A connective spirit has fired up the Rhode Island craft beer scene; bars and bottle shops have revamped their offerings, happily joining the craft beer revolution. The following beer venues will keep a visitor busy for a long stay or multiple weekend trips.
Only 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, however, the autonomous port city of a half-million people is worthy of note, if not for its status as the most ethnically diverse city in the country, then for its recent growth into one of Southern California’s newest craft beer hubs.
Everywhere you turn in London, history is meshed together vibrantly with the modern world. This clash of old and new is also reflected in the beer scene.
In the wake of the declining tourism economy, the Biggest Little City is redefining itself and one element that’s been pivotal in Reno’s renaissance, unsurprisingly, is craft beer. From retail to bars, dinners to fests, and especially in online communities, Reno is awash in good beer like it’s never been before.
Slowly, but very surely, Akron is coming into its own as a beer town, with more establishments offering craft beers and Akron’s own breweries starting to emerge. It’s also worth noting—with appropriate irony—that Akron is the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Today, Philly has upwards of 20 breweries within a 100-mile radius, including Yuengling, the oldest brewery in America, and nationally known brands like Victory, Flying Fish and Stoudt’s.
What used to be a place with literally no hometown breweries, and bars that only sold cheap, macrobrewed longnecks, has emerged as a great city for craft beer.
It’s still a well-kept secret that Albuquerque is one of the most prolific markets of local, craft-brewed beer. Part of the appeal of Albuquerque’s beer scene is that it isn’t trying to be the next Portland or San Diego.
Because the beer culture is still so young, finding quality local beer can be a real hassle if you don’t know where to look. Yet hidden behind the scenes, in between all the wine bars, osterias and pizzerias, there are some great spots to sit down and have a pint.
Québec’s artisan beer revolution traces back to the Belgian-inflected brewing of Unibroue, which opened in 1992; 20 years later, the movement is entering its adolescence with confidence.
The university town’s love of beer began more than 150 years ago, in the late 1860s, when seven breweries served a population of about 5,000 in Stearns County.
Visitors find a walkable college town with crisp, fresh air and a vibe that’s simultaneously urbane and outdoorsy—more hippie than yuppie. So it’s no surprise that Flagstaff is a big beer town, with a scene that’s still on the rise.
The teeming Metroplex area runs from Dallas to Fort Worth, a decent-sized city in its own right that’s since been pulled into Dallas’ orbit. There’s a lot to take in, so it’s best to take it a step at a time, a bar at a time.
Boise bars eagerly stock the biggest, most fragrant beers that Oregon and Washington can pump out. And its homegrown breweries are following that brewing tradition to great effect. Come see for yourself.
Spokane has good water running through its center, and it’s surrounded by wheat and barley fields, with Washington’s hop fields a couple hours to the west. This college town, best known for its ties to NBA short-shorts hero John Stockton, is a fine place to knock back a pint.
When you throw high and low culture in a bag, douse it in bourbon and shake it around a bit, good things tend to come out. The city has vibrant arts and music scenes, and a level of comfort with folks on the fringes. All of which makes it a fine place to pause and tip back a pint.
Good beer can’t be stopped; quality will prevail. Just look at Texas. If you want to see the revolution crystallizing before your eyes, head to San Antonio, a massive city that’s just now at the precipice of becoming a brewing hot-spot.
It’s big and dense and modern, the people are welcoming, the food is fresh and tasty, and should you be inclined to venture outside—some pretty staggering natural sights are right outside the city limits. And here’s where to drink while you’re taking it all in.
Until a few years ago, South Carolina’s beer culture was hamstrung by arcane and capricious caps on beermaking, alcohol content and distribution. In a few years, the city has become a true world-class beer destination.
Milwaukee’s beer scene is far from dead. You just have to quit looking for an old guard whose days are gone, and start paying attention to Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, where good beer is thriving quietly.
A great, friendly city with a strange but refreshing mix of Southern attitudes and blue-collar, Northern atmosphere. It’s compact, walkable and full of stellar places to enjoy a drink.
Like its West Coast counterpart, Portland, Maine, boasts a world-class brewing tradition that’s rooted as far back as craft brewing’s history can stretch. Plus, this Portland also has lobsters and clams and flannel and some rather wicked accents.
The beers that brought craft brewing into prominence largely owe their existence to a historic brewing scene that largely revolved around, and served, London’s thirsty masses.
Los Angeles is an absolutely massive place, teeming with a multitude of people. If only a tiny percentage drank good beer, that would still be a staggering number of craft drinkers sprawled out between the mountains and the ocean.
