"Best Beer Cities"

It means it is in a class recognized as quality on the world scale.

 

Haha, it does strike a nerve with me too. Just thought that was the expression most people would identify with. We love using "World" to make things sound more important than they are: "Washington Nationals, WORLD champions."

For American beer I take it as there are other parts of the world that have been brewing beer a lot longer than us Americans, so if you can make beer that stands up to other long-standing breweries around the world then that is quite a compliment. However, that only covers traditional beer styles; like what is a "world-class" west coast IPA or NEIPA?

 

It’s one reason why I bypass Sir Isaac Newton’s in Newtown Pa, I buy a beer for me and my wife and the bills north of $20. The Hulmville Inn is just as good, better parking, not as crowded, and far less expensive.

 

Imo there’s nothing to explain or try to understand, the term world class is merely a personal opinion, nothing more or less. I don’t think the term is particularly relevant either, and I’m sure you could find beer drinkers who think HF makes shit beers, or guys who don’t like sours who think Cantillion is Belgian for crap.

 

This is how I use the term "world-class" and I try not to over-use it. To me, it means a beer I'd be comfortable putting up against other "world class" beers from around the world, without a doubt that I wouldn't get laughed out of the room. Fundamental Observation? World-class. Noble's Naughty Sauce? Tasty af, but not world-class.

And when it comes to west coast IPAs, a lot of breweries (here in CA especially) aren't putting out "world-class" IPAs, they are putting out world-LEADING ipas. With hazies, the breweries in the NE could probably claim the same.

 

Is world-leading superior to world-class?

Like a lot of phrases in common use, "world class" has lost its meaning through overuse. Similar to "amazing". Most things (or people) called "amazing" or "world class" aren't even remotely that.

 

Yes. It's a class of its own.

 

Decided by who?

Nothing can be actually world leading (or class) unless it has been judged by the world against the other world contenders.

An Olympic Champion is world class. An IPA with 15 ratings is not.

 

Just go to the dictionary:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/world-class
world-class: "ranking among the world's best"

But honestly, the usage of the term makes me wince too. Something about it. Yesterday I was reading a NYC person's write-up on NYC breweries. Here's how he ended the write-up of the first featured brewery: "their lager game is strong and I mean world class strong." Here's how he ended the write-up of the second featured brewery: "[they make lagers], which are world class." Boy, us NYers sure are lucky to have so many choices for locally brewed world-class lagers! And it's not just NY. When you read beer reviews, you realize that every city in the US has world-class beers. Imagine that. It's remarkable how many people discover world-class beer in the same city where they live. Either everybody is wrong, or the term has no meaning. I'm being playful. But seriously, the author of those quotes above is actually a very well traveled beer drinker. Much more well travelled than me, but I don't consider the lagers from those breweries "world-class" (not that I ever use that word though). When I see someone use that word, it just feels like I'm hearing "unity" or "freedom" or "committed" from a politician. It's just noise that I wish I can tune out.

 

By me. What's so hard to understand? If I'm calling a beer "world-class" *I* am (literally) saying I believe it's a world-class beer. I've already defined how I use the term. This ain't rocket surgery, guy. If other people want to mis-use or over-use it, that's on them.

Also, I disagree that "nothing can be world leading (or class)...". I could not disagree more with this statement. I mean, says who? Gimme a break.

 

Oh this is a BEER list? Thought is was a list of base places to live if you're a CPA.

 

Budweiser is sold in 80 countries around the world and was an official FIFA sponsor in 50 of those. Does that make it a world-class lager?

 

No need for the snark "guy." It is not possible to merely declare something to be "world leading" and have that declaration have any credibility unless it is truly compared against the world. Are you doing that, or is it merely your locavore-derived opinion?

I wouldn't agree with the snipped statement of mine in your quote, either. You need to the rest of it, which was the actual point.

 

Wow. I really didn't plan on going this deep into it, but whatever.

By your logic, since there is no world-wide governing body of beer to make these calls, we shouldn't be using such terms. Really? Live a little, huh? Geez.

 

Geez... misunderstand much? Really? Read a little.

 

OOOOOHHH! Now I get it. I have to drink every beer in the world before I can say, with any credibility, that a beer is "world class." Got it.

Do you think we've beaten this dead horse enough, or you want to give it another go-round?

 

I'm not necessarily saying Boise is better than Columbus, but having been to both cities and Boise like 7 times, it is actually a very up and coming city. There's been about 4-5 new breweries in the last 2 years alone, plus with a huge influx of people from Seattle/Portland/Bay Area (don't tell anyone in Boise you're from those areas..) I can see more growth in the years to come.

 

No no no, it's a World Cup-class lager.

 

Probably not that either!