Kevin Holsapple, local author from Los Alamos, condenses passion for craft beer, hiking, and travel into a unique work.
His book Beer Hiking Southern Rockies combines 54 routes and microbreweries from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah with precision.
Each chapter connects landscapes, communities, and brewing know-how, offering a practical mapping of local walking and tasting pleasures.
The author relies on expertise forged by the blog Prime Passages and a career rooted in tourism and craftsmanship.
This publication propels beer hiking beyond exercise, into a sensory, friendly, and cultural experience designed for authentic routes.
Alliance of beer-hiking-travel, rooted in the Southwest.
54 routes, 54 microbreweries, an experiential map.
Authenticity, brewing terroirs, communities, and remarkable landscapes.
Published by Helvetiq, the book articulates precise narration, practical advice, and respect for the work of independent brewers.
The discerning reader finds keys to planning urban or wild hikes, close to local breweries.
| Snapshot |
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| Kevin Holsapple, author from Los Alamos, merges beer, hiking, and travel in a new work. |
| Title: Beer Hiking Southern Rockies — 54 hikes and microbreweries in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. |
| Release: August 12. Series of 14 books from Swiss publisher Helvetiq. |
| Structure: each chapter pairs a hike with a local brewery, detailing trail, community, and beers. |
| Authors: Holsapple covers New Mexico, Arizona, Utah; Yitka Winn covers Colorado. |
| Origins: passion born in Bavaria/Franconia in the 1970s, between villages and craft beers. |
| Method: online research, mapping, global network of beer lovers, brewery and tourism contacts. |
| Terrain: recent travels to Munich, Cyprus, and Bhutan to enrich stories and routes. |
| Platform: blog Prime Passages, ad-free, to inspire beer-hiking adventures. |
| Advice: certified travel advisor (affiliated with FORA), designs custom beer-themed travels. |
| Opportunity: small breweries can create stays to enhance loyalty and friendliness. |
| Book event: September 27, Bathtub Row Brewing in Los Alamos — free maps, easy walk at 10:30 AM, signings and drawings. |
| Travelogue: October 18, Travelbug in Santa Fe, 5 PM — tasting, signings and drawings. |
| Other title: Beer Hiker’s Journal, print-on-demand notebook to record hikes and beers, with vocabulary tools. |
| Spirit: priority on safety and pleasure; beer enhances the outing after the effort. |
The work that unites trails and hops
Beer Hiking Southern Rockies: 54 Hikes and Microbreweries in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah gathers precise itineraries and carefully selected brewing stops. Each chapter pairs a hike with a local brewery and details the route, the community, the beer house, and its flagship styles. Kevin Holsapple writes the sections dedicated to New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, while Yitka Winn covers Colorado for this series published by Helvetiq.
The Helvetiq collection develops a proven concept that combines physical pleasure, cultural curiosity, and informed tasting. The book, released on August 12, is part of a series of fourteen volumes dedicated to the alliance of walking and craft beer across several territories.
Kevin Holsapple blends beer, trails, and travel.
A field approach and precise calibration
The selected routes favor readability, variety of landscapes, and reasonable elevation changes to accommodate different hiking profiles. The brewery profiles clarify styles, flavor signatures, and local anchorage, allowing for a coherent progression between effort and reward. The itinerary-brewery duo facilitates the planning of a morning on the trails followed by a calibrated tasting.
Trajectory of an author grounded in experience
Kevin Holsapple lives in Los Alamos and combines travel writing, blogging, and custom consulting. His background includes tourism direction, territorial development, small business support, recreational circuit operations, and management of a beer hall. This varied experience nourishes a concrete approach to territories, actors, and practices.
Bavarian roots of a unique practice
The practice of “beer hiking” dates back to the 1970s during a military stay in Franconia. Weekends alternated between rural walks, brewing villages, and train returns to barracks, forging a ritual linking landscape discovery and tasting. This genesis lends his narratives an experienced, sober, and precise tone.
Method of scouting and a network of the field
The scouting combines digital mapping, documentary research, exchanges with breweries and tourism organizations, and a global network of informed enthusiasts. Recent travels to Munich, Cyprus, and Bhutan have enriched his notebooks with ideas and consolidated a corpus of stories awaiting publication. This work hygiene ensures reliable and reproducible recommendations.
The Prime Passages blog, a laboratory of experiences
Prime Passages gathers stories, analyses, and resources dedicated to beer, hiking, and travel enthusiasts. The site, non-commercial and ad-free, features distinctive experiences, meetings, and situated gastronomy. Subscribers receive notifications with each new article, fostering an attentive and curious community.
An editorial recognition based on demand
Publisher Richard Harvell (Helvetiq) spotted the author while seeking specialists in “beer hiking” for the American Southwest. A test chapter dedicated to Los Alamos and Bathtub Row Brewing convinced with its topographic rigor and brewing knowledge. The collaboration matured naturally to cover three states of the American plateau.
Philosophy of beer hiking
Hiking is enriched by a sensory and social layer by combining reasoned tasting and friendly stops. The author favors a beer after effort, or even a bottle brought to a viewpoint, always with a measured and responsible spirit. The construction of itineraries can include breweries, unique tasting places, and meetings of enthusiasts.
Launch events and gatherings
Open events, free maps, guaranteed friendliness.
Bathtub Row Brewing, Saturday, September 27
The local launch takes place at Bathtub Row Brewing starting at 9 AM, with distributions of hiking maps at the brewery’s departure and return. An easy walk starts at 10:30 AM and returns around noon, followed by book and beer sales starting midday. The author interacts and signs until 2 PM, with a drawing for prizes, including a Beer Hiker’s Kit and Beer Hiking Journals.
Travelbug, Santa Fe, Saturday, October 18
A travelogue at 5 PM showcases beer hiking adventures from the book and other international journeys. Travelbug has a nano-brewery, allowing for tasting on-site during the presentation. A drawing concludes the session with similar prizes, followed by a time for exchanges and signings.
Custom brewing travel consulting
Holsapple designs personalized itineraries, often centered on hiking and tasting, through his affiliation with FORA. He encourages microbreweries to organize trips for small groups of loyal customers, enhancing cohesion and attachment. This offer is aimed at those seeking authenticity, controlled effort, and brewing terroirs.
Availability and complementary tools
The book is available on Amazon and at various specialty retail outlets. The author also offers the Beer Hiker’s Journal, a print-on-demand notebook designed to record hikes, beers, and impressions. The pages invite descriptions of itineraries, tasting notes, and styles, with blackboard-style iconography and lexical tables to refine vocabulary.
A book for hiking and toasting intelligently.
Inspirations and associated resources
Travelers seeking hidden villages in harmony with nature can consult this feature on the charm of a hidden village in the heart of nature. Budget-conscious enthusiasts will find useful guides for an optimized cost stay in Norway, which helps balance hikes and culinary discoveries.
Fans of river routes may consider a cruise between Lyon and the Mediterranean, combining gastronomic stops and riverside landscapes. An overview of Jacksonville highlights cafes, brewing trails, and marine products, via this savory exploration of craft beers and shrimp.
Travelers who combine sport and hospitality will appreciate these hotel offers around baseball, relevant for building a schedule combining events, urban walks, and local tastings. These leads complementably support the approach advocated by Holsapple, centered on the field, moderation, and informed friendliness.
