What's your top Craft Beer Region in The U.S (populations, best)

[RadicalAtheist]

Now that's rich.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Does anybody work somewhere that sells craft beer in bottles? I recently cleaned out one store's fridge of Three Floyd's here in Chicago because I was going back home to Pittsburgh to visit (Pittsburgh is out of the distribution radius) and I have a certain friend who is a huge fan and wanted me to get as much as possible to bring home for him. Was this a weird thing to do? I frequent this place often and need to know

[mjlo]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

I'm guessing that more people live in the Great Lakes area, and are just voting homerish. But then, most people aren't experts on the subject on a nation-wide level, and more just know what's in their backyard.

So what you're saying is that if they weren't ignorant they'd vote for your home preference?

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by mjlo

So what you're saying is that if they weren't ignorant they'd vote for your home preference?

Not at all. I know nothing about the craft beer movement as a whole, any more than the few articles I read here and there, by the awards granted, etc. By people who do know about it on a nation-wide level. I know more about it in my local area. And I suspect most people here are the same, if they're honest with themselves. That's only logical. Why would anyone know more about a the beer being drunk from a small craft brewery 2,000 miles away than they would about the one on the corner?

And I certainly don't think that my opinion is right for everyone ... only for me.

[mjlo]

I don't know enough about it either. But how do you gage where good Craft beer regions are? From what I can tell it's a nationwide phenom. What seperates them?

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by mjlo

I don't know enough about it either. But how do you gage where good Craft beer regions are? From what I can tell it's a nationwide phenom. What seperates them?

The breweries that are present in each region, the region's availability of quality beer via being in the distribution radius of other areas and producing their own craft beers, the "bar culture" and "beer culture" of each region, etc. There is no tangible answer, but the general consensus it seems is that the Great Lakes region and PNW are the best for craft beer. I would agree.

[Dawn.Davenport]

Beer doesn't have terroir. What does it matter?

[CowsAndBeer]

The poll generally reflects my personal rankings, at least near the top. CO is unfortunately lumped with a bunch of states that hold it down, I'm sure.

[RadicalAtheist]

And per usual California is taking on a gazillion states by itself.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by Dawn.Davenport

Beer doesn't have terroir. What does it matter?

I'm guessing you meant "territory"...and if so that is not true at all. Pabst, Bud and Coors may not have territory and are rather ubiquitous, but availability of craft beer depends greatly on region. If I drive 7 hours home to Pittsburgh from Chicago for example, I will not be able to purchase Three Floyd's at any of the local stores, and will not likely find it on tap anywhere. Craft breweries have a distribution radius and cannot be purchased just anywhere. Seasonal and rotational brews are especially difficult to obtain when searching out of the region that they are brewed (and sometimes even hard to find within that region for select beers). Microbreweries and small independent brewers are certainly territorial and often don't even distribute within their own cities extensively let alone spanning regions.