As part of its silver anniversary celebration, All About
Beer asked me to name my 25 favorite American beer cities. Lists like these
invite controversy, which isn't a bad thing: Differences of opinion make for
good discussion, and are amicably resolved over a pint or two.
Naming one's favorite beer cities is, of course, a matter of opinion, but I
tried to introduce a bit of journalistic objectivity by identifying the criteria
that would go into a decision whether to visit. No city on Earth meets all of
these criteria (well, Munich comes close), but those on my top 25 list ranked
high on at least several. Here they are.
• Local breweries. That means microbreweries and brewpubs, of
course, because that's where you'll find classic beer and unusual new styles. In
some cities, historic regional breweries, such as Yuengling and Spotzel, play a
prominent role in the local beer scene. And touring a brewery, be it micro or
macro, is a pleasant way to while away a few hours.
• History and lore. America doesn't have breweries inside medieval
castles or taverns where Shakespeare drank, but there's plenty of history to be
found. Our country is rich in beer lore, ranging from beer barons' mansions,
like Colonel Pabst's home in Milwaukee, to craft brewing landmarks such as the
Mendocino Brewing Company's original location in the appropriately-named town of
Hopland, California.
• Hard to find beer. Many a beer lover has visited Portland, Oregon,
and brought back bottles of the formidable Adam and Fred, brewed by Hair of the
Dog Brewing Company. Likewise, travelers to the Great Lakes region have come
home with Bell's Oberon Ale or Consecrator doppelbock. Beers like these are
enjoyable travel souvenirs and a great way to impress friends.
• Taverns. In some parts of the country, the corner tavern is still
a part of everyday life. These establishments are what author Ray Oldenburg call
"The Great Good Places," those places outside the home and workplace
where a person can unwind with friends and beer fulfills its traditional role as
a social lubricant. The nation's best beer bars are, in my opinion, those that
keep electronic distractions to a minimum and invite conversation.
• Beer festivals. It's no coincidence that many of the nation's top
festivals are in or near its best beer cities. The Northwest, where the craft
brewing movement began, is especially rich in festivals. But many cities not in
the top 25 have notable festivals worth a visit. A couple of examples:
Cincinnati, which stages the biggest Oktoberfest in America; and Syracuse, New
York, where the Empire State Brewing & Music Festival is a summertime event.
• Local food. A beer trip is also an excuse to get out of your
normal culinary routine: you can eat when you're hungry and have fun eating. For
me, that means trying such local specialties as Chicago-style hot dogs, Texas
chili, New England clam chowder, and a Hawaiian plate lunch. After all, man
doesn't live by beer alone.
• Last but not least, public transportation. We all know the drill
about drinking and driving. Besides, there are a number of cities, like New
York, where a car actually reduces your mobility. A number of cities on
the list have safe, reliable transit systems, and some offer an all-day pass for
not much more than the price of a pint.
Once I came up with these criteria, I rummaged through my notes, beer in
hand, and took a stroll down Memory Lane. The result: My Beer Traveler Top 25.
Drum roll, please:
Albuquerque. Art Deco buildings on Route 66 shouted welcome as I entered
town, and so did the beer. My first stop was Kelly's Brewpub, one of the few
surviving extract breweries, which draws a colorful crowd and serves the
cheapest pints in town. Il Vicino, part of a regional chain, is across the
street. I stopped by Assets Grill just in time for happy hour one evening, and
enjoyed a sampler before heading to Santa Fe for a few days. The IPA at the
Second Street Brewery and the pale ale at the Santa Fe Brewing Company made my
visit all the more enjoyable.
Anchorage. To the bewilderment of friends, my wife and I flew to
Anchorage in January one year. But there was method in our madness: we were
going to the Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival. Locals explained the
secret of Alaskan beer: warm summer days encourage living life to its fullest,
and long winter nights give brewers time to tinker with their beers. Downtown
Anchorage is ideal for bar-hopping, with Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse,
Sleeping Lady Brewery, and Glacier Brewhouse within blocks of one another.
Austin. In the world's live music capital, beer is a way of life. I found
a distinctive mood at each of Austin's downtown brewpubs: Couples at the Bitter
End Bistro and Beer Garden, "Keep Austin Weird" funk at Lovejoy's Tap
Room and Brewery, and frat boys on the prowl at Copper Tank Brewing Company. At
Opal Divine's Public House and Ginger Man, I got acquainted with beer from
Texas's Live Oak, St. Arnold's, and Real Ale breweries; and at Scholz Garten, I
found out how German beer lubricates the political machinery.
Baltimore. I visited Baltimore the year the Orioles moved into their new
ballpark. Beer wasn't foremost on my mind, but it managed to find me. Not far
from the park was the Wharf Rat, an English pub owned by a card-carrying CAMRA
member; and across the street was Max's at Camden Yards, whose sister pub, Max's
Taphouse in Fell's Point, boasts the state's largest beer selection. I couldn't
find Bird beer, which was served at the old ballpark, but found a selection of
Maryland microbrews at the new one.
Boston. Some years ago I hit town for a weekend of beer, college
football, and beer. The weather added some intrigue: A nor'easter threatened,
but decided to remain at sea. I finally got into Harvard--John Harvard's Brew
House, that is; had a couple of quiet pints at Boston Brew Works, across the
street from Fenway Park, on the way to the game; and, afterward, discovered The
Boston Beer Company's brewhouse in the Lenox Hotel. The Sam Adams/Lenox marriage
is now history, but memories of the maple porter and grilled sausages live on.
Heading the to-do list for my next visit to Boston is the 3:00 tasting at the
Harpoon Brewery. Make mine a Munich Dark, please.
Burlington, VT. Burlington is forbidding in mid-winter, but it was
gorgeous when I attended the Vermont Brewers Festival. The backdrop is Lake
Champlain and, beyond it, the Adirondacks. Burlington is a perfect base for
exploring the state, starting with the Vermont Pub & Brewery and the quirky
little Three Needs Tap Room. The Magic Hat Brewing Company, a few miles down the
road, is a trip back to the Sixties, complete with tie-dye T-shirts. Throughout
Vermont, you'll find local beer in bars, grocery stores, and even gas stations.
Natives love small businesses, and are fiercely loyal to local products.
California's Wine Country. "You're either a beer lover or a wine
lover, but not both." Tell that to the regulars at the Third Street Ale
House in Santa Rosa, who unwind over pints after work--at the local wineries. My
travels in Napa and Sonoma Counties also took me to Downtown Joe's American
Grill and Brewhouse in Napa; Silverado Brewing Company, on the winery-studded
Highway 29; the Bear Republic Brewing Company in Healdsburg (its Racer 5 IPA
justified the trip); and Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery in the spa town
of Calistoga.
Chicago. College friends from Chicago swore by hole-in-the-wall places
where conversation, usually about sports, was the main attraction. As a student
I fell in love with Howard's, across the street from Museum of Contemporary Art.
It's now closed, but the Goose Island Brewing Company more than made up for the
loss. But my favorite place to drink beer in Chicago is Wrigley Field--actually,
a pre- and post-game sweep through Wrigleyville, whose bars offer everything
from Eighties heavy metal to classical music to no music at all. It's the
Midwest's answer to Bourbon Street.
Denver. Denverites insist that beer and baseball revived the Lower
Downtown neighborhood. This district, surrounding Coors Field, has become a
prime pub-crawl venue. Wynkoop Brewing Company's claims to fame include a lineup
that ranges from gruit to Anaheim chile beer and an owner who's now Denver's
mayor. Within walking distance, there's Rounders at the Sandlot; Breckenridge
Brewery and BBQ; Flying Dog Ales, whose glasses feature the work of artist Ralph
Stedman; and the Falling Rock Tap House, the after-hours headquarters for
brewers competing at the Great American Beer Festival.
Fort Collins, CO. Fort Collins was dry until the late Sixties, when
voters came to their senses. Today, its best-known brewery is the New Belgium
Brewing Company. Known for Fat Tire Amber Ale, a Western favorite, it has also
become a world-class brewer of Belgian-style beer. Other breweries in town
include Odell Brewing Company, which specializes in English ales; an
Anheuser-Busch brewery with its own stable of Clydesdales; and, on the road
south to Denver and Boulder, the Left Hand & Tabernash Brewing Company. The
Old Town district is the home of CooperSmith's Pub and Brewery and the site of
the Colorado Brewers Festival.
Honolulu. Sitting on the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant's lanai, Märzen
in hand, and watching the sunset, is my definition of inner peace. Besides
Gordon Biersch, Honolulu has two other brewpubs: Brew Moon, which overlooks Ala
Moana Park; and Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch, Crab, and Big Aloha Brewhouse,
where beer washes down island-themed seafood. When I come here, I stock the
hotel room refrigerator with Kona, Mehana, and Keoki beers from Oahu's neighbor
islands. And at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, the pink icon on Waikiki Beach, I can
drink Keoki's pink lager and feel like a millionaire.
Kalamazoo. Before Michigan legalized brewpubs, Larry Bell's Kalamazoo
Brewing Company turned out high-gravity ales that earned him a following far
beyond West Michigan's snow belt. He has moved to a bigger brewery, but the
original one supplies the Enigma Café. Across the street from Enigma is the Kraftbräu
Brewery, whose atmosphere has been described as "retro hippie"; and
there are two other brewpubs in town, Olde Peninsula Brewpub & Restaurant
and Bilbo's Pizza in a Pan. Kalamazoo abounds in neighborhood hangouts like The
Corner Tap, which offers 15 micros and a wide selection of bottles.
Las Vegas. Good beer in Vegas? You bet! With casinos popping up
everywhere, America's original home of legal gaming is appealing to a wider
audience–including beer lovers. Four casinos have in-house breweries, whose
products might ease the pain if you've had a rough night at the tables. Vegas
now has a licensed replica of the Hofbruhaus,
complete with shared wooden tables, oom-pah music, and the same beer that's
served in Munich. Out by the UNLV campus is the Freakin' Frog, which offers a
wide selection of Western microbrews. One more thing: you can buy a beer in
Vegas any time of the day--or night.
Madison, WI. Madison always was a party town, and today there's even more
reason to celebrate: Wisconsin's football team is a Big Ten contender. The beer
has improved as much as the Badgers. Three brewpubs–Angelic Brewing Company,
J.T. Whitney's Brewpub and Eatery, and Great Dane Pub & Brewing
Company--join the landmark Essen Haus and Dotty Dumpling's Dowry. Just minutes
away are two first-class breweries: New Glarus Brewing Company, whose Wisconsin
Belgian Red ranks among my all-time top five; and Capitol Brewing Company, which
operates a German-style beer garden. Madison hosts one of America's biggest beer
festivals, the Great Taste of the Midwest.
Milwaukee. A good harbor, and ice from the lake, made Milwaukee the home
of three of the nation's top four breweries; their beer gardens were the
forerunners of modern theme parks. Today, only Miller survives, but a new
generation carries on the tradition. Best-known is Sprecher Brewing Company,
which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It's joined by Lakefront Brewery,
where you'll find Bernie Brewer's chalet from County Stadium; the Milwaukee Ale
House; and the Onopa Brewing Company. Leinenkugel has a second home at the
former Blatz plant, now called the 10th Street Brewery. German influence is
reflected everywhere from traditional restaurants to grilled sausages at
pre-game tailgates.
New York City. My first beer expedition covered 10 miles, from Union, New
Jersey, to Staten Island. The reason? The drinking age was 18 in New York. It
was 1969, and we drank the local stuff: Ballantine, Schaefer, and Rheingold.
Those breweries closed years ago, but that didn't affect the city's bar culture.
You can find Irish-themed bars and watering holes straight out of Fifties
movies, which somehow survived yuppification and City Hall's efforts to tidy
things up. Or you can go to highly-regarded beer bars like David Copperfield's,
d.b.a, The Ginger Man, and the Blind Tiger Ale House. While in town, keep an eye
peeled for microbrews from Garrett Oliver's Brooklyn Brewing Company. One final
suggestion: if you're a history fan, visit McSorley's Old Ale House, where Abe
Lincoln once stopped for a brew.
Philadelphia. Our country was born here, and beer played a vital part.
Delegates to both Continental Congresses and the Constitutional Convention
settled their differences in the City Tavern. Philadelphia was the nation's beer
capital until the 1840s; the historic Brewerytown district is commemorated by a
stand at the Phillies' new ballpark that pours local micros. They include Yards
Brewing Company; Nodding Head Brewery and Restaurant, named for the bobblehead
doll; the Independence Brew Pub; and Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, whose
name is derived from a word meaning "where we go to drink." Also in
Philly: Monk's Café, one of America's top Belgian beer bars.
Pittsburgh. The stereotype: dirty air and a shot-and-a-beer bar culture.
What I found: a beautiful skyline, friendly people, and good beer. Penn Brewery
revived traditional German styles, and serves them in its own beer hall. It
sponsors a festival of Pennsylvania microbrews. Church Brew Works restored a
former Catholic church and, fittingly, placed the brew kettles above the altar.
Traditionalists will run into a familiar name in town: Iron City is still on
tap, for those who look around. Notable beer bars include Fat Head's South Shore
Saloon, Kelly's Bar and Lounge, and the Sharp Edge Beer Emporium. If you've had
a long night, make your nightcap a Primanti Brothers sandwich--just like a
native Pittsburgher.
Portland, ME. The "other Portland"? Hardly. This city's beer is
almost as big an attraction as the scenic Maine coast. In historic Old Town,
you'll find Gritty McDuff's, an all-weather brewpub; and Three Dollar Dewey's,
which familiarized locals with good beer before local brewers got up and
running. Area breweries include the historic Shipyard Brewing Company; the D.L.
Geary Brewing Company; and the Allagash Brewing Company, which found a niche in
high-end Belgian beers. Beers from these and other breweries are on tap at The
Great Lost Bear, an acclaimed bar on the edge of town, and at the Maine Brewers
Festival, held just before winter arrives.
Portland, OR. The city's ascent to world-class status began more than 30
years ago, when Mike and Brian McMenamin reinvented the concept of a bar, and
the Horse Brass Pub, an authentic British-style pub, opened for business. Today,
Portland has as many breweries per resident as Bavaria--far too many to list
here. Heading my list of favorites are Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Portland
Brewing Company, and BridgePort Brewing Company. Also worth a visit: The tasting
room operated by Rogue Ales. Portland hosts the Oregon Brewers Festival, along
with several smaller tastings, including a holiday ale festival in Pioneer
Square.
St. Louis. My first trip was for a wedding in 1976. The bride's family
didn't drink, but graciously gave us the grand tour, which included a stop at
Grant's Farm, owned by the Busch clan for years. Other Anheuser-Busch sites
include the Bevo Restaurant, a restaurant built as a last-ditch effort to stave
off Prohibition, and, of course, the original brewery downtown. Despite A-B's
huge footprint, craft brewers also prosper. The Saint Louis Brewery, which turns
out Schlafly beers, sponsors tastings and festivals; the Morgan Street Brewery
occupies one of the oldest buildings in Laclede's Landing; and Griesedieck
Brothers beer, part of St. Louis lore, is once again on tap.
San Diego. My beer hunting here dates back to the mid-Eighties, when I
walked into unlikely looking places that stocked hundreds of imports. Since
then, the micros have invaded, led by the Stone Brewing and its legendary
Arrogant Bastard Ale. Other breweries in the area include AleSmith Brewing
Company; Ballast Point Brewing Company; San Diego Brewing Company; and Pizza
Port Brewing Company, which sponsors Real Ale, strong ale, and Belgian beer
festivals. The Liar's Club, voted the city's most popular beer bar, pours many
local micros, and the San Diego Festival of Beer attracts 50 breweries from the
area.
San Francisco. Ever since gold was discovered, this has been a drinking
man's town, one where bars are essential to city life. During the Eighties, I
drank Anchor Steam at Dashiel Hammett-era bars like Lefty O'Doul's and Tommy's
Joynt. More recent trips took me to the Magnolia Pub & Brewery, in the
Haight-Ashbury district (The Toronado Pub, an renowned beer bar, is close by);
ThirstyBear Brewing Company; and the 21st Amendment Brewery. Farther afield, I
took a BART train to Berkeley, home of the Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse
and Jupiter, and a ferry to Larkspur and the Marin Brewing Company.
Seattle. Recently, I toured the Fremont district, the self-styled
"Center of the Universe." My route began at the Trolleyman Pub, where
Red Hook ale was once brewed; from there, I walked to the Hale's Ales brewery;
and finished the day at the Triangle Tavern and Red Door Alehouse. I spent the
next day downtown, stopping at the Pike Brewery; the Pyramid Brewery; and,
finally, F.X.McRory's Steak, Chop & Oyster House, where I was introduced to
Northwest micros many years ago. Seattle is a great city for festivals,
including the Washington Brewers Guild's cask ale festival and Summer Microbrew
Festival, and the world's strangest Oktoberfest celebration, the Fremont
Oktoberfest.
Washington, DC. Washington-based clients have given me a chance to
experience the city's changing beer scene. One of my regular stops was the
Brickskeller, which even in the late Seventies had an offbeat selection of
regionals. Today, it has much more to work with--so much so that its beer
program is as thick as an omnibus budget bill. At long last, the city also has
brewpubs, including the Capitol City Brewing Company, District ChopHouse and
Brewery, and branches of the John Harvard and Gordon Biersch chains. There's
another reason to visit Washington this year. Baseball is back, after a 34-year
absence.
Whew! After that whirlwind beer tour of America, it's time to unpack my
virtual suitcase, put my feet up, and grab a cold one. Specifically, a 90 Minute
IPA from Dogfish Head Brewing Company. Why? Because it summons memories of long
summer days on the Delaware coast. You won't find Rehoboth Beach, where Dogfish
Head got its start, on my Top 25 list. Nor will you find Saratoga, New York,
where I sipped Mendocino Red Tail Ale while watching an opinionated bartender, a
real New Yorker, hold court; Clearfield, Pennsylvania, where a waitress talked
me into trying a locally-brewed red ale that turned out to be delightful; and
dozens of other cities. Fact is, you're likely to run into good beer--and, more
importantly, the right people to enjoy it with--in the most unexpected places.
My list of cities is just the tip of the iceberg, a starting point for
creating your own travel memories. Now it's your turn to get out there.
This article originally appeared in All About Beer, July
2005.
Copyright © 2005 PAUL RUSCHMANN. All Rights Reserved.
Posted September 2005.
