The constellation of bars, gastropubs, taphouses and brewpubs that dot LA’s diverse neighborhoods is dedicated to making LA a premier craft beer city. Los Angeles already has the weather and the landscape, and now it increasingly has the perfect brews to pair with the picturesque environment.
Cincinnati has always been steeped in brewing history thanks to its predominately German heritage. But the craft scene was slow to catch on. A few years ago, this metropolitan area of 2.1 million people could boast only three locally owned breweries. Today, there are upwards of 16 locals.
Seattle’s love affair with good beer began in 1981 in the city’s Ballard neighborhood, where Redhook converted an old auto repair shop into its original brewery. Other breweries soon sprang up, and by the end of the 1980s, the local craft beer had secured a permanent place in the city’s beverage landscape.
Milwaukee owes its brewing heritage to beer barons like Miller, Pabst and Schlitz. And while Miller is still extremely popular, the big beers that were once working-class favorites have given way to a vibrant craft beer scene.
Although there were a small handful of microbreweries, like the Oaken Barrel, during Indianapolis’ darker days, it wasn’t until Sun King tapped its first kegs in 2009 that craft beer exploded in the city.
A university town where Tibetan prayer flags are draped on the porches of old houses and outdoor recreation is at the heart of the culture, Burlington’s open-minded population has embraced the craft beer movement.
For decades, beaches, not beer, were the reason to visit Thailand. But things are changing, with Singha opening a pair of brewpubs and European and American imports appearing on menus with increasing frequency. And across Bangkok, community malls with trendy beer bars have sprung up like bamboo.
Pittsburgh has always been a brewing town. Not unlike a great many other US cities, much of its original brewing culture came from an influx of immigrants from Germany and Eastern Europe, who congregated in tight-knit neighborhoods and adapted their traditional brewing practices to our shores.
In 1513, 74 years before the settlers started brewing beer from corn in Virginia, Spain’s Ponce de León landed on the coast of modern-day Florida. St. Augustine may be steeped in centuries of history, but the nation’s oldest city is starting a new chapter as craft beer takes root there.
When beer enthusiasts hear “North Carolina” these days, they probably think “Asheville.” But just behind the mountain town in its number of breweries, Raleigh plays host to a vast array of quality beer bars, specialty bottle shops and homebrew stores that also belong on any serious beer lover’s itinerary.
Austrian taste buds tend to stick to the classics, such as the light lager (Helles), dark lager (Dunkles) and the Märzen, known elsewhere as Oktoberfest beer. Yet diversity is dawning on the Alpine horizon. Rye beers, American Pale Ales and IPAs, Porters, and Stouts are slowly nudging their way into the market.
Today, the Bay Area is home to over 60 breweries, and the city itself boasts nine beyond Anchor Brewing Co. … and that number is growing. In fact, the SF Brewers Guild recently decided to bring the contract and gypsy breweries into the fold, so now membership stands at 15.
Commonly referred to as the “Paris of South America,” Buenos Aires is a sprawling metropolis that deserves its rank among the world’s greatest cities. The beer market may still be dominated by AB-InBev’s Quilmes, but forgo these ricey lagers and syrupy Stouts, and head off the beaten path to Buenos Aires’ true beer bars.
It wasn’t until May 2012 that Connecticut liquor stores could open on Sunday. It’s a no-brainer victory, but also a sign of the changes that have come to the state’s growing palate for good libations.
At the time of ’ founding in 1759, Dublin boasted dozens of breweries; but, as far as we know, by 1949, the Stout brewers at St. James’ Gate were the only brewers in town. In the past few decades (but especially the past few years), the Emerald Isle’s beer lovers have witnessed remarkable growth in
Jersey City hasn’t always been a craft beer town—more of a “beer and a stab” town, a phrase used by beat cops during the rougher years. These days though, craft beer bars are popping up on every corner, and events organized by the local homebrew club aren’t hard to come by either.
St. Louis has always been a beer city. In 1991, it started its transformation to a craft beer city. The metro area has added 10 new breweries since 2009; two dozen breweries now operate within a two-hour drive of downtown. Today, it’s one of the country’s top destinations for beer travelers.
Bend’s beer scene has built up around its marquee name. A city of only 75,000, it now boasts 10 breweries and some of the better beer bars and bottle shops on the West Coast.
The Portsmouth Brewery and it sister brewery Smuttynose just a few miles away already made Portsmouth, N.H. a craft beer destination, but the scene has improved even more in the past few years. More adventurous tap lists also lie just across the river in Kittery, Maine.
Since Mayor Rudy Giuliani cut the ribbon on the first Brooklyn brewery in 20 years in May 1996, the borough has fully embraced the microbrew revolution, spawning five more breweries and scores of craft beer pubs.
Nearly 20 percent of Canadians live in the “Golden Horseshoe,” a region that wraps around the southern tip of Lake Ontario. In the last decade, drinkers here have slowly been undergoing a craft beer conversion thanks to the appearance of new breweries, beer bars, festivals and even Canada’s first brewing school.
Savannah is a European-influenced city that’s heavy on charm and good times. Stroll the cobblestone streets, explore the notable squares, and visit the quirky bars that dot downtown—all without having to be beer-less between stops, since open containers are permitted in the 2 square-miles of the Historic District.
Beneath a fairytale skyline of spires, domes and towers, a modern city of industry and commerce sits upon cobblestone streets and ancient bridges. Prague is a maddening riddle.
