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Beer City USA results are an indication that beer matters,
celebrating beer enthusiasm and choice in the USA
Over 16,000 people from 46 countries cast votes between March 18 and May 7 for their favorite Beer City USA. In the end Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina gathered the most votes. It was close right up until the end. Philadelphia came in third with 1,103 votes and cities with over 100 votes were:
- 3rd Philadelphia
- 4th San Diego
- 5th St. Louis
- 6th San Francisco/Oakland - Bay area
- 7th Seattle
- 8th Denver
- 9th Portland (Maine)
- 10th Milwaukee.
- 11th Fort Collins (Colorado)
What do the results of an unscientific online poll for 2009 Beer City USA “naming rights” really mean? There were over 170 comments (and still counting) most indicated the feeling that a poll such as Beer City USA could never measure the real value of beer culture around the country. Many expressed that there was opportunity for voting abuse. I have to say I got myself into this and now I need to assess the results in as fair a manner as I possibly can.
One thing that a poll like this indicates is the degree of beer culture and networks that exist in various areas of the country. It helps to bring to the forefront that beer culture, beer community and beer enthusiasm are relevant forces in the quest for access to better beer.
For the most part the comments portrayed the notion that beer matters! It matters in the USA unlike any other country in the world. That’s why we have great beer here in the USA. I think the whole idea of caring where your beer comes from and how it is made is a good thing. It will be essential for maintaining the great beer choices we have in the USA.
I saw an effective mobilization of beer communities in several areas of America. I was surprised that there seemed to be far less ballot stuffing at the end than what I saw in the early days of voting. Am I an expert in these matters? No. I don't apologize for not being an expert. I learned a few things, many I'm sharing with you now.
For those of you who know about such things there were over 11,500 unique IP addresses that cast votes. On a random sampling of multiple votes from the same IP address (I was checking the ones that had between 20 and about 80 from the same IP address) the majority were from communication services such as AT&T and Comcast. Some were from large companies and even then the votes from the same company were sometimes mixed.
To what degree the actual numbers are accurate - I dare not say. I do believe the results are quite indicative of the efforts put forth by various communities. In the end that is what will matter most for the future of great beer in the USA.
This was the first Beer City USA poll. Ballots were cast during a time when the emergence of local beer communities began to be relevant. For the future, beer communities and networks will need to exist and find common cause to preserve choices.
Seller beware! Offer choice and offer quality or beer drinkers just may go elsewhere.
On more of a big picture view, many Americans feel that the quality of life in the USA has been seriously eroded over the past decade. What happened with Beer City USA polling is the kind of local, regional and community support many are seeking to foster to bring back quality, value and purpose. Local food and beverage producers seek this kind of grassroots enthusiasm. Small, local and independent businesses will strive to connect with the qualities that matter.
Better beer has been on the frontier of social and cultural change for over three decades.
The very fact that over 16,000 votes were cast on this site (a very small corner of the beer world) is because people thought beer mattered. This is just the beginning.
Who gets top honors? I’m honoring both Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina this year. They are number one in the east and number one in the west with about 6,000 votes apiece. What, no definitive Number 1 and Number 2? Correct. Is that a cop out? I don't think so, but of course beer drinkers are an opinionated group of individuals and may beg to differ.
Will I conduct a Beer City USA poll next year? I haven't decided that yet.
Now I have to get myself to Asheville for a first time visit and revisit the delights of Portland.
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Comments (29)
yes! come to asheville! i'm so proud to live in the beer capital of the south!
wedge/pisgah/asheville brewing co/green man are all quality to name a few! and all of the breweries have tasting rooms!
As a citizen of Asheville - congratulations to Portland. It's a good city to share 1st prize with.
Charlie,
Thank you for honoring both cities. I'm glad you chose to do this. Both Asheville and Portland are great beer towns and equally deserve the recognition.
Being from the Boston area and an advocate beer consumer/homebrewer with extensive travelling in the US, it seems hard to dispute the results. Even though it is not scientific, just take the time to visit the top cities and tell us they don't deserve the accolades.
Yay! There'll be a (happy) tear in my beer over this one! Asheville's many "beerlanthropists" will be over the moon! And our creative brewers (who get funky with ingredients like hibiscus & carob) totally deserve recognition. Craft beer is a way of life here...if you're not a beer snob when you get here, you will be by the time you leave! FoodtopianSociety.com
Being an Asheville native, current resident and avid beer educator/ consumer I am thrilled to share the #1 spot with Portland. WOOHOO! Thanks to Oscar Wong (Highland Brewing) for coming out of retirement and getting this train moving in 1994.
Considering Portland is about 800% larger than Asheville, I would say we all know who the big winner here is.
When you're ready to make that trip to Asheville, hope you'll consider a complimentary stay with us at our inn- Green Mountain Bed and Breakfast. We met many years ago at a couple of Chicago Beer Society events when my husband Jack was President and I was Executive Director of the club. We've since escaped the snow in Chicago and now call Asheville home. We'd love to personally show you around our great Beer City!
Thank you for giving honors to Asheville along with Portland - we're so proud! Charlie, be sure to look up our local beer writer, Tony Kiss, when you come for your visit. He followed your poll closely and has your results on the Asheville Citizen-Times website now: www.citizen-times.com. Cheers!
I think when you live in Portland, theres nothing better on a rainy day than a good cup of coffee or a great beer. Its no surprise.
cop out
I live in Portland and its no surprize that we were part of the top two, we have great beer and great beer drinkers! I have also enjoyed a few in Ashville, Good times and good people.
Congrats to Portland. They have some of the best beer i've ever tasted. Of course I live in Michigan, which has by far the WORST beer. Not only does our beer suck, you cant get a good beer at any restaurant what so ever. Thumbs down for that one my fellow Michiganders
Portland- 575,000 citizens/28 breweries= 20500 cpb (citizens per brewery)
Asheville- 72,000 citizens/6 breweries = 12000 cpb
You do the math- Go Asheville!
For the guy who said Michigan has bad beer, you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Michigan has Bell's and Founder's, two of the best breweries in the country.
Congrats Portland, some day I will live in your streets made of beer!
Now that the poll is over we can all be friends again. Congratulations Asheville, those of us that live in Portland can confirm you're in very elite company. I'll be sure to have a few pints if I'm ever in North Carolina. It's great to see a small city with good beer on the East Coast. And, it's great to live in bigger city with endless choices for local beer. Keep on keeping on Portland!
Wow! Congrats to Asheville. I was completely unaware that Asheville was a beer city. I didn't even think there was a town in the south that was that enthusiastic about beer! I will have to check out the city some day!
I have a feeling that the next time such a poll is conducted, and if it is promoted a little better by local beer personalities, Philadelphia will easily win the poll as the beer city for it actually is the best beer city.
I moved from NC to the Northwest back in 1995, when there wasn't much beer in NC to speak of. I was overjoyed at the selection of craft beer and microbrews in Cascadia. I moved from Seattle to Asheville in 2003, when Highland was the main local brew. Now there's Pisgah, the Wedge, Green Man, French Broad, Brew&View, and more -- with Craggie and the LAB on the way. Not a bad place to be at all.
Milwaukee has long been known as Brew City USA --for over a hundred years. It's unofficial nickname was "America's Watering Hole." At one time, the majority of America's best selling beers were made there, until some corporate clowns sold the rights to many original recipes, and destroyed the former integrity of the beer. But brewing in all parts of Wisconsin is a time honored tradition. Just a few great breweries in Milwaukee: Sprecher Brewing, Water Buffalo Brewery, Lakefront Brewing, Stonefly, Milwaukee Brewery, Horny Goat Brewery, (also in Steven's Point)Rock Bottom, Water Street Brewing...just to name a few. Portland is a great beer city, but Milwaukee is the original.
I like Neil's math...so that would make us the winner
Durango pop 14000/4 breweries = 3500cpb!
I'm still a little perplexed by Asheville. Not to be a jerk, but even if there is a fantastic beer community there, I've not heard much of their beers....at all. What's the distribution like outside of the area? I've yet to come across any notable Asheville brews here in Philly. Someone correct me?
As for Portland - distribution is definitely good outside the area, and I can find Rogue all across the country, and I have definitely come across Full Sail and Hair of the Dog on the East Coast. So I get Portland.
I'm glad Philly made 3rd - but hopefully we'll make 1st next year!
Thanks to everyone who put these two cities in the beer spotlight. Both are great beer scenes, with similar attitudes.
To Sara, who started this commentary, I would suggest that wide distribution doesn't make a great beer city. Great beer does. Just cuz you can't get them in Philly, doesn't make them not "notable".
One of things that is prevalent in Asheville is the idea that "LOCAL MATTERS"... Asheville beer drinkers drink Asheville Beers. Even if they can get great beers from other places. Most Asheville breweries don't need to distribute far and wide to stay afloat.
What a great town.
BTW, Cheers to Philly Beer Week! You guys rock too.
The facts of the poll are Close But I could not find them on this site. 4% difference is not a real a tie: "Charlie Papazian delcares a tie between Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina this year. They are number one in the east and number one in the west. I think this was a wise choice. For future record, the poll ended with Portland at 41% and Asheville at 37% out of 15,885 votes. I think the fact that 3 cities collected 85% of the votes says mucho about the passion of the people in
I think to have a truely "Best Beer City" the top 2 to 3 cities should exchange dozens of kegs of their finest brews.
I live in Portland and my parents live in Asheville. The best of both worlds! Congrats to each city. One item missing from this poll and these silly cpb stats is that in Portland quite a few of the larger breweries have multiple locations within town serving locally-made beer. There are four such establishments within a mile of my house. Availability is more important than simply the number of breweries.
There are now 3 more breweries in the Asheville area. So now the ratio is 8000 cpb. By next year Asheville should be the uncontested number one BEER CITY.
"Now I have to get myself to Asheville for a first time visit"
This goes to show that not even Charlie considered Asheville a beer destination. I was a brewer when I first visited Asheville and I tried my hardest to find local brews. I found one and it was acceptable. Certainly not on par with the "true" beer cities in the USA.
Let's look at the 2009 GABF results: 3 medals for all of NC. Oregon had 22. Cali had 39. Colorado 45. Penn had 12.
It's clear to see where the real beer locales are.
Asheville is pretty much paradise. Beer is just the delicious icing on the culture-cake.
Beer city, USA? I believe it. Folks around here know and love their beer like the French love their wine. As for distribution, well, the beer's made here and we drink it here.
Portland's got a thriving beer-culture too. Good. Together, Portland, we should encourage other cities and towns to get with the program. Every burg in America should have a local flavor!
Come and visit Asheville. Join us for a glass. I'm particularly fond of the 13 Rebels ESB. Is it 5 o'clock yet?
Yay go Asheville! I'm honored to be an official beer-tendent of fine French Broad brews right here in my hometown! Cheers!
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