Embudo Station nestled in the trees along the Rio Grande

Where water, beer mix

"Water, water everywhere, so let's all have a drink."

-- Homer J. Simpson

What is it about waterside pubs that make you want to drink beer? We most often ask ourselves this question with beer in hand, water nearby. In Britain, pubs have been linked to the sea and ships for centuries, and you can rent canal boats and meander from canalside pub to canalside pub. South Florida boasts a network of taverns and restaurants where you can dock your boat and step over to the bar for a cool one, but these places rarely have adventurous beer menus.

On the other hand, the beer-rich Pacific Northwest, with its islands and shoreline that zig-zags in and out, offers dozens of waterside pubs serving quality beer. i

Whidbey Island is a quick escape from the bustle of the Seattle metropolitan area, and just one of the islands on Puget Sound dotted with establishments serving craft beer. Whidbey has three breweries, and access from the south is via a ferry that launches from Mukilteo, home to two more breweries. When the line to the ferry is long, you can jog over to Cheers, Too! (621 Front St., 206-355-4488) and have a beer made at Diamond Knot Brewing Co., located in the back of the bar. Up the hill, Riley's Pizza (645 Fourth St., 206-348-8088) serves a mean calzone and beer made at Eagle Brewing Co. in the basement. Or, you can order a bottled Pyramid Ale on the ferry.

Although parts of the island are becoming a bedroom community for Microsoft and Boeing workers, its population is limited by the supply of fresh water. A drive up the main route north, State Highway 525/20, takes you through pine forests and offers views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges as well as the sound.

Coupeville is a town with Victorian homes, some of which have been turned into bed-and-breakfasts. Along Front Street, which follows Penn Cove, you'll find Toby's Tavern (8 Front St., 360-678-4222) and Captain City Brewery (23 Front St., 360-678-9080). Toby's actually sits out over the water and has a seafaring, rough-and-tumble feel. Its one-piece, carved bar came around Cape Horn in the 19th century. Toby's has the only neon on Front Street; an ordinance outlaws it, but Toby's was grandfathered in. Its two biggest sellers are Rainier and Budweiser, but craft beers are also available on tap, including Parrot Head, a light amber brewed at Captain City.

Captain City is a tiny brewery tucked back in the Mariner's Court building. Most of its beer is served at the Front Street Cafe, which is the bistro for Christopher's restaurant. The windows look out onto the cove and Coupeville Wharf, where some visitors arrive by boat. The small bistro doubles as a coffeehouse and has board games and a piano. The food menu offers pizzas, Cajun items and Penn Cove mussels, while beer choices include Snookum Stout -- a dry stout that won a gold medal at the 1996 Great American Beer Festival, cream ale, red ale and a heavily hopped India pale ale. Brewer Kevin Locke fits in well with the artisans who live in the area. After winning the gold, people asked Locke when he was going to have an initial public offering. "I did this because I wanted a brewer's life," Locke said. "I tell them, if they want to get rich, don't do it." Whidbey Island is also home to Whidbey Island Brewing Co. in Langley and Oak Harbor Pub and Brewery in Oak Harbor, both under the same ownership.

You'll discover waterside pubs on both coasts and inland as well, and the water can be anything from a creek to a lake to an ocean. We've found them everywhere, and the list just keeps getting longer. Some favorites:

Embudo Station, Embudo, N.M.
U.S. Highway 68, 505-852-4707
Embudo Station is in an old train depot on the road from Santa Fe to Taos, nestled in a stand of cottonwood trees in a canyon right on the Rio Grande River. When the sun begins to set, the shadows change the face of the hill across the river every minute. The attached low-tech brewery makes a wide variety of beers, some from New Mexican chiles. During the appropriate seasons, raft trips take off from the banks and fly-fishing lessons are offered. Closed in winter.

Katie Downs, Tacoma, Wash.
3211 N. Ruston Way, 206-756-0722
This tavern was built in 1982 on pilings right over the water, with a deck that looks out onto Puget Sound. The pizza annually wins "best of" awards in the region but still can't match the view of the sound, Vashon and Maury Islands and the Port of Tacoma, particularly as the sun sets behind the Olympic range. Northwest craft beers claim most of the 21 tap handles, but imports and mainstream domestic beers are also available.

Ship Inn, Milford, N.J.
61 Bridge St., 908-995-7007
This creekside pub sits in a building that dates to the 1860s, only a few blocks from the Delaware River. It was a popular British pub before adding a brewhouse in 1995, and now serves its own fine traditional British ales on handpump, as well as draft versions of those made in England. The menu specializes in British pub grub and includes more than 50 single-malt Scotches.

Karl Strauss' Brewery Gardens, San Diego, Calif.
9675 Scranton Road, 619-587-2739
The restaurant/pub is located well inland, behind the San Diego Tech Center in an area of office complexes. Beyond the beer, the main attraction is the beautifully manicured Oriental gardens spread over 5½ acres. Multi-level decks overlook the gardens, which includes a waterfall, babbling brooks, a koi pond and walking paths.

Beach Chalet, San Francisco, Calif.
1000 Great Highway, 415-386-8439
Other brewpubs use 2337 as the last four digits of their phone number (spelling BEER). Here, those digits spell VIEW. After sitting vacant for 15 years, this landmark building reopened last New Year's Eve. Situated at the western foot of Golden Gate Park, the Beach Chalet is directly across the street from Ocean Beach and has a spectactular view of the Pacific coastline. It was built in 1925 as a restaurant and bath house, and in the 1930s the Works Progress Administration commissioned an artist to paint frescoes depicting San Francisco life. Those frescoes, as well as tile mosaics, were restored before the brewpub opened to excellent reviews for both the food and beer.

Bernkastel Festhaus, Daytona Beach, Fla.
100 N. Atlantic, 904-255-8300
Although you may mind Spring Breakers and packs of motorcyclists, one of the things Daytona Beach has going for it is bars that open onto the beach. At Bernkastel Festhaus, in the Adams Mark, you can heft glasses of imported or American craft beer while watching the waves roll in from the oceanfront sidewalk cafe. This is a place where lederhosen and bikinis mix with 42 beers on tap.

Cat's Eye Pub, Baltimore, Md.
1730 Thames St., 410-276-9085
Fells Point is the oldest working maritime district in the United States, and one of the country's best beer neighborhoods. The Cat's Eye, one of Fells Point's finest pubs, has windows looking right out on the harbor. This well-worn pub offers 28 beers on tap and live music regularly. The decor includes two great murals; flags, a model ship and other stuff hanging from the ceiling; and slanted floors. Seamen welcome.

The City Dock area, Annapolis, Md.
Four interesting stops wrap around a corner of Market Space and sit just across from the City Dock. The Middleton Tavern, 2 Market Space, dates to 1750, and second-floor seating offers a fine view of the harbor. The five draft choices include the house beer from Wild Goose Brewing Co. McGarvey's, 8 Market Space, is an oyster bar and attractive pub, while Griffin's Restaurant, 22 Market Space, and Riordan's Saloon, 26 Market Space, both feature a wide selection of imports and craft beers on tap. Riordan's was among the first accounts to serve Wild Goose's cask-conditioned ale.

Crooked Waters Brewery & Pub, Peoria, Ill.
330 SW Constitution Ave., 673-2739
This brewpub's deck hangs out directly over the Illinois River, but don't worry; it's supported by steel beams that run clear through the building. Sit outside and toast the envious crew members passing by on barges with a Waterfront Wheat or Steamboat Oatmeal Stout. The paddlewheeler Spirit of Peoria sets sail a few yards upriver.

Federal Jack's Brew Pub, Kennebunk, Maine
8 Western Ave., 207-967-4322
Federal Jack's sits above the Kennebunk Brewing Co. in downtown Kennebunk, with a large outdoor deck overlooking the Kennebunk River and the downtown area. Shipyard Brewing in Portland owns Kennebunk, and the pub sells a wide variety of beers made at both locations. The restaurant offers excellent food, including an excellent children's menu.

Naja's Place, Redondo Beach, Calif.
154 International Boardwalk, 310-376-9951
Disguised as just another joint along the marina, this boardwalk spot's beer menu includes 70 tap and 700 bottle choices. Food ranges from Middle Eastern fare to pub grub.

River City Brewing Co., Jacksonville, Fla.
835 Museum Circle, 904-725-8992
Multiple indoor and outdoor decks offer spectacular views of the harbor at this huge brewpub. The happy hour buffet is annually voted best in the city. While some of the beer is light in body, as you often find in the South, others are more substantial. All are served quite cold, but there's no sunnier place to sit and let them warm up. Yes, you can dock your boat right beside the pub.

Seadog Brewing Co., Camden, Maine
43 Mechanic St., 207-236-6863
Seadog is located a few blocks from the harbor, but a waterfall splashing outside the window and the nautical decor make it feel as if it were on the harbor. The smells of pine and saltwater mingle nicely here. A fine spot for malty ales and chowder to challenge Maine's seemingly endless winter.

Finally, although its beer selection is limited, the Oasis on Lake Travis, in Austin, TX (6550 Comanche Trail, 512-266-2441), has the best waterfront view of anywhere we've been in the United States. Scattered-level decks jut out from the side of a huge hill hundreds of yards above Lake Travis. Crowds gather nightly to watch the sunset, and applaud when its journey below the horizon is complete. A few craft beers are available by the bottle, but we recommend going with a margarita.

This column originally appears in All About Beer magazine in the fall of 1997.