It seems that in the not too distant past, mentioning the beer scene in Atlanta would have drawn either blank stares or gawfaws from the afficianado of the suds. No longer, I am informed. These days Atlanta can be fairly compared to the great beer cities of America, - Portland, San Franciso, Denver, and Boston. The basis of this newfound respectabilty can, again I am only told as I have not yet had a great Atlanta beer, be found in the fact that Atlanta and "nearby" Athens [70 miles] have between them nine breweries. Nine! For the record Eugene and nearby Springfield have ten breweries.
My point, however, is not to mock Atlanta. My point is to question that list of great beer cities. Are those America's great beer cities? What do you think are the five great beer cities in America? Here's my list:
1. Portland
2. Bend, OR
3. Denver
4. Seattle
5. Milwaukee
I don't have the time to justify my choices. I invite you to tell me why I am wrong.
2 comments:
It wasn't until 2004 that beer above 6% was legal in Georgia! As a result, the ATL beer scene is very young, immature and often falls prey to hype/hysteria over quality. A nearly complete lack of via public transportation also prohibits any substantial pub scene. That being said, there is a ton of great beers available from a retail perspective. And Brick Store Pub and The Porter Beer Bar can hold their own with just about any beer bar in the U.S.
While there are not a lot of breweries/brewpubs, several new -- and promising ones -- seems to surface every few months.
As for best beer cities, the list should definitely include Philadelphia, PA, and Asheville, NC
Niklas,
I had a Sweetwater 420 last night. Not a bad beer at all. I hope things continue to grow in Atlanata.
In Eugene, OR we've had three of our better breweries open new brew houses within a half mile of each other, which makes a walking brewery crawl a nice option.
Thanks for commenting.
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