The Top 10 Beer Cities in America (based on Nielsen Scantrack 2014 numbers)

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by draheim, Jun 3, 2015.

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  1. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    I personally like this one because it puts Seattle at #2, right behind Portland. And say what you want, but it does base its results in actual craft beer market share. So there's actual, like, data behind it rather than a bunch of fanboys voting for where they live.

    http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/top-10-beer-cities-in-america/
     
  2. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,534) Jan 22, 2011 New York
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    Ironic as I was just about to go on another beer pilgrimage to New Haven this weekend.
     
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  3. blues_fever

    blues_fever Initiate (0) Apr 2, 2015 California
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    Guess its hard for LA to make that list, since very few things come out from here that are highly sought after. Oh well, hope to try something from each one of those cities at some point.
     
  4. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Not to pick nits there partner, but I believe this is a coincidence, not irony. :wink:
     
  5. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
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    It's based purely on market share. If 25% or more of the beer people in LA buy was considered "craft" beer (based on however the people who did this study define that term), it would be a contender for the list.
     
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  6. Mehinaman

    Mehinaman Initiate (0) May 16, 2015 Washington
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    I live in the Seattle area and therefore can proudly say that being #2 is justified
     
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  7. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,534) Jan 22, 2011 New York
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    If I'd gone on to say "but I'm not now as this thread will probably mean the place will be overrun" - would that have helped my cause? If not then I guess I suck at English and thanks for everybody's time
     
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  8. pioneer13

    pioneer13 Devotee (345) Jun 9, 2007 Minnesota

    Data is not accurate as here in Minnesota the only beer we can buy in grocery stores is 3.2. I believe the same is true for Colorado. Strange way to do a study. I believe Denver belongs on that list and Minneapolis also has a strong argument as well.
     
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  9. Scott17Taylor

    Scott17Taylor Initiate (0) Oct 28, 2013 Iowa
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    It's also a huge city. Most of the cities that make lists like this are the smaller ones that have a great beer culture.
     
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  10. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Hey, don't blame dumb state laws for the results :wink:
     
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  11. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    But here are the populations of some cities that did make the list:
    San Diego 1.356 million
    San Francisco 837,442
    Washington, D.C. 658,893
    Seattle 652,405
    Portland 609,456
    These aren't metropolises like LA, but they are still medium to large cities.
     
  12. Scott17Taylor

    Scott17Taylor Initiate (0) Oct 28, 2013 Iowa
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    Yes they are medium to large, I agree. I was speaking comparatively to las angelas they are smaller cities. Should've been more specific.
     
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  13. SCW

    SCW Initiate (0) Jul 25, 2004 New York

    its one of the most common misuses, done mostly by convenience, so you are not alone
     
  14. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
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    Well, New York City (the largest city in the U.S.) was a runner up, with 21.7% market share, although that might be partly because beer is so freaking expensive there and the study based its results on $ sales, not volume. OTOH, that makes Portland's #1 spot all the more impressive because beer (including "craft") is relatively cheap there.
     
  15. woemad

    woemad Grand Pooh-Bah (5,073) Jun 8, 2003 Washington
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    I like Seattle being so highly ranked, but agree the methodology is flawed due to some states having asinine laws (Yet more proof that Washington is a great state to live in for beer).
     
  16. ONovoMexicano

    ONovoMexicano Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2012 New Mexico

    I thought you were trying to make a joke about New Haven's inclusion on here. As in something along the lines of, "Oh yeah, let me go to New Haven to score a huge haul." But then again, it's been ten years at least since I've been there and I suppose things have improved mightily. I imagine NEBCO's not far off.
     
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  17. ONovoMexicano

    ONovoMexicano Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2012 New Mexico

    Another thing about NYC is that it has so many immigrants, many who buy the beers of their homeland with vigor and these beers are all of the massed-produced variety. I know for sure this is the case with the Dominican, Mexican, Colombian and other Latino immigrants.
     
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  18. ONovoMexicano

    ONovoMexicano Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2012 New Mexico

    It would be nice to see other cities and states numbers. Albuquerque can still feel very BMC-preferential, but other times, it seems like everyone from every corner of the city is drinking something from a craft brewery, local or otherwise.
     
  19. fx20736

    fx20736 Initiate (0) Mar 7, 2009 New York

    I am completely dumbfounded that Rochester, NY made the list. We have a great beer city!
     
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  20. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
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    A better methodology would be to track all craft beer sales (draft, grocery stores, liquor stores, bottle shops, breweries, restaurants etc.), either by $ value or volume, and then somehow divide that number by population to get a per capita figure, but I don't know if that's even possible. I still think Portland would come out on top no matter how you did it.
     
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  21. Satchboogie

    Satchboogie Initiate (0) Oct 16, 2010 Belgium
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    No Boston love?
     
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  22. Droopy487

    Droopy487 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2013 Tennessee

    I love this guy thinks this is the end all list. That list comparatively is like saying, Maxwell House is the best coffee in America because we looked at grocery store sales of coffee. Ok. What about coffee shops, Starbucks, etc.

    I lost count how many breweries there are in Asheville, NC, but if you go in a grocery store their selection is not that great. I remember going in an Earth Fare (or some large chain similar to it) real close to downtown last summer in Asheville. The biggest selection they had in the beer aisle was about 3 different Dogfish head bombers. When I'm in a beer city I typically don't rush off to Wal Mart to buy my favorite IPA's. I'll drive down the street and hit one of the 30 breweries and get it from the source.
     
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  23. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,036) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    It's silly to see a claim for "top beer cities" based on such a specific criteria as volume of "craft" sold in grocery stores vs "non-craft." What's non-craft? One can interpret data however one wants, but it's especially ridiculous to pretend that your interpretation is somehow factually valid as a result. I would think that volume of Bud Light sold vs wine and vodka is a better starting point for a "top beer city." I'm a fool for taking the bait with this competition obsessed filler.
     
    #23 zid, Jun 3, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2015
  24. Satchboogie

    Satchboogie Initiate (0) Oct 16, 2010 Belgium
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    I don't know, I don't really care about overall sales. My idea of best beer city is what has the best craft seen/bars. Who cares about volume!
     
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  25. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
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    On the other hand, in cities like Seattle many grocery stores have beer selections that rival what you can find at specialty shops. I guess I see this as a reasonably valid barometer of overall "beer culture," when good beer has permeated the mainstream to the point that where you pick up your toilet paper and ground beef also happens to have between 500 and 1,000 unique beers available, all in coolers and most reasonably fresh. On a daily basis, the vast majority of people do not buy their beer directly from the brewery, they buy it at grocery stores and liquor stores.
     
    #25 draheim, Jun 3, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2015
  26. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
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    The breweries, distributors, and retailers do. How do you quantify "best craft scene/bars"? That is completely subjective.
     
  27. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,036) Feb 15, 2010 New York
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    The linkage of the article's title to the sales numbers is also subjective.
     
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  28. Droopy487

    Droopy487 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2013 Tennessee

    I don't know what I would do with myself if it were like that here. LOL. In The state of Tennessee you can not buy beer above 6.2 ABV in a grocery store. Also, breweries can't make it above 6.2 unless they have a different license. So, I'm not saying Tennessee would be anywhere near the top of any list, but the southeast in general is nowhere like you described in a grocery store setting.

    So, the voting is still skewed when you compare apples to bananas. Cheers to your city for being epic.
     
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  29. Knobs303

    Knobs303 Initiate (0) Nov 8, 2013 Colorado

    Exactly Right.
     
  30. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Sure it is (linkage of title to sales numbers, voting being skewed). As I say here, there's certainly a better way to quantify it. I'm simply saying that there are far worse ways to determine the "best beer cities" (if such a thing can be determined, which it probably can't).

    And @Droopy487, your illustration simply reinforces my point that good beer is nowhere near as ubiquitous in Tennessee or the Southeast as it is in other regions. No matter how you slice and dice it, you won't find data that convincingly point to Tennessee having a stronger beer culture than somewhere like Portland or San Diego. That would be like complaining that Riyadh isn't on a list of the world's top cities to get a good drink.
     
    #30 draheim, Jun 3, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2015
  31. cjgiant

    cjgiant Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,378) Jul 13, 2013 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Looks like the list is split between cities where there is a homegrown craft beer scene and those that can "afford" to import it.

    Given the criteria is sales, this makes sense. So the fact that NYC, SF and DC are [more] open to craft beer [than other large markets], even if they aren't craft beer producers extroadinaire (yet?) maybe means something. But maybe not, marketers will help decide.
     
  32. russpowell

    russpowell Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,236) May 24, 2005 Arkansas
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    Denver & Ft. Collins more so, should be on the list...
     
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  33. sukwonee

    sukwonee Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2011 Washington

    Sacramento? Really?
     
  34. mudbug

    mudbug Pooh-Bah (1,688) Mar 27, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Meh, small populations inundated with craft beer choices choose more craft beer. Thank you Captain Obvious.
     
  35. hopnado

    hopnado Initiate (0) Aug 13, 2014 Michigan

    That's Grand Rapids, MI for those who were confused

    REPRESENT!!
     
  36. mudbug

    mudbug Pooh-Bah (1,688) Mar 27, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    In Portland craft beer runs down the gutter. Craft beer is filtered out of the drinking water. Quick change auto lubes offer craft beer instead of antifreeze. The local busses run on craft beer.
    Every restaurant in the city that sells beer has craft beer. The ice cream vendors recommend craft beer pairings. I do believe the city kindergartens have brewing classes. How the Hell could they not be number one on this list?
     
  37. kj8525

    kj8525 Initiate (0) Nov 28, 2013 Colorado

    Denver didn't make it because of the 3.2 law at grocery stores. Many would vehemently disagree that the law is asinine. In fact, many support the law and don't believe grocery store should sell regular abv beer. The argument is that small breweries are able to have an opportunity to sell their product and get noticed, instead of the bigger craft beer taking up all the limited shelf space at the grocery store.
     
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  38. draheim

    draheim Grand Pooh-Bah (3,979) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
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    Does this look like bigger craft beer is taking up all the shelf space at the grocery store?

    [​IMG]

    If you want to make it hard for local breweries to sell their beer, make it hard for them to get it on as many shelves in as many convenient locations as possible.
     
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  39. RJM1978

    RJM1978 Initiate (0) Dec 10, 2014 Nevada

    St. Louis has got to be on the list. Usually in polls like this one St. Louis City is misrepresented due to its odd population statistics, and has a great craft beer scene.
     
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  40. Droopy487

    Droopy487 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2013 Tennessee

    Yeah I'm not saying Tennessee has a stronger beer culture than those awesome cities. I would, however, like to see Asheville's numbers. But, Asheville's numbers overall…not from grocery store sales. That statistic would probably be in the lowest of the lows. That's what I was trying to infer to. For example, if you want a Wicked Weed bottle, you go to Wicked Weed. Also, there is plenty of Asheville breweries that don't package yet. Some just package and sell in-house, and the bigger, more established places actually distribute.

    If you visit Asheville and want beer, you don't go to Wal-Mart or Kroger like you are inferring to what you can do. You hit Bruisin Ales (a liquor store, not a grocery store) and hit a brewery or two right down the street.
     
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