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JOURNEYS magazine
Volume II, 2016
MONTREAL, CANADA
Montreal has been at the center of
Canada’s craft beer revolution for over
25 years. The Mondial de la Biere, one
of the most important and prestigious
international beer festivals on the
planet, takes place here each year.
Montreal is known for its concentration
of breweries, brewpubs and craft beer
bars, with several dozen within walking
distance or a quick cab ride of one
another. Perhaps its best known is
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, considered one
of the top brew pubs in the world.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Beer tourism is also booming in
Boston and one could argue that the
American craft beer explosion
actually began there in 1984 when
Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer
Company, introduced Samuel Adams
Boston Lager. Named after Boston’s
founding father, who was himself a
brew master, more than 30 years
later Samuel Adams Boston Lager is
still the top selling craft beer in the
country. Boston’s list of breweries has
experienced tremendous growth
since then, and it’s no wonder. Prior
to prohibition, the city had the
highest number of breweries per
capita in the U.S.
DENVER, COLORADO
Denver, Colorado is another popular
destination for beer lovers. The Mile
High City has a history rich in beer
making and each year plays host to the
Great American Beer Festival (GABF),
the premier beer festival and beer
competition venue in the U.S. More
than 35,000 beer lovers flocked to the
festival in 2015 to sample the 3,500 or
so craft beers competing for the
industry’s most coveted medals.
Denver also lays claim to at least 100
craft breweries and brewpubs, many of
them GABF winners.
PORTLAND, OREGON
Portland, Oregon is a pioneer in the craft
beer movement. Portland’s craft beer
scene began in 1984 with the opening of
two small breweries in what is known
today as its Pearl District, and others
soon followed. Referred to as “Beervana,”
Portland’s metropolitan area is now
home to more than 100 breweries
and brewpubs. Portlanders have an
infatuation with craft beer and the city
hosts dozens of beer festivals each year.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Belgium is widely regarded as the beer
capital of the world and a trip to
Brussels, its capital city, is for many the
crème de la crème of beer excursions.
In Belgium, beer is a culture and there
are over 450 varieties to choose from.
The best way to sample them is at the
Brussels Beer Weekend, an impressive
beer fest organized by the Federation
of Belgium Brewers that takes place in
Brussels each September.
Craft beer has a loyal following and
beer lover’s flock to the cities and
regions known for award-winning craft
brews by the thousands each year to
sample the very best.
AGENT RECOMMENDED
TOP 5
CRAFT BEER
DESTINATIONS
WRITTEN BY JOE BOONE
Beer has been quenching humanity’s thirst for thousands of years. Today, it’s a 500 billion dollar
a year industry, and though it’s still dominated by a handful of big multinational macro-breweries, craft
brewing is seriously challenging that control.
Craft brewing is the o¤spring of a brewing movement that started in Europe and North America
during in the 1970s. By the turn of the century, demand at many of the more popular small breweries
exceeded imposed production limits, and the term “microbrewery” fell out of favor. At the same time,
innovative and creative master brewers were responding to growing consumer demands for crafted, rather
than manufactured beers, and before long, the craft beer movement was born.
Today there are more than 10,000 breweries worldwide and new facilities are opening at the rate of
two to three per day. With that in mind, let’s count down our list of the top five craft beer destinations…
