An eagerness to experiment and a passion for a pint (or three) put these cities on top.
by Christian DeBenedetti and Seth Fletcher
1. SAN DIEGOSan Diego isn’t just surfing and LaDainian Tomlinson anymore — it’s the new beer capital of the U.S. Stone (maker of our number one ale) exemplifies the local approach, with aggressively hopped but completely drinkable brews. The variety of beers across the city is the most eclectic in the country.
Where to Drink: Thirtieth Street in North and South Parks is easily the nation’s best beer boulevard. Start with any of former firefighter Pat McIlhenney’s range of tap-only ales at the laid-back Hamilton’s Tavern (which taps special casks every Friday), then head to the beer-focused Linkery restaurant, which has frequent beer-pairing dinners. For your after party, hit the Toronado. The beer lists at all three are deep, stacked with the freshest local beers and exotic imports.
Beer Culture: The sheer number of breweries (33) blows us away. (It has crept past Portland, which has 29.) Visit almost any of them and you’ll find the brewmaster on hand, happy to chat over a pint.
Best Brews: Alpine Ale, Lost Abbey Duck-Duck-Gooze
2. NYC
America’s alpha city is home to more young, finicky drinkers than any other city in the country. The result: the greatest beer-bar scene in the U.S. More than 20,000 bars and restaurants operate within the five boroughs, and even dives carry great imports such as Jever and Hoegaarden.
Where to Drink: Brooklyn. It’s perhaps the best place in America for a pub crawl. Start with Gaffel Kölsch at the cavernous “middle European” beer hall Radegast. Continue the binge a 10-minute walk away at Spuyten Duyvil for smartly chosen Belgian brews. Then either finish the night on the patio of Park Slope’s extreme-beer-focused the Gate or sipping magnificent, wallet-busting rarities (think $50-plus bottles) at nearby Beer Table.
Beer Culture: Nearly every week, the Blind Tiger in the West Village lets brewmasters from around the world hijack its taps to pour their own creations; it’s the only bar we know of where this happens.
Best Brews: Captain’s Reserve Imperial IPA, Brooklyn Intensified Coffee Stout
3. PORTLAND, OR
Portland brewers — once the anarchists of Craft Beer Nation — are now practically the establishment. But the Rose City’s festivals and a new vanguard of innovators haven’t let the city get all fusty yet.
Where to Drink: Deschutes, one of the world’s most inventive breweries, is now serving its genre-bending stouts at a new pub in the Pearl District. Look for its Hop Trip Ale, made with hops brewed the same day they were picked.
Beer Culture: Two festivals here rival any in the world: America’s first organic beer festival (naobf.org) and the OBF, a huge outdoor summer event along the waterfront (oregonbrewfest.com).
Best Brews: Hopworks Urban Crosstown Pale, Deschutes Hop Trip
4. PHILADELPHIA
The City of Brotherly Love boasts a huge crop of emerging microbreweries, an upsurge in beer-focused events, and a strong brewing tradition dating to before founding beer godfather Ben Franklin and the Revolutionary War. But what earns Philly its status as one of the country’s best beer cities is its abundance of truly world-class micro-pilsners.
Where to Drink: Monk’s Cafe, a dim downtown beer hall, is headquarters of the local suds intelligentsia, with a Belgian-focused list stocked with just about any beer you’ve ever tried, a speakeasy-style back room, and the only restaurant we know of where you can get trout baked in Saison Dupont, the Belgian ale we called the Best Beer in the World in 2005.
Beer Culture: Within an 80-mile radius of the city center, Stoudt’s, Victory, and Sly Fox breweries cook up creatively hopped pilsners and experimental pale ales that are pushing the limits of these traditionally mild styles.
Best Brews: Stoudt’s Pils, Victory Storm King Stout
5. CHICAGO
The neons may say Old Style, but now that Chicago has become the epicenter of the Midwest’s microbrewing revolution, most bars stack the chalkboard tap list with craft beers brewed an L ride away. As a result, the Windy City has become one of the country’s best places for small-batch beer you can’t get anywhere else.
Where to Drink: Map Room, famous for its vast, intelligent tap list of American micros (with plenty of Midwest breweries such as Bell’s and Three Floyds) and hard-to-find Euro beers like De Ranke XX Bitter, is the best bar in the Midwest.
Beer Culture: The city has more than 20 breweries and brewpubs, many of them award winning. At World Beer Cup champion Piece Brewery & Pizzeria in Wicker Park, the Dysfunctionale India pale ale perfectly matches the New Haven–style pizza. The 13,000-square-foot Revolution Brewing brewpub, opening in Logan Square this fall, will serve promisingly attitudinal ales such as a pale ale called Iron Fist.
Best Brews: Goose Island Matilda, Two Brothers Cane and Ebel Red Rye
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http://www.mensjournal.com/top-five-beer-towns
