20 Best Beer Towns In The US

Online travel magazine released list of 20 best beer towns in the United States including Portland, Maine, and Burlington, Vermont.

iStockphoto / Ridofranz


What are the best beer towns in the U.S.? A travel magazine set out to find the greatest towns with the best beer scenes.

TravelMag listed the top 20 best beer towns in the United States. To determine the best beer towns, the outlet looked at U.S. municipalities with a population under 100,000. To qualify, the towns needed a minimum number of two breweries.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville has 33 breweries in the city and 48 breweries in the greater Asheville area, according to a 2019 report from the Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Asheville had the second-highest number of breweries per capita after Portland, Maine.

BURLINGTON, VERMONT

According to C+R Research’s “The State of Craft Beer” report from 2019, Burlington was named the craft beer capital of the United States. Vermont boasts 11.5 breweries per 100,000 people. There are 151 pints of brews produced per adult over the age of 21.

COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK

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DULUTH, MINNESOTA

Minnesota is home to 223 breweries. Duluth breweries brewed over 1 million gallons of craft brews in 2016.

GENEVA, ILLINOIS

Penrose Brewing, of Geneva, Illinois, won the gold medal at the 2020 Great American Beer Festivals for its Goofy Boots brew in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category.

GOLDEN, COLORADO

Golden, Colorado is known for Coors, but there is plenty of other stand-out breweries in the Denver suburb. The Clear Creek Gold Pale Ale is an award-winning Kölsch style beer brewed by Golden City Brewery in Golden, Colorado.

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

Greenville, South Carolina, offers 10 breweries per 50,000 residents.

HOOD RIVER, OREGON

Full Sail Brewing Company, Everybody’s Brewing, and Walking Man Brewery in Hood River flaunt award-winning beers.

KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Kalamazoo boasts 10 breweries per 50,000 residents, plus features Two Hearted Ale – an American India Pale Ale from Bell’s Brewery – named as the best beer in 2020.

LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA

The oldest brewery in Lake Havasu – Barley Brothers Restaurant & Brewery – features award-winning brews.

LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

“Lancaster County is also home to many popular festivals, including the perennially sold-out Lititz Craft Beer Fest,” TravelMag reports.

MISSOULA, MONTANA

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NEWARK, OHIO

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

Market research company and website C+R Research named Pensacola as having the ninth most breweries per capita.

PORTLAND, MAINE

Portland, Maine has been named as “America’s Craft Beer Capital” – with 17 breweries that equal 25.5 breweries per 100,000 residents.

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

Rapid City features seven breweries per 50,000 residents.

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA

Sonoma County boasts more than 30 craft breweries and brewpubs.

STAUNTON, VIRGINIA

SUNNYSIDE, WASHINGTON

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