USA Today says Philadelphia has the 6th best beer scene in the country
Earlier this week, USA Today released the results of its latest 10Best Readers’ Choice poll, and among the beer categories, Philadelphia came in sixth place for Best Beer Scene.
Looking for “places with exceptional beer bars, gastropubs, craft breweries, and a thriving beer culture,” a panel of experts – Mike Arra (Bon Beer Voyage), Jim Dykstra and Chris Guest (The Beer Connoisseur), Julia Herz (Brewers Association), Gary Monterosso (What’s On Tap), Jack Muldowney (The Hop Review), and Ale Sharpton (Cruisin’ for a Brewsin’) – chose the initial nominees, and the Top 10 winners were determined through votes online by USA Today and 10Best readers over the span of a month.
Here’s what 10Best had to say about Philly:
The City of Brotherly Love is a hard-drinking town – ask anyone who’s been on South Street during last call – and more and more Philadelphians are focusing their efforts on enjoying the area’s impressive craft brews.
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of top-notch beer bars, from the much-lauded Monk’s Cafe to the equally impressive City Tap House and Eulogy Belgian Tavern. Yards Brewing Company is the city’s most popular craft brewery, and there are several smaller outfits that have popped up in recent years.
Perhaps it’s the year-round event calendar that sets Philly’s beer scene apart. Spanning 10 days, Philly Beer Week is the country’s oldest and biggest event of its kind.
Grand Rapids, Michigan took the top spot as “Beer City USA” this year, though Philadelphia wasn’t far behind.
1. Grand Rapids, Michigan
2. Fort Collins, Colorado
3. Tampa, Florida
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Asheville, North Carolina
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7. Chicago, Illinois
8. Portland, Maine
9. Baltimore, Maryland
10. Atlanta, Georgia
Curiously, Pennsylvania didn’t rank in other categories that included Best New Brewery, Best Beer Bar, Best Brewpub, Best Beer Festival, and Best Beer Label, but with the popularity of craft beer continuing to grow, maybe it’s only a matter of time.
