Spooky places have an incredible ability to make people irrational. In these circumstances, alcohol can be the best weapon to fight any fear you may have. While pretty much anything will do the trick, here’s an Ultimate 6er for spooky places around the country, and an ideal local beer pairing.

House of the Seven Gables | Salem, MA

Salem Lager | Notch Brewing

Salem Massachusetts is still feeling the repercussions of the Witch Trials from the 1690s. The House of the Seven Gables has connections to the trials, and is one of the most noted locations for paranormal activity in this small and charming New England city. While ghosts may be nonsense, the beers at Notch Brewing are dead serious. Their Salem Lager is the perfect fit to temper any illogical thoughts you may have while in town.

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Eastern State Penitentiary | Philadelphia, PA

Brawler | Yards Brewing Co.

The dilapidated Eastern State Penitentiary once held some of the nation’s worst criminals. It’s home to one of the best annual haunted attractions around Halloween (cancelled this year), and paranormal activity has been reported within its walls. If you end up going toe to toe with the ghosts of any former inmates like Al Capone, you may want to loosen up beforehand with a few Brawlers by Yards Brewing Company. This classic English Mild has a reasonable alcohol level to grease the wheels just a little.

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Dock Street Theater | Charleston, SC

The Dark Stuff | Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.

Charleston is a beautiful city, filled with history. Some of it is dark stuff, including the death Nettie Dickerson at the building that would become the Dock Street Theater. Nettie was on the balcony of the building where she tragically perished when it was struck by lightning. Many claim she is still in the building. If you’re going to the Theater, you may want to pre-game with The Dark Stuff by Edmund’s Oast, a sessionable Oatmeal Stout.

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HH Holmes Homes | Chicago, IL

Blood of the Unicorn | Pipeworks Brewing Co.

Chicago has a number of notable claims to fame. On the plus side, it has more breweries than any other US city. On the not so plus side, it was home to what many call the country’s first serial killer. H.H. Holmes built a hotel here in the late 1800s, though it’s unclear it actually operated as such. The building became known as “Murder Castle”, a place where he killed dozens, possibly hundreds of people. Though the building is gone, some say the site, now occupied by a post office, is haunted. Wash away the horror of the grisly murders with some fiction. Unicorns, specifically. Pipeworks Brewing Company Blood of the Unicorn is a good fit.

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Shanghai Tunnels | Portland, OR

Terrifica Horror Pils | Wayfinder Beer

Despite the scary name, Wayfinder’s Terrifica Horror Pils is an incredibly pleasant beer. Drink too many though, and you could find yourself on a boat heading to Asia, forced into labor. Well, if it were in the 1800s, it may have been possible. Underneath Portland’s Old Town Chinatown are what’s called the Shanghai Tunnels, which provided easy access to the waterfront from the city’s downtown. Conduits for contraband, and locations for other unsavory activities, they may have also provided a convenient way for a drunkard to be snatched up and put on a boat. An ideal position to be in if you crave soup dumplings when you’re hungover.

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Whaley House | San Diego, CA

The Widow | Societe Brewing Co.

What some have called the most haunted house in the country deserves the strongest beer on this list. The Whaley House was the site of numerous tragic deaths, and those that perished are said to still be around. Regis Philbin even caught a glimpse of Anna Whaley, the matriarch of the family. In San Diego, with the right mind, you’re more likely to find Societe’s The Widow as opposed to ghosts. As the brewery notes it “lingers in our tasting room most of the year.” This Belgian Dark Strong Ale packs a punch at 9.2-percent ABV. Keep that in mind, or you may have a haunting hangover.

Images courtesy of the respective breweries.

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