Denver International Airport often has long lines, but it always has good beer. (Photo by Robert …[+] Alexander/Getty Images)

Vacations are great, but travel is terrible. Long lines. Heavy bags. Stress.

On the other hand, once you’re through security, you enter “vacation mode” and it is officially time for a beer.

Depending on your ultimate destination, you can’t always choose what airport you use, but if you have a choice, here are the four best airports in America where beer lovers can enjoy a pint (or two).

Nashville is often referred to as the “Music City” because of its vibrant music scene. Not only does it offer good music, but it’s also famed for its great food, bars, and fun activities. Speaking of places to visit, Nashville International Airport, known by its code BNA, stands out for its exceptional beer quality. Within the airport are five famous local breweries – Fat Bottom Brewing, Little Harpeth Brewing, TailGate Brewery, Tennessee Brew Works, and Yazoo Brewing Company.

Concourse B is where you will find Tennessee Brew Works and Little Harpeth Brewing, while Concourse C houses the Yazoo Brewing Company, Fat Bottom Brewing, and TailGate Brewery. But don’t worry about missing any of these breweries due to their locations. BNA is compact, which means you can check out all these taprooms using your legs without the need for a tram, bus or any other transportation method.

Moreover, the whole secure zone of the airport has a liquor permit. This allows passengers to carry their beers around while shopping or relaxing in the waiting area. According to state laws, alcohol consumption is allowed for passengers in a vehicle, but not for the driver. So, upon landing at BNA, you can purchase a beer can and enjoy it in your taxi ride or ride share heading to the town.

Portland is an excellent spot for beer lovers, aptly named as “Beervana”. The city proper is home to over 50 breweries, and over 70 if you’re willing to explore the larger area of Portland.

Portland International Airport, classified under the code PDX, is privileged to host two branches of Oregon’s most popular breweries – Deschutes Brewery, found on Concourse D, and Hopworks Urban Brewery, found on Concourse E. Despite being stationed on separate concourses, one can easily walk between them.

PDX prides itself on a unique pricing policy known as “street pricing”. Businesses operating within the airport are required to hold their prices equivalent to their typical non-airport locations. This ensures reasonably priced beer at PDX, well away from the $14 mark!

Denver is renowned for its thriving beer culture, given that it accommodates the consecutive annual Great American Beer Festival. Particularly notable for beer enthusiasts is Denver’s River North neighborhood (locally dubbed as RiNo), where you can spot a brewery nearly every block.

Whether you’re just landing, about to take off, or simply in transit, Denver International Airport (bearing the code DEN) offers plenty of opportunities to savor a good pint of beer. Even upon your arrival at DEN, before the subsequent security checks, you can stop by Tivoli Tap House in the hotel linked to the airport, where they offer beers brewed in-house. Moreover, Boulder Beer maintains an outlet within the airport terminal, but before the security check entrance.

Following security, you will find four Colorado breweries with taprooms in DEN: Breckenridge Brewery and Denver Chophouse in A Gates, New Belgium Brewing in B Gates and Great Divide Brewing near C Gates. Another noteworthy mention is Georgia’s SweetWater Brewing which also has an outlet in B Gates.

DEN stands as a prominent airport housing a hub for United Airlines and as the largest base for both Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Despite its size, it functions efficiently with a tram service that whisks passengers to and from any concourse faster than you can say, “Do you have any IPAs?”

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport holds the title for being the busiest airport in the world, serving nearly 300,000 passengers daily. It’s massive but operates meticulously, an underground tram system moves passengers across the seven concourses, enabling easy access to the numerous restaurants, shops, and brewery outlets.

What makes ATL special is its local Atlanta brewery taproom, the SweetWater Last Cast Bar & Grill (Concourse B), but it does not end here. There’s an outlet for Athens, Georgia’s Terrapin Beer (mezzanine level of Concourse D), California’s Gordon Biersch Brewery (Concourse A), Boston’s Samuel Adams (Concourse B) and Denver’s Blue Moon Brewing, which has two locations: Concourse B and Concourse E.

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