drink-driving laws are strict and the penalties are serious. Plan your rides before you start.

Fresh hops taste nothing like shop hops

The great lesson of a West Coast trip is how hop aroma tastes when it is truly fresh. A West Coast IPA a few days old, kept cold, shows bright citrus, pine and tropical fruit. The same beer after weeks in a warm shop tastes of caramel and dull paper.

Taste a flight from light to strong, pale to dark. Note the hop aroma, the bitterness and how dry the beer finishes. Compare two IPAs from different breweries side by side. Our guide to the Teku glass explains why many craft bars choose a stemmed tulip for this.

Cans are lighter and safer to pack than bottles. Check your airline's baggage rules and India's customs allowances before you buy a case. Hoppy beers fade fast, so drink the IPAs first when you get home and keep stronger, darker beers for later.

Turn a trip into training

A West Coast trip is a crash course in hop character. You will taste dozens of IPAs. Without a way to describe them, they blur into "hoppy". Learning to name the difference between citrus, pine, resin, stone fruit and tropical aromas makes the trip far more valuable.

Your first step: choose your two or three cities and check whether any of your travel dates fall in late August or September, when fresh hop beers appear.

Common questions

What is a West Coast IPA?

A pale, dry, clear and very bitter IPA that shows off American hops with citrus, pine and resin aromas.

What is the drinking age in the US?

The legal drinking age is 21 across the US. Carry your passport because bars check ID.

When is hop harvest on the US West Coast?

Hop harvest in Washington and Oregon usually runs from late August into September, when fresh hop beers appear.