For beer lovers, hunting down unique, local brews is vacation paradise! Come to Gatlinburg and check out these three top places to taste beer and hard cider. They’re easy to find because all are on the walkable, bustling Parkway in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg.

1. Smoky Mountain Brewery

This brewery restaurant’s atmosphere is a cross between a ski lodge and a Bavarian beer hall, so get ready to relax and catch up with friends. Sit on the enclosed deck, where your view is the Smoky Mountains nearby.

Handcrafted microbrews are the stars of the drinks list. Try a sampler of as many as 10 beers. Or choose from more than three dozen wines or the wide range of bourbons and whiskeys. The menu features hearty appetizers, sandwiches, hand-tossed pizzas, and entrees including BBQ ribs and ale-marinated steaks.

While you sip, listen to live music, or play a live team trivia game! The Gatlinburg location features karaoke, so you can belt out your favorite tunes like a star. In football seasons, come watch NFL games.

2. Gatlinburg Brewing Company

Gatlinburg Brewing Company serves its beers with a side of family atmosphere and a dash of live music. Want to know what’s on tap when you visit? This local brewery updates its “tap list” weekly online so you always know which brews await you. IPAs, cream ales, porters, stouts, lagers, and much more (like Tennessee hard cider) turn up every week.

A menu of beer-lovers’ favorites includes delicious pizzas with a huge range of toppings. Try classic appetizers like chicken wings, hot pretzels with beer cheese, and specialty breadsticks. Taste the “hot sticks” with jalapeno peppers and red pepper, if you dare!

3. Tennessee Cider Company

Tennessee Cider Company is the first cidery in Gatlinburg. Walk inside and you can’t miss the crates of red, yellow, and green apples, reminding you that the cidery presses juicy apples every day.

If you haven’t tried hard cider, come by the cidery for free samples on tap. Go for classic cider or flavors like watermelon, apple spice, pineapple, pumpkin spice, blueberry, and caramel apple. Flavors change to follow the seasons, so you might find new treats whenever you visit. Sit a while and sip a glass of cider, or take home a refillable, 32-ounce “growler” jug filled with your favorite flavor.

Blueberry cider or a locally brewed ale--which will you bring home to drink on the deck of your beautiful cabin? Reserve your Gatlinburg vacation cabin today, and plan your tasting tour!