World's Best Beer Cities

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Sometimes I really think that the craft beer movement is totally built on pretension.

You are thinking wrongly then. Sure, some people may take it that way and act accordingly, but it is really about getting back to the basics and the art of brewing to produce fine, flavorful examples of the craft, rather than bland, flavorless, beer-flavored water. It has nothing to do with pretension. I can drink a PBR and be perfectly happy, but I still know that it is basically crap.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

I can drink a PBR and be perfectly happy, but I still know that it is basically crap.

bingo. i'm not above enjoying an ice cold old style on a hot summer day. i know old style is crap beer, but on a hot summer day, i'm mostly looking for just the coldness anyway. hell, i can enjoy an old style on a cold winter evening too. it's still a bad beer, but it's my bad beer.

the joy of the craft brewing explosion is not that it allows us to become shameless snobs like 10023, it's that it gives all of us a nearly unlimited variety of flavors, aromas, textures, etc. to explore under the glorious umbrella of beer.

you don't have to be a snob to enjoy good beer, you just have to like beer. that's the only requirement. now go explore.

[Shawn]

Egg on my face, I can't find anything concrete about Boston's beer consumption beyond what the original article states. See the bold below. Sorry guys, I should have looked at that one in more depth...

Bostonians are as crazy about their beer as they are about their sports. But they’re as separated as Mets and Yankee fans when it comes to the local favorites, Samuel Adams and Harpoon Brewery.

The first brewery in Massachusetts went up as soon as the pilgrims ran aground. They were originally headed to Virginia, but landed in Massachusetts when they ran out of beer. Water could contain deadly bacteria that alcohol killed, so they drank beer instead. Years later, the Boston Tea party (Boston’s last party involving tea) started at a tavern meeting.

Boston is home to the largest craft brewery (Sam Adams), a number of microbreweries, and has the highest beer consumption rate per capita in the United States. Anything that was talked about over tea a few centuries back is now talked about “ova’ a bea” (that’s my Boston accent). There are a wealth of beer bars, and brew pubs, and one of the world’s best selections of beer at Sunset Grill & Tap. Of course, thanks to TV syndication, and a working replica of the set, Boston will always live on as the home of Sam and the gang from “Cheers!”

[10023]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

the joy of the craft brewing explosion is not that it allows us to become shameless snobs like 10023, it's that it gives all of us a nearly unlimited variety of flavors, aromas, textures, etc. to explore under the glorious umbrella of beer.

Why do I get slandered here with impunity these days?

I don't think it's "snobbish" to say that no self-respecting beer lover drinks Coors Light as their go to beer. Will I drink it on the beach if someone packed a cooler of it, sure. But it was pretty clear that what I meant was that when someone talks about the quality of beer available in America, they're not talking about that crap.

And also making the point that, while bars in most American cities usually have at least one decent craft beer on tap to go with the piss water that's advertised during NFL games, I've had a bunch of experiences in Europe (outside of traditional beer drinking countries) where the only things you can get are Heineken, Stella, etc.

[tayser]

Originally Posted by 10023

I wouldn't put any Asian city on the list. Yes I know that each of these places produces a well-known Asian beer (Singha, Tiger, Tsingtao). But there are small German towns with several breweries, and probably 20 breweries within a short drive of Madison, WI (where I went to college) that produce better beer, and those places have more of a beer culture.

Asian cities absolutely have a right to be on any top beer city list.

Singapore might have the brand everyone's familiar with but it has a large & growing micro-brewing industry.

This is something people need to understand - the big brands mean dick all compared to the micro-labels, the variety is in the micro labels - not Budweiser, Heineken, Fosters/Carlton Draught / Molson / Carling et al.

And Munich? snore. Bamberg eats it.

for the US: Denver, Portland, Chicago & Philadelphia - absolutely, I agree with an earlier comment about "wheres New York?". I've consumed copious amounts of beer (I have a thing for super-hopped Yankee beers, I actually prefer to the new world beers to the old world (Europe)) in all of those cities except Portland. Other notables are San Francisco & Vegas. Miami [beach] was fairly ordinary for choice.

re: the guys comment on Melbourne, bringing Sydney in to it - what a load of shit, Sydney like everything doesnt innovate (innovation stopped when the Opera House opened), it's merely following the trend being set in Melbourne which had its origins in Perth!

[10023]

I've been to Singapore a couple of times, and while I enjoyed the food I didn't think much of the drinking. In fact I think most places I ate only had a couple of beers, one of them being Tiger.

[tayser]

Red Dot & Archipelago alone would trump many micro breweries in AU/US/CA/NZ

And Im bamboozled by the fact no NZ city is there - they're about 10-15 years ahead of the micro scene in AU. Wellington & Christchurch have phenomenal choice.

[Centropolis]

it's a somewhat problematic list of global beer capitals (i'm not alluding to st. louis).

put me in the chicago h8r section (which im sure as hell not), but aside from some truly truly great breweries, the "chicago" beer situation very much benefits from being the primo tavern level distribution hub of pan-midwestern craft beer streaming in from the points of the compass. that's not to discount the very real good thing that is, but it's not so much an exceptional producer of craft beer as it is a good craft beer consumer and place to drink craft beer. that's not a bad thing, though.

maybe I just made the argument for it.

[tayser]

Goose Island's one of Yoo Es Ay's best breweries!

Small Bar, Banger's and Lace, Local Option - creme de la creme of beery bars.

Chicago definitely should be on the list!

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by tayser

Goose Island's one of Yoo Es Ay's best breweries!

it's owned by Anheuser-BuschInbev. I thought it was pretty average and weirdly successful before A-BInbev bought it (and will screw it up).

You should try some other midwestern brews...all midwestern states have exceptional breweries. even Kansas (Free State).

[Shawn]

I wish Japan had a better craft beer scene, but like most things here, government-approved monopolies pretty much prevent that from happening. If you want to bottle anything in this country - anything - you have to go through Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo or Suntory for distribution. There are many "kurafuto biiru" in Japan, but because local breweries can rarely afford what the Big 4 charge for distribution, they tend to only be available at the brewery itself.

Suntory Malt's and Sapporo's Yebisu Dark are two large production volume beers that definitely compare favorably to a lot of mass produced beers I've had from other countries.

[orulz]

Originally Posted by Shawn

Suntory Malt's and Sapporo's Yebisu Dark are two large production volume beers that definitely compare favorably to a lot of mass produced beers I've had from other countries.

All in all, Japan's mass produced beers seem to be pretty decent, especially compared with the mass produced beers here in the US. I had zero experience with craft brews in Japan (2003-2004). I find Kirin Ichiban to be one of the best mass produced lagers I've had, comparing positively with most such brews from Europe as well. It just has a pleasant "crispness" to it that most others lack. I'm no beer snob, though, so I'm only speaking from my own opinion and based on my own palate.

You know who has terrible mass produced beer? South Korea. I found Hite to be pretty much undrinkable.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by orulz

All in all, Japan's mass produced beers seem to be pretty decent, especially compared with the mass produced beers here in the US. I had zero experience with craft brews in Japan (2003-2004). I find Kirin Ichiban to be one of the best mass produced lagers I've had, comparing positively with most such brews from Europe as well. It just has a pleasant "crispness" to it that most others lack. I'm no beer snob, though, so I'm only speaking from my own opinion and based on my own palate.

You know who has terrible mass produced beer? South Korea. I found Hite to be pretty much undrinkable.

Ichiban is pretty good too, and "crispness" is the perfect way to describe it.

Totally spot on about Korean beer too, which is why I'm baffled Seoul was so much higher than Tokyo on that list. Koreans make a lot of great alcohol - soju can be even better than sake in my opinion - but their beer is crap. Don't tell them that though, they'll take it like you're insulting their family.

[tdawg]

10023, I've bought Stone at quite a few bodegas around the city, and my local Key Food. Check it out, it's good stuff.

[MostlyHarmless]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

it's a somewhat problematic list of global beer capitals (i'm not alluding to st. louis).

put me in the chicago h8r section (which im sure as hell not), but aside from some truly truly great breweries, the "chicago" beer situation very much benefits from being the primo tavern level distribution hub of pan-midwestern craft beer streaming in from the points of the compass. that's not to discount the very real good thing that is, but it's not so much an exceptional producer of craft beer as it is a good craft beer consumer and place to drink craft beer. that's not a bad thing, though.

maybe I just made the argument for it.

I think you did just make an argument for it. Sure, the neighborhood joints offer a huge selection from across the midwest and elsewhere. But our brewery scene is exploding:

Goose Island
Revolution
Half Acre
Metropolitan
Finches
5 Lizard
Haymarket
Three Floyyds
Two Brothers
Flossmoor Station
Lunar
18th Street
New Chicago
Pipeworks
Arcade

...a bunch of others that are really small, just starting, or will start soon.

Originally Posted by Centropolis

it's owned by Anheuser-BuschInbev. I thought it was pretty average and weirdly successful before A-BInbev bought it (and will screw it up).

I think most [beer] people like GI for its Bourbon County Stout.

Originally Posted by 10023

I don't think it's "snobbish" to say that no self-respecting beer lover drinks Coors Light as their go to beer. Will I drink it on the beach if someone packed a cooler of it, sure. But it was pretty clear that what I meant was that when someone talks about the quality of beer available in America, they're not talking about that crap.

And also making the point that, while bars in most American cities usually have at least one decent craft beer on tap to go with the piss water that's advertised during NFL games, I've had a bunch of experiences in Europe (outside of traditional beer drinking countries) where the only things you can get are Heineken, Stella, etc.

I feel the same. I guess I'm kind of snobbish. I have nothing inherently against shit beer. Every product has its shitty brand to sell to people who don't care. I'll drink it if it's there and nothing better is around (even then, I feel my taste buds are better served with cold pop or something). I certainly wouldn't buy a six pack of it.

[Private Dick]

I've enjoyed Goose Island beers for about 16 years now. Good product. But other than them, I'm not familiar with Chicago craft brews... which is strange because you'd think Chicago would be much more prominent on the microbrew scene.

I turned 21 right around the beginning of the microbrew revolution (a great cosmic fortune in my life) in 1995 and had a college roommate who was a year older and worked for Indpendence brewery in Philly -- so I was awash in good beer at an early drinking age. Not that I didn't imbibe before I turned 21, but when I could actually go in to buy beer legally, I was already seeking out the variety of potent craft brews, rather than buying a case of Natty Light tallboys -- not that I didn't enjoy those fine brews as well.

And Goose Island was the only one from Chicago... that we knew of and could get our hands on at the time at least. I think Chicago was late to the craft brew scene - -well after San Fran, Philly, Denver, Portland, NYC, etc. -- and just really getting into it now.

[Vlajos]

Lagunitas is opening it's second brewery in Chicago.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1415705.html

[10023]

Goose Island's "special" beers, especially Matilda, are the shit.

Originally Posted by Centropolis

put me in the chicago h8r section (which im sure as hell not), but aside from some truly truly great breweries, the "chicago" beer situation very much benefits from being the primo tavern level distribution hub of pan-midwestern craft beer streaming in from the points of the compass. that's not to discount the very real good thing that is, but it's not so much an exceptional producer of craft beer as it is a good craft beer consumer and place to drink craft beer. that's not a bad thing, though.

Well that begs the question... what exactly are we arguing about? The places that make the best beer, or the places with the greatest variety of good beers available, solid pubs and bars with good selections, etc?

Frankly I don't really care if my beer is made 5 miles away or 5,000 (so long as it gets to me fresh), but I do care whether there are a multitude of places I can walk to with dozens of great beers on draught and dozens more by the bottle, where people appreciate good beer.

I'll go back again to the beer list at one of my locals...

http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com/draught-list/

Only 5 of those on draught are "local" (if you count Cooperstown and Southampton, and even much of Brooklyn Brewery's beer is made in Utica). But I don't care. The point is there's a place a few blocks away with a constantly changing selection of great American and import beers of every possible variety.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by LSyd

having just moved to Bavaria, i'm going to put this list and this information to the proper test and let you all know the results
-

Wait, Bavaria? As in Bavaria, Germany? Nice posting you lucky bastard.

[pizzaguy]

Originally Posted by tdawg

For Lagunitas alone San Diego deserves its spot.

Lagunitas is in the Bay Area.