Best Beer Cities for Drinkers in the U.S.
The growth of the craft beer market has been outpacing the overall beer market with a total of 7,346 craft breweries in the U.S., nearly doubling from the 3,814 there were in 2014. If you’re a beer drinker, there’s no doubt you have lots of options available, but these cities are truly some of the best beer cities for enjoying a cold one.
Portland, Maine
Maine’s largest city, located on its southern coast, is not only especially picturesque, but it’s often named among or at the top of lists of the best beer cities. It has a long history of microbrewing and the most breweries per capita in the entire country with 18 per 50,000 people, with excellent local institutions like Shipyard and Allagash. The latter offers a fantastic brewery tour that includes a visit to the barrel room for samples. There are plenty of great brewpubs too, like Liquid Riot, which offers house-made beers and spirits along with gourmet bar food in a trendy warehouse setting.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This city is famous for its beer, so much so you might want to start looking through theMilwaukee homes for sale so that you can sample all it has to offer. Of course, Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, and Leinenkugel were all birthed here, and visiting Miller is really a must, but you’ll find a whole lot more than those big-name brands. There are plenty of craft breweries in this midwestern city today, including Lakefront Brewery and Horny Goat, and you’ll find countless beer bars and pubs too. Just two include the Milwaukee Ale House, a microbrewery and restaurant on the waterfront, and City Lights Brewing in the Milwaukee Gas Light Building, where you can watch the brewing process from start to finish through glass windows behind the bar.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Located an hour north of Denver, Fort Collins is a true craft beer mecca, home to over 20 breweries producing 70 percent of Colorado’s craft beer and 7 percent of the countries. It’s home to world-famous New Belgium, the country’s fourth-largest brewer of craft beer, which produces popular Fat Tire and many others, like Sunshine Wheat and Ranger IPA. It offers one of the best brewery tours in the country too – the 90-minute tours are free, available daily all year-round, and include samples. Head to the Mayor of Old Town, voted one of the best beers in the country to see what’s on tap – there’s a selection of 100 different options, from local to international beers, with a huge digital menu board and phone app to find out what’s in stock.
Burlington, Vermont
Vermont lays claim to the most breweries and beer production per capita in the country, with11.5 per 100,000 adults 21 years of age or older. Many breweries can be found in Burlington and South Burlington, including Switchback, Magic Hat, Vermont Pub, and Brewery and Infinity. There are lots of pubs and bars here too, like Das Bierhaus, renowned for its German pours and rare beers like Aventinus and Kulmbacher Eisbock. The city’s annual Vermont Brewers Festival, held in the summer, is a great reason to visit alone.
