With nicknames like Beer City, Brew Town, and Beertown, it\u2019s no wonder that Milwaukee makes the list of the best beer cities in America. The city has one of the longest histories of beer in America, having been the birthplace of notable brands such as Schlitz, Pabst, and Miller. Milwaukee even was the top beer-producing city in the world decades ago. The last few years in this city have yielded dozens of craft breweries. This has made the destination a great spot for travelers, especially because of the numerous festivals such as Milwaukee Brewfest, Milwaukee Firkin, and the World of Beer Festival.<\/p>\n
Denver<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n With more than 200 breweries overall, the “Denver Beer Triangle” of Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins has established itself as the \u201cNapa Valley of Beer.\u201d A couple of my favorite breweries in the world call Denver<\/a>\u00a0home, including Wynkoop<\/a>\u00a0and Great Divide Brewing<\/a>. Both of these breweries offer tours. Also worth the drive is a tour of Coors Brewery<\/a>, located just outside of Denver in Golden.<\/p>\n Viewfinder Tip: Explore all of Expedia’s top beer getaways\u00a0and save a little beer money.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Portland<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What I love most about beer in Portland (beyond the beer itself, obviously) is that tapping (pardon the pun) the scene feels like a real experience. There are several \u201cbrew \u2018n\u2019 view\u201d theaters that run everything from classics to second-run films to new releases. Being the outdoorsman that I am, I appreciate Travel Oregon\u2019s self-guided bike and brew tour<\/a>. However, the most unique experience involves group bicycling tours. A couple of different local companies, including\u00a0Pedalounge<\/a>\u00a0and BrewCycle<\/a>, feature multi-person bicycles that take guests on an active brewery tour of Portland so you don\u2019t feel quite so guilty after a vacation of imbibing.<\/p>\n Seattle<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \n<\/div>\n Brewing beer in Seattle truly is local, since approximately 75 percent of America\u2019s beer hops come from the nearby Yakima Valley. Some of Seattle\u2019s best craft breweries are concentrated in the Ballard and Fremont neighborhoods, located just north of downtown. For a behind-the-scenes local\u2019s take, go on a brewery tour with Road Dogs<\/a>, who visit three Seattle breweries (and give every participant his or her own pint glass and t-shirt). One of my favorite beer experiences in Seattle takes place at Pyramid Alehouse<\/a>, which features a beer garden, live music, and bar games across the street from Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field on the days of Mariners’ and Seahawks’ home games.<\/p>\n San Diego<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n While California has been a wine state for centuries, the state has started to establish itself as a beer state, in part because of San Diego\u2019s craft beer presence. This friendly city is home to nearly 100 craft breweries and brewpubs. The history of beer here actually dates back more than 100 years, as the first commercial brewery, San Diego Brewing Company, opened in 1896. Many of San Diego\u2019s best craft breweries are actually located in North County, along what\u2019s become known as \u201cHops Highway.\u201d Some of the more notable breweries also are among the largest craft breweries in America, including Stone Brewing Company<\/a>, Karl Strauss<\/a>, and Ballast Point<\/a>\u00a0(each of which features its own brewpub).<\/p>\n Underrated Beer Cities<\/strong><\/p>\n Los Angeles<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don’t try this at home…Flight tasting at L.A.’s Eagle Rock<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Los Angeles isn\u2019t on the same level as Seattle, Portland, and San Diego, yet an increasing number of breweries have opened to put L.A. on the West Coast beer map. My personal favorite: Golden Road Brewing<\/a>\u00a0in Pasadena, which features a large brewpub (with bar games such as foosball, cornhole, and giant-sized Jenga), weekend brewery tours, and more than 20 revolving taps. In downtown Los Angeles there\u2019s Angel City Brewing,<\/a>\u00a0which comes from the same folks who started Magic Hat. This brewery hosts a number of events, including a Sunday morning run, and a yoga and beer session for just $10. Another bonus to beer in Los Angeles: Beer festivals in other cities happen in the summer, but L.A. Beer Week<\/a>\u00a0comes in the fall.<\/p>\n Asheville<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n While craft beer is new to many smaller cities, Asheville, North Carolina, has been doing it for years, as the city is home to the most breweries per capita in the United States. There are about 20 breweries in Asheville overall, but my favorite of the experiences is the \u201cbrew \u2018n\u2019 view\u201d at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company<\/a>, which includes a trifecta of the house craft beer, pizza and $3 movies (because some movies are just better with a little buzz). One of the most renowned breweries in the area is just north of Asheville in Black Mountain; Pisgah Brewing Company<\/a>, also hosts live concerts in its taproom.<\/p>\n Missoula<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Montana ranks No. 2 in America (behind Asheville) for craft breweries per capita, and a lot of that craft brewing takes place in Missoula. One of my favorite beers of all time is a nitro ale, Cold Smoke, which comes from Kettle House Brewing Company<\/a>\u00a0in Missoula.\u00a0 A couple of newcomers to the city\u2019s craft beer scene include Thirst Gear<\/a>, a 15-passenger bike similar to those offering beer tours in Portland, and Tap Room Tours<\/a>, which does home and hotel pick-ups for tours of breweries in and around Missoula.<\/p>\n What are your favorite beer cities in the United States, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Drinking the way through the best beer cities in America<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1808,1814,1803,1786,1782,1775,1816,1788,1787,1855,1774,1776],"tags":[43,74],"authors":[2240],"class_list":["post-17122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california","category-city","category-colorado","category-company","category-destinations","category-fall","category-food-and-drink","category-interests","category-news","category-north-carolina","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-type-of-vacation","tag-adults-only","tag-beer","authors-spencer-spellman","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/images\/default-source\/user-spencer-spellman\/beer-cities-barrel-[size_512x290].jpg\")
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