Best beer cities in the world

Davidth88 · 04-10-2012 09:46AM

For me has to be Munich.

The Hofbrauhaus ...... great stuff , and huge historic links.

Although , being from London.

You can't beat a decent pint of Pride ( Fullers London Pride )

Belgium is interesting also

The US would be pretty low down on my list TBH

Slattsy · 04-10-2012 09:49AM

I've been to Belgium twice and I didn't really enjoy the beer there. Tried an awful lot of random beers but none were exceptional.

Munich and Prague for me. Krakov gets an honourable mention too.

reeb · 04-10-2012 09:56AM

http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/top-50/

Beeradvocate and ratebeers top beer lists. The only non US or Belgian beers that I can see are from Montreal and Denmark.

Leftist · 04-10-2012 09:58AM

reeb wrote: »

Ive never had Gambrinus, but while Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen 11 are nice pilsner/lagers and lovely fresh from the cask, they are middle of the road mass produced beers which in no way compare to Irish craft beer.People have mad ideas about beer.

wasn't really commenting on local brewery beers but there are locally produced beers in prague which are just fantasitc, better than the regulars.

In terms of mainstream or local breweries it has excellent choices.

Shenshen · 04-10-2012 10:01AM

reeb wrote: »

http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/top-50/

Beeradvocate and ratebeers top beer lists. The only non US or Belgian beers that I can see are from Montreal and Denmark.

I would recommend this place :

http://www.beerguide.de/bamberg/bamberg.htm

Zebra3 · 04-10-2012 10:01AM

Davidth88 wrote: »

The US would be pretty low down on my list TBH

There's more to US beers than Bud.

http://refreshingbeer.blogspot.ie/2012/06/is-this-programme-that-will-be-wake-up.html

Seaneh · 04-10-2012 12:02PM

Shenshen wrote: »

FanadMan wrote: »

Here are the 10 best beer cities in the world according to USAtoday. No guessing where most of them are lol. Still good reading though.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2012/10/02/10-best-beer-cities-in-the-world/1608885/

If I had anything to do with it, don't think would have put any American cities in there cos most of their beers are terrible. Would have put Kerva (in Finland) in the list just because of their Karhu beers...especially their Karhu IV brew...talk about sex in a glass!

I love how the twon with the highest density of breweries in the world doesn't even get mentioned.

Montreal?? I've been there, nice town, but not notable for the beer, sorry.
And Dublin? Sure, if you like the same 5 brews on tab in every single last pub, with no variety, that's the town for you.

American beers are terrible? Sierra Nevada, Anchor, Dogfish Head, Odell, Great Lakes, Deschutes, Russian River, Alaskan, Stone, etc etc etc. American micro/craft breweries are the world wide benchmark for quality, inovation and creativity and American crat beer is, generally, the best in the world.

no country besides maybe belgium even comes close.

munchkin_utd · 04-10-2012 12:59PM

the question though is very open as to what a "beer city" is.

some cities may be a barren wasteland of 100s of pubs selling coors and bud or other watery stuff, with a dozen places selling great craft beer.
Is that a "good" beer city, where you have to actively seek out something that is drinkable? Regardless of the reward when you find the odd microbrewery.

Thats where cities like say Bruges or Ghent or Munich are hard to argue against. Regardless of where you go theres very palatable beer. Even in the culture of the cities themselves the local beer is a central part.
i.e. in Munich the beergarden laws which date back to pre refrigeration times that require beergardens (which were once the only source of a cool beer on a hot day) to allow you to bring your own food so that even the normal folk could afford an afternoon in the beergarden.
Or the beer riots when the citizens were outraged at an over the top increase in the price of a pint!

I wouldnt have anecdotes from Belgium, except maybe that beer is so much part of their culture that there was an initiative to have very low strength beer served to the kids in school. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/jun/21/schools.education
Not sure how that ended up, but the fact it even was mooted in the first place shows the place of beer in the life of their cities.

uch · 04-10-2012 01:15PM

reeb wrote: »

Hate to break it to you lads but US beer is the best in the world by a country mile and has been for some time.

US beer is poxy pissy shíte, and has always been

Cienciano · 04-10-2012 01:18PM

Some strange opinions on american beer here, it's probably the best country in the world for beers.

Surprised to see Dublin there. While there is a few good pubs with good selections of beer, the vast majority terrible. In fact, Dublin is one of the worst beer cities in the world! (Great drinking city though).
Never been to Brussels, but from what I hear it should be there.
I

Zebra3 · 04-10-2012 01:18PM

uch wrote: »

US beer is poxy pissy shíte, and has always been

Mainstream stuff is crap, but go on, list us all the American beers you've tried which you don't like....

reilig · 04-10-2012 01:22PM

Leuven in Belgium - Just outside brussles.

Home to the Stella Artois Brewery - the tour of the factory floor is worthwhile where you can drink Stella from the tap at the bottom of ove of the big brewing vats.

However, the city of lueven doesn't focus on Stella. Cheap and tasty beer from across Belgium can be bought from any one of the 100 pubs in the main square 24 hours per day. Its a drinker's paradise!! And its cheap.

Seaneh · 04-10-2012 01:24PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

uch wrote: »

US beer is poxy pissy shíte, and has always been

Mainstream stuff is crap, but go on, list us all the American beers you've tried which you don't like....

i doubt the list will include the likes of Pliney The Elder or The Abyss...

Schism · 04-10-2012 01:28PM

I'm glad people have defended American brewing. That's the first thing I was going to do after reading the OP but you've got there for me!

El Horseboxo · 04-10-2012 01:38PM

I've been all over the US for work in the past few months and have got to try some amazing beers. Bells 2 hearted ale, Founders Kentucky stout, Stone arrogant bastard, Dogfish head, Sierra Nevada, Pliney the elder, Goose island stout, Oscar blues dale ale, Troegs. There's just too many.

Anybody that says the US doesn't do good beer hasn't a clue what they are talking about and have probably only tasted Bud and Coors.

Cienciano · 04-10-2012 01:40PM

reilig wrote: »

Leuven in Belgium - Just outside brussles.

Home to the Stella Artois Brewery - the tour of the factory floor is worthwhile where you can drink Stella from the tap at the bottom of ove of the big brewing vats.

However, the city of lueven doesn't focus on Stella. Cheap and tasty beer from across Belgium can be bought from any one of the 100 pubs in the main square 24 hours per day. Its a drinker's paradise!! And its cheap.

Just googled that place. Have to think of an excuse to go there now!

Spread · 04-10-2012 02:01PM

Most of the very popular stuff is pure piss. Coors, Bud Lite et al. should have their licences revoked. Micro brewery stuff can be good/great but hype rules out here and the heaviest advertising is winning at the moment.
However, I've no problem getting Smithwicks or Guinness in the supermarkets at a decent price.
Regarding American pubs ........ you can't compare like with like. There is one pub in my local town that sells pints for $1 at 5PM ........ $1.50 at 6PM ...... and $2 - $2.50 after that. A bit rowdy as this is a University town but at least it displays signs of life

.
It's hard to beat a good Irish or English pub for the craic but for the best beer I'd go further East.

Leftist · 04-10-2012 02:01PM

american beers

04-10-2012 02:20PM

buck65 wrote: »

Dublin is a joke in that list. We produce one world renowned decent product that has been watered and chilled to kill the taste.
Fair play to the micro breweries in Ireland though, Porterhouse, Franciscan Brewery Cork, Galway Hooker, O Hara's etc. that is the real beer list. Pity the vintners still feel the need to serve imported rubbish like Heineken, Carlsberg, Bud, Miller and ****ing Coors.

Because the stuff from the microbrewerys is rank imo and a lot of people would agree with me. I would rather stay at home than drink the beer from the Franciscan well. Bad enough you cant get Guinness or Smithwicks but you cant even get a bottle of Corona or bud or something to tide you over in the place if you have to go there for some reason.

Seaneh · 04-10-2012 02:39PM

Kallie Many Lip wrote: »

buck65 wrote: »

Dublin is a joke in that list. We produce one world renowned decent product that has been watered and chilled to kill the taste.
Fair play to the micro breweries in Ireland though, Porterhouse, Franciscan Brewery Cork, Galway Hooker, O Hara's etc. that is the real beer list. Pity the vintners still feel the need to serve imported rubbish like Heineken, Carlsberg, Bud, Miller and ****ing Coors.

Because the stuff from the microbrewerys is rank imo and a lot of people would agree with me. I would rather stay at home than drink the beer from the Franciscan well. Bad enough you cant get Guinness or Smithwicks but you cant even get a bottle of Corona or bud or something to tide you over in the place if you have to go there for some reason.

have you no tastebuds at all?

Big Nasty · 04-10-2012 02:40PM

Kallie Many Lip wrote: »

Because the stuff from the microbrewerys is rank imo and a lot of people would agree with me. I would rather stay at home than drink the beer from the Franciscan well. Bad enough you cant get Guinness or Smithwicks but you cant even get a bottle of Corona or bud or something to tide you over in the place if you have to go there for some reason.

I know stronger flavoured beers aren't to everyone's taste but if you give some craft / speciality beers a chance you might open up to them. Many of those type of beers are more sipping beers rather than swallowing beers and sometimes best enjoyed with a little food.

My first introduction to 'proper' beer was when I worked in Germany in the 90's. Then a few years later I spent two years in Belgium. I just can't drink mainstream beers now bar Guinness. IMO once you get the taste for them you'll find it hard to go back and wonder how you ever drank the ditch water you're drinking now.

Zebra3 · 04-10-2012 02:45PM

Kallie Many Lip wrote: »

Because the stuff from the microbrewerys is rank imo

Are you actually saying everything brewed by micros is crap? Everything?

As stupid as saying everything brewed by macros is crap.

Seaneh · 04-10-2012 02:51PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

Kallie Many Lip wrote: »

Because the stuff from the microbrewerys is rank imo

Are you actually saying everything brewed by micros is crap? Everything?

As stupid as saying everything brewed by macros is crap.

in fairness, almost ecerything brewed by macros is crap...

tricky D · 04-10-2012 02:52PM

No mention of Kölsch specifically named after Cologne??

Is there any other type of beer named after its locality/city??

Seaneh · 04-10-2012 02:55PM

tricky D wrote: »

No mention of Kölsch specifically named after Cologne??

Is there any other type of beer named after its locality/city??

pilsner?

04-10-2012 02:58PM

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I know stronger flavoured beers aren't to everyone's taste but if you give some craft / speciality beers a chance you might open up to them. Many of those type of beers are more sipping beers rather than swallowing beers and sometimes best enjoyed with a little food.

My first introduction to 'proper' beer was when I worked in Germany in the 90's. Then a few years later I spent two years in Belgium. I just can't drink mainstream beers now bar Guinness. IMO once you get the taste for them you'll find it hard to go back and wonder how you ever drank the ditch water you're drinking now.

I went to the well a few times when when I moved to Cork first and its actually less I liked their beer the more I drank it to be honest, it also gave me horrible headaches and nasty feelings in my stomach after 3 pints that I wouldn't have after 12 pints of Guinness or smithwicks. I really am a fan of drinking what I'm used to and I don't like changing or being forced to drink something else.

That said I agree that Heineken, carlsberg, bud (on tap) is pi**, give me Bavaria before any of them. But I really like Guinness and Smithwicks. I also don't like Murphys or Bemish.

Zebra3 wrote: »

Are you actually saying everything brewed by micros is crap? Everything?

As stupid as saying everything brewed by macros is crap.

No not everything but I've drank the stout from the porter house and didn't like it and I have had both the stout and ale from the fran well on a few occasions and they cannot compare to Guinness or smithwicks imo, when I go there now (for one if I have to for some work thing) I have a bottle of some larger just to have something.

Wacker The Attacker · 04-10-2012 03:05PM

buck65 wrote: »

Dublin is a joke in that list. We produce one world renowned decent product that has been watered and chilled to kill the taste.
Fair play to the micro breweries in Ireland though, Porterhouse, Franciscan Brewery Cork, Galway Hooker, O Hara's etc. that is the real beer list. Pity the vintners still feel the need to serve imported rubbish like Heineken, Carlsberg, Bud, Miller and ****ing Coors.

PS Belgian beer is fantastic, strong but excellent. Take Leffe for example.

so are most of the other cities on it

Jmccoy1 · 04-10-2012 03:06PM

Seaneh wrote: »

You obviously don't know a thing about beer.

Or Belgium for that matter. Belgium puts this little island to shame in multiple ways.

mayotom · 04-10-2012 03:08PM

Definitely Brussels

Of course Madrid, Lisbon, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn, Panama, Galway,

Even Dubai was far better than most of those US cities

Wacker The Attacker · 04-10-2012 03:08PM

Hamburg

Best beer cities in the world

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