8 best beer towns in America

22:31, 6 May 2013

WASHINGTON. May 6. KAZINFORM The history of beer in the United States is a rich one dating back to the colonies, when soldiers were paid in spruce beer and cider. From there beer weathered a Revolution, Prohibition and a right turn at Albuquerque before positively exploding with deregulation of the industry through the early 1980s, CNN informs.

Ever since, Americans have been sampling, celebrating and sophisticating the unofficial national beverage in ways previously unimaginable, and it seems nearly every town's gotten into the act.

But not all cities are carbonated equal. Some have begun to take beer personally, innovating its craft and consumption and throwing festivals to honor the finest ales and lagers -- creating a blueprint for the rest of the country to follow. Still others have been doing this all along.

This is the story of those towns, the top eight cities in America for beer explorers.

We've scored each out of 10 for history, breweries, bars and events, and would like to think every one of you will read the whole piece quietly, captions and all, nodding sagely as the indisputable truth of every line hits home. But, this is the Internet and if there's one place where froth belongs besides the top of your pint of ale, it's the comment box below. Feel free.

Portland, Oregon
San Francisco, California
San Diego, California
Boston, Massachusetts
Denver, Colorado
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bend, Oregon
Asheville, North Carolina

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