Munich's famed frothy festival, Oktoberfest, may get all of the glory, but the destinations listed in ShermansTravel.com's roundup of cities for beer lovers proves that the world is full of destinations where the natives know - and love - their beer, and that are primed for sampling local brews all year long. So no matter how you say "cheers" - whether prost, na zdraví, kampai, or salúd - their list of the top cities for beer lovers will help you raise a glass around the globe. Text courtesy of ShermanTravel.com, adapted from "Top Cities for Beer Lovers."
The 12 Best Beer Cities
Amsterdam(01 of13)
Cozy, neighborhood watering holes serving beer (or pils as the locals call it), the Dutch way – with exactly two fingers' worth of foam on top – aren’t hard to find in this beer lovers' city. Heineken, Grolsch, and Amstel are three of the best-known native brews, but a sampling of artisanal blends and witte (wheat) beers from neighboring Belgium are also on the menu at Amsterdam’s cozy “brown” bars, so called for their antiquated, nicotine-stained walls. If your interest in hops goes beyond consumption, take a tour of the Heineken Experience, where tastings are encouraged.
Bruges, Belgium(02 of13)
Slightly smaller than the Belgian capital of Brussels, Bruges (also known as Brugge) is renowned for its fine lace, Godiva chocolate – and beer. Indeed, this tiny city is, amazingly enough, a prime locale for beer lovers to sample over 450 unique varieties of Belgian brew, each served in its own specialized glass. You’ll find a preserved pub, Café Vlissinghe, that dates back to 1515, breweries that still use antiquated brewing techniques, and even museums, like De Gouden Boom Brewery Museum, where beer has been produced since 1455. (credit:Cafe Vlissinghe)
Burlington, Vermont(03 of13)
Set between two beer-bustling cities – Montreal to the north, and Boston to the southeast – Burlington, Vermont is a university town with one of the best brew cultures in New England. Home to the quirky microbrewery Magic Hat, visitors can do as the local beer lovers do and sample homegrown brews such as #9, Fat Angel, and Blind Faith IPA, to name a few. Church Street, a four-block pedestrian-only zone buzzes with vibrant bars with top-notch beer on tap, including Vermont-brewed Otter Creek and the Long Trail beer collection, whose specialty beers change seasonally. (credit:Flickr:adjustafresh)
Mexico City(04 of13)
Una cerveza por favor! These words will have you sipping Mexico’s finest in two shakes of a maraca. Corona, the signature Mexican brew, is produced in Mexico City at Grupo Modelo, the country’s largest brewing company. While brewpubs are rare in the capital, fun taverns, mariachi clubs, and bars abound where beer lovers can taste their share of local brews. Our favorite brands include Negra Modelo, a chocolaty-smooth dark lager (also produced by Grupo Modelo); Bohemia, a pilsner-style lager with a semi-dry flavor; and Dos XX, a golden lager-style beer. (credit:Flickr:cordelia_persen)
Portland, Oregon(05 of13)
In Portland, there are plenty of drafts to go around. Indeed, with 28 breweries based here – more per capita than any other city in the country – this Pacific Northwest city clearly boasts the mother lode of American microbrews. One of the city’s oldest and largest breweries, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, produces over 200,000 barrels a year, including a top-selling German-style Hefeweizen; drop by on a weekend for free tours and tastings. Other popular draws here include Gasthaus, where hard-to-find brews like Snowplow Stout and Cherry Bomb are on tap, and BridgePort, Portland’s oldest microbrewery. (credit:Flickr:craigemorsels)
Berlin(06 of13)
Is there any place on earth better to sip Berliner Weisse (beer with woodruff or raspberry juice) than in its city of origin? Berlin boasts more than 20 beer gardens where you can enjoy this local favorite – along with hundreds of other frothy ales. Though the city is a haven for beer lovers all year round, August in particular stands out, when the first weekend of the month is devoted to Bierfestival, and the city center turns into a 1.3-mile-long beer garden hosting 300 breweries from 86 countries, representing some 2,000 different brands of beer.
Dublin(07 of13)
No beer list of any kind would be complete without a nod to the Irish and its capital city of Dublin, where pub culture thrives and the favorite local pastime is imbibing in age-old taverns where luminaries like James Joyce perhaps once did. Dubliners and visitors alike can’t resist the smooth, creamy flavor and dark body of Guinness, the city’s finest, home-brewed stout. The Guinness Storehouse, where beer lovers can watch the brewing process and learn to pour themselves the perfect pint, and The Porterhouse, Dublin’s first brewpub and a must on any pub crawl, are two of the city’s top draws. (credit:Flickr:Shadowgate)
Montreal(08 of13)
There’s more to this Quebec province than Labatt and Molson. Montreal, in particular, boasts several brewpubs, like Le Cheval Blanc and Dieu du Ciel, which serve up first-rate microbrewed beer in flavors that typically change with the season. Rather than be classified as lager, ale, and the like, beer here is commonly differentiated by color – blonde, rousse (red), ambrée (amber), and noir (dark) – and are ordered as such at the bar. If you happen to be in town in early June, beer lovers shouldn't miss the annual Mondial de la Bière beer festival. (credit:Flickr:sashafatcat)
Sapporo, Japan(09 of13)
Think the Japanese sit around sipping sake all day? Think again. Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink here – so popular, in fact, that you can purchase it from vending machines on the street. The town of Sapporo, in northern Japan, is a name beer lovers are familiar with, thanks to the golden beverage that shares the town’s namesake and which usually appears in a silver tall-boy. Since Sapporo beer is the city’s most popular export, it makes sense that it has its own museum – the only one of its kind in Japan. Next door, a beer garden with a daily barbecue creates the perfect setting for kicking back with cold draft beer. (credit:Flickr:David McKelvey)
Prague(10 of13)
Beer lovers love Prague for two main reasons – the first being the high quality of the beer brewed here, the second being its price – which is very inexpensive by North American standards. The city is home to U Fleku, the world's oldest brewpub, and one of Europe's most famous beer halls. It’s also home to the original (and many would say better) Budweiser, known locally as Budvar. Traditionally, beer halls only poured one brand, but have recently begun pouring two or three, so you won’t have to pub crawl to sample Prague’s best suds. For serious enthusiasts, Plzen, home of the world’s first beer museum and the original Pilsner, is just 50 miles away. (credit:Flickr:jmilles)
Asheville, NC(11 of13)
Kirsten Kerbie Berggren:
Asheville, North Carolina is BeerCity USA 2010American Craft Beer Week coincided with BeerCity USA poll and ended with an outpouring of votes for the relatively smaller city of Asheville, North Carolina.
Asheville, North Carolina is BeerCity USA 2010American Craft Beer Week coincided with BeerCity USA poll and ended with an outpouring of votes for the relatively smaller city of Asheville, North Carolina.
Milwaukee, WI(12 of13)
Joshua D Wolter:
With a nickname like "Brew City," a baseball team named "The Brewers," who play at Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI is unchallengably the Beer Capitol of the United States. With a rich history in brewing, Milwaukee was and still is home to many nostalgic beers that have seen an amazing resurgance in the last few years, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Shlitz, Blatz, and Milwaukees Best. Home to mega-brewery MillerCoors. Milwaukee also bosts a virtual cornicopia of smaller brewerys such as Leinekugles, Lakefront Brewery, and Sprecher.
With a nickname like "Brew City," a baseball team named "The Brewers," who play at Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI is unchallengably the Beer Capitol of the United States. With a rich history in brewing, Milwaukee was and still is home to many nostalgic beers that have seen an amazing resurgance in the last few years, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Shlitz, Blatz, and Milwaukees Best. Home to mega-brewery MillerCoors. Milwaukee also bosts a virtual cornicopia of smaller brewerys such as Leinekugles, Lakefront Brewery, and Sprecher.
Fort Collins, Colorado(13 of13)
With New Belgium, Odell, and Fort Collins Brewery, one cannot stumble two blocks without finding amazing beer. Colorado is, after all, the Napa of beer.
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