NOTE: In most cases, Brew Hiking is a social activity best enjoyed with good company. But sometimes travel and circumstances provide an opportunity that a dedicated brew hiker cannot resist. Veteran brew hiker Rick was recently faced with such an opportunity, and here he recounts his solo brew hike in Omaha.
I recently had a few hours to kill in Omaha, Nebraska on a beautiful spring afternoon and decided to embark on a three-brewery two-mile BrewHike, I was in Omaha on business a few days after the city being hit by some epic and record flooding, fortunately, the waters were receding, and the beer was still flowing. The route I chose began at my hotel, the downtown Omaha Marriott, highly recommended, and provided a scenic hike through the heart of Omaha.
From my hotel I ventured north past the CHI Health Center and TD Ameritrade Park, home to the NCAA World Series to reach my first stop; Zipline Brewing Co. located at 721 N. 14th Street. The location is actually a taproom for the craft artisan ales and lagers brewed with high quality precision in Lincoln, Nebraska. Zipline was born from their founders’ innate sense of adventure and their desire to connect with the thrill-seeking spirit in all craft beer fans. Accompanied by a sparse crowd for early afternoon day-drinkers, I sampled a flight of four; their Rye IPA, White IPA, Red Lager and American Triple. All worth the hike.
Upon departing Zipline I headed south back towards downtown and past Pioneer Courage Park billed as “the gateway into Omaha’s central business district is transformed into the gateway to the West with a one-of-a-kind tribute to the people who settled this great land. Pioneer Courage is a homage to the bravery, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit that defined the generation and left an indelible impact on the American character. This sculpture park is the largest installation of bronze and stainless-steel work of art in the United States and one of the two or three largest in the world.” Pretty cool! I continued through what remains of Gene Leahy Mall, the park was named after former Mayor Leahy in May 1992 and is in a sad state as all the trees had been cut down to make way for a sweeping $290 million renovation of Omaha’s downtown. I was on my way to Omaha’s Old Market where street musicians and artists offer entertainment as you wander in and out of the many boutiques and galleries that line the cobblestone streets.
My next destination was Brickway Brewery and Distillery at 1116 Jackson St. Brickway is billed as a “sophisticated yet untamed, extremely approachable, a gentleman rogue. It is someone everyone wants to be around. It holds the door open for the next person and smiles as they pass. It can hold a conversation in any crowd. It is everyone’s favorite host for the evening.” Okay. Being a distillery and a brewery, they had a lot of high-power brews on tap, being only my second destination, I shied away from the 17% ABV Epic Blackout Stout, most likely aptly named, and chose a delightful Pilsner to accompany my complimentary hot pretzel – nice touch!
Next up on the trail was Upstream Brewing Company at 514 S 11th St. (Actually, it’s just a stone’s throw from Brickway). Billed as “Omaha’s original brewpub, they’ve been making visitors feel like locals and locals feel like another round since 1996. I popular restaurant I decided to finish my hike with a delicious grilled New York Strip steak, it was Omaha after all, and a flight of their Firehouse Red Lager, Capitol Premium Pale Ale, O! Gold Light Beer and American Wheat.
Overall a great BrewHike that can be accomplished in a few hours with great sights, safe walking (all on sidewalks) and plenty of good beer. I chose these three breweries because I was short on time, if you have more Omaha has quite the craft brewing scene, with over ten breweries located within ten miles of the city center making the choice of longer, more adventurous BrewHikes numerous.
1.0 miles to
446 feet to
View all of Rick’s photos from his Omaha brew hike on Facebook.