#1 Beer City in America...
- Thread starter BrianTheBrewer
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If you are going to limit multi-locations to one instance you should so some better math:
BJ's Brewhouse - Carlsbad
BJ's Brewhouse - Chula Vista
BJ's Brewhouse - La Jolla
BJ's Brewhouse - La Mesa
Karl Strauss Breweries
Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens, Sorrento Mesa
Karl Strauss Brewery Restaurant, Carlsbad
Karl Strauss Brewery Restaurant, Downtown
Karl Strauss Brewery Restaurant, La Jolla
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Carmel Mt. Ranch
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Del Mar
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - East Lake
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Encinitas
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Escondido
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Mission Valley
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Pt Loma
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Santee
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Vista
Lost Abbey / Port Brewing
Pizza Port and Port Brewing Co. - Carlsbad
Pizza Port and Port Brewing Co. - Solana Beach
Rock Bottom - La Jolla
Rock Bottom - San Diego
BJ's Brewhouse - Carlsbad
BJ's Brewhouse - Chula Vista
BJ's Brewhouse - La Jolla
BJ's Brewhouse - La Mesa
Karl Strauss Breweries
Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens, Sorrento Mesa
Karl Strauss Brewery Restaurant, Carlsbad
Karl Strauss Brewery Restaurant, Downtown
Karl Strauss Brewery Restaurant, La Jolla
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Carmel Mt. Ranch
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Del Mar
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - East Lake
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Encinitas
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Escondido
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Mission Valley
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Pt Loma
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Santee
Oggi's Pizza and Brewing Co. - Vista
Lost Abbey / Port Brewing
Pizza Port and Port Brewing Co. - Carlsbad
Pizza Port and Port Brewing Co. - Solana Beach
Rock Bottom - La Jolla
Rock Bottom - San Diego
I removed all of those locations except for one from each. And I didn't exclude any other multiple locations from the portland list except the 20 McMenamins. (Like multiple Rogues and Lompcs.)
Jeez, give me some credit.
I am surprised the CO was not represented. Not necessarily in QTY, but in knowledge and experience. Seems there are a ton of beer enthusiasts from there. I fully expected to see them on the list. Portland, yes. CA, yes.
Michigan has some very good beer, but can't compete with some of the other states for sheer number of breweries, and certainly no single city in MI.
Michigan has some very good beer, but can't compete with some of the other states for sheer number of breweries, and certainly no single city in MI.
OP
OP
BrianTheBrewer
Well-Known Member
Well if there was a top 10 Boston would be right up there. You have Sam Adams, Harpoon, Cambridge Brewing Company, Watch City Brewery, Boston Beer Works, Mayflower Brewing co, Cape Ann Brewing Company...ect. There are a ton more as well. New England over all is a wonderful place for great beer.
Oh and the Patriots are going to the Superbowl!!!
Oh and the Patriots are going to the Superbowl!!!
dunnright00
Well-Known Member
I think olllllo is just a disgruntled 'zonie! 
C'mon! I keed, I keed!
please don't ban me!
C'mon! I keed, I keed!
please don't ban me!
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UncleDave
Well-Known Member
I agree that Asheville shouldn't be left out, at least when considering breweries per capita. Good to see another Monroe home brewer representing.:rockin:
The beer culture is AMAZING in Asheville. Highland is a great company as is The French Broad and Green Man. Its also worth pointing out that Asheville hosts three annual festivals that are awesome to go to. There are like 12 people that live there so its pretty impressive.
ThickHead
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12 brilliant people!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asheville,_North_Carolina
We are a small town...that is big on beer.
bdnoona
Well-Known Member
+1 to this. Chicago has very few breweries. And IL distribution laws are so tight (re: purposely monopolistic) that there are TONs of beers we can't even get in this state. Bell's was gone for years until recently. And we have to drive over state lines to sample dozens of breweries: Stone, New Glarus, Ale Asylum, etc. Woodman's in Kenosha stocks countless beers that we can't get, for the sole purpose of feeding people like me who are willing to drive 45 minutes to go on beer runs.
Chicago area does have a couple decent beer bars with good selections (Hopleaf, Maproom, Firkin, etc). But our overall lack of selection and breweries should completely disqualifies us for the top of this list. The fact that Chicago is included on this list seriously damages the author's credibility IMO.
FireNightFly
Well-Known Member
Im just going to have to say that Circleville, Ohio is the Pumpkin Beer Capital of the state .. finest pumpkin beer and home of the Pumpkin Show.
Where else can you get a Pumpkin Burger & Beer at the same booth =)
Where else can you get a Pumpkin Burger & Beer at the same booth =)
schristian619
Well-Known Member
I don't know enough about other cities to say who is the number 1. It may be San Diego, but does it really matter? I do know that San Diego has a large and increasing number of good breweries and some of the best beer bars I have ever seen. The beer culture here has grown exponentially over the last several years. So while I don;t know if SD is number 1 beer city, it is definitley close and could very well be number 1 in beer/brewery growth.
Also, while Escondido, Carlsbad, etc are not in SD city, it is still SD. Cali is a lot different than many other states in that way. Even the post office will put San Diego as the address for something in escondido or el cajon sometimes. Its like Los Angeles. If you are in Torrance or Carson, you're still in LA event though its technically a different city. So grouping Stone and Port and the others as San Diego breweries makes sense if you're familiar with the area.
Also, while Escondido, Carlsbad, etc are not in SD city, it is still SD. Cali is a lot different than many other states in that way. Even the post office will put San Diego as the address for something in escondido or el cajon sometimes. Its like Los Angeles. If you are in Torrance or Carson, you're still in LA event though its technically a different city. So grouping Stone and Port and the others as San Diego breweries makes sense if you're familiar with the area.
12 brilliant people!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asheville,_North_Carolina
We are a small town...that is big on beer.
Cheers! Believe me, I'm big on Asheville.
Handle
Well-Known Member
Great to see all of the love for Asheville's brew scene. North Carolina is also an awesome state for breweries, though most aren't known on a national level.
I am indeed in Monroe, but I can't call myself a homebrewer just yet. I've finally accumulated all of my equipment though, and hope to brew soon.
The president of my homebrew club had a good retort to the SD over PDX situation, not relying on math:
To his point, I can walk to 5 mcmenamin's, a Lompoc, Rogue, Deschutes, Bridgeport, Lucky Lab, Bailey's Taproom, and Tugboat. There are a bunch more breweries/beer bars within biking/transit distance. I think it is a key attribute of a "beer town" that you don't have to drive between breweries!
lived in SD for 26 years before moving to Portland. I will never move back.
What no one seems to notice as the fallacy of the Men's Health article is that more breweries do not equal more beer culture. Certainly Stone is a nice brewing facility and snazzy restuarant, which we have in Portland in places like Bridgeport Downtown. What San Diego doesn't have is the Hawthorne Lucky Lab, New Old Lompoc, or even the neighborhood McMenamins.
Since I've moved here, I've made a point to check out SD's beer scene. I go down every year to visit. Here's my beer experience in SD:
1) Stone - Middle-of-nowhere Escondido (50 miles from downtown). Snazzy restaurant > $20/entree. Arrogant bastards (pun intended), great beer & brewery. Arguably worth the drive.
2) AleSmith - Off Mirimar Road in a business park behind miles and miles of car dealerships and furniture outlet stores. Zero ambiance. No food or bar, just taps. Great beer, no where to drink it.
3) Pizza Port - 25 beers on tap, 5 of them are good. Busy pizza restaurant. Half of the people aren't drinking beer.
4) Ballast Point - At the homebrew store. Good beer. Only open homebrew retail store hours. No bar area.
I can go on, but you get the point. While there may be good beer down there, you really have to seek it out. In Portland they are everywhere, and they're really good. Same with Denver.
Listserve, have any of you had a fantastic beer experience in SD that you'd like to share? Clearly, I'm sold on Portland and may even be slightly biased
-A
To his point, I can walk to 5 mcmenamin's, a Lompoc, Rogue, Deschutes, Bridgeport, Lucky Lab, Bailey's Taproom, and Tugboat. There are a bunch more breweries/beer bars within biking/transit distance. I think it is a key attribute of a "beer town" that you don't have to drive between breweries!
The fact that chicago even crossed the author's mind renders the list null and void. Someone clearly didn't actually do any research.
GregR
Well-Known Member
this is a little biased as well, as he blatantly (or forgetfully) left out the best beer bars and pubs we have here.
Hamilton's, toronado's, the liars club, the linkery, the ale house in PB. (granted none of these establishments brew, but you can always go there and find great beer on tap) these are my favorite places to hit up but there are a lot more. three of those bars are within waking distance to my house.
perhaps he just wasn't very much into beer when he lived in San Diego.
or his hometown pride is showing a little too much.objectively I'd have a very hard time ranking one over the other. the beer scene in both cities is just amazing. but I guess hometown pride will have to win out on this one. San Diego all the way!
agroff383
Well-Known Member
Poor NJ residents. Split on the world series AND beer towns!
LOL ditto
agroff383
Well-Known Member
Why wasn't Lancaster PA on the list, once known as "The Munich of the West"....lol j/k
Philly is rightfully on that list, I would like to visit the other cities to see for myself.
Philly is rightfully on that list, I would like to visit the other cities to see for myself.
OP
OP
BrianTheBrewer
Well-Known Member
Picobrew...you list 4 places in SD. Thats it??!!
You forgot the Coronado brewery, Green Flash, Lost Abbey, Alpine, Gordon Biersch, Karl Strauss, San Diego Brewing Company, Taylors, La Jolla Brewery...seek what out???
I dont know what you were seeking but all of these places I mention are either in downtown SD or 15-25 mins away...and they are all great just like the people.
You forgot the Coronado brewery, Green Flash, Lost Abbey, Alpine, Gordon Biersch, Karl Strauss, San Diego Brewing Company, Taylors, La Jolla Brewery...seek what out???
I dont know what you were seeking but all of these places I mention are either in downtown SD or 15-25 mins away...and they are all great just like the people.
OP
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BrianTheBrewer
Well-Known Member
I know I cant wait...I will be in SD on Saturday through next Wednesday. I also have a job interview out there and so does the wife. We are looking to move to SD at the end of the month.
Sorry, it was a quote from someone else I know, not meant to be a thorough assessment. I have never been to SD so can't judge it personally!
GregR
Well-Known Member
you really should try make it down sometime. hook up with a few of us locals and get to experience the southern west coast beer scene.
I love how these threads eventually degrade into a my dog is better than your dog argument. I live near enough to San Francisco that I have access to a lot of decent beer. When I go to another city I always love seeking out the local brews and things I can't get back home. That's what keeps it exciting, but the best beer city I've ever been to is Hayward, California. Why?!?!? IT'S WHERE I BREW MY BEER. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I made it and I like it!
-Sips the last of his Buffalo Bill's Blueberry Oatmeal Stout and signs off...Buffalo Bill's, Hayward, California...armpit of the bay area...F-YEAH!!!!
-Sips the last of his Buffalo Bill's Blueberry Oatmeal Stout and signs off...Buffalo Bill's, Hayward, California...armpit of the bay area...F-YEAH!!!!
SteveG
Active Member
Yeah I know what you mean. I hate living in the north SF bay area; sometimes I have to drink beer from Lagunitas, Russian River, Marin Brewing, Bear Republic, Anchor, Rogue, Pyramid, Speakeasy, North Coast, Anderson Valley, Boonville. Not to mention all this Napa and Sonoma wine. Truly this is a horrible place to be for someone who so loves fermented beverages.
I'm going to get back to this local Moylans Kiltlifter and dream of someday living in southern california with all those people and all that great beer.
</Sarcasm>
As an ironic side note I'm drinking this 'lifter out of a Stone Ruination IPA glass
THREAD HIJACK!
If any other SD locals want to setup a carpool for this Friday for SD Beer Week, Day 1, hit me up in the Events forum or just PM if you're lazy like me.
If any other SD locals want to setup a carpool for this Friday for SD Beer Week, Day 1, hit me up in the Events forum or just PM if you're lazy like me.
mitch171
Well-Known Member
I don't understand how the number of microbreweries in a city makes it a great beer city. I have no experience with most of these cities to say one is better than the other. But I have been to cities that may not have many of their own microbreweries, but they stock and serve a huge selection of the worlds great beers. To me that kind of information along with what the staff is like and any beer education would be more meaningful than just the number of building registered as breweries.
bonzombiekitty
Well-Known Member
I more or less agree, but I think the number of microbreweries can be a good gauge since in order for them to exist, the area they serve has to enjoy craft beer, which implies a good beer culture. However, you are right in that the lack of breweries doesn't mean a strong beer culture does not exist.
Lots of microbreweries implies a strong beer culture, but a strong beer culture does not imply a lot of microbreweries.
In the case of Philadelphia, we have a decent number of breweries - Yards, PBC, Victory, Sly Fox, Flying Fish, Nodding Head (brew pub), Iron Hill (brew pub chain), Manayunk Brewing Co (brew pub), and a couple other brew pubs whose names escape me at the moment. If you want to increase the radius more you've got Stoudts, Dogfish Head, and Lancaster Brewing to name a few. Which is a good amount, but that's not as many as say, Portland or SD, but Philly's beer culture is more based on import variety, especially Belgian beers. I've heard it said that there's more Belgian beers on tap in Philadelphia than there are in Brussels. Philly's bars also have an excellent selection - pretty much only the college bars limit themselves to BMC and different neighborhoods take great pride in their bars that serve good beer.
Philly also has Beer Week, which is starting to catch on in other cities. I don't know if it's caught on West of the Mississippi, but the event lists I've seen in other cities in the east that have copied Philly pale in comparison. It's already a big event for beer, with a bunch of various festivals and dozens of events every night, and it's growing at a very fast pace.
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