Beer lovers now have an idea of how their city ranks compared to others across the nation, according to a recent press release.
The recent report from Lawn Love ranked 180 of the largest cities across the U.S. in terms of the best places for beer drinkers. The ratings took into account a variety of factors. They included the number of breweries, award-winning beers, cheap pints, beer-centered festivals, and the area’s beer-loving community.
“2021’s Best Cities for Beer Lovers” list had some notable surprises, but also had plenty of staples within the beer community. Numerous West Coast cities topped the annual list, which is expected. In fact, six of the Top 10 beer-loving cities are on the West Coast.
Further, residents that live in the Pacific Northwest that love a good brew are pushing spoiled with all their options for a good drink. Spokane, WA came in as the No. 1-ranked beer city because of its high second-place ratings in both access and the prestigious World Beer Awards. Additionally, the state is close to inland wheat, barley and hop fields, which also contributed to the city topping the list.
In order, Portland, OR, Denver, CO, and Seattle, WA rounded the Top 4 beer-loving cities. So like we said, the Pacific Northwest is spoiled indeed with three of the Top 4 cities on the list. Seattle alone has more than 60 breweries for its residents to enjoy. Like anything else in life, an abundance of options are always a good thing.
For those that are curious, here are the five worst cities as well. If you live in San Bernardino, CA (#180), Columbus, GA (#179), Kansas City, KS (#178), Plano, TX (#177), and Laredo, TX (#176), then your town has some work to do. At least when it comes to satisfying its local beer community.
‘2021’s Best Cities for Beer Lovers’ Top 10 List
- Spokane, WA
- Portland, OR
- Denver, CO
- Seattle, WA
- Cincinnati, OH
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Boston, MA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Fort Collins, CO
Annual Brew Festival Announces All the Winners From 2021 Awards
A couple weekends back, The Great American Beer Festival took place in Denver, Colorado. Breweries from across the nation showed up to see how their ales stacked up against the competition. In all, the festival’s judges handed out 290 medals to 265 breweries that attended the September event.
The competition had 97 beer categories that 2,191 breweries participated in with 9,680 beers up for judging, according to Craft Brewing Business. While there are far too many winners to cover in their entirety, here are a few of the highlights from the event.
One of the most popular styles in recent years is a juicy or hazy IPA, which saw 427 entries to this year’s competition. DESTIHL Brewery out of Normal, Illinois won for their TourBus IPA, which is part of their DeadHead IPA Series.
In the American-style IPA category, 404 brews entered, but Volatile Substance from Von Ebert Brewing took home the top prize. California’s Fall River Brewing Co. won the fruited sour category with their Sherbert Drip. And Meanwhile Brewing Co. in Austin, Texas won the German-style pilsner category.
