Welcome! You've found THEbreweryauthory's list of the Best Beer Cities. This list takes into account many factors, but mainly we focus on the breweries themselves and the quality of the beer. We also dig into non beer attractions, traffic, food, and lodging. You may notice some notable beer cities missing from the list. This is list for the cities we have been able to visit and experience. Surely the list will change over time. So sit back and enjoy...you may come across a city you never thought of as a beer destination!
#25 Baltimore
Baltimore starts off the list at number 25. They have quite a few breweries near the Inner Harbor including Dempsey's Brewpub inside Orioles Park and Oliver Brewing at the historic Pratt Street Ale House. A bit farther (but still walkable) you have more breweries in Pigtown, Federal Hill, and Fells Point. One of our favorites is Ministry of Brewing with their beautiful cathedral to beer. Head just outside of the city and check out the massive complex built by Guinness called Open Gate or head to Columbia and visit some of the amazing breweries of that area, especially Sapwood Cellars which has the best hazy ipas, barrel aged sours, and creative takes on traditional beers.
Add crab cakes and other great seafood plus convenient/historic downtown hotels to this equation and its no wonder Baltimore begins this list at #25!
#24 Cleveland
Number 24 on our list is the great blue collar beer town of Cleveland Ohio! Cleveland has a rich industrious beer history dating well back before prohibition. More recently you've probably heard of Great Lakes Brewing that busted out during the craft beer boom. Since then dozens of breweries have popped up all over. Not only do they have some great breweries, but also some great places to get some thirst quenching beers from all over Ohio. Head on to 4th St and there's a plethora of places to grab a beer before a football, baseball, or basketball game. 4th St is also where The Butcher and the Brewer resides.
Cleveland has all the advantages of a big city, however once you arrive you realize there's quite the small town vibe! Cleveland also has some great downtown historic hotels! Did we mention we like historic hotels? Everything is within walking distance downtown. Not just breweries but attractions like The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and both sports complexes!
So what are our favorite breweries in Cleveland? It's a tough choice but some must go to's are Noble Beast Brewing, Masthead Brewing, Bookhouse Brewing, and Terrestrial Brewing.
#23 Rochester
Number 23, Rochester NY, is one of those cities you don't immediately think of as brewery town. However, it's home to the historic Genesee Brewery and an impressive amount of small local breweries that are all unique, fun places to grab a flight. Another nice aspect about the Rochester beer scene is that you get the amount of breweries you would expect in a major US city, without the hustle and bustle of a NYC or Philadelphia. There's also plenty of culinary option available as well. Again, for a smaller city it has some big city flavor options.
If you are willing to take a shirt drive out of town then head to Fairport which has its "fair" share of local breweries. Plenty of other Rochester suburbs have local brewery offerings and if you are really daring you may want to take the drive the Other Half Brewing near the Finger Lakes. Another underrated beer destination on the is list.
#22 Boston
For number 22 we head to Boston Mass. Everyone knows there's no shortage of things to do and places to see here. From an almost unlimited amount of historic Revolutionary War Era buildings to modern day attractions, Boston has something for everyone. One may say craft beer history began in Boston with the Sam Adams Brewery and if you call yourself a craft beer nerd you better make the pilgrimage to the brewery tour. Not far behind Sam Adams when it comes to Boston beer history is Harpoon Brewing. Both are unique yet distinct venues.
There are a bunch of modern day breweries that deserve a shout out here. One of our favorites is Trillium Brewing with their Fort Point, multi-level location or the seasonal biergarten set up in the heart of downtown. Also Democracy Brewing and Hopsters Brewing are great spots too
One great thing about Boston is that you are a short drive in any direction from some great breweries. The whole region is brewery rich. Going to a Red Sox game? Ridiculous amount of beer options in and outside the stadium! The only thing keeping Boston from being higher on the list is the low number of breweries compared to other cities, but the quality of the breweries they do have is impressive.
#21 Charlotte
Number 21 on the list, Charlotte North Carolina, is one of a few great beer towns in the state. Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington and more dominate the southern beer landscape. However, as the largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte naturally has the most breweries. Not the most per capita (as another NC does) but still quite impressive. Charlotte doesn't just have quantity in breweries, but also quality. The taprooms of all the breweries have a certain local art theme to them, a common denominator if you will, that makes for some great photo ops along with your beer.
Our only gripe with the Charlotte beer scene is location. You would think staying downtown would be great for brewery hopping. However, Charlotte is more of a driving city or at least drive to one of the many neighborhoods and brewery hop from there. Even so it's hard to not hit up a few dozen breweries over a long weekend. Add to that some southern BBQ and your in for quite a time.
A few favorites of THEbreweryauthority are Birdsong Brewing, Resident Culture Brewing, and Free Range Brewing
#20 Brooklyn
Number 20 on our list of the Best Beer Cities is Brooklyn NY. We had to narrow NYC down to one borough because I wouldn't call Manhattan or Staten Island great places to brewery hop. Brooklyn has a great concentration of breweries which is convenient on account of how much a pain in the ass it is to get around Brooklyn. Perhaps it would be even higher up the list if it weren't for that.
You have some great breweries like Other Half Brewing, Threes Brewing, Grimm Artisan Ales, Interboro Brewing and so many more. Gotta love the design and atmosphere of pretty much every brewery here. Add the best pizza in the world to that lineup and how can you lose? A few more downsides may be cost, lodging, and taking 1 hour to go 3 miles. But with all these downsides that really says something about the beer and breweries if they we able to make this list.
#19 Buffalo
Buffalo NY may be one of the most underrated beer cities in the US. Buffalo is underrated in general. The city is stocked full of blue collar bars and restaurants, including the world famous Anchor Bar. Buffalo also features some top notch breweries like Resurgence Brewing, Thin Man Brewing, and the well known Pearl Street Brewing. That's just a few of the many great ones in Buffalo and you are a short drive from Niagra Falls, Toronto, and a short drive from Number 23 Best Beer Town - Rochester NY.
Buffalo is also an easy town to navigate with not much traffic and some convenient downtown hotels. Your trip wouldn't be complete without being slammed through a table. Don't underestimate Buffalo!!
#18 Toronto
Number 18 Best Beer City is Toronto ON!! Perhaps when you think of Toronto you don't think of great beer. Maybe you only think of maple syrup and red plaid shirts? You would be wrong. Maybe the beer isn't as high quality as some other cities but there are TONS of local breweries pumping out some great beers. Many of which are centrally located like Steam Whistle Brewing located inside an old railroad roundabout and Amsterdam Brewing, both of which are right outside the Blue Jay's stadium.
Take a short walk to Mill Street Brewing in a very trendy area of repurposed warehouses and factories with other restaurants and bars. Toronto has a great neighborhood brewery scene with each local brewery having its very own personality. The city has a reputation as one of the cleanest cities in North America and it's much more affordable than you think. Check out the Hockey Hall of Fame, the CN Tower, and dozens of great attractions.
#17 Los Angeles
When we were first in Los Angeles (and the region around LA) a few years ago Los Angeles was a few years behind the times when it came to the brewery scene. We have been keeping track of the beer world out there and have noticed an increase of breweries. Not only did the numbers increase, but from trying some beer from new breweries out there, we have noticed a drastic increase in quality. Los Angeles a few years ago was nothing to scoff at....there were still more breweries there than most other places in the US. Now there's seems to be a craft beer boom going on in LA! In 5 to 10 years I envision LA (and the surrounding area) being one of the hottest beer markets in not only California, but also the US, rivaling even San Diego!!
Special shoutout to Arts District Brewing, Angel City Brewing, Santa Monica Brew Works, and El Segundo Brewing home of Steve Austin's Broken Skull IPA. We look forward to our return on day!
#16 Albuquerque
Albuquerque is probably the dark horse on this list and not considered a beer city by many. However,a few good reasons exist as to why Albuquerque makes this list. Firstly, this city has a tremendous amount of breweries many of which have some really good beers. Some have that desert atmosphere you would expect like LA Cumbre Brewing but there are many uniquely themed breweries like Nexus Brewing's space theme, Tractor Brewing's farm theme and Bow and Arrow Brewing is just a sleek well designed taproom you would expect in NYC.
One big plus for us was the ease of getting around. No major highways or traffic will keep you from brewery hopping. Where you may get to 3 breweries in Boston or Philly, here you can easily double that! Albuquerque would be higher if it wasn't for the lack of other attractions and some odd hours of some places. Otherwise, don't sleep on Albuquerque!!
#15 Nashville
Number 15 Best Beer City, Nashville TN, provides visitors with some great beer along with the great music. Like many other cities Nashville has really come along in the last few years in quantity of breweries and quality like Southern Grist Brewing and Bearded Iris Brewing.
There's also great beer bars near famous Broadway and just off it like The Beer Sellar. Walk up Music Row a bit and hit up Tailgate Brewing. Attractions? So many. Head to the American Pickers store and after, in the same building, go to Corsair Brewery and Distillery and taste some moonshine and beer! Even if you hate country music there is so much to do and so much to drink in Nashville!
#14 St Louis
Number 14 Best Beer City chugs its way up this list for a few reasons. Firstly, many of the breweries are centrally located and quite walkable. Secondly, the history of the city, with the breweries being integral to that history, is reason enough to visit. Starting with Anheuser Busch, whether you like it or not, contributes to the history of the beer world and the brewery is a must visit. Watching the Clydesdales trot by is an American treasure.
As for the small local breweries there is an atmosphere in all of them that comes from an overall atmosphere of the people themselves. I've never seen a crowd cheer so hard for a team that is clearly out of the playoff race. The love of their city bleeds into the fabric of everything they do including the beer. One example of this is Center Ice Brewing (recently closed) who used wood from the old arena to build their taproom. Go t Side Project Brewing where the love of beer is brewed into each barrel aged sour. Or go to Perennial Brewing where beer becomes art.
There's something for everyone here. From the Arch to to City Museum to Busch Stadium to all the great taprooms...explore and enjoy St Louis MO!!
#13 Columbus
Columbus OH is one of many great cities/towns in Ohio. The state capital catapults itself to 13 by the sheer number of breweries. If Columbus had a few more attractions that met our style I'm sure it would break the top 10.
Columbus is home to the world famous BrewDog where you can get a room in the brewery with draft beer right in your room! One of our other favorites is Hoof Hearted Brewing that has some of the best beer, grub, and some of the most unique can art you will ever see. Also gotta check out Derive Brewing, Crooked Can Brewing, and Hofbrauhaus
Being centrally located in the state is quite advantageous. Only a short drive from Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati and more! You will have no problem spending a few days here brewery hopping.
#12 San Francisco
San Francisco makes this list as the second California city, but we could probably do a list on all of CA. Attractions? So many i don't really need to go into that. We actually found a "cheap" hotel, Strafford Hotel, where we watched street cars go by and where a scene from the movie Bullitt was filmed.
Breweries are everywhere and walkable and the same quality as all the other CA towns and cities. The food bumps this up the list too as there's dozens of different styles to choose from on any city block. For its size San Francisco is quite easy to navigate whether it be by car, public transit, or ride share. San Fran is an underrated beer city because it gets lost in all the other stuff to do there.
#11 Chicago
Chicago almost breaks into the top 10 with their various neighborhoods filled with high quality breweries, ease of travel between each, and all those extras Chicago is known for.
No car needed as you can EASILY navigate the city using the L, one of the simplest and most convenient public transit systems. Use the L to check out each neighborhood as all have something unique to offer and not just beer! Head north to see a Cubs game and some breweries including Old Irving Brewing , head south for a White Sox game and Vice District Brewing, or west to see the warehouse district where On Tour Brewing, the original Goose Island and many other taprooms are.
Chicago food may be the best in the country with sooo much unhealthy diversity. As for touristy attractions you will need a month to see it all. And stay in one of many historic hotels downtown!
#10 Austin
Austin TX starts off our top 10 as the brewery capital of Texas (or is it? 🧐). With so much food, music, attractions, distance from the rest of Texas, and the amount of existing breweries as well as breweries opening up....it's no wonder Austin makes the top 10.
Austin has some well known breweries like the destination brewery Jester King Brewing as well as Pint House Brewing, Austin Beer Works, and St Elmo Brewing and that's just a short list. One of our favorites (and underrated) is Beerburg Brewing where they serve ice cream flights with their beer flights!
So many great beer bars and non beer attractions like the state capital, various museums, and the bbq! Downside? The ever increasing traffic due to the population boom. But with more people I'm sure there will be even more breweries!! 🍻🍻🍻
#9 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, and that whole region, is one of those blue collar, hardworking American cities and that translates into the beer. Some of those old school beers your grand dad drank are still being brewed out there, but the newer ones are what grabbed our attention.
Starting with the early craft beer pioneers like Church Brew Works and the Penn Brewery paved the way for the new guys. Dancing Gnome Brewing happens to be one of those new guys who are, in my opinion, making the best beer in all of PA. Hangout in one of the most unique taproom/biergartens at Grist House Brewing and sip some strange beers at Strange Roots Brewing....don't forget Cinderlands Brewing!
Compared to other top 10 cities, Pittsburgh is quite simple to navigate and has some quality extracurricular activities other than beer with plenty of downtown lodging. And even though Pittsburgh has the worst NFL team they do have one if the best MLB parks with PNC Park.
#8 Richmond
Richmond glides into number 8 as what should be considered a brewery destination city. I never hear anyone talk about Richmond when it comes to their breweries. Go to the Scotts Addition section of the city and you have over a half dozen breweries within walking distance. The Veil Brewing and Vasen Brewing are two great ones! That area also includes cideries, distilleries, coffee shops, restaurants....enough to keep any food and drink enthusiast busy for a week.
There's many breweries outside the Scotts Addition section as well. Triple Crossing Brewing has a few locations if you're looking for some great hazy ipas and The Answer Brewpub is king of the fruited sours (and Korean food). These are just a few examples of some breweries. So many more await you in Richmond.
There's some worthwhile attractions like the Civil War Museum and would recommend Linden Row Inn because of its Edgar Allen Poe history. Honestly, if you're going to Richmond for breweries you won't have time for much else! Richmond.....the most underrated brewery destination city!!
#7 Houston
Houston TX shocks the world at number 7! Plenty of breweries dot the landscape in every direction. We are talking high quality breweries as well. Quality along with quantity. A very short list of amazing Houston (and surrounding area) breweries include Ingenious Brewing, Baa Baa Brewhouse, Vallensons Brewing, Astral Brewing, and our favorite Urban South Brewing.
Houston is also a fairly easy city to navigate considering the size and amount of people. There's traffic but it moves well compared to other cities in the US. You should have no problem checking out some non beer attractions like the NASA Space Center, Minute-Maid Park, and the Funeral Museum (a hidden gem). What's great is you can check out one of those things and then hit up a few great breweries in that area! Another underrated beer city that beer enthusiasts need to pay more attention to.
#6 Philadelphia
The Philly region has some of the best breweries in the country and has really blown up in the last couple years with PA's relaxed brewery laws. Downtown has some great breweries like another Other Half Brewing location and Crime and Punishment Brewing, but you need to include the suburbs like Ardmore that has Tired Hands Brewing and Downingtown with Victory Brewing.
There's really no shortage of breweries in all of southeast PA and Philly since many breweries like Conshohocken Brewing and Levante Brewing have multiple locations. Take the train which has its own beer trail as or jump the river to Jersey where there's a decent amount of breweries or Delaware just over the border.
Food? Everyone knows about the cheesesteaks but there's so much more. History buffs will love Philly with Independent Hall and various museums and historic hotels. Dealing with traffic will be your only headache, but in the end is worth it.
#5 San Diego
Some may think 5 isn't good enough for the legendary beer city of San Diego. 10 years ago San Diego is an easy number 1 and still has over 150 breweries. But this isn't a countdown for the city with the most breweries. It's for the best beer city. 5 is still amazing though!
Last check there were 157 breweries in San Diego so that means you can't throw a rock and not hit one. Sounds like a great place to live and for a CA city it's not difficult getting around. Many breweries are lined up nicely in industrial parks too, making it super easy brewery hopping.
With places like Alesmith Brewing, Resident Brewing, Half Door Brewing, Mission Brewery and more it's hard not to enjoy your brewcation. And if you can't find some non beer related activities in Southern California then maybe you shouldn't even be there! I'm sure others would have San Diego Number 1 but we feel they fit nicely in at Number 5
#4 Asheville
Asheville holds steady at number 4 Best Beer City. The best part about Asheville is that almost every brewery is walkable. There's at least 12 breweries within 1 square mile. This means you can take your time at each place and still be able to hit them all. Seeing the Blue Ridge Mountains as a back drop to your beer drinking adventure makes for a great atmosphere at each place.
Along with being known for beer Asheville is also known for their diverse culinary offerings. It's incredibly easy to gain 10 lbs over a single weekend.
A few shoutouts for breweries like Green Man Brewing Twin Leaf Brewing, and the Wicked Weed Funkatorium which are all walkable. A short drive away (but totally worth it) is Sierra Nevada and their MASSIVE complex and Zillicoa Brewing and Brouwerij Cursus Keme.
Asheville NC is a bucket list brewery destination city and needs to be on all your lists!
#3 Burlington
We are getting into the best of the best and honestly any of the TOP 5 could be Number 1. Burlington VT has looooong been a brewery destination for all the haze bros mainly because of the innovator of the hazy ipa -The Alchemist. Since then others have popped up like Foam Brewing, Fiddlehead Brewing,
and Burlington Beer, all of which have perfected that New England style.
Don't forget about one of the pioneers in craft beer in general, Magic Hat Brewing who's Number 9 beer broke many into the craft beer game. Their brewery WAS one of the funkiest and weird taprooms we have been at. I say "was" because they unfortunately closed that location.
Like many other cities on this list Burlington is easy to navigate with breweries everywhere and packed in tightly. Plenty of great beer bars fill the streets....streets like Church St. Bring your wallet because you will be spending a few hundred $$$ on beers to bring home.
Winters are rough, but it seems like a crime not to go to Burlington when there's a couple feet of snow on the ground and sip a double ipa by a toasty fire. Before that you may wanna check out Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream at their original location, the Teddy Bear Factory, or some of the succulent food options!
#2 Portland
It was a difficult choice between 1 and 2 but Portland ME comes in at the Number 2 Best Beer City. Simply stated, Portland does not have one bad brewery. I'll go one step further and say every brewery in Portland is great.
Start off at the massive brewery complex that houses Allagash Brewing. At the time we were there 5 different breweries called this complex home. Basically it's a brewery incubator and as breweries grow they move out and new ones pop up. I tell people about this area of Portland all the time and liken it to a brewery amusement park.
Downtown Portland is more of the same with HIGH QUALITY breweries everywhere. Your taste buds will be numb after one weekend here and your wallets empty from all the beer you bring home. Totally worth it.
Another city on this list with great food (especially seafood), centuries old nautical history, and tons of beaches and coves to explore. Take the short trip north to Maine Beer Company as well! The drive to and from Potland is dotted with great breweries too. Stop in Portsmouth NH and all those great Mass breweries.
#1 Denver
Finally we have gotten to the Number 1 Best Beer City according to THEbreweryauthority! Denver CO takes the prize with their ridiculous amount of breweries, quality of those breweries, beer culture in general, and all the other great aspects of Denver CO
Colorado may be the No. 1 beer STATE, although I'm sure that's debatable. Denver and the surrounding suburbs dominate the beer scene in that part of the country. Not only are there so many great breweries but almost every brewery's taproom is a work of art. Whether you're looking for the garage style brewery, warehouse style, restaurant style, barn style, fancy style, or more...Denver has the brewery for you.
Not that you will have any time to spare but there are tons of extracurricular activities such as driving into a Rocky Mountain mining town, going to Golden to see Coors, driving to Fort Collins, Cheyenne WY, or Colorado Springs. You get that wild west vibe with all the advantages of the big city....a city that although has traffic isn't difficult to navigate.
Food, beer bars (mostly with local beer), sports games, and frontier history are just a few more options. But if you are going for the breweries you will need at least a week and you won't even come close to tasting it all!
There you have it! The Top Beer Cities according to THEbreweryauthority! If you have any questions, comments, ideas for future discussion topics, or whatever then feel free to email us at THEbreweryauthority@gmail.com or message us on Instagram. Just search @THEbreweryauthory. Thanks for reading!
Cheers 🍻
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