André Balazs’ Standard Hotel rises high into the sky above Manhattan’s popular High Line park and its trendy Meatpacking District. The only thing better looking than the exceptional views of the West Side from the full story windows is the hip clientele who frequent the joint. The best beer-drinking action takes place at street level where the 4,000 square-foot Standard Biergarten features steins of Bitburger, Köstritzer and Licher along with a full bar and creations from chef Kurt Gutenbrunner’s kitchen. (Pretzels. Mmm, pretzels.) THE BEER CONCIERGE SAYS: Chelsea Brewing, Manhattan’s largest microbrewery, is just a short walk north. Stop in for a Checker Cab Blonde Ale or sip a Sunset Red Ale while watching the sun set over the Hudson River.

Opened in 1892, the Flatiron-style Brown Palace was a luxurious oasis that housed barons and fortune-seekers flocking to the West’s mineral-rich mines. Today, it’s a grandiose launching point for mining the city’s rich beer culture. But first, hit the hotel’s own Ship Tavern for hand-pulled pints; the hotel partners with Wynkoop Brewing to offer fresh casks of St. Charles ESB and Palace Grey IPA (brewed with the Brown’s own Palace Grey Tea). On weekends, hoist your pint in sing-a-long fashion as long-time piano man John Kite tickles the ivories at the end of the bar. THE BEER CONCIERGE SAYS: Walk north to Jagged Mountain, Denver’s latest new brewery. Walk a few steps further and you’ll hit the iconic Falling Rock Taphouse, and breweries like the SandLot at Coors Field, Great Divide and River North. Circle back via Freshcraft for a pint paired with a plate of oh-so-addictive Garlic Chili Chicken Wings.

There’s probably more to Portland than bikes and beer. But when one city does two things so impeccably, it’s hard to shake them, and the Midcentury-meets-log-cabin Jupiter Hotel doesn’t even try. Instead, the 81-room inn rents you a bike and sends you off with a copy of Portland beer/bike Bible “Hop in the Saddle” to explore institutions like Laurelwood Public House and bar-bottleshop Saraveza. For your downtime, there’s a splashy gallery to tour and the mod-lodge Doug Fir Lounge, which serves up homestyle meals, musicians strumming, and pints of Deschutes Mirror Pond and Omission’s gluten-free pale ale—‘cause why not? THE BEER CONCIERGE SAYS: Tear out the “Hop in the Saddle” cue sheet for the Southeast Beast beer ride and pick up the route a few blocks south at Cascade Brewing Barrel House. Follow the 9.4-mile loop to Bushwhacker Cider, the Cheese Bar, and the famous Horse Brass Pub.

You can drive 20 minutes east of downtown Portland and end up in a virtual Shangri-La, McMenamins’ 74-acre farm-meets-inn-meets-fermentation emporium near the Columbia River Gorge. The property was developed in 1911 as the county poor farm, but it’s now rich in booze (there’s a brewery, distillery and winery on-site), bars (there are 10; the Little Red Shed bar is pictured here) and quirk (those whimsical McMenamins murals? They’re gloriously everywhere). You’d do well to book the Brewmaster’s Package (from $100 per night): a queen room, brewery tour, a growler to go and tasting flights for two. THE BEER CONCIERGE SAYS: Critics consistently call the resort’s Black Rabbit restaurant one of greater Portland’s best farm-to-table eateries; pair the rustic plates (made with ingredients from Edgefield’s own gardens) with McMenamins beers and spirits, but don’t be too quick to eschew the top-flight wine cellar.

Malibu has beaches and Hollywood has nightlife, but revitalized downtown Los Angeles has become its own destination with a slew of new restaurants and bars, all with exciting, urban appeal. Jutting up in the middle of the city’s thumping aorta is the sleek, cylindrical, sky-scrapery Westin Bonaventure; with 35 floors, it’s L.A.’s largest hotel. Though it’s within walking distance of the Staples Center and the Convention Center, and home to a world-class spa and a rotating restaurant, the hotel keeps beer lovers near the fourth floor for its other amenity: Bonaventure Brewing, an independent brewery that’s been in the hotel since 1997. The horseshoe bar opens up to a patio and beer garden with 360-degree views of the city’s skyline; you might not be able to see stars (at least, not the ones in the sky), but you can drink stellar beers like the popular Strawberry Blonde, a pale ale or the rotating seasonal. THE BEER CONCIERGE SAYS: Bonaventure’s happy hour is one of the best you’ll find in L.A.: Spring for $3.50 pints and half-off appetizers, like $4 nachos.