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Comments
Can you really choose a city other than Portland, OR? It is the beer capital of the world! Show me a town with more craft breweries.
The answer is clear. ASHEVILLE, NC BABY!
Portland - 575,000 people - 10 craft breweries
Asheville - 90,000 people - 8 craft breweries
'nuff said...Asheville rules this list.
Actually, if the Portland area has many more than 10. Among them...
Alameda Brewhouse
Amnesia Brewing
Bridgeport Brewing
Cascade Brewing
Deschutes Brewery
Full Sail Brewing
Hair of the Dog
Hopworks Urban Brewery
Laurelwood Public House
Lucky Labrador Brewing
MacTarnahan's Brewing
Mash Tun
Max's Fanno Creek
McMenamins
New Old Lompoc
Old Market Pub and Brewery
Rock Bottom Brewery
Rogue Ales
Roots Brewing
Tugboat Brewing
Widmer Brothers Brewing
It comes down to this, living in Portland I can go to AT LEAST 21 breweries (and quality ones at that). In Asheville, I can go to 8.
(normally I can speak in perfect English, but there's so much great beer here it's hard to stay sober)
Hey The Man -- not sure where you got your stats, but they are wayyyy outdated. At last count, there are more than 30 breweries in Portland.
Besides, it's not just the number of breweries per capita (because if it were, Astoria, OR, with 9,000 people and two brewpubs would beat out Asheville), it's about how craft beer is woven into the city's whole social fabric.
Portland's Mom and Pop convenience stores carry a selection of craft beer that would rival most other city's bottle shops.
They even have good craft beer on tap in bowling alleys and strip clubs! :)
The poll question is ambiguous, at best. Portland, Oregon can certainly claim the most craft breweries. That's a fact. It is certainly my favorite beer city from the perspective of the love and availability of craft beer. But, almost any place can garner votes as a favorite since there are no real criteria. Relax, have a (home) brew.
THIS...is the list.
4th Street Brewing Co.
77 NE 4th St
Gresham, OR 97030
503-669-0569
Alameda Brewhouse
4765 NE Fremont
Portland, OR 97213
503-460-9025
Ambacht Brewing Co.
1055 NE 25th Ave Suite N
Hillsboro OR 97124
503-679-0717
Amnesia Brewing Company
832 N Beech
Portland, OR 97227
503-281-7708
BriddgePort Ale House
3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-233-6540
Bridgeport Brewpub + Bakery
1313 NW Marshall
Portland, OR 97209
503-241-3612
Clinton St. Brewing Co.
2524 SE Clinton St.
Portland, OR 97202
503-238-5588
Deschutes Brewery & Public House
210 NW 11th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
503-296-4906
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
4509 SE 23rd
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-6585
Hopworks Urban Brewery
2944 SE Powell
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-HOPS
Laurelwood Brewing Co.
Portland International Airport: Concourse A
7000 NE Airport Way
Portland, OR 97218
503-493-9427
Laurelwood Pizza Company
1728 NE 40th
Portland, OR 97212
503-943-6157
Laurelwood Public House
Portland International Airport: Concourse E
7000 Airport Way
Portland, OR 97218
503-493-4204
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery
5115 NE Sandy
Portland, OR 97213
503-282-0622
Laurelwood Public House NW
2327 NW Kearney
Portland, OR 97210
503-228-5553
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall
1945 NW Quimby
Portland, OR 97209
503-517-4352
Lucky Labrador Brewing
915 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-3555
Lucky Labrador Public House
7675 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97219
503-244-2537
MacTarnahan’s Taproom
Pyramid Breweries
2730 NW 31st Ave.
Portland, OR 97210
503-226-7623
The Mash Tun
2204 NE Alberta St
Portland, OR 97211
503-548-4491
Max’s Fanno Creek Brewpub
12562 SW Main St.
Tigard, OR 97223
503-624-9400
McCormick & Schmicks’s
Harborside Restaurant and Pilsener Room
Full Sail Brewery at Riverplace
0307 SW Montgomery
Portland, OR 97201
McMenamins / Bagdad Theater
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-9234
McMenamins / Barley Mill Pub
1629 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-231-1492
McMenamins / Blue Moon Tavern & Grill
432 NW 21st Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
503-223-3184
McMenamins / Cornelius Pass Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall
4045 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-640-6174
McMenamins / Crystal Ballroom & Lola’s Room
1332 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
503-225-0047
McMenamins / Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St.
Troutdale, OR 97060
503-669-8610
McMenamins / Fulton Pub & Brewery
0618 SW Nebraska St.
Portland, OR 97201
503-246-9530
McMenamins / Grand Lodge
3505 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-992-9533
McMenamins / Greater Trumps
1520 SE 37th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
503-235-4530
McMenamins / Highland Pub & Brewery
4225 SE 182nd Ave.
Gresham, OR 97030
503-665-3015
McMenamins / Hillsdale Brewery & Public House
1505 SW Sunset Blvd.
Portland, OR 97201
503-246-3938
McMenamins / John Barleycorns
14610 SW Sequoia Pkwy.
Tigard, OR 97223
503-684-2688
McMenamins / Market Street Pub
1526 SW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
503-497-0160
McMenamins / Mission Theater
1624 NW Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-223-4527
McMenamins / Oak Hills Brewpub
14740 NW Cornell Rd. Suite 80
Portland, OR 97229
503-645-0286
McMenamins / Raleigh Hills Pub
4495 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Portland, OR 97225
503-292-1723
McMenamins / Ringlers Annex
1223 SW Stark St.
Portland, OR 97205
503-525-0520
McMenamins / Ringlers Pub
1332 W Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-225-0627
McMenamins / Riverwood Pub
8136 SW Hall Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97008
503-643-7189
McMenamins / Rock Creek Tavern
10000 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-645-3822
McMenamins / St. Johns Theater & Pub
8203 N Ivanhoe St.
Portland, OR 97203
503-283-8520
McMenamins / The Rams Head
2282 NW Hoyt St.
Portland, OR 97210
503-221-0098
McMenamins / White Eagle Café, Saloon & Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel
836 N Russell St.
Portland, OR 97227
503-282-6810
McMenamins Back Stage Bar
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-9234
McMenamins Cedar Hills
2927 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503-641-0151
McMenamins Chapel Pub
430 N Killingsworth St.
Portland, OR 97217
503-286-0372
McMenamins Greenway Pub
12272 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Tigard, OR 97223
503-590-1865
McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97211
503-249-3983
McMenamins Mall 205
9710 SE Washington St., Suite A
Portland, OR 97216
503-254-5411
McMenamins Murray & Allen
6179 SW Murray Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503-644-4562
McMenamins on Broadway
1504 NE Broadway St., Suite 900
Portland, OR 97232
503-288-9498
McMenamins Oregon City
102 9th St.
Oregon City, OR 97045
503-655-8032
McMenamins Sherwood
15976 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd.
Sherwood, OR 97140
503-625-3547
McMenamins Sunnyside
9757 SE Sunnyside Rd., Suite K
Clackamas, OR 97015
503-653-8011
McMenamins Tavern & Pool
1716 NW 23rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97210
503-227-0929
McMenamins West Linn
2090 SW 8th Ave.
West linn, OR 97068
503-656-2970
New Old Lompoc / 5th Quadrant
3901 N Williams Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
503-288-3996
New Old Lompoc / Hedge House
3412 SE Division St.
Portland, OR 97202
503-235-2215
New Old Lompoc / Oaks Bottom Public House
1621 SE Bybee Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-1728
New Old Lompoc Brewery
1616 NW 23rd
Portland, OR 97210
503-225-1855
Old Market Pub & Brewery
6959 SW Multnomah Blvd.
Portland, OR 97223
503-244-0450
Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
6410 SE Milwaukee Ave.
Portland, OR 97202
503-239-8544
Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
18625 Willamette Dr.
West Linn, OR 97068
503-699-4130
Raccoon Lodge and Brewpub
7424 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale
Portland, OR 97225
503-296-0110
Rock Bottom Brewery
206 SW Morrison
Portland, OR 97204
503-796-2739
Rogue Ales Distillery and Public House
1339 NW Flanders
Portland, OR 97215
503-222-5910
Rogue Meeting Hall
Portland International Airport: Concourse D
7000 NE Airport Way
Portland, OR 97218
503-460-4040
Roots Organic Brewing
1520 SE 7th
Portland, OR 97214
503-235-7668
The Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Clackamas Town Center
11860 SE 82nd Ave. #3050
Happy Valley, OR 97086
503-659-1282
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
929 N Russell
Portland, OR 97227
503-281-2437
Asheville has 8 micro-breweries/brew pubs for a population of 90,000. Highland Brewing Co. in Asheville is superior. 21 beer places is a good selection (Portland) but who needs more than 8 good places.
Assville? I don't think so.
Though I would say that perhaps a visit to NC is in order; PDX still rules.
Where did "the man" get his info... 10? PDX has by far some of the best breweries, and in my opinion, Santa Rosa or San Francisco would be second. But in all honesty, you can go many places (maybe except Utah and Texas) and find several good beers. If you are talking being interwoven into the city, again I would have to say Portland. We would be happy to have you come over and check us out!
Portland may have a lot of pubs, but every time someone does one of these beer polls their residents strike me as a bunch of self-righteous blowhards. If PDX is such a great beer town then enjoy it and quit denigrating every other place in the country that loves craft beer like you have some kind of a patent on it.
Enterprise, OR - 1900 people, 1 brewery
Enterprise is the beer capital of the world! Oh, right, that's a specious criteria
Quantity and quality both need to be considered in this vote, and I would have to say Portland has both. I've never been to Ashville, so it's hard to know the quality, but if they only have 8 locations to choose from, it seems it would be a stretch to think they can match the quality of Portland. Second choice, Denver, CO. Northern, CA and Washington have plenty as well, but Denver seems to have gotten over Coors and found out what real beer tastes like. Hoppy Trails!
C'mon!
Portland is the beer capital of the universe.
I have to agree with the poster who said it's not just about the number of craft breweries per head of population -- it's the deep integration of quality beer into the whole fabric of the community.
The 7-11 two blocks from my house has at least 3 dozen different high-quality craft beers in the cooler, almost all of which were brewed within ten miles of here. And I live in Felony Flats, a crappy section of town!
I was just in a major southern city for a family reunion and there wasn't as good a beer selection at a liquor store or a high-end grocery.
Izzy's, the white-trash low-brow buffet in a strip mall a mile away, always has 3 or 4 local craft brews ON TAP!
I could go on and on. Portland IS beervana. Come and live the dream!
--JT
C'mon, Dirk!
Ease up. It's not bragging if it's true.
:-)
--JT
Denigrating? Really?
Looking back over the posts, I see no PDX fans denigrating anyt place -- just sharing excitement over a fantastic beer city and hoping y'all would come enjoy it with us.
Cheers!
No contest - born in PDX, and been to NC. Portland Rules in the beer world. NC carries Portland's drip pan. Just wannabees. That isn't denigration, just fact.
Maybe denigrating was the wrong word, but I'd take a Coorsillerweiser with friendly folks than any craft beer with someone who's looking down their nose at me. Company is just as important as the brews. I have a feeling you people are a lot nicer in person though. The internet turns decent people in to jerks.
Hey Dirk! You're right.
Cheers!
Dirk, you come to Portland and sit down in any pub, and the person next to ya will turn around to introduce themselves. We are a very friendly and sociable bunch (especially in real life).
As far as what others have said, it could be said of us that we have three faucets on our sinks. One each for hot and cold water and one for beer. Church folk out here talk with a fair amount of openness about drinking beer, which says something about community penetration/integration of beer.
It could be said that we caught the brew bug earliest on a level no other place did. Fritz Maytag kicked it off in San Fran in '69, but not much happened until, in Portland, in the early 1980's things started really moving on the heels of the legalization of brewing at home (1978, if I'm not mistaken).
Richard, if you don't know why you would need more than 8, you need to come to Portland and find out why. I couldn't imagine living with less than 20 we have. Trust me. We have Beer Disneyland out here at McMenamin's Edgefield. When you visit, you wish you never had to leave.
Portland is known as Munich on the Columbia. Enuff said.
Who picked this list of cities??? Cincinnati has barely anything for craft breweries. Both Cleveland and Columbus have much more to offer and they weren't even on the list?
Asheville wins for me, it reminds me of home when it comes to Beer.
JT:
Asheville also has their microbrews available at 7-11s and other Kwikkie Mart type places. The 8 brew pubs reference was just the actual breweries. All the restaurants, local bars and Kwikkie Mart types also carry the local brews.
Just letting you know.
dm
the beer in NC tastes better than any I tried in PDX, maybe it's in the water?
We also have a lot more cider, meade, and gluten free beer options than I was able to access in OR.
Sure, PDX has MORE beer than AVL, but the question is quality, not quantity.
Despite what the #'s say, I think AVL may takes the pint on this won ;-)
ASHEVILLE ALL THE WAY!!!
Looks like this is a vote early and vote often kind of poll. Who stuffed the ballot box from Ashville and Portland?
San Diego is the right answer, obviously - just ask the judges from the World Beer Cup. Polls like this are worthless.
Please.
While Asheville and Portland folks are sitting at their computers stuffing the ballot boxes in a demonstrably and ludicrously non-scientific poll, the folks in Philly are out at the bars, drinking more styles and more quantities of more quality beers (from North America and around the world) than Asheville and Portland could scrape together.
Brussels is the number one great beer city in the world, and Philly is number two. Chicago is up there in volume, but not quality. NYC likes its martinis too much to be in the running, though its a very good beer town.
I'm not dissing Asheville or Portland. I've spent a lot of time in both. Both are terrific, but the notion that either is the number on beer town is endearingly provincial.
And no, I don't live in Philly. 5 hours away to be exact.
To Asheville people: is there an Asheville brew we can get in Portland? I know the selection of Rogue at Bruisin' Ales is Asheville is pretty good. What should I look for here, if anything is available?
This poll useless without samples.
denigrating.
I just wanted to say "denigrating". I'll say it again:
denigrating.
Denigrate. Denigrating. Denigrated.
Despite being a Portland resident, I'd have to go with Brussels as well. They've been craft brewing for centuries now. Never been to Asheville but sounds like a good place to visit :)
Portland and Asheville aren't a fair comparison...they are both beautiful cities with great beer scenes.It's more like a big brother and little brother deal. For a town of 60,000 Asheville is amazing, but Portland did it first, and set a great standard
Until there are Bruisin' Ales stores in Portland and Phillie, Asheville rules!!
Beer City is in the mind (and glass) of the beholder. Online polls are worthless.
Beerlanthroper 009,
We have several bottle shops. www.johnsmarketplace.com is my current favorite.
I chose Asheville solely because it's the best beer city in the list that I've been to by far. Considering the population there, it's oozing with not only a great selection of beer but many local choices. The beer stores, bars, and breweries are all top notch.
@Lance - No Asheville beers available in your area but you may be able to order some online. Check out Bruisin' Ales.
Forgot to mention that I'd love to take a trip to Portland to compare the two.
Walt,
Thanks, that's a great idea.
This is a no-brainer! Asheville has eight GREAT microbreweries and only 1/8th the population of Portland. Come visit and you'll see why the best beers are from here.
Asheville rocks
The Wedge in Asheville produces a 9.0abv Imperial Stout that will rock anyone's world. Infused with 168lbs of raspberries! And you can get it for just a mere 14 quarters.
Both Portland and Asheville have amazing brews, but Asheville has better value. Most all local brews are $3.50 a pint.
PDX does not have a Bruisin' Ales. However, we do have Johns Market with over 800 different bottled beers, plus multiple dozens of different keg selections. We also have IMO the best taphouses (Baileys, Henry's, etc!) and another awesome bottle/tasting shop (Belmont Station). PDX may not be the best, but... well yeah, nevermind it's the best :)
hands down San Diego. Not only the best Craft Brewers but the best beer bar's. On 1 street alone there are better beer bars then in all of the northwest!
declan, have you ever been to Toronado in SF? That's the best tap house I have been to.
Larry has a great point, and while the US is filled with respectable beer cities, it is more than obviuos that this is a pretty silly way to judge anything.. just an excersize in who can get the most people to vote. Plus, are we talking craft? It doesnt really say. My guess is that in talking true craft, if you asked most people in the beer industry around the country (and I am one of them) they would pick the most inovative and very mature beer markets that led the charge in the craft world more than 20 years ago, Porland, San Fransisco, and Seattle. that said, play on kids. may the most votes ... well...be the most votes.
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