The Great Beer City Debate

In the United States, we’re obsessed with debating the respective merits of just about everything and then assigning it a blue ribbon or gold medal. We have pig beauty pageants, pumpkin-chucking contests and the Summer Redneck Games. In the brewing world, the drive to judge things extends far beyond the usual beer competitions and festivals.

In the last two years, cities around the country have promoted their local beer offerings by touting their ranks as America’s best beer town. In Philadelphia, local supporters of Philly Beer Week extol their virtues in “America’s Best Beer-Drinking City.” Denver offers “the Napa Valley of the Beer World,” San Francisco represents “America’s Original Craft Beer-Drinking City” and Portland, Ore., proclaims itself “Beervana.”

In the past year, I’ve had the good fortune to travel around to most of America’s top-tier beer cities, and after quite a few pints, tasters and tours, I’ve come to one conclusion: There actually is no such thing as America’s best beer city. While this may be the inevitable end result of a hopelessly theoretical comparison of some highly competitive locales, the intellectual exercise of debating America’s best beer cities demonstrates the remarkable strength and diversity of our burgeoning regional beer cultures.

To the extent possible in our mental gymnastics, we should try to define the criteria underlying a great beer city. The core of a great beer city revolves around a handful of passionate breweries and brewpubs. Add to that a few superior beer bars that focus on diverse craft taps and fair prices, and offer events promoting better beers. Finally, throw in a few less tangible criterions, including how well craft beer and the concept of better beers integrates into the local scene, and the number and quality of local beer festivals.

When beer drinkers toss around potential candidates, a few names always make the top tier, including those mentioned above along with Seattle and San Diego. While these big cities pack some serious punch, size is hardly the denominating factor. America’s three largest cities, for instance, almost never get a mention; New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, all good drinking cities, offer fewer than 12 breweries and brewpubs each. By way of comparison, Portland has less than 4 percent of their combined population while offering more brewpubs and breweries than all three cities combined.

Size does matter, and it’s another factor to consider when assessing smaller cities. Sure, it’s easy to support a few good beer establishments when you have a couple million customers nearby. But it’s when you start taking a look at some of America’s smaller towns that you get a full appreciation of what constitutes a great beer city. While medium-sized towns including Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Austin, Tex., all have impressive offerings, let’s get even smaller. How about we nominate Portland, Maine, or Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Mich., or Fort Collins, Colo., or Madison, Wis.? And where else but Burlington, Vt., (population 40,000), can you hit three brewpubs in a three-block radius and still have two breweries to visit?

The creation and celebration of citywide beer appreciation festivals is a significant development in the history of American craft beer and they should be supported. But it doesn’t take the aid of local chambers of commerce or tourist bureaus for people to help develop, nurture and promote their local beer scenes. Although a handful of quality craft beers may not be available at average, budget Chinese food restaurants in our area, as is the case in cities throughout Oregon, that doesn’t mean we have to continue to support prefabricated pubs with run-of-the-mill beer offerings. Instead, it’s time to think before we drink and pledge our support for local places that appreciate the diversity of craft beer while respecting their customers with fair prices. Because looking inward and celebrating our local beer scenes is the only way to make every American city a great beer city. ■