#1 Beer City in America...

[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'!

 

[MacBruver]

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!

I figured SD would be first on this list, due to the "BA" effect. If you define "beer city" to mean that beer is an important part of its culture, portland is far and away the best I've been to. I think more people there just plain like beer. Every bar that I went to in the PDX area had some type of local microbrew on tap, and it just seems way more enmeshed with the city.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some ballast point, stone, port / lost abbey, etc and I think they make some of the best beers in the world... but just because those beers are in the SD metro does not make SD a "beer city" in the slightest.

 

[Casey27]

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:

Do not forget to visit Double Mountain Brewery across the bridge in Hood River. That little place is awesome!!! Way better than Full Sail even.

 

[rico567]

I can't imagine how Boulder or Ft. Collins in CO wouldn't win, if the size of the town is taken into consideration. We were out there in August and we couldn't take a walk without tripping over a brewpub or micro, unless we were hiking the Flatirons. And if size of permanent resident population is weighed against beer quality, then Breckenridge CO may be the winner. I'm talking here about generating locally-made beers. Anyone can buy something and have it shipped in.....

 

[mattmcl]

+1 for the CO front range.

Home of the AHA, Charlie Papazian lives about 6 miles from me, New Belgium, Left Hand, etc, GABF... the list goes on and on.

 

[Montanaandy]

Yeah, this is what I was alluding to in my earlier post re: Ft. Collins + Denver. Ft. Collins is a dynamic college town and the front range keeps growing & growing & growing. In the not too distant future there will be one contiguous city beginning for practical purposes in Cheyenne WY and stretching all the way to Denver. While beer culture does presently not permeate life to the extent that it does in Portland, I believe that this is just a matter of time. Montanaandy.

 

[aksea102]

There are 21 McMenamins in Portland

21 McMenamins in Portland? OH YECH!! Seattle has my 'best beer city' vote anyday (despite having like 3 McM ).

 

[Kaner]

I think the Chi should be a little higher on the list.

 

[z987k]

I think the Chi should be a little higher on the list.

why? We can hardly get good beer shipped in, let alone locally made.

 

[Kaner]

why? We can hardly get good beer shipped in, let alone locally made.

Well I guess when I think of Chicago I'm thinking of City and the greater chicagoland area. When you add places like Prairie Rock, Two Brothers, Flossmor Station, Rock Bottom, American Brewing, and of course 3 Floyds, it helps my case alot. If you count those and the many others in the city and chicagoland area into the lineup.. Chicago should be top three.

 

[ThickHead]

Well I guess when I think of Chicago I'm thinking of City and the greater chicagoland area. When you add places like Prairie Rock, Two Brothers, Flossmor Station, Rock Bottom, American Brewing, and of course 3 Floyds, it helps my case alot. If you count those and the many others in the city and chicagoland area into the lineup.. Chicago should be top three.

I just don't see how. Nor do I even understand what the criteria is for this list, anyway. Chicago is an absolutely fantastic city (I spend a lot of time there, the Hammond area as well), but Chicago just does not have a big craft beer scene, especially if you look at many of these places in terms of per capita.