#1 Beer City in America...

[FireNightFly]

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 =)

 

[schristian619]

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.

 

[jb6923]

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]

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:

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.

 

[Picobrew]

The president of my homebrew club had a good retort to the SD over PDX situation, not relying on math:

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!

 

[z987k]

+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.

The fact that chicago even crossed the author's mind renders the list null and void. Someone clearly didn't actually do any research.

 

[ThickHead]

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

Agreed. This puts me in mind of Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time" article. You just cannot make a list like this that is truly objective. It sells magazines, but that doesn't make it "right."

 

[GregR]

The president of my homebrew club had a good retort to the SD over PDX situation, not relying on math:

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

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!

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]

Poor NJ residents. Split on the world series AND beer towns!

LOL ditto

 

[agroff383]

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.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

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.

 

[wreals]

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.

+1 for San Diego.

Not to mention that San Diego Beer Week starts on Friday.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

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.

 

[Picobrew]

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.

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]

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!

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.

 

[Shooter]

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!!!!

 

[SteveG]

I live near enough to San Francisco that I have access to a lot of decent beer.

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

 

[scrambledegg81]

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.

 

[mitch171]

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]

I don't understand how the number of microbreweries in a city makes it a great beer city.

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.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

I dont think it is the number of micro/craft breweries in a city that makes it better than another. I think it is the quality beer that those micro/craft breweries produce is what makes it a great city. That is why San Diego and Portland are amazing. So is Boston MA, so is the 3 states of Vermont, Maine and NH. I hear Philly is wonderful as well.

Looking forward to being in SD on Saturday for beer week

 

[motobrewer]

-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!!!!

if you ever go back to Buffalo Bill's, tell them to give me my money back from a 6-pack of their "orange blossom cream ale" i bought, that was basically bottled and highly carbonated Orange Crush. aren't they contract brewed anyway?

back on topic, i know Milwaukee was brought up before, but having lived in the area all my life, I can honestly say, as far as craft/micro, we got nothin'.

that doesn't mean we don't like to drink good beer. There are a few micros here that are great (lakefront brewery, sprecher) and some really awesome brewpubs (Milwaukee Ale house - their porter is the best porter I've had, and they make some interesting seasonals / specials, like taking their popular scottish ale and putting it on oak for 6 months). We also have some decent belgian places, like Cafe Hollander.

But, if you try to compare to portland / san d / denver, it really isn't anything special

 

[Sedge]

I'm running out of the house, so I didn't have time to read through the whole thread, but just wanted to chime in to the Philly naysayers: Come and experience Philly Beer Week in the beginning of Spring. Come walk around town and randomly stop at any one of the many beer bars and brewpubs. Then revise your opinions.

Speaking of which, its about the time of year that the Philly Craft Beer Fest tix go on sale...I'm getting thirsty.

 

[McKBrew]

We can argue between San Diego and Portland all day long. I'm could be a bit torqued and ask why Seattle isn't on the list, but I wont.

Seriously though, WTF with New York being number two. I know there are some good breweries in NY State, but NYC itself. I've never met a person saying he/she is going to a beer event in NYC.

 

[remilard]

I think you can make an argument for a lot of cities.

If I was going to fly somewhere and spend a week drinking beer, it is SF/North Bay hands down, nobody is close.

However, SF proper on its own isn't #1 and on a day to day basis zipping around Sonoma isn't practical.

Enter Portland. Lots of places, probably a good place near you. However if I think of may favorite breweries, brew pubs and beer bars, it takes me a while to hit one in Portland.

I dunno, I can probably pick 10-15 cities and make a spirited argument for or against their being one of the best.

The fact of the matter is that almost no matter where you live, this is a good time to be a beer enthusiast. We all have it better than anybody did 15 years ago.

 

[maskednegator]

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!

Yeah, That guy's list is woefully shortsighted. If I leave my house on bicycle and go to Small Bar, Jayne's Gastropub, Ritual Tavern, Toronado, The Linkery, Hamilton's, Neighborhood, Super Jr's bottle shop, Tap Room and Downtown Johnny Brown's, I will have travelled roughly 7 miles and likely gotten a BUI.

 

[Sedge]

We can argue between San Diego and Portland all day long. I'm could be a bit torqued and ask why Seattle isn't on the list, but I wont.

Seriously though, WTF with New York being number two. I know there are some good breweries in NY State, but NYC itself. I've never met a person saying he/she is going to a beer event in NYC.

To be fair, for every beer event I get wind of in Philadelphia, there's usually a mirror image in Atlantic City and/or Long Island. From what I understand they're usually not as well attended though, and are considered a backup plan by many who are too late for tickets to the Philly events.


I'm glad or this thread. SWMBO and I are planning a trip wherein she will run a marathon and I will drink lots of beer. Then we'll both drink lots of beer. I'm getting good ideas from all these heated arguments.

 

[Picobrew]

Yeah, That guy's list is woefully shortsighted. If I leave my house on bicycle and go to Small Bar, Jayne's Gastropub, Ritual Tavern, Toronado, The Linkery, Hamilton's, Neighborhood, Super Jr's bottle shop, Tap Room and Downtown Johnny Brown's, I will have travelled roughly 7 miles and likely gotten a BUI.

Playing this game while including more than just breweries would take WAY too long. I don't think it is important to pick a best beer city in america, that it can even be done is a core fallacy of these lists. They got what they wanted by us linking and discussing it, but the actual list itself is obviously meaningless.

As has been said earlier in this thread, it is a wonderful time to be a craft beer enthusiast, no matter where you are. Even if you were a very thoughtful and skilled beer crafter/drinker 30 yrs ago, you couldn't experience nearly any of the wonderful beers and recipes we can drink and make today.

PS. If I am jealous of anything in San Diego, it is the fact that you have a Toronado there. Not a brewery, but pretty damn sweet.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

I will say if any of you ever get the chance to come to Boston please take the Red Line subway outbound to Kendall Square in Cambridge. Walk a little down to the left and you will see the Cambridge Brewing Company (many call it the CBC). Place is wonderful. You can smell the brewing going on at all times. The food/beer is great and the staff is the same.

We also have the Boston Beer Works in two locations across from Fenway park and across from the Boston Garden. There are a few other places. Sam Adams is a cool tour for a brewery. Harpoon is a better tour because they really talk about the beer and the taste and the quality.

Boston has a ton of beer bars. The best has to be the Sunset Grille and Tap. 380 beers on tap from all over the USA and the world, yes you read right, 380!!! They have a ton of bottled beer as well. They are across from Boston University.

Outside of Boston there are a bunch of other great breweries/brew pubs.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

To be fair, for every beer event I get wind of in Philadelphia, there's usually a mirror image in Atlantic City and/or Long Island. From what I understand they're usually not as well attended though, and are considered a backup plan by many who are too late for tickets to the Philly events.


I'm glad or this thread. SWMBO and I are planning a trip wherein she will run a marathon and I will drink lots of beer. Then we'll both drink lots of beer. I'm getting good ideas from all these heated arguments.

Sedge...I just want to be one that says I did not start this thread to get anyone to argue. I started to see what peoples throughts were about the Men's Journal magazine. That is all. I also dont believe anyone is really arguing here. I think its more of people just giving their opinion about where they think the best beer can be found.

I know for a fact when I move to San Diego I will be driving to Denver, Portland, San Fran, LA, Seattle and more. There are so many cities and areas with so much to offer for wonderful beer. If any of you ever come to New England look at all the breweries you can check out. There are a ton.

 

[jbambuti]

+1 that Chicago should not be on the list. I think that each Chicago-area post in this thread has been in agreement. I'd love to have the craft breweries that places like Portland and SD have.

Referring to 'beer culture', I think that Chicago has more of a 'bar culture'. There are many places in the city where, at any time, you are literally no more than a stones throw from a bar. Because of this type of competition, you can get great quality beer at many establishments. This 'bar culture' was great in my 20's and early 30's, but now that I have a family and don't get out nearly as much, I'm often bummed that I can't get great fresh beer at more local craft breweries/brew pubs coupled with great food.

Chicago is an amazing city, and definitely one of the best eating cities in North America. It seems a perfect match for a huge craft brewing culture, but we're still lacking on the beer end of things.

Just my 3 cents.

 

[maskednegator]

Playing this game while including more than just breweries would take WAY too long. I don't think it is important to pick a best beer city in america, that it can even be done is a core fallacy of these lists. They got what they wanted by us linking and discussing it, but the actual list itself is obviously meaningless.

As has been said earlier in this thread, it is a wonderful time to be a craft beer enthusiast, no matter where you are. Even if you were a very thoughtful and skilled beer crafter/drinker 30 yrs ago, you couldn't experience nearly any of the wonderful beers and recipes we can drink and make today.

PS. If I am jealous of anything in San Diego, it is the fact that you have a Toronado there. Not a brewery, but pretty damn sweet.

I agree with all of your points. I wasn't trying to justify the article's position so much as defend my home town. I'm taking a beercation up the coast this winter, final destination is Portland.

 

[Picobrew]

I agree with all of your points. I wasn't trying to justify the article's position so much as defend my home town. I'm taking a beercation up the coast this winter, final destination is Portland.

I know where you are coming from! I am a total "homer" and have to fight back instincts to defend my hometown. I mentally wrote about 20 additional posts to this thread and realized they were inappropriate and misplaced.

Portland is a small town, so we tend to really promote/"brag" about the things we are proud of.

The weirdest thing on this list is NYC/Chicago to me, but then again, I haven't tried to do much craft beer drinking in those cities.

 

[dunnright00]

I love me some San Diego, but I can't wait until next summer when we go visit the SWMBO's family in White Salmon and take some day trips into Portland.

Not only for the beer, but the skateparks! :rockin:

 

[Shooter]

if you ever go back to Buffalo Bill's, tell them to give me my money back from a 6-pack of their "orange blossom cream ale" i bought, that was basically bottled and highly carbonated Orange Crush. aren't they contract brewed anyway?

Their three bottled beers are contract brewed by Pyramid. However, they also brew those beers, plus about six others, in house and have them on tap.

Anyway, I'll see what I can do about that six pack. It is a fairly regular hangout for me, but I can't guarantee anything. Where am I supposed to tell them to send this refund again??

 

[bdnoona]

Chicago is an amazing city, and definitely one of the best eating cities in North America. It seems a perfect match for a huge craft brewing culture, but we're still lacking on the beer end of things.

I believe this is because of the crippling distribution laws in this state. I'm constantly aggravated by the lack of breweries that sell here. I just had my wife pick up $70 of beer in Wisconsin today!; all of which they don't distribute here.

 

[kcinpdx]

I've lived in Portland for 14 years now, so take this with a grain of salt. Regardless of the number of breweries, beer culture is completely intertwined with the city - there is really no separation. It is pervasive in pubs, bars, children's restaurants, bakeries, barber shops, all events outside, cycling, homebrewing, music / bands, advertisements, architecture - completely immersed. I can't say that for any other city in the United States.

 

[Montanaandy]

I would agree that Portland is #1 at this point based on the time that I have spent there, the beers that I have tasted, and discussions with those much more knowledgeable about brewing than I am. However, I also hear a great deal of buzz about Denver & Ft. Collins CO. Of course NBB is in Ft. Collins but there are also a number of other outstanding small breweries also. Denver LODO has been a beer destination since I lived there in the late 70's and Coors has generally been pretty receptive to homebrewers. My son lives in Milwaukee and tells me about the great micro scene there - I will have to make a visit to see for myself Montanaandy

 

[motobrewer]

Where am I supposed to tell them to send this refund again??

Tell them they can send it to h*ll!!

 

[Shooter]

Tell them they can send it to h*ll!!

Done and done sir!

...and people say the internet ain't good for nuthin'!