There was a time in the not-too-distant past when I used to plot out my summer travels according to where Phish would be playing. But these days, the idea of camping in a muddy field in the middle of nowhere for a jam-band festival seems like more of a headache than a mind-expanding experience. So this summer, I'm hatching a different plan: to hit as many beer festivals as possible. From East Coast to West Coast and all points in between, hardly a weekend will pass from now to October without a substantial suds fest. They're all worth checking out, but here are some of the best. Plan accordingly. And: no camping gear required.

Evan S. Benn is the beer columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His Hip Hops column, blog, and just-launched beer app can be found at stltoday.com/hiphops. You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io