America's best beer cities ...

[craigk217]

Interesting. Not what you would think ...

America's Best Beer Cities, As Chosen by Beer Experts

 

[mrwallace2ku]

I know Portland, Or. has to be there...haven't looked at above link tho.

A ton of micro craft breweries here and all over the State.

 

[Smart]

As someone who has spent substantial time in three of those six (GR, Cleveland, and NY), its hilarious to list any of them over St. Louis. Every other person here homebrews. Bars have 400+ beers. There are, like 40 local breweries I can think of and they are served everywhere.

It's not really defensible to have a list without this city. For better or worse, beer is pervasive in a way it isn't in NYC.

 

[craigk217]

Gotta agree, Smart. Hard to believe St Louis didn't make the list.

I swear, I dunno where they get these so-called 'experts' from.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

As someone who has spent substantial time in three of those six (GR, Cleveland, and NY), its hilarious to list any of them over St. Louis. Every other person here homebrews. Bars have 400+ beers. There are, like 40 local breweries I can think of and they are served everywhere.

It's not really defensible to have a list without this city. For better or worse, beer is pervasive in a way it isn't in NYC.

Beer advocate only lists about 21 breweries in St. Louis, and two of them are Anheiser Busch and Latrobe Brewing, which are both listed at the same address.

I don't doubt what you're saying about it being a great beer town, just wanted to do a little fact-check. Compared to how big your city is vs. NY, you have way more microbreweries per capita. Grand Rapids is even smaller that St. Louis and has over 30 microbreweries.

 

[Smart]

Beer advocate only lists about 21 breweries in St. Louis, and two of them are Anheiser Busch and Latrobe Brewing, which are both listed at the same address.

I don't doubt what you're saying about it being a great beer town, just wanted to do a little fact-check. Compared to how big your city is vs. NY, you have way more microbreweries per capita. Grand Rapids is even smaller that St. Louis and has over 30 microbreweries.

The Grand Rapids list is including almost all of Western Michigan (including Kalamazoo and Battle Creek). The St. Louis list is also missing a bunch. I count 34 in the STL Brewer's Guild, and those are all in the metro area. If you go out a little further to St. Genevive and some of the outlying country areas, you can add several others.

 

[Podunkparte]

Haven't traveled extensively for beer, but if I were to tell you the cities I want to visit based on their beer culture,

1. San Diego
2. Portland, OR - And I do visit regularly
3. Chicago
4. Philly
5. St. Louis

Didn't look at the link so I don't know what they say, but I can try a whole lot of great beer and check out some pretty incredible breweries/bars with that list.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

The Grand Rapids list is including almost all of Western Michigan (including Kalamazoo and Battle Creek). The St. Louis list is also missing a bunch. I count 34 in the STL Brewer's Guild, and those are all in the metro area. If you go out a little further to St. Genevive and some of the outlying country areas, you can add several others.

I hear ya. If we're counting Metro areas, New York's number more than doubles. There are local breweries and brew pubs in NYC that are not on the Beer Advocate list, either. There are SIX within walking distance of my house that BA doesn't know about, apparently; they haven't a single listing in Queens. And no Long Island breweries are mentioned. A quick yelp inquiry will help fill in the gaps in most towns.

It's weird because when I first moved here almost 20 years ago, New York was the next hotspot for brewpubs, home brewing, and bars with hundreds of micros. Then, we took a step back for about a decade and are just now getting back to where we were in the late 90's.

 

[antone112]

Chico, Ca

 

[HammerDown]

There's San Diego.

Then there's everyone else.

 

[williewilliejuan]

There's San Diego.

Then there's everyone else.

Stone
Ballast Point
Alesmith
Karl Strauss
Coronado
Green Flash
Pizza Port

Just to name a few

 

[NCChiFan]

OMG! I have spent a LOT of time at picture #2.


Asheville, specifically Wicked Weed Brewing and its "Funkatorium" location, which is picture #2, is an amazing beer destination.


Any list that leaves out Bend Oregon is full of crap... My 2c.

 

[Deano]

Id throw Seattle, WA and Boulder , CO on the list.

 

[Podunkparte]

Id throw Seattle, WA and Boulder , CO on the list.

I live in Seattle and I wouldn't. Sure there are a few great bars and bottleshops (Brouwer's, Bottleworks, etc) and a couple good breweries (Fremont and the brand new Holy Mountain) but when Portland is so close, I'd choose to visit there every time if I were making a trip.

The state of Washington has a lot of breweries, but the majority of them are very mediocre.

 

[Podunkparte]

Stone
Ballast Point
Alesmith
Karl Strauss
Coronado
Green Flash
Pizza Port

Just to name a few

Alpine... you're welcome

 

[eaglesnut]

Philly's not on that list? Pffffffft

We get the greatest distribution of any city on the whole damn planet. Beer Capitol, Earth.

 

[unlvmariners]

I live in Seattle and I wouldn't. Sure there are a few great bars and bottleshops (Brouwer's, Bottleworks, etc) and a couple good breweries (Fremont and the brand new Holy Mountain) but when Portland is so close, I'd choose to visit there every time if I were making a trip.

The state of Washington has a lot of breweries, but the majority of them are very mediocre.

Kinda disagree with you to a certain degree. I think Seattle is a great beer town, I think you can get your paws on some high quality suds in Seattle. But I do agree If I had to go to either Seattle or Portland for beer I would go Portland.

On a side note: Of the cities mentioned San Diego and Southern Cali is where I have spent most of my beer drinking time lately and I gotta say I think SoCal is a great place to find great beer and it happens to be in a great location but I do think it gets more credit than it deserves as far as beer goes.

The list of the "expert" picks is pretty bad, anything with NYC on it is complete dog shit.

 

[eaglesnut]

If ya'll knew what was happening in Philly today, you'd be leaning towards the BEST being Philly.

 

[Naughtymax]

Cannot be taken seriously without St. Louis on the list. Sounds more like a group of self-aggrandizing douches who think that extra-chocolate citrus malt stout is beer.

Come with me to the Ostrava in the Czech republic and I'll show you beer. Or to Shannon, Ireland. Or to Munchen. No fruity-ass butt-plug beers, just great beer they've made for 300 years. Or 800 years.

 

[NCChiFan]

Or to Munchen.

Ah, Oktoberfest... The memories, was there on my birthday didn't have to purchase a single beer, bunch of drunk foreigners (to me) buying me Spaten Beer.

BTW: I've gone to quite a few "Beer Festivals". Oktoberfest is still my favorite. Should be on everyone's bucket list!