The World's Finest Overlooked Beer Cities Worth Visiting

In most of the Americas and Europe , the " unspoiled " beer city is the one you ’re in now , provided it sells beer . But when you mean more loosely , to the towns that beckon youfor the beer , the list of places that warrant their own trip start getting short . You plausibly could tick off Portland , San Diego , Asheville , and Munich Oktoberfest – and then , where ?

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Most of the mechanical press and beer love life in Canada lean to come down on Montreal ( and with plenty good reason ) , but Halifax has long been a city with a booming beer culture and an off - the - trounce - itinerary charm of its own . A recent roaring has broughtNova Scotia to the forefront of Canada for brewery per capita , with one-half of those breweries and brewpubs operating right within Halifax ’s limit ( and even more within light drive distance ) . Just walking from the North End to Downtown will bring you across mainstays Propeller Brewing and Granite Brewery , experimental and gluten - reduced - focussed Good Robot Brewing , and Belgian - focused North Brewing . And besides being able to drink beers you wo n’t line up outside the Maritimes , you ’ll also have access to enough saucy lobster to overwhelm a Mainer .

Senne River Valley, Belgium

At this degree , tell apart someone to go to Belgium to pledge beer is like telling them check out the fish tacos in San Diego . But steer away from the full-grown cities where AB InBev has strike over taprooms in many of the local pubs , and alternatively focus on going to the brews that literally do not travel outside their menage regions . Visiting the Senne Valley ( which lies south and west just outside Brussels ) means get hold lambics that are laughably knockout ( if not impossible ) to get elsewhere . These are n’t those beers you ’ve had made with cherry or raspberry syrups : producer like Cantillon , Hanssens , Drie Fonteinen , and Mort Subite make beer like straight lambics , which are too fragile to export , and geuzes , which are cautiously blended batches of older and fresh beer , that most beverage expert consider to be the beer equivalent to gamey - end Champagne .

Anchorage, Alaska

It ’s worth underlining , yet again , that Alaska does n’t get nearly enough beloved for itsincredible craft beer scene . Definitely do slay the road ( or take hold of a fjord ferrying , or seaplane , or helicopter , or whatever ) to take in as much of the DoS as possible , anchoring in Anchorage ensures glorious views with a solid beer in your mitt . The copiousness of swell breweries in and around the city – Anchorage Brewing , Denali Brewing , Midnight Sun Brewing , Kenai River Brewing Co. , Arkose Brewery – mean plenty of pours you wo n’t come up anywhere else . Whether you desire tostay in a crack - haunted hotelbetween tasting years is whole up to you . Pro hint : if the estimate of throttle yourself to one part of the country yield you FOMO , theAlaska Crafted festivalcrams all 663,000 square mile of Alaskan beer ( and distilling ) into a twosome of business district cube in mid - May .

Köln (Cologne), Germany

To locals , it may seem unfair that Cologne go in the gargantuan phantom of Bavarian beer culture and its Oktoberfest - fueled , stein - swing tourist spectacle . But for brew geeks , the city on the Rhine is known for its own donation to the beer world : the intercrossed " lagered ale " trend , kölsch . Even though it was almost bombed into extinction during WWII , a huge post - war bonanza ( and a photoflood of American trade copycats ) are firm indicators of kölsch ’s durability . People who in reality visit Cologne sleep with that drinking kölsch on its home turf is a truly unparalleled experience . Grab a rear at one of the local brauhauses such as Gaffel am Dom , Früh , or Peters Brauhaus where kölsch waiter ( called " köbes " ) will keep take you refreshful , cold pours in 0.2 - liter ( 7 oz ) deoxyephedrine to make indisputable the beer stays cool . The beers wo n’t break until you put a coaster on top of one of your empties . If you ’re still craving an Oktoberfest - style company , get there in time for Carnival , where Cologne and its brauhauses host the enceinte pre - Lent political party in Germany .

Reykjavik, Iceland

It ’s funny to think that a tiny , outback city of 120,000 in the centre of the North Atlantic would be host to one of the secure beer scenes you have n’t hear about yet . But just like its interior association football team ’s surprisingly dominant run at the Euro Cup , Iceland should now be considered a brewing civilisation morose horse . Instead of the " copy and paste " routine distinctive of so many rise beer cities that replicate American styles , local breweries like Gæðingur Brugghús , Ölvisholt Brugghús , and Borg Brugghús are reviving historical styles that ca n’t be see in other countries , or bring a personal panache to established styles . You wo n’t have to go far to get the good hooey : locals ' favorite legal community for beer have well - curated lists , whether it ’s Skúli Craft Bar , Micro Bar , Kaldi Bar , or the ever - trusty Mikkeller & Friends ( which also has a sea wolf eatery on its ground floor ) . The only potential drawback : capital beer , alas , does not quite make the same engrossing anecdote as choking down fermented shark .

Pilsen, Czech Republic

How can anyone plan a beer - focalize trip without considering a place literally synonymous with it ? Pilsen ( or Plzeň ) , the birthplace of the almighty Pilsner , a scant hour away from tourer - overweight Prague , hum with the culture and stunning computer architecture that make the Czech Republic such a pop destination . The beer ritual , though , will bump your trip to another level : just ordering an unfiltered , unpasteurized rendering of Pilsner Urquell is a must for beer geeks . The early evenfall brings the Pilsner Fest , which admit a enormously popular " proper foam pour " bartending competition . And if you ’re into unique ( if super - gimmicky ) beer experiences ? Hit thebeer health club , where you’re able to literally bathe in the stuff .

New York City, New York

If you ’re American , you ’re going to hoist up here at some point , and hidden in plain sight will be one of the world ’s burgeoning beer culture . You may not have heard it dropped in the same sentences as Portland or San Diego just yet , but moot that it went from hosting a few short breweries in the mid-2000s to beinghome to some of the Northeast ’s fine beer producersin the span of a few myopic year , things are n’t looking too tatty . This most recent wafture began with game - changers like Finback in Queens and Other Half in Brooklyn and remain today with neophyte like Interboro Spirits & Ales and Kings County Brewers Collective . And while New York ’s public transportation make planning a brewery tour of duty easy and responsible , you ’re just as likely to chance some of the city ’s brews being serve at any one of the smattering of earth - class beer bars , bottle shops , or eatery around the five boroughs .

Puebla, Mexico

Still in the early phase of its own guile beer boom , Mexico nonetheless is cranking out more incredible beer than almost anywhere else in the cerebral hemisphere . Puebla , with its volcanic horizon , historical architecture , and top - notch food fit , serves as one of the best bases to nonchalantly tap into what the Mexican craftsmanship scene has to declare oneself . Even though it ’s not the largest , it is master of ceremonies to one of thebest - curated beer festivals in Mexico , where the brew culture has caught the care ofsome of the industry ’s biggest rockstars . Beyond that , it ’s still a viable year - one shot finish with its own selection of whole beer bars like DRAFT Gastropub , which helps to fade the prison term between meal while hunt for the best groin in Mexico .

Cork, Ireland

Say this for Ireland ’s greaves beer : brewers there are n’t contented to coast on their country ’s famous and deep pub custom . As the home to severalfabulous locally focused beer - makers , Cork – with its renowned intellectual nourishment scene and history – stands a cut above . place like Elbow Lane Brewing ( which also has an incredible in - star sign restaurant ) , Eight Degrees Brewing , Blacks of Kinsale , and Franciscan Well Brewery have draw as much local tending as they have medals at outside challenger .

Washington, DC

Leave it to a effectual loophole to get DC on this list . For once , our nation ’s capital benefits from its weird " not a province " oblivion status , with unequalled beer laws that make it well-fixed for beer maker from across the country to get their beer sold and distributed in the District . Brew - focalise barslike ChurchKey , Smith Commons , and Jackpot can ( and fortunately for everyone , routinely do ) take advantage of this , boasting beer lists that read like a " great hit " compilation . Plenty of ace locally focused establishments give DC its own panache , including Meridian Pint ( which only pours beers from DC , Maryland , and Virginia ) and Bluejacket , which has broken out onto the prospect as the area ’s beer wunderkind . When you think about it , it ’s actually moderately meet that the Capital would make it easy to showcase the best beer from across the country .

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